Castlevania: Curry of Sorrow

I am but a simple servant, tidying the castle, fetching warm bath water, and most importantly serving dinner. It’s a simple job and a simple life but it works for – OH NO WHAT WAS THAT? I could have sworn I heard something. Okay, settle down, Skeleton Waiter. It was just the draft blowing through this old creaky castle. As I was saying, the eclipse approaches, but my job here has little to do with prophecy and the like. I am simply here to – EEEEEEEEEEEK. AHHHHHH PLEASE DON’T – uh… please don’t… oh my. It was a rat scurrying across the hall. Phew. If I had a heart, it would be beating quite loudly! But everything is okay. Pull yourself together, Skeleton Waiter. You can do this. I just need to take this delicious curry and take it to the other wing of the castle for supper. Nothing to it! Just a long hallway, just me, my curry, a- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHO ARE YOU??

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir! I didn’t see you there!” Well now I’ve done it. I need to go back to the kitchen and get more! Not again, skeleton waiter. They are going to dock your pay for sure this time. Mom knew this was going to happen!

Victoria actually hasn’t played any Castlevania games, so this website’s trusty taste tester and text editor gets to introduce this delicious curry. Unfortunately, I’ve really only played one game in the series, Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. But when you are a kid and only get so much birthday money to play new games, you take what you can get and you play that game from start to finish over and over. I’ve put in more time exploring all the paths, clearing the game with the different characters, and using my game genie to skip the terrible swamp level than I care to count. And I’ve since enjoyed quite a few “Metroidvania” style games with Guacamelee and Hollow Knight being my two favorite. It’s more than just fighting a few bad guys; It’s engaging in a world that opens up as you play and reveals a little bit more each time you visit the familiar spots. Unlike this curry, which hits you all at once with a full plate of deliciousness. Just be sure you don’t waste it and throw it at anyone!

Ingredients:
Curry Roux
3 tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
1 tbsp garam masala, ground
½ tbsp turmeric, ground
1 tsp coriander, ground
½ tsp cumin, ground
¼ tsp fennel, ground
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ground
¼ tsp cinnamon, ground
¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ground
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
1 tbsp honey

Curry
2 tsp oil
½ onion, diced
½ red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves
3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 brown potato, peeled and cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup water
1 bay leaves
¼ cup greek yogurt

Chicken Katsu
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup potato starch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
salt
pepper

Curry Instructions

To make the roux, combine the flour and spices in a small bowl. In a pan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and spices to the melted butter.

Mix together until the flour has absorbed all the butter. Add the tomato paste, tonkatsu, and honey. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Place a deep pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the carrots, chicken stock, water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Add the potatoes. Place the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 30 minutes. Occasionally skim any foam that appears.

Take a small portion of the roux and place it in a ladle. Place the ladle in the liquid of the pot and slowly mix in the roux. This will have to be done in several batches. Take your time to make sure it mixes well together.

Finally, add the yogurt and mix well.

Katsu Instructions

While the curry is simmering, prepare the katsu. Prepare the chicken breast by cutting it into 3 portions and flattening it until it is between ¼ to ½ inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Set up three stations up to bread the chicken breast. On the first plate, combine the potato starch, garlic powder, and ginger. In a bowl, scramble 2 eggs, tonkatsu, and soy sauce for the second station. On another plate, place the panko bread crumbs for the third station. Take a chicken breast portion and cover it in the potato starch mixture first. Next cover with the eggs.

Finally, coat with the panko bread crumbs and set aside on a plate.

To deep fry it, place a half inch of peanut oil in a frying pan and heat it up. Bring the oil to about 350°F. Carefully fry the chicken breast for 3 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2 minutes. Place on a plate with a paper towel until you are ready to serve.

To serve, place rice in a bowl and scoop a portion of the curry on top of the rice. Place the chicken katsu and then lightly cover with more curry.