There's something about deep fried foods that hits the spot. As much as we want to stay healthy, it's hard to replace that experience of biting through a savoury crunch to get a juicy moist centre. That said, if you're looking to scratch that itch without indulging overboard, this vegan katsu curry recipe is for you.
You get the gratification of the katsu cutlet crust without the cholesterol and calories from meat. In this recipe we use LG's Golden Tofu – its texture is firm but smooth, and has a light creamy flavour to minimise the jelak (overly rich) feeling we tend to get from eating deep fried food meat. And if you really want to keep it healthy, you can air fry instead of deep frying.
The best part? This dish is so easy and quick to make, you don't even have to remember to take any meat out of the freezer to defrost. It's a convenient and comforting food for hectic work-from-home days.
Ingredients (serves 2)
• LG Golden Tofu
• (Optional) 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• (Optional) 1 tsp gochugaru aka korean chilli flakes
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup plant-based milk
• 1 tbsp flour or corn starch
• Oil for deep frying
• Japanese curry cubes – available at most supermarkets
• Vegetables of your choice – carrot, onion, potato etc.
• Rice of your choice to serve with
Instructions
Drain the tofu and lightly pat dry. Slice the tofu across width-wise.
For the dry coating, evenly mix the panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, gochugaru and salt and pepper in a bowl.
For the wet coating, evenly mix the flour and plant-based milk in a bowl.
Dip the tofu slices into the wet coating, then dry, and repeat again.
In a small pot, pour enough oil to almost reach an inch. Heat it until hot – test for readiness by dipping a wooden chopstick or toothpick in to check for bubbles.
Gently place the tofu slice into the oil and deep fry on each side for 20-30 seconds or until golden brown.
Allow the tofu katsu to cool before cutting into inch-thick slices.
Prepare Japanese curry as per package instructions.
To plate, shape a serving of piping hot rice with a bowl. Add the tofu katsu on top, and pour a generous ladle or two of your Japanese curry around the rice.
Enjoy!
Try it out and tag us on Instagram #cookwithlg! We'd love to see your version of this.
Shop for your favourite LG Foods products
LG Golden Tofu is available at:
Online
Supermarkets Selected Sheng Siong outlets and Marketplaces.