Crispy Tofu Cutlet with Katsu Sauce

This dish is so simple but so tasty, warm and comforting. My whole family loves it. The sauce is, in fact, a version of regular British 'fish and chip shop curry sauce', which people from the UK have grown up with and tend to love. However, it's so similar to Japanese katsu sauce that I thought I'd use that in the name, to make it sound a bit more exotic :) The coating on the tofu makes it deliciously crispy on the outside, adding great texture and perfectly complementing the smooth curry taste.

First of all, make the sauce:

Heat 4 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan

Then add the following ingredients:

2 onions, finely diced

4 apples, peeled and finely diced

½ bulb of garlic, peeled and minced

Fry over low heat until the onions look 'glassy' and everything is soft.

Next, add the following and mix well:

2 tsp of curry powder

4 tbsp of rice flour

Then add:

600mls of vegetable stock (I dissolve 4 organic veggie stock cubes in 600mls of water)

Lots of ground black pepper

½ tsp of sea salt

Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

Finally:

Blitz with a hand held blender until smooth

Then prepare the tofu:

Take a block of extra firm, organic tofu, drain and cut into slices of desired thickness. Press these slices on paper towel, under a weight, to remove excess liquid.

Combine the following ingredients in a shallow bowl:

2 tbsp rice flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ginger powder

½ tsp sea salt

Then:

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan

Take a slice of tofu and dip it in the flour mixture on both sides

Immediately fry the slice until browned on both sides

Continue with all the slices. Prepare more flour mixture and use more tofu if necessary

Then serve:

Place the tofu cutlets on brown basmati rice

Cover with the katsu sauce

Add cucumber sticks on the side for bursts of fresh crunch!

Alternatively:

Serve with thick chips for an authentic British feel!

Enjoy!

(This recipe makes enough for our family of 8)