We were just in Japan and ate allll the delicious foods, which I can’t wait to share with you. One of our favorite practices that we discovered is the bento box culture. When riding on the train for long periods of time, it’s pretty normal to grab a bento box at a stand in the train station and enjoy it while you’re on there. There are tons of options, but Sebastian and I got hooked on a tonktasu bento box. (Tonkatsu is pork, by the way.) The tonkatsu was served with rice that was topped with black sesame seeds and a pickled plum, and there was spicy mustard on the side along with Japanese BBQ sauce drizzled on top. It was so simple and perfect. And honestly, I craved it the minute we go home! So, that’s why I wanted to make this.
Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts pounded until 1/2 inch thick
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- Kosher salt to taste
- Avocado oil for frying
For the bowl:
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice cook according to the package instructions
- 1/2 head red cabbage chopped
- Toasted sesame oil to taste
- Rice vinegar to taste
- Soy sauce to taste
- Black sesame seeds for topping
- 1/2 tsp white miso
- Japanese BBQ sauce if you can’t find it, use whatever BBQ sauce you like and add a little soy sauce to it!
- Wasabi paste or spicy mustard
Directions
- Dry the pounded chicken off and season with salt. Set aside. Pour the flour onto a plate along with 1 tsp of salt and spread it out evenly. Place on one side of your workspace. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and water until uniform in color. Set in the middle of your workspace. On another plate, pour the breadcrumbs and make sure they are evenly distributed.
- Dry the chicken breasts off one more time, then dip each one into flour. Shake off the excess. Dip into the eggs until fully coated, then dip into the panko and make sure its fully coated in the bread crumbs.
- Heat a large deep skillet on medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat 1/4 inch of the pan. Heat until it’s shimmering, then add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other. Remove from the heat and place onto paper towels or a rack to get rid of excess oil.
- For the bowl, plate the rice. Plate the cabbage second, then add a tiny splash of sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Mix the salad together with a fork and taste. Adjust accordingly. Top the rice with black sesame seeds. Split the miso in half and roll a tiny ball with each portion. Flatten it with your thumb and place it on the rice. Then, place the chicken cutlet onto the bowl and add a little wasabi next to it. Top with Japanese BBQ sauce or any BBQ sauce of your choice (or none at all!) mash the miso into the rice while eating for an umami kick!
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