If you ask me what are the type of spices I have stored in my pantry, I would tell you that I am a collector of all kinds of curry spices and ingredients. I love curry and it is, honestly, one of the dishes I can never seem to get enough of. Japanese curry has grown to be one of favorite curries. It’s bold in flavors; filled with spices, but not overtly spicy, and attaining a sweeter note compared to its curry-cousins (Indian curry specifically). When served with freshly cooked rice and crispy katsu, it becomes my ultimate comfort food.
I wanted to create both Japanese curry and a katsu for this recipe. I feel that both comes hand in hand. While both would be delicious by itself, it’s no lie that something crunchy and savory will always be complimentary to a dish that is rich and creamy. Savory, sweet, crunchy, and filling.
Katsu, is a Japanese style of cutlet, often made with thinly sliced meats breaded with panko bread crumbs and deep fried to golden brown. Tofu katsu, while it is nothing new in the plant-based world, is the perfect canvas to recreate the traditional cutlet.
Making a tofu katsu is relatively easy, and takes no more than ten to fifteen minutes, the key is to marinating beforehand because tofu has a tendency to be bland. I’ve tried both marinated version and without – and while were both tasty – the obvious choice was to flavor the tofu before it gets breaded.
I want to make a last confession, though. I was not ready to post a Japanese curry recipe because I have initially wanted to create a recipe from scratch using a mix of spices and needed it perfected. With this recipe, I took a shortcut by using a boxed roux instead. While I was hesitant at first, I had to let my pride down thinking cooking from scratch is always better (I’m sure it is) but using pre-made ingredients is not a lazy route either. To my surprise, this is exactly the type of homemade curry I was going for initially and in less time.
I’ve come to a conclusion that this would benefit you, my friends, with saving time in the kitchen and buying less ingredients that don’t require you to going to multiple stores so you can make a very tasty meal in the comfort of your own home; most especially if you have another person or a family to feed. On average days, it’s better to work smarter than harder.
PRO-TIP MAKING THIS RECIPE:
- Marinate your tofu at least 20-30 minutes beforehand. The more flavors it soaked, the better the katsu will turn out.
- Potatoes and carrots take the longest to cook. Chop them up into bite sized pieces to cut down your cooking time with the curry.
- While I do not recommend altering the katsu cooking method of frying because it will change the texture. If you are not comfortable frying, you can bake your tofu by lining it on a baking sheet, spraying it with a cooking spray on each side and baking it at 425°F for 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven, flipping it halfway through.
- The best brand for using a curry roux is the S&B Golden Curry Brand which is what I used. The boxes don’t normally contain any animal products but be sure to read the labels in case you do end up picking up a different brand. Japanese products would often sneak in fish ingredients so it’s always safe to double check.
Vegan Japanese Katsu Curry
Ingredients
FOR THE TOFU KATSU
- ½ block firm or extra firm tofu pressed
- 1 cup (90g) panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp low sodium tamari + more for batter or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic crushed & minced
- ¼ cup (59ml) neutral oil for frying
- salt & pepper
FOR THE JAPANESE CURRY
- 2½ blocks ready made curry roux I use the S&B Golden Curry brand, see notes
- 3 cups (710ml) vegetable broth or water
- 1 medium russet potato peeled
- 1 medium carrot pealed
- 3 cloves garlic crushed & minced
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp low sodium tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- salt & pepper to taste
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
FOR THE TOFU KATSU
- Press your tofu and pat dry. Slice the tofu about ½ thick. Marinate the tofu with tamari (or regular low sodium soy sauce) and minced garlic on a small mixing bowl for about 20-30 minutes. You may also do this overnight beforehand. Marinating your tofu beforehand will give better flavor overall. If you do not plan to use the rest of the block of tofu for cooking, store in a sealed container soaking in cold water and refrigerate for later use.
- You will need three separate preparation plates or mixing bowls. For the first mixture, you will be placing your bread crumbs seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper. Second plate will be a combination of flour and corn starch. Mix together until it is well combined. Third plate will be your tamari mixture, which you are already soaking in.
- Coat your marinated tofu on the corn starch and flour mixture on all sides, then, dip it back into the tamari marinade to soak all the starch. Your tofu should be sticky at this point, that should be able to get the bread crumbs to stick. Coat your tofu onto the panko bread crumbs until it is completely covered.You may stop with a single layer of coating. If you want an extra crispy exterior, simply dip your tofu back into the tamari marinade and repeat process as follows to give a two layer crust.
- On a preheated skillet or fry pan, coat with oil. Fry the tofu on each side until each side is golden brown. Place on a cooling rack to drain the excess oil.
FOR THE JAPANESE CURRY
- Prep vegetable ingredients. Potatoes and carrots will take the longest to cook dice them into smaller bite sized pieces for a faster cooking time.
- Preheat your pot to medium heat. Coat with a little bit of oil. Sauté onions and season it with a little bit of salt until it is caramelized or golden brown. Add the minced garlic and stir. Give it another minute or two and let it sit. Bloom the tomato paste and toss along with the onions and garlic.
- Add the potatoes and carrots. Stir thoroughly. Then pour the vegetable broth. Allow the potatoes and carrots to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Drop in the curry roux and let it dissolve into the broth and add a splash of tamari. Lower down the heat and allow it to simmer for another 5-7 minutes, stirring it every minute or so.
- Add the bell peppers into the curry and mix. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat. You will know your curry is done when the broth has slightly thickened and potatoes are tender.
ASSEMBLY
- Serve with a bed of rice on one side and curry on the other. Then place the tofu katsu on top. Pour a little curry broth on the katsu and sprinkle with a little bit of sesame seeds.
- You may also add pickled ginger or raddish and a teaspoon chili oil for added flavor. But this is optional.
- Enjoy!