Low-FODMAP Tonkatsu Curry

Why I Love Tonkatsu Curry

Japanese curry is a comfort food for me. It tastes totally unlike other curries, such as Indian, Thai, etc (and even within those cuisines, flavors vary wildly tbh), and is totally special in its own way.

My favorite pairing with Japanese curry has to be tonkatsu, or breaded pork cutlet. The golden breading is made all the more crispy because of big flaky panko. You can also bet that the pork chop is invariably juicy after being deep-fried in its breading-love-pocket.

Tonkatsu curry is served with plain, beautiful rice, and the three components together are not only a beautiful canvas of flavors, but of textures too: the soupy, saucy curry, the crunchy breaded pork, and the fluffy, innumerous grains of rice serve as a blank canvas absorbing all the delicious flavors…

Ahem. As you can see, I am a great lover of tonkatsu curry. These flavors and textures are tied to many happy memories throughout my life and childhood; the first experience being when my mom would take my little brother and I to Curry House in Little Tokyo in LA as a treat. Even when I eat it now, I always think of it as a treat!

Making This Into a Low-FODMAP Curry Recipe

With all that said, Japanese curry seems like an impossibility when you need to eat low-FODMAP. Onions are a central part of most Japanese curry recipes and are definitely present in every brand of curry roux blocks that I’ve seen, so I thought this was a dish I would never have again. However, with some research and some trigger-ingredient omissions, I’m pleased to present you with this low-FODMAP curry recipe.

We’ll make the Japanese curry roux from scratch and add in great no-FODMAP vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and oyster mushrooms.

Crispy Baked Pork Tonkatsu with Gluten-Free ‘Breading’

I learned this method of making really crispy baked tonkatsu from Just One Cookbook (check her out – amazing Japanese recipes!). Without her method, baked breaded pork chops are really sad. Like really really sad, and not brown at all. She recommends pre-cooking the panko to give it a crispy golden brown texture. This allows you to cut down on the fat (also a gut irritant!). My version also uses gluten-free rice crumbs. Enjoy!