Vegan Katsu Curry Food

VEGAN KATSU CURRY

Steps:

• Press the tofu: Put your tofu on to press. It's ideal if you have a tofu press, but even if you don't, just place the tofu on a plate, with another plate on top of it and then stack something heavy on top, like a heavy pot. Leave it to press for 30 minutes while you prepare the curry sauce.
• Prepare the curry sauce: Add sesame oil to a pot on medium heat and add chopped onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions are softened.
• Add crushed garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
• Add tomato paste, coconut milk, vegetable stock and coconut sugar. Mix together and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the carrots are soft.
• Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce directly in the pot. If you don't have an immersion blender you can let the sauce cool for a bit and then transfer it in stages to your blender jug, blend and then when it's all blended return it to the pot.
• Place the pot back on the heat at low heat and leave it to keep warm while you prepare the tofu.
• Prepare the tofu: When the tofu has finished pressing, slice it into rectangles and then into squares. Then slice each square diagonally from corner to corner leaving you with two triangles. Spread the tofu triangles out on a baking sheet. You should get around 20 tofu triangles from your block of tofu.
• In a shallow dish, add all purpose flour, curry powder and garlic powder and mix together.
• Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then add soy milk* up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle and then pour it out into a second shallow dish.
• In a third shallow dish, add breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix together.
• Take each tofu triangle and roll it in the flour mix. Then roll it in the buttermilk and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Make sure each tofu triangle is well coated. Place each crumbed tofu triangle back onto the baking tray.
• In a frying pan on medium to high heat, add sesame oil and let it heat up until hot. Sprinkle a few breadcrumbs into the hot oil. If they sizzle nicely then the oil is ready.
• Add 6 tofu triangles (or however many will comfortably fit in your pan). They should sizzle when they hit the pan. Fry for a minute and a half or until golden brown on the bottom and then flip them over and fry on the other side. When they are golden brown on each side, place them onto a tray lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Repeat until all your tofu is cooked. Top up the sesame oil as needed for each batch of tofu.
• Assemble and Serve: Build your bowls. Place your rice and katsu curry sauce side by side in a bowl. Serve the crumbed tofu on top of the katsu sauce and decorate with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

VEGAN KATSU CURRY

Steps:

• Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan with a matching lid. Add diced onion and sauté until almost transparent, add garlic and a minute or two later add ginger. Fry for another minute or two stirring frequently.
• Add sliced carrot, diced apple, curry powder and garam masala. Stir around and fry off for a minute or two.
• Dissolve 1 tbsp of miso paste in 1 cup of warm water and add it to the pan.
• Simmer, on low heat (with a lid on) for about 10-15 minutes until carrots and apples become soft.
• Transfer to an upright blender or use a stick blender to make a smooth, thick sauce. Season with tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar and mirin. Add more water if the sauce is too thick.
• Prepare 4 plates. Pour about ½ cup of flour on the first one. Season the flour with generous amount of salt and pepper. Pour thick, egg white-like aquafaba onto the second plate. Pour breadcrumbs and a handful of white sesame seeds (if using) onto the third plate and line the fourth plate with double layer of paper towel.
• Cut aubergine and sweet potato into ½ cm or 0.2 inch thick slices. Don't make them thicker or else the inside will remain raw.
• Fill a small frying pan or the bottom of a wok with frying oil and let it heat up.
• Dredge veggie slices in seasoned flour first, then in aquafaba and finally in breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the slices and shake each piece gently before putting onto hot oil to allow excess breadcrumbs to come off.
• Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side - until the coating becomes golden brown. Place freshly fried pieces on a plate with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil.
• Serve with rice, a simple green salad and a generous amount of curry sauce.

VEGAN KATSU CURRY

Steps:

• The day before you want to prepare your Katsu Curry, follow the steps in my tofu katsu recipe to prepare the tofu.
• Prepare the vegetables. You need to make sure they are very well dried after washing them, or they will spatter when you fry them. I recommend cutting slits about 1/8-inch apart into the skin side of the eggplant, so it cooks through faster while keeping the skin from getting tough. This is also a good time to bread your katsu and prepare a cooling rack with a few sheets of paper towels.
• Whisk the vegetable stock, soy sauce, tomato paste, date syrup, cocoa powder, and potato starch together in a bowl until evenly combined.
• Roughly chop the onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger. Add them to a food processor blender and puree until smooth. You can also do this with the rasp side of a box grater or using a daikon grater.
• Pour the pureed vegetable mixture into a frying pan(I recommend a non-stick pan) and stir in the baking soda.
• Put the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir regularly and let the mixture cook until any extra liquid has evaporated and it starts to thicken into a paste (5-6 minutes).
• Add the oil and then fry the paste until it's glossy and tan in color (another 5-6 minutes). This is a good time to start preheating a high-sided pot with about 1-inch of oil up to 340°F (170°C) to fry your katsu and vegetables.
• Add the curry powder into the pan with the caramelized vegetables and quickly stir them together to toast the spices.
• Pour the vegetable stock mixture into the pan and stir it in. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and stir periodically.
• Deep fry the vegetables one type at a time. The kabocha will take about 2-3 minutes. The peppers will take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute, and you'll know they're done when the skin starts to bubble. Drain the vegetables on the prepared rack.
• For the eggplant, you want to add them into the oil skin-side down to prevent them from turning brown. Flip them over after 30 seconds and continue frying them for about another minute. Drain the eggplant cut-side down on the prepared cooling rack.
• Fry the tofu katsu according to the recipe.
• To plate your Katsu Curry, slice the tofu katsu and arrange it on a bed of cooked rice along with the fried vegetables. Pour the curry sauce over half of the katsu and vegetables and serve immediately while the katsu is still crisp.

VEGAN KATSU CURRY

Steps:

• First, make the curry sauce. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion and carrot until soft and starting to caramelise, about 8 mins. Add the garlic and ginger and sizzle for another minute or so, then stir in the curry powder and turmeric. Once the spices are warmed through, add the coconut milk, maple syrup and 100ml water. Season well, cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 mins, topping up with more water if it gets too thick.
• Meanwhile, slice the tofu in half through the centre. Carefully cut each piece into four triangles. In a wide bowl, mix the cornflour with 3 tbsp water and some seasoning until combined. Put the breadcrumbs in a second bowl. Dip a tofu piece into the flour mixture, then the breadcrumbs, turning until well coated. If the crumbs are not sticking well make the cornflour mixture a little bit thicker and try again. Press firmly.
• When the carrot in the curry sauce is soft, blitz using a stick or tabletop blender. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water. Taste and add more salt, maple syrup or some lime juice, if you like. Keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the tofu for 4-5 mins on each side until golden and hot through. To serve, put the rice in bowls and top with the curry sauce, crispy tofu, the cucumber and carrot ribbons, herbs and lime wedges.