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Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry

July 15, 2020 By Richa 33 Comments

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Curb your Japanese take-out cravings with this easy homemade vegan tofu katsu curry recipe! Crispy panko breaded tofu in a creamy, mildly spiced curry sauce. Serve with rice and pickled veggies. GF option, Nutfree. Jump to Recipe

overhead shot of a bowl of vegan tofu katsu curry

Meet one of my all-time favorite vegan tofu recipes, – Japanese inspired Tofu Katsu Curry! A vegan spin on a traditional Japanese dish that is fairly straight forward, and loved by everyone.

Vegan katsu curry is a bit of a special treat of golden crispy, breaded tofu served with a rich and fragrant curry sauce.

close-up overhead shot of vegan tofu katsu curry

The mild sauce is probably my favorite part of this Japanese Curry! In my opinion, you can never have too much sauce, especially when it tastes this good. It is a beautiful mix between sweet & spicy with a bold flavor thanks so garam masala and curry powder. To keep things authentic, you can serve the breaded tofu over sushi rice but really any rice will do. And yes, cauliflower rice would be a great alternative if you want to keep things low cal.

Instead of making a separate milk and flour mixture for breading I use the curry sauce itself to coat the tofu which is then breaded and then pan fried or grilled! Shorter and simpler.

side view of a bowl of vegan tofu katsu curry served on rice

overhead shot of vegan tofu katsu curry
Print Recipe
4.93 from 13 votes

Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry

Curb your Japanese take-out cravings with this easy homemade vegan tofu katsu curry recipe! Crispy panko breaded tofu in a creamy mildly spiced curry sauce. Nutfree, GF option soyfree option
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: pan fried tofu, tofu katsu curry, Vegan katsu curry, vegan tofu katsu
Servings: 4
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 14 oz (400 g) Extra firm tofu pressed between paper towels for 15 minutes and then sliced

for the curry sauce

  • 15 oz (425.24 ml) can of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup (240 ml) veggie broth
  • 1.5 tbsp of all purpose flour for Glutenfree use 2 tsp rice flour and 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp soy sauce , tamari for gf, coconut aminos for soyfree
  • 1 tsp tomato paste or ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

for the breading

  • 1 cup (108 g) Panko bread crumbs ( or other breadcrumbs. If they’re too large then crush them a little before using)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne optional

for the bowl

  • pickled vegetables Such as carrots, radish and cucumber
  • cooked rice, scallions, asian chili sauce such as sambal oelek

Instructions

  • Prep – Press the tofu if you have not already and then slice and set aside.
  • Make the sauce while you press the tofu: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and combine all of the curry sauce ingredients, whisk well to combine and bring to a good boil, stirring occasionally , and simmer for a minute. Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute, so that it thickens.
  • Dip the pressed and dry-blotted tofu slices into the curry sauce. You can also let them marinate in the fridge for an hour for more flavor.
  • Prepare your breading by mixing the bread crumbs, salt, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Now, take the tofu slices out of the marinade, and let the excess curry sauce drip off. Now place the tofu into the shallow bowl to coat with breading from all sides. Repeat for all slices.
  • Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, once hot drizzle a grilling pan with a little bit of oil. Place the breaded tofu slices on the grill pan. Press each slice a little bit for a few seconds at a time. Cook for 3-5 minutes until grill marks are formed. Take off the grill pan and set aside. You can also pan fry these breaded tofu in a shallow pan/cast iron skillet.
  • To serve, fill the bowl with rice, pickled vegetables, some blanched veggies like bok choy or broccoli. Slice the breaded tofu slices diagonally and place on top of each of the bowls, drizzle with the remaining curry sauce liberally and serve. Add a dollop of asian Chile sauce in side for heat if needed.

Notes

  • In lieu of tofu, you could use seitan which will give more of a meaty texture. Or, you could bread and fry aubergine slices and make this a veggie katsu which is soyfree
  • For the rice, I used cooked basmati but you could also use sushi rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Quick  Pickled vegetables make a great addition to your tofu katsu bowls.
  • For gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • you can also serve it with tonkatsu sauce. 
  • To make this dish ahead of time, you can make the katsu curry sauce and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you could make a big batch and freeze it.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 402 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 21g131%
Sodium 653mg28%
Potassium 529mg15%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 84IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 106mg11%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients for making Vegan Katsu Curry:

