Vegan Tofu Katsu Noodle Bowl

An amazing crunchy Katsu that is vegan and easy to make with a simple batter and coat with panko breadcrumbs. Serve it with delicious noodles and garlicky veggies for the perfect meal.

PREP TIME20 minsCOOK TIME20 minsTOTAL TIME40 minsCOURSEMain CourseCUISINEAsian, JapaneseSERVINGS3

NGREDIENTS  

• 3 servings noodles of your choice cooked based on package’s instructions
• 14 oz [397g] firm tofu pressed to remove liquid
• 3 servings blanched veggies used bok choy
• oil for frying

For the Batter

• ¾ cup [96g] all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
• ½ cup [125g] cold water may need up to ¾ cup [177g] water depeding on the flour’s brand
• ½ teaspoon salt
• a few shakes of white pepper
• ½ cup [45g] panko breadcrumbs or more may be needed

Noodle Sauce

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 2 tablespoons vegan ‘oyster’ sauce (see notes for recipe)
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce thick version
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• a few shakes of white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

Prepare the tofu

• Remove tofu from its packaging (if it’s in package) and drain to discard liquid.
• Press tofu block in between towels to remove moisture. (Or you can put the tofu back into its package and refrigerate overnight to drain out the liquid)
• Divide tofu into 3 large rectangle block and season with a little salt.

To make the Katsu

• For the batter: whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and white pepper until all incorporated in a large shallow plate.
• Add the water and stir to combine. The batter’s consistency should be thick like a pancake batter, if not, add more flour or vice versa.
• Dredge tofu in the batter, shake off excess, then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Lightly press breadcrumbs into the tofu.
• Heat up a non-stick pan with a thin layer of oil (enough to cover 1/3 of the tofu height). Then slowly place tofu in and shallow pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
• Try not to flip until one side is fully cooked. Remove and place tofu on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

To make the Noodles and Serve

• To make the sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
• Cook noodles based on package’s instructions.
• Toss noodles with sauce until all incorporated. Season accordingly, if needed.
• Serve tofu Katsu with noodles and blanched veggies.

NOTES

• For the noodles, I used my Vegan ‘Oyster’ sauce for this recipe.
• To get the look of the tofu in the picture, I trimmed the sides of the tofu block.
• How to blanch veggies:

1. Clean and trim veggies to your desired size.
2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
3. Add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil.
4. Then, place veggies in. Using a pair of tongs, quickly cook veggies until they turn a darker green. 
5. Optional: rinse with cold water to stop the cooking

• Garlic Oil – place finely chop garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Add enough oil to cover all the garlic. Microwave for 1 – 2 minutes. Once the garlic turns light yellowish, stop the cooking. The garlic will continue to cook in the oil.