Tofu Katsu with Japanese Curry
Crispy tofu katsu with flavorful Japanese curry served on a bed of rice is what you need to try today! The tofu is perfectly seasoned and fried to a golden brown. The crunchiness is so addictive that it can be served as-is. The curry has melt-in-your-mouth potatoes that go so well with a bowl of warm sushi rice.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Tofu Katsu
- 16 oz firm tofu drained and freeze
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup plant-based egg or plant milk or aquafaba
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper
- oil for cooking
Japanese Curry
- 2 small-sized potato about 1 lb, peeled
- 2 medium-sized carrot chopped
- 8 oz King Oyster mushrooms chopped
- 4 cups veggie stock
- 1 large onion finely chopped (yields about 1¼ cups)
- 1 small Fuji apple peeled and seeded
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- salt to taste
- ½ tablespoon peach preserves optional (see notes)
- plant-based butter for cooking
- oil for cooking
Curry Roux*
- 3 tablespoons plant-based butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Other ingredients
- Cooked sushi rice
- finely julienned cabbage
Instructions
How to prepare Tofu Katsu
- To prepare the tofu, remove the tofu from its package and drain out the water. Wrap the tofu with paper towels or a clean dishcloth.
- Place tofu on a chopping board and stack with another flat plate or chopping board. Then weigh it down with something heavy such as cans or cartons. Let the tofu drain for about 10-15 minutes. Remove and place the tofu back into its package and freeze overnight.
- When ready, thaw the tofu to room temperature and squeeze the tofu between your palms to remove the liquid.
- Then, cut into 2 big slabs. I trimmed the sides to make it look like a cutlet but this is an optional step. Season both sides generoulsy with salt and pepper.
- Next, set up the dipping station: Place flour, plant-based eggs, and panko breadcrumbs on 3 separate plates.
- Take a tofu slab and coat each side generously with flour. Then, dip it into the plant-based egg until coated and drip off excess. Finally, lay the tofu on the panko and gently press to get the panko to stick until all sides are well coated.
- Heat ½-inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. To test if the oil is ready, drop a small piece of panko into the oil. If it sizzles, then the oil is ready.
- Carefully slide the tofu into the hot oil. The tofu should sizzle as soon as it touches the oil. Use a pair of tongs to lift a corner to check the color.
- Once the tofu is golden, slowly turn them over and fry the other side. Note: if it's browning too quickly, lower the heat just a little.
- When ready remove and transfer katsu to a drain rack. This will keep the katsu crispy until ready to use. The katsu is ready to be served as-is with a side of rice.
Prepare the curry roux
- Skip this step if you are using store-bought curry cubes.
- To make the curry roux, melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour. Stir the mixture while cooking until it starts to turn brown. This process takes about 10-12 minutes.
- Then, add the garam masala, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir until well-combined and set it aside until ready to use or refrigerate once it's cooled.
How to prepare Japanese curry and serve
- To prepare the curry, melt butter in a pan and sauté the mushrooms until aromatic. Then, transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
- Using the same pan, add more cooking oil and sauté onions until they caramelized.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms and cover the ingredients with vegetable stock.
- Place a lid over and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer. Check the potatoes' tenderness with a fork or chopstick.
- Meanwhile, blend the apple into a puree.
- Once the potatoes are fork-tender and fully cooked through, season with soy sauce, salt, apple, and peach preserves (if using).
- Using a sieve, stir the curry roux into the broth. The broth will slowly turn darker. Test and season if needed.
- To serve, add a few spoons of rice to a plate and then, top with tofu katsu and ladle the hot curry over. Serve warm a side of shredded cabbage.
Video
Notes
- I'm using a large onion which yields about 1 ¼ cups after chopped
- The peach preserve is absolutely optional. Skip if you have a large Fuji apple or you prefer a less sweet version
- Curry Roux recipe is from JustOneCookbook