Tofu Katsu Curry

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Prep time
10 mins
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Cook time
25 mins
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Ready time
35 mins
A tofu twist on a classic Japanese dish, bursting with colour and flavour!
Method
Start the curry sauce by heating the oil in a saucepan. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic with a pinch of salt over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until starting to soften.
Add the curry powder and flour and cook for a further 2 minutes, then gradually add the water in small amounts, stirring as you go to avoid lumps. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend until smooth. You may want to thin it with a bit more water, it should have the consistency of a thick soup.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and a pinch of sugar, if you think it needs it. Set aside.
For the tofu, mix the cornflour and cold water in a shallow bowl to make a sticky paste. Tip the breadcrumbs into a second bowl. Slice the tofu in half horizontally, so you have 2 flat squares. Turn them in the cornflour mix to coat, then turn them in the breadcrumbs until completely covered.
Heat a 5mm depth of oil in a high-sided frying pan. Fry the tofu for 2–3 minutes a side, until golden.
Reheat the sauce and spoon it next to the freshly cooked jasmine rice on warm plates. Cut the tofu into thick slices and perch it on top, so it doesn’t get soggy, and serve with the shredded raw veg or lime-dressed salad leaves.
Additional notes
Taken from Dirty Vegan Another Bite by Matt Pritchard. Published by Mitchell Beazley. Priced at £20
“A katsu is a strange dish; it hardly feels Japanese at all. The sauce is fairly mild and inoffensive and reminds me of the curry sauce you get slathered over hot chips in a late-night takeaway… you can take that as an alternative serving suggestion! Marinated tofu is easy to buy in most supermarkets, but if you can’t find it, just marinate some plain tofu in a bit of soy, tamari or teriyaki sauce overnight.”