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4.95 from 19 votes

Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry

Curb your Japanese take-out cravings with this easy homemade vegan tofu katsu curry recipe! Crispy panko breaded tofu in a creamy mildly spiced curry sauce. Nutfree, GF option soyfree option
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: pan fried tofu, tofu katsu curry, Vegan katsu curry, vegan tofu katsu
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 14 oz Extra firm tofu pressed between paper towels for 15 minutes and then sliced

for the curry sauce

  • 15 oz can of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup veggie broth
  • 1.5 tbsp of all purpose flour for Glutenfree use 2 tsp rice flour and 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp soy sauce , tamari for gf, coconut aminos for soyfree
  • 1 tsp tomato paste or ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

for the breading

  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs ( or other breadcrumbs. If they’re too large then crush them a little before using)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne optional

for the bowl

  • pickled vegetables Such as carrots, radish and cucumber
  • cooked rice, scallions, asian chili sauce such as sambal oelek
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prep – Press the tofu if you have not already and then slice and set aside.
  • Make the sauce while you press the tofu: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and combine all of the curry sauce ingredients, whisk well to combine and bring to a good boil, stirring occasionally , and simmer for a minute. Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute, so that it thickens.
  • Dip the pressed and dry-blotted tofu slices into the curry sauce. You can also let them marinate in the fridge for an hour for more flavor.
  • Prepare your breading by mixing the bread crumbs, salt, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Now, take the tofu slices out of the marinade, and let the excess curry sauce drip off. Now place the tofu into the shallow bowl to coat with breading from all sides. Repeat for all slices.
  • Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, once hot drizzle a grilling pan with a little bit of oil. Place the breaded tofu slices on the grill pan. Press each slice a little bit for a few seconds at a time. Cook for 3-5 minutes until grill marks are formed. Take off the grill pan and set aside. You can also pan fry these breaded tofu in a shallow pan/cast iron skillet.
  • To serve, fill the bowl with rice, pickled vegetables, some blanched veggies like bok choy or broccoli. Slice the breaded tofu slices diagonally and place on top of each of the bowls, drizzle with the remaining curry sauce liberally and serve. Add a dollop of asian Chile sauce in side for heat if needed.

Video

Notes

  • In lieu of tofu, you could use seitan which will give more of a meaty texture. Or, you could bread and fry aubergine slices and make this a veggie katsu which is soyfree
  • For the rice, I used cooked basmati but you could also use sushi rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Quick  Pickled vegetables make a great addition to your tofu katsu bowls.
  • For gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • you can also serve it with tonkatsu sauce. 
  • To make this dish ahead of time, you can make the katsu curry sauce and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you could make a big batch and freeze it.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 7mg