This Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry is the best seriously satisfying, but deceptively easy dinner: think tender, crispy breaded tofu smothered in a rich, spicy curry sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword gluten-free japanese curry, tofu katsu curry, vegan japanese curry, vegan katsu curry
4heaped teaspoons (4heaped teaspoons )gluten-free flour blend(or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
40ml(⅕cup)water
Salt + pepper, to taste
30g(1oz)panko breadcrumbs(*see notes for gluten-free options)
3tablespoons(3tablespoons)rapeseed or vegetable oil(**see notes for oil-free and baked options)
For the curry:
1tablespoon(1tablespoon)coconut oil(or sub vegetable or rapeseed oil)
1(1)onion, diced
2cloves(2cloves)garlic, minced
1cm(½inch)ginger, peeled and minced
1heaped teaspoon (1heaped teaspoon )curry powder, to taste
1teaspoon(1teaspoon)ground cumin
1teaspoon(1teaspoon)ground turmeric
2(2)carrots, peeled and diced
400g(14oz)potatoes, diced (new potatoes are best as they retain their shape and there’s need to peel them), diced (you can also substitute sweet potatoes)
1teaspoon(1teaspoon)agave syrup(or sub any other sweetener)
1tablespoon(1tablespoon)tamari(or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
120ml(½cup)tinned tomatoes
200g(14oz)French (green) beans, trimmed and halved
2tablespoons(2tablespoons)cornflour (cornstarch)
Salt + pepper, to taste
To serve:
Cooked brown or white sticky rice
Pickled ginger
Salad
Instructions
For the tofu katsu:
Drain and rinse tofu and pat dry with a paper towel
Cut the block of tofu into thirds horizontally, then each piece into 6 small rectangles
Mix together the flour and water in a bowl
Mix the breadcrumbs with salt + pepper and lay out onto a plate
Dip a piece of tofu into the flour and water mixture, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Transfer onto a large plate
Repeat for the rest of the tofu
Heat up oil in a large frying pan and cook on a medium heat for about 15 minutes, occasionally turning over the pieces until crispy and golden
Transfer onto a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil
For the curry:
Heat up coconut oil in frying pan and add onion, garlic and ginger once hot
Fry for about 10 minutes until softened
Add curry powder, cumin and turmeric and fry for a minute until fragrant
Add carrots, potatoes, frozen peas, coconut milk, stock cube, agave syrup and tamari, with enough water to cover
Bring to the boil then turn down heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft enough to gently pierce with a fork
Add the tinned tomatoes and French beans, and cook for a further 10 minutes
Dissolve the cornflour in a small amount of water in a separate bowl, before adding to the curry
Stir well and leave to heat gently for a further couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. If it's still looking too thin, do the same with more cornflour dissolved in water first and if it's looking too thick, add more water
Taste and add salt + pepper
To serve:
Serve the curry and tofu katsu with brown or white sticky rice, pickled ginger, and a side salad
Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for up to a few days. Store the tofu katsu and curry separately - reheat the curry in a pan or in the microwave, and reheat the tofu katsu in a dry frying pan
Notes
*Panko breadcrumbs work really well for this tofu katsu, but if you’re gluten-free you can:
Make your own breadcrumbs by crumbling up gluten-free bread with your hands or in a food processor
Use shop-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs
Use crushed gluten-free cornflakes
**I tested out lots of different ways to make this tofu katsu, so you can choose which method you prefer depending on your dietary requirements and how healthy you want to be. You can either:
Pan-fry in a small amount of oil - this is the method stated above.
Shallow-fry in about 1 cm (½ inch) of oil - similar cooking time to the method stated above.
Bake in oven with a tiny amount of oil added - lay out tofu katsu pieces on a baking tray, drizzle over a small amount of oil or spray with oil. Bake at 180 degrees (350 degrees) for about 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
Bake in the oven oil-free (this worked surprisingly well) - lay out tofu katsu pieces on a baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees (350 degrees) for about 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
Cook in your air-fryer if you’re lucky enough to own one!