Hello, I'm Mr. Ballam.

Thanks for choosing this lesson today and joining me.

Today, this lesson's all about making a sweet potato katsu curry.

Let's get started, shall we? So what are we going to learn today? Well, by the end of today's lesson, you are going to be able to use your food skills to make your very own sweet potato katsu curry.

It's absolutely delicious, and I think you're going to enjoy it.

But before we get started, there's just a few key words which I want to go through which we're going to come across in the lesson today.

And the first key word is katsu, and it's an abbreviation for the word for pork cutlet in Japanese, katsuretsu.

So that's an interesting one just to remember.

The next key phrase we're going to look at is plant-rich.

And this is a diet that comprises lots of fruit, vegetables, cereals, beans, legumes, seeds, and nuts too.

The next one is personal hygiene, and these are the steps that we need to take to prevent cross-contamination and also to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

And lastly, the word budget, and this is income and expenditure over a period of time.

So let's get started with the first part of the lesson all around recipe origins and modifications.

Now, katsu curry is a traditional Japanese dish, originally of a pork cutlet served with rice and a curry sauce.

But modern versions of katsu curry used chicken, fish, prawns, tofu, or vegetables too.

And it was thought that the curry was introduced to Japan from India by the British in the late 1800s.

And over time, the curry recipes have been adapted to better suit Japanese tastes and the ingredients available too.

Now, the oldest reference to curry in Japan is from a cookbook in 1872.

And these are actually some pages from it that you can see on the screen.

And Japanese curry is served in three forms. So it's usually over rice, like you can see here, over udon noodles, and also as curry bread too.

And the dish, katsu curry, has three components.

The first one is slices of meat, fish, or vegetable.

And these are coated in bread crumbs, usually Japanese bread crumbs, called panko.

And these have really light, flaky texture, and then they're deep fried.

The second one is Japanese rice.

And Japanese rice, or sushi rice, is the staple of the Japanese diet.

But other types of rice can also be used, such as long grain, jasmine and wild rice too.

And the third part is the curry sauce itself, this is often flavoured with curry powder as well as lots of other types of vegetables, but also things like ginger, soy sauce and honey too.

Let have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So what are the main three components of a katsu curry? Yeah, well that's the first one, isn't it, the curry sauce? What's next? Yeap, well done, it's the boiled or steamed rice.

And that leaves, that's right, slices of meat, fish or vegetable.

Well done.

Now in line with the Eatwell Guide, we should all have a plant-rich, diverse and balanced diets, and we should eat a more plant-rich diet by finding ways to get more fruits and vegetables.

Things like beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, and also whole grain foods too.

Plus, we need to make sure we have lots of fruits and vegetables in our diet just more generally.

These are good for our health and have a lower environmental impact than other types of foods.

In addition, the recipes or cooking methods can be modified to better meet healthy eating recommendations.

So for example, this might be using lower fat, salt or sugar ingredients, adding plenty of beans, vegetables, or fruit, including more fish in meals.

Do you remember the recommendation is two portions a week, one of which should be oily? Plus, going for whole grain or higher fibre ingredients, so perhaps swapping to wild rice or brown rice, for example, plus having starchy foods with one main meals.

So katsu curry is a great example because it comes with rice.

And also having a variety of different foods from the four main food groups from the Eatwell Guide.

Plus with our meals, we can have a salad as a side dish that will help with our five-a-day.

And lastly, perhaps we can think about our cooking technique.

So things like grilling, baking, or air frying instead of frying itself.

Now the katsu curry dish that you are going to make is plant-rich as it is made from plants only.

So the dish includes sweet potatoes, which we are going to bread or coat, white rice, which is a starchy carbohydrate, and a curry sauce, which is made from different types of vegetables.

So how could the katsu curry dish be healthier? Have a look at the Eatwell Guide.

What do you think? Well, yeah, that's right.

There's a couple of food groups that we haven't touched upon in this healthy meal.

So the first one is the beans and lentils, fish, eggs, and meat group, for example, so the protein group.

