How to make a Crunchy Tofu Katsu Noodle Bowl

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Crispy, flavorful, and comforting is all you get from this Tofu Katsu Noodle bowl. My family loves tofu and the crunchy one is the BEST! The recipe is kid’s friendly, dairy-free, and oh so delicious.

What is Katsu カツ

Katsu カツ is a Japanese word that translates to ‘cutlet’, so Tofu Katsu means tofu cutlet. To create the super crunchy texture, I coated the tofu with a thick batter and packed each side with panko breadcrumbs, then shallow pan-fried it in hot oil. The recipe goes so well with simple ramen tossed in sauce and a side of blanched veggies. Other combinations that go well with katsu include curry and rice or in a sandwich.

3 Ways to make Tofu Katsu

1. Fried – this is the method I used for the recipe but instead of deep-frying, I did a shallow pan-fry. I find that the best temperature to use is between 340°F to 350°F (170°C – 175°C) measured using a deep-fry thermometer. Alternatively, a wooden chopstick can be used to test the oil’s temperature. Here’s how to do it:

• First, stir the oil with a wooden chopstick to get an even temperature around the pan
• Then, stick chopsticks in the middle of the pan. If small bubbles appear from the tip of the chopstick, it’s hot enough to fry the ingredients.

2. Baked – this method also creates a crispy outer layer and it’s best baked on a greased baking sheet pan, with a flip in between. Oven temperature varies but I set mine to 425°F (220°C) and baked for about 25 – 30 minutes.

3. Air fried – this method uses the least oil out of the three. To air fry the tofu in my fryer, I used ‘french fries’ setting. First, preheat fryer to 390°F (200°C) for about 3 minutes. Then, lightly grease the inner basket with oil, place tofu Katsu in, and ‘fry’ until crispy.

For the two methods above, you can mix the panko breadcrumb with a little oil to get a somewhat moist mixture. Then, coat tofu with batter and press the oiled panko onto tofu before baking or air frying.

This Tofu Katsu is

• Crunchy with a crispy outer layer
• Flavorful in each bite
• Customizable – use mushrooms or seitan if preferred
• Dairy-free
• Kids friendly
• Perfect pair for this delicious noodle made using store-bought stir fry sauce or my Vegan ‘Oyster’ Sauce.
• Great for make-ahead meals – keep the Tofu Katsu in a warm oven to retain the crispiness
• Delicious with curry or in a sandwich

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Tofu Katsu Noodle Bowl

woonheng

An amazing crunchy Katsu that is vegan and easy to make with a simple batter and coat with panko breadcrumbs. Serve it with delicious noodles and garlicky veggies for the perfect meal.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Japanese

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

• 3 servings noodles of your choice cooked based on package's instructions
• 14 oz [397g] firm tofu pressed to remove liquid
• 3 servings blanched veggies used bok choy
• oil for frying

For the Batter

• ¾ cup [96g] all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
• ½ cup [125g] cold water may need up to ¾ cup [177g] water depeding on the flour's brand
• ½ teaspoon salt
• a few shakes of white pepper
• ½ cup [45g] panko breadcrumbs or more may be needed

Noodle Sauce

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 2 tablespoons vegan 'oyster' sauce (see notes for recipe)
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce thick version
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• a few shakes of white pepper

Instructions

 

Prepare the tofu

• Remove tofu from its packaging (if it's in package) and drain to discard liquid.
• Press tofu block in between towels to remove moisture. (Or you can put the tofu back into its package and refrigerate overnight to drain out the liquid)
• Divide tofu into 3 large rectangle block and season with a little salt.

To make the Katsu

• For the batter: whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and white pepper until all incorporated in a large shallow plate.
• Add the water and stir to combine. The batter's consistency should be thick like a pancake batter, if not, add more flour or vice versa.
• Dredge tofu in the batter, shake off excess, then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Lightly press breadcrumbs into the tofu.
• Heat up a non-stick pan with a thin layer of oil (enough to cover 1/3 of the tofu height). Then slowly place tofu in and shallow pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
• Try not to flip until one side is fully cooked. Remove and place tofu on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

To make the Noodles and Serve

• To make the sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
• Cook noodles based on package's instructions.
• Toss noodles with sauce until all incorporated. Season accordingly, if needed.
• Serve tofu Katsu with noodles and blanched veggies.

Notes

• For the noodles, I used my Vegan ‘Oyster’ sauce for this recipe.
• To get the look of the tofu in the picture, I trimmed the sides of the tofu block.
• How to blanch veggies:

1. 1. Clean and trim veggies to your desired size.
   2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
   3. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil.
   4. Then, place veggies in. Using a pair of tongs, quickly cook veggies until they turn a darker green. 
   5. Optional: rinse with cold water to stop the cooking

• Garlic Oil – place finely chop garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Add enough oil to cover all the garlic. Microwave for 1 – 2 minutes. Once the garlic turns light yellowish, stop the cooking. The garlic will continue to cook in the oil. 

Keyword comfortfood, dairy-free, noodles, vegan

Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.

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