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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Feb 29, 2020 · Modified: Apr 6, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    Vegan Katsu Curry

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    Total time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    5 from 5 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    This vegan katsu curry is a tasty version of the popular Japanese dish, made with crispy breaded tofu and an aromatic curry sauce.

    Vegan katsu curry with crispy breaded tofu and rice.

    I love a good vegetarian curry, but this vegan katsu curry is a bit different to the curries I usually make. With crispy breaded tofu and a creamy, aromatic sauce, all served with fluffy white rice... it's got a bit of everything.

    Vegan katsu curry on a plate with white rice and boiled edamame.

    What is a katsu curry?

    Unlike most of the curries I share here, which are more Indian-inspired, a katsu curry is actually a Japanese dish! Curry was brought to Japan by the British in the 1800s (since India was, at the time, part of the British Empire). It's since become hugely popular in Japan, even becoming a national dish.

    These days, a katsu curry is a popular dish at the Japanese restaurant Wagamama.

    This vegan katsu curry has pieces of crispy breaded tofu (the non-veggie version usually uses chicken or pork), served atop a fragrant curry sauce. Fried aubergine works really well too! The breadcrumbs stay crispy on top, and start to soak up the curry from underneath - best of both worlds!

    Crispy breaded tofu served with katsu curry sauce, rice and edamame.

    Easy Japanese recipe

    I can't say I'm overly familiar with Japanese food - I've shared a few Japanese-inspired recipes here in the past (okonomiyaki, veggie tempura, teriyaki mushrooms), but it's certainly not one of my go-to cuisines to cook.

    Luckily, this tofu katsu curry is super simple - you don't need to know anything about Japanese food to make a good katsu.

    I'm not promising this recipe is authentically Japanese (in fact I'd be very surprised if it was), but if your aim is to cook an incredibly tasty katsu curry with minimal effort, you've come to the right place.

    Sliced tofu ready for breading, laid out with a vegan batter and a bowl of breadcrumbs.

    Crispy breaded tofu

    To begin, get started on the crispy tofu. Rather than using the usual flour-egg-breadcrumbs combination to bread the tofu, I kept this curry vegan by using a simple batter in place of the egg.

    It's actually the same basic batter that I used to make my crispy tofu 'chicken' nuggets - it worked so well on those that I knew it would be perfect for this vegan katsu curry!

    Just dip the tofu in the lightly spiced batter, then into the breadcrumbs. I used panko breadcrumbs, which are a light and crispy Japanese version. They're usually pretty easy to find in the shops, but you can use normal breadcrumbs instead if you prefer.

    Uncooked breaded tofu on a plate.

    Simple katsu curry sauce

    While the tofu is getting nice and crispy in the oven, fry off some onion and carrot.

    Then it's time for a few more ingredients to add heaps of flavour to the curry sauce - garlic, honey, soy sauce, curry powder, pepper... they all combine to make the most wonderfully aromatic sauce. It has such a beautiful flavour.

    Carrot and onions being cooked in a frying pan to make a vegan katsu curry sauce.

    If you don't have a blender, you can serve the sauce chunky, but I think it's nicer to blend everything into a thick, fairly smooth curry sauce. I left a little texture in mine, but make it as smooth as you like.

    Creamy vegan katsu curry sauce in a frying pan.

    Vegan katsu curry

    That's all there is to it! Your vegan katsu curry is ready to serve.

    Rice is essential for soaking up the sauce (what good is a curry without rice?), but you have a bit more freedom when it comes to your choice of veggie.

    Katsu curry is often served with cold, raw vegetables like cucumber, carrot, pepper, even lettuce. But personally, the idea of a warm curry sauce on lettuce isn't too appealing, so I went for a warm veggie side instead - just some simply boiled edamame (soy beans). They're perfect mixed in with the rice and creamy sauce.

    Portion of tofu katsu curry in a bowl, with crispy breaded tofu, rice and edamame.

    And there you have it! Have you ever tried making a Japanese curry? I hope this vegan katsu curry has convinced you to give it a try!

