I've offered to cook katsu chicken curry for 12 people and have just realised I have no clue how to do this!

[serendippity]

I know how to make katsu chicken for 4, and have doubled recipes for slightly larger groups before, but I find nothing ever seems to taste the same by just doubling! Does anyone have a recipe for 12 people that doesn't involve making the same sauce 4 times?? Or should I just bite the bullet, do it in small batches then just whack it all in a saucepan to combine it all and hope the flavour stays the same? I have no idea why I offered to do this 🤦 anybody used to cooking for larger numbers have any suggestions at all? Or a better recipe I could do for 12? Thank you in advance, please help save my sanity! 😊

@serendippity recipe for 6, just double?

eta; (I know you don't want to double 🙈 but this is just once instead of x4) 😊

I think you're overthinking it. Your winning recipe scales, it must!

I would, in your shoes just multiply your recipe and do it the way you'd always do it. If it wasn't popular you wouldn't be doing it

Report back!

I did have a quick Google but couldn't find a recipe for 6...I need to think about sides too, massive amounts of naan? I've never cooked for this many people before!

Order it from the Indian takeaway. Simples. Who cooks it from scratch when the takeaway will do it - (even better probably?!) Probably cost less too.

You don’t want naan bread with katsu curry. Too much carb and it’s not Indian si nasn doesn’t make sense.

Rice and pickles, edamame etc.

Oh Zov this occurred to me! The problem is I always cook from scratch and the people coming want to actually try my cooking (they don't tend to cook alot) Thank you Alwaysfreezing, I always overthink- you're right!

You could try flatbreads @serendippity

Littlebearpad thank you! I hadn't thought about edemame, you're a star

No worries, gyoza would be good nibbles too and are very easy - Itsu frozen ones are good.

And of course it's not bloody Indian, it's Japanese, why on earth I decided it was Indian and went with naan, I have no idea 😂 flatbreads could work, thank you beetre00

maybe have a look at a Wagamama menu for inspiration on sides. What about a Japanese style salad and rice

That's perfect, I love the Itsu range- the veg ones would be great- again i hadn't thought of this!

Toothfairyat230, excellent idea, i'll have a look at the menu

Chicken.
Sauce.
Cards (rice, noodles?)
Green veg.

Plus some edamame/gyoza.

Perfect!

Maths isnt my strongest subject but surely if you have a recipe for 4 then you would only need to make it 3 times to have enough for 12 people, not 4 times?

(Not saying you need to do it that way but just in case!)

We often have Japanese pickled cucumbers with Katsu curry. They’re a bit addictive https://www.hungryhuy.com/sunomono-japanese-cucumber-salad-recipe/

Just buy the jar. Sainsbury’s home brand is good.

I put the effort into the Wagamama salad dressing instead and it’s actually very good… need good knife skills or a mini blitzed though… www.wagamama.com/cook/sauces/salad-dressing

Also you can get the pickles from Waitrose.

Given its fried you'll need to do lots of batches to keep it crispy. Rather than do it for 12 I'd be tempted to do enough for 8 but lots of pre made sides. The pickle above, dumplings, edame, a noodle salad, seaweed salad, rice even some miso.

Katsu sauce is pretty basic - carrot onion curry powder and a few other ingredients.

I make vats of it quite often. Just multiply everything by 4.

I like some green vegetables with mine.

I can do the full chicken in panko etc but we often just have the Katsu sauce with fish fingers for a quick dinner.

if you make the sauce the day before it might help.

Grab a block of the sauce mix from the shop… chuck it in boiling water. That’s how the Japanese do it.

hopefully you have enough responses on scaling up the sauce now so chipping in on the chicken! I make the escalope part of this a lot for 10 (not with the sauce but Italian style with lemon). What I’ve started doing is frying so it’s only just cooked, crispy on the outside but chicken (or beef - do that too) is only just cooked or par cooked. I lay them out on baking sheets and refrigerate. Then I oven cook them just beforehand so I can have 10 or sometimes 20 ready simultaneously. They come out perfectly cooked, tender inside, crispy on the outside. And it means I’m not stuck in the kitchen while everyone else socialises!

I have made the katsu sauce a few times at home too using a jamie Oliver recipe and it was absolutely delicious, way tastier than itsu or takeaway so I’m definitely an advocate for cooked from scratch katsu even though it is labour intensive!

Hope your dinnerparty goes fabulously!

@Emotionalsupporthamster I’m definitely trying those pickled cucumbers. Thank you for a great tip!

As chicken katsu is Japanese I don’t think the OP will get a better or more authentic taste by ordering from an Indian restaurant!

Love the Indian restaurant suggestion
Like PP - buy two blocks of S&B Golden Curry. You'll also need potatoes and onions. Sides - as above. If you are not into breading and frying chicken I'd suggest buying schnitzel type breaded chicken from a supermarket but it's not difficult to do and for this dish I'd say make before and just warm to serve, it's covered in sauce anyway.

My Japaneasy cookbook suggests rice & curried veg to go with it.
The author also recommends the Japanese curry sauce blocks !

Can't you change the menu to something you're comfortable cooking? A lot of faff for something that is very bland.