So perhaps we could look for ways to include some protein in the meal, or perhaps we could have some dairy or alternatives.

Now we don't have to have all the food groups in every meal but we do need to make sure they're balanced throughout the day or a number of days.

So modifications to add katsu curry meal could include the following.

So we can add a source of protein like we've discussed, so perhaps this could be sliced tofu, mackerel or perhaps chicken, or perhaps using whole meal breadcrumbs, or perhaps serving the dish with vegetables.

In Japan, often, a dish of shredded cabbage called tonkatsu is actually served too.

Or perhaps we could swap the white rice for brown rice, and we could use spray oil when we're making the curry sauce so less oil is actually used when we're frying the onion, for example.

We could also use a reduced salt soy sauce, or perhaps we could use baking or air-frying cooking techniques rather than frying.

And perhaps when we're looking at balance and variety, we could also include some dairy.

So for example, we can have a yoghourt as a dessert.

And as we know, we should always have a drink when we eat too.

Remember, six to eight drinks every day.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So which tip would not make the katsu curry a healthier dish? A, B, C, D.

Yes, that's right.

It's C, isn't it? To deep fry the meat or vegetables.

Well done.

Often when we are thinking about food, money's really important too.

And with a rising cost of food and energy means that people are living on tighter budgets at the moment.

And it's estimated by the Food Foundation that food insecurity, which is food poverty, affects nearly 14% of the households, which in the UK means 7.

3 million adults and 2.

6 million children.

So food insecurity is described as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

And having a small budget to buy food for healthy and balanced diets can therefore be challenging.

So the first question I've got for you is, do you think recipes can be modified to meet different budgets if the recipe states that certain ingredients should be used? What do you think? Is that possible? How about a second question for you? How can recipes be modified then to meet different budgets? 'Cause I'm pretty sure they can be modified.

Let's have a look at some examples together, shall we? So here are a few strategies that you could use, and you probably talked about some of these already.

So you could use plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables, for example, maybe buying supermarket own-brand foods and looking for special offers too.

Perhaps diversifying protein sources.

So including things like more beans, which are usually cheaper.

We could also look at ways to reduce food waste.

So actually when we're buying food, we're using all of it, we're not throwing it away.

Plus we can plan meals in advance, that usually helps too, as well as using canned and frozen ingredients so you just use what you need and they last for longer.

Now these tips are important for everyone.

They're really important because it makes sure we're using the food that we have in a sustainable way.

So when we're thinking about a katsu curry, these are the sorts of modifications that we could make to save money.

So the first one could be, first of all, when we're shopping, just comparing prices of similar ingredients, for example, and perhaps going for supermarket own-brand white or brown rice, that could save some money, or using leftovers.

So if I'm making a katsu curry, perhaps I could use leftover chicken from the day before or some fish.

Plus I could use seasonal vegetables, which tend to be cheaper 'cause there's more of them.

I could also serve the dish with some frozen vegetables, so I'm only using what I need and not throwing away anything else.

And I could also make my own breadcrumbs with bread that's left over, so that would save some money too.

Plus, if I'm making the curry sauce, I can make a batch of it and freeze some for next time.

So here's an example of comparing prices in a supermarket.

And this is the price per kilo for different types of rice.

So you can see here it goes from 52p per kilo up to 3.

15 pounds.

So there are different types of rice, but also we need to think about a budget so we can pick the rice that's best for us.

So a quick check for understanding, true or false, recipes cannot be modified for different budgets as the stated ingredients must always be used.

Well, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, recipes can be modified for different budgets using a number of different strategies, such as comparing costs, a bit like we did for the rice in the last slide, perhaps buying own-brand items as well from supermarkets, or using seasonal fruits and vegetables too.

Well done.

So I've got a task for you here, and what I want you to do is suggest three ways this katsu curry recipe can be modified for health and different budgets.

So you can see the recipe stated there, and I want you to then list three different ways it could change to be more healthy and three ways it could change to thinking about different types of budgets.

So good luck, pause the video, and we'll come back very soon to see how you've got on.