  • Tofu – for this recipe we need extra firm tofu. You don’t want soft tofu because it is going to break apart. Also, you want to press it between paper towels for 15 minutes before slicing.
  •  Full-fat coconut milk and veggie broth form the base of the creamy curry sauce and we season it with tomato paste, curry powder, and garam masala for flavor and that gorgeous orange color, as well as salt, soy sauce and garlic powder for umami and maple syrup or sugar for sweetness.
  • All-purpose flour acts as a thickening agent for our sauce. For GF use 2 tsp rice flour and 1 tbsp corn starch.
  • For the egg-free breading, we use bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper. Use glutenfree bread crumbs to keep it gluten-free

Tips and substitutions:

  • In lieu of tofu, to make Soyfree, you could use seitan which will give more of a meaty texture. Or, you could bread and fry aubergine slices and make this a veggie katsu.
  • For the rice, I used cooked basmati but you could also use sushi rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
  • Pickled vegetables make a great addition to your tofu katsu bowls.
  • To make this dish ahead of time, you can make the katsu curry sauce and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you could make a big batch and freeze it.

ingredients for making tofu katsu curry on a marble kitchen counter

How to make Vegan Katsu Curry:

Prep – Press the tofu if you have not already done so and then slice it and set it aside.

tofu katsu curry sauce in a saucepan on a marble kitchen counter

Make the sauce while you press the tofu: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and combine all of the curry sauce ingredients, whisk well to combine, and bring to a boil and simmer for a minute. Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute, so that it thickens.

tofu slices being dipped into katsu curry sauce to make tofu katsu curry recipe

Dip the pressed and dry-blotted tofu slices into the curry sauce. You can also let them marinate in the fridge for an hour for more flavor.

Prepare your breading by mixing the bread crumbs, salt, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Now, take the tofu slices out of the marinade, and let the excess curry sauce drip off. Now place the tofu into the shallow bowl to coat with breading from all sides. Repeat for all slices.

breaded tofu slices being fried in a pan

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, once hot drizzle with a little bit of oil and swirl around to distribute the oil. Place the breaded tofu slices on the grill pan. Press each slice a little bit for a few seconds at a time. That way, you get nice charr.

breaded tofu sliced being fried in a grilling pan

Cook for 3-5 minutes until grill marks are formed. Take off the grill pan and set aside.

a bowl of rice topped with breaded pan-fried tofu slices and drizzled with Japanese curry sauce

How to serve Tofu Katsu Curry

I served my tofu katsu on a bed of rice along with some pickled vegetables. For the pickled vegetables, you can use a mix of radish, carrots, and cucumber and if you don’t have any store-bought picked at hand, I highly suggest you check out my recipe for quick pickled vegetables.

Once your tofu is fried, you just fill the bowl with some freshly cooked or re-heated rice, pickled vegetables, and some blanched veggies like bok choy or broccoli/broccolini if you like

Now, slice the breaded tofu slices diagonally and place some on top of each of the bowls, drizzle with the remaining curry sauce liberally and serve.

MORE DELICIOUS TOFU RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:

MORE BAKED TOFU

  • Crispy Breaded Tofu
  • Chili Garlic Baked tofu
  • Spiced Baked tofu for Butter Tofu
  • Orange Tofu
  • Cajun Tofu
  • Peanut Butter Tofu

 PAN FRIED TOFU

  • Curried Tofu for Banh Mi
  • Sticky Sesame tofu
  • Palak Tofu Paneer
  • Tofu Lalabdar – Tofu with Creamy Tomato ginger sauce

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food Recipes, Freezer friendly, Gluten free Option, kid approved, main course, Turmeric Recipes, Winter



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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  1. Bev says

    July 15, 2020 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! I was going to make another of your recipes this evening, because I had fresh cauliflower from the garden and roasted with a sprinkle of curry powder is our favorite way to eat it. THEN…..

    ….this recipe showed up in my in-box, so I switched gears. IT IS FABULOUS! The delicious sauce, the crispy and flavorful tofu, the side of pickled veggies, the soothing rice (I made basmati), it is one of those WOW dishes and will go into my rotation of favorites. Thank you for another outstanding recipe!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 16, 2020 at 12:27 am

      Awesome!! So glad you made this! You can probably bread the cauliflower too and bake and serve with curry sauce and pickled veggies!

      Reply
  2. Bonnie says

    July 16, 2020 at 9:24 am

    This looks fantastic and looks like it could be cooked in an air fryer. Have you tried it that way?

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 16, 2020 at 12:55 pm

      Great idea!! not yet – but maybe I will. Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Fredrick says

    July 16, 2020 at 7:37 pm

    5 stars
    This looks wonderful, and I plan to cook it very soon. Question: how necessary is the use of grill pan? I don’t have one. I generally cook breaded tofu in an iron skillet. Is the grill pan necessary to get the right texture?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 16, 2020 at 8:07 pm

      No use the cast-iron skillet. I mentioned it in the instructions to use either a Grill pan or a skillet

      Reply
  4. Crystal says

    July 17, 2020 at 6:27 am

    5 stars
    This looks great. But can I use the chickpea tofu with it??? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 17, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
    • Jen says

      July 19, 2020 at 7:27 am

      Please don’t rate it if you haven’t made it.

