VEGAN KATSU CURRY WITH TOFU #vegetarian #lunch

At the point when a humongous (yet tragically exceptionally unsatisfying bowl) of slop got put before us, we wished we had headed off to some place else. We went through a decent 30 minutes talking about how this dish could have been incredible had it been set up with a touch of care and ability and how it's a disgrace such huge numbers of spots despite everything treat veggie lover alternatives as a total idea in retrospect. They plainly don't comprehend that a little consideration and creative mind (instead of extravagant fixings) is all that is expected to make a splitting vegetarian dish.

I guaranteed Duncan and myself then that I would make it for the blog, so here it is! What wasn't right with the café form, you inquire? The tofu totally needed surface – in addition to the fact that they used smooth rather than firm cotton tofu, they likewise canvassed it in the sauce, which implied that the generally fresh panko covering transformed into a spongy wreckage. The sauce was insipid and one dimensional – everything you could taste was overwhelming curry powder. The rice was flat, and there was no differentiating flavor or surface that this dish shouts out for to such an extent. There were no pickles, no serving of mixed greens and nothing to take your psyche off what average food you were paying for.

It's such a disgrace as with scarcely any spots giving all around considered and executed veggie lover choices, when we discover a spot that we like, we are steadfast clients. As I sort of cook professionally, I truly value being cooked for a change, yet it's gotta merit going out for, isn't that so? I will keep scanning for a delectable veggie lover rendition of this well known Japanese curry, yet meanwhile, here is my interpretation of it. I'm not guaranteeing it's the most genuine variant of this dish exists, however it certainly conveys on taste and surface.

Also Try Our Recipe : VEGGIE LOADED VEGAN PHO

INGREDIENTS

400 g / 14 oz firm (cotton) tofu, pressed*
4 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF version)
all purpose flour / rice flour for GF version
salt
about 1 cup gelatinous aquafaba**, homemade or from a tin of chickpeas or ½ cup cornflour mixed in with water
100 g / 3.5 oz panko breadcrumbs (or GF breadcrumbs if required)
oil for shallow frying (I used rice bran oil)

CURRY SAUCE

2 tbsp neutral tasting oil
1 white onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, finely diced
3 tsp ginger, finely grated
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
4 tsp curry powder (I used hot madras curry powder)
1 tsp garam masala
1 heaped tbsp white miso paste (GF miso for gluten-intolerance)
4 tsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) or maple syrup, to taste

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

2 cups of your favourite rice, cooked
assorted lettuce leaves
pickled radishes

METHOD

Cut the tofu into 4 large slices. Place them in a shallow dish with 4 tbsp of soy sauce (or tamari), flipping them to the other side from time to time. Set aside to allow the tofu to infuse with the soy sauce.
Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan with a matching lid. Add diced onion and sauté until almost translucent. Add garlic and a minute or two later add ginger. Fry for another minute or two stirring frequently.
Add the 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 the 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 2 large plates and one shallow bowl. Place flour on the first plate. Pour the aquafaba into a bowl and put the breadcrumbs mixed with ¼ tsp of salt onto the second plate. Alternatively, you could skip the flour and instead of using aquafaba prepare an egg substitute by whisking ½ cup corn flour / corn starch with ½ cup of water. If that’s what you decide to use, be aware than corn flour tends to drop to the bottom of the dish so you’ll need to give it a good stir before coating each piece of tofu.
Fill a small frying pan or the bottom of a wok with frying oil and let it heat up.
Coat each piece of tofu in flour, then in aquafaba and finally coat it in the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the tofu and shake each piece gently before putting it into the hot oil to allow excess breadcrumbs to come off. If using a cornflour solution, coat each piece in the cornflour mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.
Once the oil heats up, it’s important that it is hot enough (a breadcrumb thrown into it should sizzle immediately), fry each piece of tofu for about 2 minutes on each side – until the coating becomes golden brown. Place the freshly fried pieces on a plate lined with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil.
Serve with rice, a simple green salad and a generous amount of curry sauce.