Do you know that feeling of frustration at seeing something that you know can be great done badly? Well, that’s exactly how this dish came about. I found out through one of the vegan Facebook groups that a particular UK chain does a vegan tofu katsu. People were excited about it, so I got excited too, told Duncan (who loves that dish) and, without further ado, we went to check it out for ourselves.
When a humongous (yet sadly very uninspiring bowl) of slop got placed in front of us, we wished we had gone somewhere else. We spent a good 30 minutes discussing how this dish could have been great had it been prepared with a bit of care and know-how and how it’s a shame so many places still treat vegan options as a complete afterthought. They clearly do not understand that a little care and imagination (as opposed to fancy ingredients) is all that is needed to make a cracking vegan dish. I promised Duncan and myself then that I would make it for the blog, so here it is! What was wrong with the restaurant version, you ask? The tofu completely lacked texture – not only did they use silken instead of firm cotton tofu, they also covered it in the sauce, which meant that the usually crispy panko coating turned into a soggy mess. The sauce was bland and one dimensional – all you could taste was overpowering curry powder. The rice was bland, and there was no contrasting flavour or texture that this dish cries out for so much. There were no pickles, no salad and nothing to take your mind off what mediocre food you were paying for. It’s such a shame as with so few places providing well thought-out and executed vegan options, once we find a place that we like, we are very loyal customers. As I kind of cook for a living, I really appreciate being cooked for for a change, but it’s gotta be worth leaving the house for, right? I will continue searching for a tasty vegan version of this famous Japanese curry, but in the meantime, here is my take on it. I’m not claiming it’s the most authentic version of this dish that exists, but it definitely delivers on taste and texture.
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
My recipe is an adaptation of my previous katsu recipe.
