Crispy Pork Katsu Curry

Start by making your curry paste. Roughly chop the onion, garlic, ginger and green apple. Add to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the curry paste and fry for 5 mins until fragrant.

Stir through the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins until darkened. Add the curry powder, garam masala, salt and flour. Mix well and cook for another couple of mins until it forms a thick paste. Meanwhile mash the banana. 

Add the chicken stock and stir through the mashed banana. Carefully blitz the sauce with a stick blender until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).

Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots, then chuck them into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20–25 mins until the veg is soft.

Add the soy sauce, white wine vinegar and ketchup. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a spoonful or two of the hot curry sauce to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the pot and simmer for 5 mins until thick and glossy.

Wash the rice in cold water until it runs clear, then drain. Add to a saucepan with enough water to just cover it (roughly 1cm above the rice line). Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12 mins, then turn off the heat and leave to steam for another 5 mins.

Place the pork steaks between sheets of cling film and bash them to about 1cm thick using something heavy like a rolling pin. Prick each steak a few times with a fork, then season both sides with salt and pepper. 

Now set up a breading station with cornflour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dredge each steak in cornflour, dip into the egg, then coat well in breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, shallow-fry each cutlet for 3–4 mins on each side until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and then slice into strips.

Serve each portion with a bowl of rice, a ladle of curry sauce, sliced pork katsu and a scattering of pickled onions and spring onions, if using. Dig in!