4/10/2023 0 Comments Tofu curryPrepare 2 large plates and one shallow bowl.Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Season with tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar and mirin. Transfer to an upright blender or use a stick blender to make a smooth, thick sauce.Simmer, on low heat (with a lid on) for about 10-15 minutes until the carrots and apples become soft.Dissolve 1 tbsp of miso paste in 1 cup of warm water and add it to the pan.Stir around and fry off for a minute or two. Add the sliced carrot, diced apple, curry powder and garam masala.Fry for another minute or two stirring frequently. Add garlic and a minute or two later add ginger. Add diced onion and sauté until almost translucent. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan with a matching lid.Set aside to allow the tofu to infuse with the soy sauce. Place them in a shallow dish with 4 tbsp of soy sauce (or tamari), flipping them to the other side from time to time. I’m not claiming it’s the most authentic version of this dish that exists, but it definitely delivers on taste and texture. 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. 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. There were no pickles, no salad and nothing to take your mind off what mediocre food you were paying for. The rice was bland, and there was no contrasting flavour or texture that this dish cries out for so much. The sauce was bland and one dimensional – all you could taste was overpowering curry powder. 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. 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. 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. When a humongous (yet sadly very uninspiring bowl) of slop got placed in front of us, we wished we had gone somewhere else. 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. I found out through one of the vegan Facebook groups that a particular UK chain does a vegan tofu katsu. 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.
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