Japanese Katsu curry

This Japanese favorite is considered comfort food and is popular in Japanese homes. Brought to Japan by the British in the late 1800's, this dish, as the name suggests, has strong Indian influence. While traditionally made with pork or beef, this is my tofu version of Katsu, which basically means breaded and fried. Most Japanese curries are made from a concentrated block made of oil, flour and curry powder. I found a few different brands of these blocks at my local Asian supermarket. While they taste great, they usually include preservatives, monosodium glutamate and high sodium content (one of the blocks had 4,500 mg of sodium!). So, I decided to use ingredients from my pantry and come up with something that might taste like Japanese curry. I think it turned out quite well. The curry is loaded with a medley of vegetables. It can be enjoyed with rice or noodles and is best served hot.

Serves: 4 | Prep. time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons canola oil or sunflower oil

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 stick of celery, diced

• 1 medium carrot, diced

• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped

• 1 medium sweet potato, diced

• 1 small zucchini, diced

• 5-6 mushrooms, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 medium apple, diced

• 1 liter or 4.5 cups water or vegetable stock

• salt

• 1/2 tbsp. Garam masala

• 3 tbsp. curry powder (mild or medium)

• small pinch of cloves and ground ginger (optional)

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar or honey

• 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• 7 oz. or 200 g medium tofu

• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs

• 1/8 cup milk

• Green onions and cilantro for garnish.

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan (preferably deep pan), add 2 tbsp. oil and set on medium heat.

2. Once warm, add the chopped onions, celery and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes till onions turn translucent.

3. Add the finely chopped ginger and sweet potatoes. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the remaining vegetables and apple. Add 1 tsp salt, stir and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Then, add the dry ground spices. The pinch of cloves and ground ginger are optional. They will provide an additional aroma and a bit of spice to the curry but can be left out if your Garam masala or curry powder are spicy.

6. Add the water/vegetable stock , stir well, cover the pan with a lid and let the curry cook for 10-15 minutes, till all the vegetables, especially the potatoes become tender and the powdered spice blend no longer gives a powdery mouth feel.

7. While the curry is cooking, make a roux: In a non-stick skillet, heat 2 tbsp. oil and once hot, add 2 tbsp. plain flour. Whisk immediately till flour blends with the oil to form a smooth paste. Add this paste to the pot of curry, stir, put the lid back on and let the curry continue cooking.

8. Making the katsu: Cut the block of tofu into fingers. Dip the fingers in milk and then coat with Panko or regular bread crumbs. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp. oil and once hot, place the breaded pieces of tofu in a single layer on the skillet. Let one side brown (takes 3-4 minutes) before flipping over. Make sure all 4 sides of the tofu are equally brown.

9. Once the curry is cooked, stir in the sugar/honey and rice vinegar. Taste and add more salt or acid if needed.

10. To serve: In a large bowl, place rice/noodles on one side. Pour the hot curry on the other side. Add pieces of the crisp breaded tofu over the curry and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Enjoy!