Vegetarian katsu curry that rocks crispy golden tofu steaks with a simple yet utterly delicious homemade Japanese-inspired curry sauce.
The tofu takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and cook, and the homemade sauce takes around 35 minutes and can be cooked well in advance.
Vegetarian Katsu Curry
A simple and delicious vegetarian tofu katsu curry joins another couple of Japanese-inspired katsu recipes on my site.
I have a classic chicken katsu curry, and a prawn katsu curry, recipes that share the same katsu curry sauce as this dish.
Then I have tonkatsu, a breaded pork cutlet with my homemade katsu sauce.
The name katsu refers to the breaded part of the dish, and it is thought to come from the French word "côtelette".
As I have said before, it is difficult not to see the European influences from dishes like wiener schnitzel and Polish kotlet schabowy in this style of Japanese cooking.
Using tofu is an obvious vegetarian shift on this classic recipe, and it works really well.
Whilst it is not blessed with flavour of its own, it does have (I think) a wonderful texture that contrasts against the breading perfectly.
A little extra curry flavour in the breading goes a long way, too.
And all of this deliciousness can be yours in right around 45 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use flavoured tofu?
I would personally avoid herb or BBQ marinated tofu because the flavours are too much of a contrast to the curry sauce.
But smoked tofu adds a really lovely alternative to plain tofu?
Do I have to press the tofu?
I find that it makes little to no difference in this recipe. In fact, a little bit of moisture in the tofu is a positive for this recipe.
However, you do need to blot off any excess moisture before cooking to prevent the flour and curry powder mix from becoming "gluey".
What sort of curry powder should I use?
A pretty "bog standard" mild or medium curry powder is your best bet for this recipe. But you should avoid a tandoori curry powder, it will taste ok, but you will end up with a very red katsu curry sauce.
I do not use curry powder very often, despite having over 100 curry recipes on my website, so I usually base my choice on the smallest packet available.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, simply replace the egg with a vegan egg substitute!
Can I make this in advance?
The katsu curry sauce can be made days or even months in advance if frozen. As a result, you should feel free to scale this up into a large batch and set it aside.
I think that all breaded and fried dishes should be made and eaten immediately; they lose so much when reheated.
Serving Suggestions
I have served my vegetarian tofu katsu curry here with some simply cooked white rice and some roasted tenderstem broccoli. But I have roasted the broccoli in soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper.
But it works really well with either my stir fried asparagus or stir fried broccoli recipes.
Sticking with the rice vibe, and if you are not aiming at staying vegetarian, you could try chahan or yakimeshi, Japanese fried rice. Although a good old egg fried rice is also superb!
If you want a left-field option, stick this stuff on a baguette with loads of shredded lettuce. BEST SANDWICH EVER!
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 15cm or 6" saucepan.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- Kitchen Knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Blender.
- Kitchen paper.
- Bowls and plates to breadcrumb the tofu.
- Tongs or a spatula.
- Spoons for stirring and serving.
Tofu Katsu Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Extra Firm Tofu 14oz
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 50 g Panko Breadcrumbs ⅔ Cup
- Oil for Frying
For the Curry Sauce:
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- ½ tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Soy Sauce
- 250 ml Chicken stock 1 Cup
Instructions
- Peel the onion, then cut it into a 3-4mm dice.
- Heat a small saucepan (15-16cm or 6") over a medium-low heat, and when it is hot, add the cooking oil and diced onion.Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, try not to add "too much" colour.
- Remove the tofu from the packet and cut it into 4 slices, then wrap it in kitchen paper to absorb excess moisture.
- Cut the garlic into thin slices and add it to the onions for the curry sauce after 10 minutes, and cook for a further minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the flour to the onions and cook, stirring continuously, for 60-90 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the katsu curry sauce, bring it to a simmer, then cook gently for 15 minutes to thicken it up.
- Mix the flour, curry powder and salt for the tofu on a plate.
- Dip the slices of tofu into the flour, tapping off any excess.
- Lightly beat the egg in a bowl and add the floured tofu, rolling to get a good coating.
- Dip the coated tofu into the panko breadcrumbs to get a light coating, then set aside.
- Blitz the sauce in a blender until smooth before serving.This step is optional!
- Heat some neutral oil 3-5mm (⅕") deep in a frying pan at least 28cm (11") in diameter until it reaches around 170°C (~340°F).
- Fry the tofu for 3-5 minutes a side until the slices are nicely golden, then drain on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
- Cut the tofu, serve it with sides of your choice and pour over the curry sauce.