Well, how did you get on? I bet you did brilliantly, didn't you? Let's have a look at the example together to see how you've got on and what you may have put.

So the first one is that we could have used brown rice, and that's because the brown rice provides more fibre rather than the white rice in the recipe.

Also, we could have baked it rather than frying it.

You can see there it says fried pork, so we could have baked that pork instead so there's less oil, therefore it's healthier.

And thirdly, we could have used a reduced salt stock and soy sauce too.

So there's three things that you could do to make your dish healthier.

And I've got a fourth one for you as well.

Do you remember the traditional Japanese serving of cabbage? Brilliant.

Well done.

Now let's have a look at budget.

One of the first things you could have done is to use a long grain rice rather than jasmine rice.

It's much cheaper per kilogramme, do you remember? Secondly, we could have coated seasonal vegetables rather than the pork, which would've saved money too.

Thirdly, we could buy own-brand products and also compare prices too.

And you may have also had that you could actually make your own breadcrumbs too.

So well done to whatever you've got, I bet you did absolutely brilliantly today.

So now let's move on to the second part of the lesson, which is all about making your sweet potato katsu curry.

So whenever we prepare and cook food, we need to make sure we do it safely and hygienically, and our hands, hair, face, skin, clothing and jewellery could all be a source of bacteria, which can be transferred onto the food, and this is known as cross-contamination.

And good personal hygiene is important to prevent the risk of food poisoning.

And there are a number of different personal hygiene steps that need to be taken before you start to cook and needs to help reduce the risk of food poisoning.

So one of the first ones is to tie up any long hair.

And this is because bacteria can live on your hair and scalp and can easily be transferred onto the food.

The next one is to wear a clean apron as your clothes may have dirt, bacteria, or hair on them.

And again, that can be transferred onto the food.

Also, we need to remove jumpers and rolled up long sleeves.

Again, the jumpers and long sleeves may have dirt or bacteria on them.

We also need to remove any jewellery and watches as they can harbour dirt and bacteria, which again can get onto the food, remember that cross-contamination? And also we need to wash our hands with warm soapy water, and don't forget to dry them too 'cause your hands might look clean but you can't see the bacteria.

And as I mentioned, we need to thoroughly dry our hands too as the bacteria can multiply more rapidly on damp pans.

So it's important to wash your hands when you are preparing and cooking food.

So first of all, you need to make sure you wash your hands before you prepare food, so when you're getting ready to cook.

Also, after touching any raw meat, fish, or poultry, as well as any touching raw egg, including the shell.

You also need to make sure you wash your hands after going to the toilet, also touching the bin as there could be some form of cross-contamination with any dirt or bacteria on the bin.

Also, after touching any pets, which you might have at home, for example.

So in order to prevent cross-contamination during preparing cooking food, it's important to do the following.

The first one is to avoid touching your hair or face.

Hence, that's why having your hair tied up is a really good idea.

Also, to make sure you wash your hands regularly when you're cooking, especially after handling any raw food.

Do you remember the meat, fish, and eggs as well? Plus blowing your nose or touching the bin or using the toilet.

And it's also important we don't cough or sneeze over food.

And also if you've got any cuts or sores, we need to cover these with a waterproof dressing.

And lastly, we should never handle food if we're suffering from a stomach upset or a skin infection.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? What might your hair, clothes and jewellery have on them? A, B, C, D.

Yeap, that's right.

A, dirt.

Anything else? That's right.

D, bacteria.

Well done.

So to make our katsu curry, we're gonna use a number of different food skills and we're gonna go through them together now.

The first one is measuring, so we're gonna be using weighing scales.

Now it sounds silly, but when you weigh, make sure they say zero before you weigh anything else.

An accurate measuring is really important.

We're also gonna be using measuring jug and make sure when you measure have the measuring jug resting on a flat surface, you need to make sure you get the right amount.

We're also going to be using measuring spoons.

It sounds silly, but make sure you read the recipe carefully and use the right sized spoon.

