Vegan katsu curry
Crispy panko‑coated tofu katsu with a rich, velvety Japanese‑style curry sauce — midweek brilliant, impressive enough for guests.
This vegan katsu curry swaps the usual pork for extra‑firm tofu but keeps the drama: an ultra-crisp panko coating and a thick, savoury Japanese‑style curry sauce. It’s the kind of dish that makes midweek feel like a treat.
It’s great served with steamed rice and quick pickles, and it scales up easily if you’re feeding hungry friends. Press the tofu properly and you’re already halfway to greatness.
Ingredients
- 400 g extra-firm tofu
- 150 g panko breadcrumbs
- 80 g plain flour
- 30 g cornflour
- 120 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 200 ml vegetable oil — for frying and for the sauce
- 1 brown onion — large
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 1 carrot — large, roughly chopped
- 1 apple — eating apple, coarsely grated
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 30 ml mild curry powder
- 5 ml garam masala — optional, for finish
- 30 ml soy sauce — use reduced-salt if preferred
- 500 ml vegetable stock — hot
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
- 2 spring onions — thinly sliced, to garnish
Equipment
- blender or stick blender
- large frying pan
- weighing scales
- plate and heavy weight (or tins) for pressing tofu
Instructions
Press the tofu: wrap the block in kitchen paper, place on a plate and put a heavy weight on top (a second plate with tins works fine). Leave to press for 20 minutes to squeeze out excess water.
Make the curry base: finely slice the brown onion, roughly chop the carrot and coarsely grate the apple. Peel and crush the garlic and grate the fresh ginger. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium hob, then add the onion, carrot, apple, garlic and ginger and sweat gently until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the mild curry powder, then add 2 tbsp plain flour and cook, stirring, for 1½ minutes to form a light roux — this takes the raw taste out of the flour and deepens the spice.
Whisk in the tomato purée, soy sauce and hot vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes so the flavours meld and the veg softens fully.
Blend the sauce until completely smooth using a blender or stick blender, then return to the pan and keep warm on a very low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt, black pepper and the garam masala if using.
Set up a dredging station: shallow plate with plain flour, a bowl with the unsweetened soy milk whisked with the cornflour, and a third plate with the panko breadcrumbs.
Slice the pressed extra-firm tofu into 8 cutlets (about 1–1.5 cm thick). Dredge each piece in plain flour, dip into the soy milk and cornflour mix, then press firmly into the panko so it’s well coated.
Heat a large frying pan with enough vegetable oil for shallow frying (about 5–7 mm deep) over a medium–high hob until the oil is shimmering. Test the temperature by dropping in one breadcrumb — it should sizzle immediately.
Fry the tofu cutlets in batches so they aren’t crowded, 3–4 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry a further 3–4 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain after frying.
Leave the cutlets to rest on the kitchen paper for 1 minute so excess oil drains.
To serve, slice the katsu into strips, spoon plenty of hot curry sauce alongside or over the top and scatter with the sliced spring onions.
Tips
- Press the tofu well (20 minutes) using a heavy plate and tins or a stack of plates as a weight — drier tofu equals a crisper coating.
- Test oil temperature by dropping a few breadcrumbs in: an immediate, lively sizzle means you’re ready to fry.
- Cook the roux briefly after adding the flour — this removes the raw taste and helps the sauce thicken to a glossy finish.
- Fry in small batches and keep finished cutlets in a warm oven (100°C fan/120°C conventional) on a rack so they stay crisp while you finish the rest.
- Make the sauce a day ahead — it improves overnight and reheats beautifully; reheat gently and add a splash of stock if it thickens too much.
Substitutions
extra-firm tofu → aubergine, sliced and dusted before frying (same quantity by weight)
Noticeably differentpanko breadcrumbs → crushed cornflakes or crisp dried breadcrumbs, same weight
Stays closeunsweetened soy milk → unsweetened oat milk, same volume
Stays closeplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same weight
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 543
- Calories
- 16 g
- Protein
- 68 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I bake the katsu instead of frying?
Yes — brush the coated cutlets with a little oil and bake on a wire rack at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 20–25 minutes, turning once. They won’t be quite as deeply golden as shallow‑fried, but it’s a good lower‑oil option.
How do I keep the panko coating from falling off?
Press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the tofu and make sure the soy milk/cornflour batter is thick and clings — if it’s too thin the breadcrumbs won’t stick.
Can I make the curry sauce ahead?
Absolutely — it improves if left overnight. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of stock or water to loosen if needed.
How can I reduce the salt?
Use reduced-salt soy sauce and taste before adding extra sea salt. You can also reduce the soy sauce by half and replace flavour with a little lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar.
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