      Reply
  5. Cat says

    July 17, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    4 stars
    This looks super tasty but not Japanese at all, except for the tofu! Japanese curry is a totally different flavor profile. Though it might feel like “cheating,” there are vegan curry roux products that make it super quick and easy to throw together a Japanese curry. I will absolutely use this technique for the tofu katsu – great idea to grill it like that – but I will use a Japanese curry roux.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 17, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      It’s inspired. I generally use Japanese curry powder.

      Reply
    • Richa says

      July 17, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      The roux also has other ingredients. I don’t eat them as they are all triggers for my migraines

      Reply
  6. Morgan L says

    July 18, 2020 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    This sauce is terrific! Everyone loved this whole recipe.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 20, 2020 at 4:36 am

      Awesome

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    July 21, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    5 stars
    This was a total hit with all three kids and hubby. Loved it! Will likely end up in heavy repeat 🙂 served with rice, bok choy and the pickled veggies. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 22, 2020 at 10:11 am

      Yay

      Reply
  8. Emily says

    July 21, 2020 at 10:20 pm

    5 stars
    Doubled it! That sauce is bombbb!

    Reply
  9. Chris says

    July 23, 2020 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    This was SO GOOD! A total keeper! It’s nice to have something different to do with tofu.

    I marinated the tofu for hours before I cooked them, not sure if it made a huge difference, but I had the time so I did it. Also, did not have “panko crumbs” so just used what I had which was regular break crumbs which worked fine.

    I am not used to frying foods and had the heat up too high and sadly I burned a good stainless steel pan, as well as spaced out and put the hot pan on a drying mat that had plastic in it! Now not only is the top of the pan burned, the bottom has burned plastic on it! UGH.

    Any tips on how to get the plastic off the bottom of the pan would be helpful 🙂

    Thanks for another good recipe Richa!

    Reply
  10. Phil says

    July 23, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    The curry sauce is definitely a winner, but I couldn’t get the breadcrumbs to stick to the tofu for the life of me. I tried a few different times, but no luck 🙁 definitely a let-down.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 23, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      Maybe the bread crumbs were too large or the sauce too thin. You can crush the breadcrumbs so they are smaller or add additional flour to the sauce so it’s thicker

      Reply
  11. Kathryn Dickie says

    July 28, 2020 at 4:37 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this twice now, and the sauce is so delicious I’m trying to think of more ways to use it. (Last time, I baked the tofu in the oven – I have more luck with the breadcrumbs sticking on, that way.) Such a lovely recipe – thank you!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 28, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      good to know. thank you very much

      Reply
  12. Meagan says

    August 2, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing! It was easy to put together. It tastes delicious. We are definitely making this again! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 3, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      thank you – Yay!

      Reply
  13. maia says

    August 8, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    The sauce was so easy to make. I started off trying to coat the marinated tofu in the breadcrumb mixture, but decided I didn’t want to spend that much time cooking, so instead I just allowed the marinated tofu to marinate longer, then threw it on top of brown rice and added stir fry bok choy. Super yummy recipe. The pieces of bread crumbed tofu I did make were fantastic. Highly recommended recipe.

    I’m so grateful for your culinary arts!

    Reply
  14. Pujah says

    August 20, 2020 at 6:06 am

    5 stars
    Loved it!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:49 am

      Awesome, I’m so glad!

      Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:49 am

      Awesome! Thank you for the great review!

      Reply
  15. Florence says

    October 30, 2020 at 2:56 am

    5 stars
    Delicious, thank you, I really enjoyed this — having it with pickled veg was particularly good. Any suggestions for using up leftover sauce (beyond making this again, which we plan to!)?

    Reply
  16. Amanda says

    January 12, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    So I am trying new things. Including cooking. So first time cooking tofu and I am so glad I chose this recipe. The sauce was delicious and from someone who never thought they liked tofu, this recipe has changed my mind!🤯 It was so good. I will be making again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      January 14, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      yay

      Reply
  17. Cheryl J says

    February 27, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    This is a regular go to Katsu curry for my family. I use a spicier curry powder (I like it hot!). I have also found if you are short on time, that you can replace the tofu with pre-prepared vegan shnitzels or crumbed chick’n patties. Just pan fry, slice over rice and veggies and pour over the curry. Yum!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 1, 2021 at 11:50 am

      perfect

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

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