    Crispy breaded tofu with katsu curry sauce and rice.

    Vegan katsu curry

    This vegan katsu curry is a tasty version of the popular Japanese dish, made with crispy breaded tofu and an aromatic curry sauce.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 402kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    For the breaded tofu:

    • 400 g (~ 14 oz) block extra firm tofu
    • 100 g (~ ⅔ cup) plain flour
    • 1 teaspoon curry powder
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • 130 ml (~ ½ cup) water
    • 90 g (~ 1 ½ cups) breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)
    • Spray oil

    For the katsu curry sauce:

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
    • 1 medium carrot, finely diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoon curry powder
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 375 ml (~ 1 ½ cups) vegetable stock
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
    • 1 bay leaf
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    To serve (optional):

    • white rice

    • boiled edamame (soy beans)

    Instructions

    • First, cut the tofu into slices. My slices were around 1 ½ cm thick, and I ended up with 7 slices in total (but 6 slices would have actually been easier to portion out!). Press any excess liquid out of the tofu - if you don't have a tofu press, you can just lay the slices inside a folded (clean!) tea towel, place a baking tray on top, then a large pan full of water. The weight will squeeze the tofu, helping it to dry out. Leave for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
    • In a small bowl, combine the flour with the curry powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the water, and mix thoroughly to give a smooth batter. You can add a little more flour or a dash more water to adjust the consistency - it needs to cling to the tofu, so should be fairly liquid, but not overly runny.
    • Place the breadcrumbs in another small bowl.
    • When the tofu has been pressed, dip each piece into the batter, and allow any excess to drip off. Then coat the tofu in the breadcrumbs. Place all of the slices on an oiled baking tray, and bake at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30-40 minutes, or until crisped up to your liking.
    • While the tofu is baking, prepare the katsu curry sauce. Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan, and add the finely diced onion and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is fairly soft. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for 2 more minutes, before adding the remaining ingredients. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the carrot is completely soft.
    • Remove the bay leaf from the sauce, and blend until it reaches your desired consistency (I used a hand blender).
    • Serve the crispy tofu with the katsu curry sauce, and your choice of side dishes (I had rice and boiled edamame).

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 402 kcal - Carbohydrates: 55.3 g - Protein: 32.9 g - Fat: 11.4 g - Saturated Fat: 0.8 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 619 mg - Potassium: 182 mg - Fiber: 7 g - Sugar: 7.5 g - Calcium: 608 mg - Iron: 8 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Interested in Japanese food? These okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancakes) are so much tastier than you might expect!

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    Comments

    1. Lisa Mcguire says

      August 11, 2022 at 6:15 pm

      1st time trying tofu. We all loved this recipe. Curry sauce really made the dish.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        August 24, 2022 at 8:52 am

        Thanks Lisa, glad I could help make your first tofu experience a good one! :)

        Reply
    2. Adrian says

      February 08, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      This is outstanding and was a really great spicy sauce as good as Wagamama (in the UK). The sauce is so simple, but tasty it's going to be used in other dishes. Thanks for another great recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        February 21, 2022 at 10:35 am

        Ooh praise indeed, thanks Adrian!

        Reply
    3. Gary says

      August 27, 2020 at 4:07 am

      This was delicious.  Made the tofu in our air fryer and was amazed that it came out so crispy and tasty.  I made the curry using some spicy curry that we purchased on our trip to Vietnam last year.  It was soooo good.  Hard to believe there is no dairy in this recipe and very little oil.  Amazing.  Thanks again!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        September 02, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Thanks Gary, really pleased you liked it! :)

        Reply
    4. Helen Kennedy says

      April 23, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Made this two nights ago and it was yummy. As there are only two of us, we have sauce left over, the packet of tofu was only 300g, so we ate all of it. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        April 27, 2020 at 10:17 am

        Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)

        Reply
    5. mohan kumar says

      March 02, 2020 at 4:56 am

      Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy, flavorful and delicious.

      Reply

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