Finally sharing the recipe for this Tofu Katsu Curry here on my blog!
Having tofu katsu with curry and some rice is one of my favourite ways to have it.
CURRY CUBES
I finally decided to make a proper blogpost for this, that a lot of you guys have been loving! I initially wanted to make my own Japanese curry from scratch but couldn’t do the authentic one any justice so I opted to share with you guys how I make one using my favourite S&B Curry.
This one is a vegan one, that doesn’t contain any animal products. I use the mild variant but the medium hot one is good too, especially if you want it with more spice!
It’s a box of 2 big blocks of curry that I store in my freezer once opened. It lasts me 4 cookings and each time I cook a batch of curry, it’s good for 3-4 servings!
SERVING THE TOFU KATSU WITH CURRY
I make my tofu katsu really often but one of my favourite ways to enjoy it is with some Japanese Curry and some Japanese rice too!
COOKING THE TOFU
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes on how I cook the tofu katsu:
You can find the full recipe and steps below for the katsu and curry!
Check out other ways to enjoy tofu katsu:
2. Tofu Katsu Sushi Sandwiches or Onigirazu
3. Teriyaki Tofu Katsu Rice Bowls
These bowls are basically tofu katsu enjoyed with my homemade teriyaki sauce. Served over steamed short grain rice, some chopped lettuce, and togarashi.
You can also check out my other tofu recipes here or down below:
- Hakka-Style Stuffed Tofu
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
If you make this recipe, please tag me on my Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #thefoodietakesflight 🙂
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
Check out my latest Vegan Kitchen eBook, that has over 95 recipes (and a whole section for Asian recipes!) that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Also, two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.?
Tofu Katsu and Japanese Curry
Ingredients
Japanese Curry
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 onion 80g, sliced
- 1 small bell pepper, sliced 70g
- 2 medium potato, peeled and sliced 400g
- 2 medium eggplant, sliced 150g
- 1/2 block vegan S&B medium curry (medium hot variant here), feel free to use other curry of choice
- 3 cups water or more as needed*
- Salt to taste
Tofu “Katsu” (makes 4-6 depending on the thickness of the tofu)
- 1 lb extra firm tofu
- Neutral oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Tofu Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika powder optional
- ½ cup room temp. water , plus 2-3 tbsp more water if needed
Tofu Breading
- 1 cup japanese breadcrumbs or more as needed
For serving
- Cooked japanese rice or other short-grain rice for serving
- Sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
Japanese Curry
- Heat a pot or pan. I used a claypot.
- When hot, add in 1 tbsp oil. Sauté the onion and bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add in the potatoes, eggplant, and water. Add in the block of curry. Mix well.Leave to boil over medium heat. Cover and then stir every few minutes to break down the curry cube. Taste and season with salt as needed since potatoes tend to absorb the flavours well.
- Continue to mix and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. You can cover the pot or pan during this time. Feel free to add more water if you want a thinner curry.
- Once the potatoes are cooked through, turn off heat. Serve with tofu cats and japanese rice. Enjoy while hot!
Tofu Katsu (Baking option below!)
- You can watch the video below on how to make tofu katsu!
- Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.
- Slice each tofu into 1/2 inch thick square slabs. You may be able to slice one tofu into 3 slabs, depending on the thickness of your tofu. Season with salt as needed. If you end up with extra tofu, you can always enjoy it as is!
- Prepare the dry batter mix. Mix everything together, before pouring the water and mixing all the ingredients until smooth.
- Add more water if the batter is too thick. It should be a very thick pancake batter consistency.
- In another plate or tray, add the breadcrumbs.
- Place each tofu in the batter then coat into the breadcrumbs. Repeat this step for the rest of the tofu.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once hot (you can test this by putting a little bread crumbs), add in the tofu. Fry for around 6-8 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. Take them out of the oil then turn off the heat.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes to maintain the crispness. Enjoy with some curry and steamed rice!
- Baking option: Heat your oven to 350F. Place the coated tofu on a lined baking tray (I used parchment paper). Spray or brush some oil on the tofu. Bake them for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Flip halfway through baking.Note that they won't turn as evenly golden brown and "juicy" compared to those that are fried in oil but still very crisp.
- Air-Frying option: Note that air-fryer settings may vary. This is using a Cuisinart air fryer/toaster oven combo.To air-fry the tofu, set the air-fryer at 350F then cook for 10 minutes on each side until lightly brown and crisp.
WATCH Video
Notes
Vegetables
Eggplant tends to release water as it cooks, so feel free to add more water if not using eggplant. You can also adjust the water based on your desired consistency.NUTRITIONAL INFO
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This Post Has 19 Comments
I made this for my family the other night and everyone loved it! My kids normally don’t like my vegan meals but this one they did! Will definitely be one of our new weekly meals. Thank you!
Hi Amara! So happy to know your family enjoyed this, especially your kids!! Thanks so much for trying out my recipe ❤️
Delicious! I’ll be making this again.
Thank you Katy!
Just made for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! Will definitely be making again!!
Thanks so much Laura 🙂
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Tasty recipe! Thank you!
Thanks Geraldine!
Hi! The regular S&B roux cubes doesn’t list any animal by products on its ingredient list. Is it also vegan?
If I’m not mistaken it also is! But you can double-check to be sure it doesn’t contain any meat-derived products since it can vary per country based on my experience. Hope this helps ◡̈
I made this recipe yesterday, even though I used the veggies I had at home the curry part was delicious. I was amazed by the flavour (thanks to the addition of the paprika) and crispness of the batter. Note: When making the batter, it was a bit thicker than what I usually do and I wasn’t sure I made it right… but then the result is really yummy. Trust the process and do not too much water.
Hi Stella, thanks so much for leaving a review! And yes, the batter is really very thick. Hope you enjoyed your tofu! ◡̈
Amazing recipe! I thank you so much.
Thank you Meshadae, glad you liked it ◡̈
Requested this for a family dinner and I had tofu while everyone else had chicken, the table was silent! It was amazing
Yay! Hope you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Super yummy and easy!! Reminds us of our trip to Japan and the vegan restaurant in the airport Many thanks.
Yay, glad you liked it. Thanks Johanna 🙂