Also, if the recipe says a level spoon, make sure it is level within the spoon.

Or if it says heaped, make sure the ingredients heap in the spoon.

The next food skill we're going to use is peeling, and we're going to peel the onion as well as the garlic by hand.

And when we're going to peel the ginger, we can use the vegetable peeler, or you might want to use a vegetable knife too.

Now the sweet potato and carrot in this recipe are not peeled.

Can you guess why? Yes, that's right.

It's because we want to make sure they provide more fibre with the skin.

And it's fine not to peel them, but we need to make sure we wash any fruits and vegetables that are unpeeled before we use them in cooking.

The next food skills are slicing and dicing.

So we're going to slice the sweet potato and we're going to dice the onion.

Now looking at the photos here, what knife technique is being shown? Yes, that's right.

It's the claw grip, isn't it? Is being used to slice sweet potato and dice the onion.

So let's have a look at the claw grip in a bit more detail, shall we? So the pupil is holding the vegetable with one hand, making a claw and running the knife down using their fingertips as a guide.

So it's a very safe cutting technique, and they're judging the distance between each slice to make sure they're even.

Another food skill we're going to use is coating.

So how does coating work? Well, you can see in the image here that the sweet potato rounds are, first of all, they're being dipped in a cornflour and water mixture and then they're rolled in the breadcrumbs.

So how does it work? Well, that's right, the cornflour paste, made from the cornflour and water, actually sticks to the sweet potato and it acts as a glue keeping all the breadcrumbs around the sides so it's coated.

And when they're placed in the oven, the breadcrumbs stay on the sweet potato slices.

They then turn brown and give a really nice crunchy texture.

And before we bake them, we can spray them with a little bit of oil just to give them a bit more crispiness.

The next food skill we're going to be using is using the oven, baking.

You can see here the sweet potato slices going in the oven and coming out the oven.

Now, why should the oven be preheated? Well, that's right, so the oven's at the right temperature when you need it, and it cooks the food immediately too.

And why should oven gloves be used? Well, yes, that's right.

It's to prevent accidents, isn't it? So for example, touching the shelves accidentally, or the baking tray too.

Well done.

Also to make our sweet potato katsu curry, we're going to use the food skill of mixing in different ways.

Now, why is it important to mix foods? Well, that's right.

Mixing helps to incorporate and cook all the ingredients evenly, it also helps prevent lumps and food from sticking perhaps on the bottom of a saucepan.

We're also going to use the food skill of using the hob for boiling and simmering.

So when we're using a saucepan on top of a hop, which direction should the panhandles point on the hop? Or that's right, the panhandle should to the side away from the front of the hob and the other rings too.

And what happens to the rice during cooking? Yes, that's right.

As the rice cooks, the starch granules inside the grains swell up and absorb the water.

And as the cooking continues, the granules burst and then turn into a soft jelly-like substance, which means that the rice goes from something that's quite hard to something that's quite soft and tender.

And the whole process is called gelatinization, making the rice go from hard to soft.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So what is the process called for cooking rice, A, B, or C? Yes, that's right.

It's A, isn't it? Gelatinization.

Well done.

Also, to make our katsu curry, we're going to use the hob for frying, boiling, and simmering too.

So you can see in the photo here, the curry sauce is being cooked on top of the hob.

But what do you think happened to the curry sauce during cooking on the ho? Well, yes, that's right.

The vegetable become softer and sweeter during the frying and the ginger and garlic release their aromatic oils, so they really smell great.

Also, the turmeric and curry powder wake up in the heat, and this is called blooming.

It helps to release their aroma and flavour.

The soy sauce adds umami, which is a savoury flavour, and the honey adds sweetness.

Plus, the flour that's added to helps to thicken the sauce.

And lastly, the simmering helps all the flavours mixed together and the sauce to become thicker as some of the water evaporates, and it also helps to soften the vegetables too.

Another food skill we're going to use is blending, and we're going to be blending the katsu curry itself.

So why do you think the sauce is blended? Well, that's right.

It's to help physically break down all of the ingredients into a smooth sauce.

