Japanese-Style Katsudon Rice Bowls
I made my own vegan version of the famous Katsudon, which is basically katsu or pork cutlet over rice. For my vegan version of Katsudon, I used some tofu to create the katsu. They're crispy breaded slabs of tofu which I then cooked in a delicious umami soup before topping over rice.
Ingredients
Tofu Katsu
- 1/2 lb extra firm tofu
- ¼ tsp salt
Batter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup room temp. water , plus 2-3 tbsp more if needed
Breading
- ½ cup japanese bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs add more as needed
To Cook Tofu
- Neutral oil for frying
Vegan Dashi
- 2 small pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
- 10 g dried kombu , around 4x6-inch sheet
- 2 cups hot water or room temperature water (if soaking overnight)
Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan dashi/stock
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
- 1-2 tbsp sugar , adjust to desired sweetness
- 1 tbsp mirin or sake
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vegan just egg
To Serve
- 2-3 cups steamed Japanese rice for serving
- Chopped spring onions and sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak the dried mushrooms and kombu in room temperature water overnight. Do not discard the water. This will be the dashi.Slice the mushrooms and set aside.
- For the leftover rehydrated kombu, you can make this into Kombu Tsukudani or simmered kombu for a delicious dish with rice. You can see the recipe here.
- See video below on how to make tofu katsu. Drain water from the tofu by using a tofu press or wrapping it in a paper towel and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towel.
- Slice the tofu into ½ -inch thick square slabs. You may be able to slice one tofu into 3 slabs, depending on the thickness of your tofu. Season with ¼ tsp salt.
- 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.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. I used a cast iron pan. Once hot (you can test this by putting a little bread crumbs and it will sizzle when hot), add in the tofu.
- Fry for around 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway, over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Take the tofu out from the oil then turn off the heat.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes then slice diagonally into ¾ -inch thick strips.
- Carefully remove the oil from the pan. Add in the mushroom water/broth, onions, and sliced mushrooms, Leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in the soy sauce, mirin or sake, and sugar.
- Mix well and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Leave the sauce to simmer for the sugars to start to thicken and some of the liquid to evaporate. Taste the sauce and feel free to season it more, if desired.
- Add in the sliced tofu katsu. Using a spoon, carefully scoop some of the sauce to pour over the tofu.If you have access to vegan just egg, you can pour the mixture all over the tofu katsu and leave it to simmer until cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Place the tofu over a bowl of steamed Japanese rice. Feel free to garnish with some spring onions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy while hot!
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2115mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 3mg
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