Do you remember, it's got things in it like onion and carrot.

And the sauce would be very, very lumpy, and what we want is a lovely blended smooth sauce.

And as you can see on the screen, there are different ways in which you could blend your curry sauce.

Okay, so now I want you to go ahead and make your sweet potato katsu curry.

But before you cook, I want to make sure you are ready to cook.

So tie up any long hair, remove jumpers, wash your hands, and wear a clean apron.

Do you remember, we've been through this in quite a lot of detail today? Also, I want to make sure you get your ingredients and your equipment ready so you're ready to cook.

And then as you prep and cook, I want you to be safe and hygienic.

Remember, we want to make sure that the food's good to eat.

Also, I want you to think about using your food skills accurately and precisely when you are making this, so really make sure you slice that sweet potato really evenly.

Also, I want you to think about your time management as you've got three things to make.

Do you remember, you've got the rice, you've got the sweet potato to bake in the oven, and you've gotta make the curry sauce too.

And lastly, I want you to work independently, and I'm sure you'll do absolutely brilliantly.

So here are the ingredients that you'll need for your sweet potato katsu curry.

And here's the equipment that you also need.

So you might want to pause the video while you go and get these ready.

And then when you've got your ingredients equipment ready, you can start to follow the method.

So here's part one, here's part two, and here's part three.

So good luck to you, I'm sure you'll do absolutely brilliantly.

And I think you're really gonna enjoy making this sweet potato katsu curry.

Come back very soon, remember to pause the video.

Okay, so how'd you get on? I bet you did really well, didn't you? Well, let's have a quick look through the recipe to see how you were successful when you were making the dish today.

Well, the first thing you would've done is to make sure you preheated the oven.

You would then lined a baking tray and then you would've started to cook the rice.

Then you would've sliced the sweet potato into rounds, about one centimetre thick, and then you would've mixed the corn flour and water together and seasoned it with a little bit of black pepper too.

You would've then dipped the sweet potato slices into the cornflour paste and then into the breadcrumb so they're coated, and then you'd put them on a baking tray.

And then you'd put them in the oven and bake them to the lovely and crispy and golden.

Next, you would've peeled and diced the onion, then you would've sliced and chopped the carrot.

Remember, we didn't peel the carrot in this recipe.

We then would've peeled and chopped the garlic, as well as the ginger too.

We then would've sauteed the onion, garlic, carrot, and ginger for about four minutes just so the onions start to caramelise.

Then we would've stirred in the turmeric and the curry powder and cooked again for about one minute.

And then we would've added the flour, and again, give it a little bit more cooking.

Then we would've started to gradually add the water, which would help to thicken the mixture.

And then we would've crumbled in the stock cube at the same time.

Then we would've added the soy sauce and the honey, brought it to the boil, and then reduced the heat to a simmer and cooked it for about 10 minutes.

And right about this time, your rice would've been cooking for about 10 minutes.

So here you would've turned off the heat, left the lid on the saucepan, and left it, the steam will continue to cook the rice.

Then you would've pureed your curry sauce so it's nice and smooth, and then you would've served everything together.

Brilliant, well done.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed making this sweet potato katsu curry today.

We've learned so much, haven't we? The first thing being that katsu curry is a traditional Japanese dish of a pork cutlet served with rice and a curry sauce, but we modified our recipe.

And in line with the Eatwell Guide, we should have a plant-rich, diverse, and balanced diet.

Also, we covered that recipes and cooking methods can be modified to help meet current healthy-eating messages, as well as different budgets too.

And also, we've learned that there are a number of personal hygiene steps that need to be taken before you cook to help reduce the risk of food poisoning.

And lastly, we've used a number of different types of food skills.

So for example, we've done measuring, peeling, slicing and dicing, coating, using the oven, do you remember to bake the sweet potato slices? Also, we've been mixing, using the hop, frying, boiling and simmering, and lastly, blending.

Wow, you've covered so much today.

I'm really proud of you, well done.

And I hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson with me.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.