Air-fried crispy herb panko tofu slices smothered in curry sauce with tender potatoes, carrots, and onion, flavored with ginger and garlic, and served on a bed of light and fluffy brown basmati rice.
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Looks Familiar?
Right off the bat, you can see that the Japanese Katsu Curry influences this tofu dish. As I mentioned in my Chicken Curry Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice and Beans recipe, I did not know curry was used in Asia except for India.
This was years ago! But it definitely sparked an interest to try out more curry dishes from Chinese-American and Japanese cuisine. I also want to try curry dishes from South East Asia. That is to say, if you know of any great dishes, leave a comment.
Two amazing recipes you must check out are Bang Bang Crispy Tofu with Egg Fried Brown Rice and Turmeric Herbed Tofu with Roasted Vegetable Israeli Couscous and Basil Romesco Sauce if you love tofu! And to just make it super simple, try the Air-Fried Turmeric Herb Tofu recipe.
Have Katsu Your Way
Katsu is made in a variety of ways! You could use chicken (Hawaiian style), beef (gyukatsu- popular in Osaka and Kobe, Japan), chopped beef (menchi-katsu), pork cutlets (tonkatsu), or ham (hamukatsu- a budget alternative to pork).
Leave the vegetables in chunks or puree them with the curry sauce. On the other hand, you can use tonkatsu sauce, a dark brown puree of stone fruits (e.g., apples, prunes, dates) with sweet Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce, onions, carrots, celery, citrus, and tomatoes.
It can be served with crispy pickled vegetables, shredded cabbage, and/ or rice. Sometimes, it can be on a flat plate, in a bowl, like Katsudon, or as a sandwich. Interestingly, because the word "katsu" is similar to the verb meaning victorious, katsudon is sometimes eaten by students the night before a major exam.
Ingredients
For this vegetarian herb panko tofu recipe, we will make tofu katsu. The tofu slices are dipped in a curry egg mixture and then coated in panko breadcrumbs.
Check out my Grilled Turmeric Herbed Tofu recipe for a great crispy tofu recipe. Firstly, you will omit the spice blend from that recipe and use the spice blend from this recipe. In contrast to the original herb panko tofu recipe, you will have air-fried or grilled tofu chunks served with curry vegetables and brown rice! So good!
See the herb panko tofu recipe for quantities.
For the Curry
For the vegetable curry, you will start by sauteing the onion, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Then you will toss in the ginger and garlic; your kitchen will smell so wonderful! Next, add the vegetable broth.
Next, you will add orange juice, which makes Japanese curry unique. Then, add the curry powder and brown sugar; this will help balance the bitterness from the garam masala that will be added later in the cooking process.
Finally, finish the curry with orange zest and the option of adding more heat, like scotch bonnet sauce. Then add the garam masala. In addition, it is added last because if you cook this spice for too long, it can become quite bitter. I am also very sensitive to bitterness, so it may be different for you, but I can taste it immediately.
Serve it with some warm brown basmati rice. Additionally, I cooked mine in the rice cooker, which came out perfect every single time. Enjoy!
See the herb panko tofu recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Can't find extra firm tofu? Use a tofu press. Check out my Cook’s Notebook post on using the Tofu Press.
In addition, pressing the tofu helps remove most of the liquid for a firm texture, which is perfect for frying.
All the extra liquid is left in the reservoir.
Once pressed for at least 30 minutes, the tofu is ready to be cut.
A block of tofu is 16 ounces. There are about 3 to 4 servings in each block.
To begin with, turn the halved tofu to its side to slice it into three.
After the tofu has been breaded and air-fried, each slice will be cut into four even-long pieces.
For the orange juice and zest, I used a large orange, freshly squeezed, then zested with a Microplane. The pictured zest is lemon from another recipe, but it’s the same result. Click here to learn more about testing.
Pat the tofu dry and coat with seasoned beaten eggs.
After that, take the item and coat it evenly with the panko bread crumbs.
It is important to cover all sides of the tofu with panko, pressing it firmly into the coating on both sides.
Lay them out flat to maintain their shape while preparing the rest. Once preheating is complete, they can easily transfer to the air fryer.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn more about using a tofu press.
Substitutions
- Japanese curry - Replace the above recipe's Easy Curry Herb Mix, orange juice, orange zest, and garam masala spice blend with Golden Curry, a Japanese premade curry blend that comes in pre-portion blocks. In addition, follow the instructions for the required amount.
- Scotch Bonnet Sauce - Use red chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or Thai chili peppers instead.
Change Heat Level - Modify the herb panko tofu recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Meat Katsu - Chicken, beef, or pork Cutlets instead of tofu with chicken broth, beef broth, etc.
- Puree the vegetable curry to make a thick, smooth sauce.
- Japanese Way - Add some Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce for a sweet kick.
- American Way - Add American-style Worcestershire sauce for a tangy, spicy kick.
Equipment
- Tofu Press - If you cannot find extra firm tofu, you can use a tofu press to press it at home. This will take about at least 30 minutes. Additionally, I pressed firm tofu with the Tofuture Tofu Press to develop this recipe.
- Air Fryer - This recipe was developed using the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill. If you do not have an air fryer, you can try roasting in the oven. In addition, you have two options with different results: a sheet pan with parchment paper or a sheet pan with a sheet pan rack.
- The parchment paper will produce vegetables roasted in their juices and caramelization at the bottom.
- In contrast, the sheet pan rack will result in just roasting around the vegetables due to the hot air flowing around the vegetables.
- Now, the trick is not to overcrowd in whatever method you choose, but if this happens, toss in between cooking.
- Medium Saute Pan - Used for making the vegetable curry. Because it's wide enough to saute and deep enough to boil and simmer the vegetables like the All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan with Lid.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the rice, tofu, and curried potatoes in shallow 2-inch containers to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The meal will last up to two days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tip
For a less messy herb panko tofu, sit in the egg mixture for at least one minute when breading the tofu. Then, place a slice in the panko breadcrumbs and flip. Then, press down on the tofu with your hand into the panko to catch the breadcrumb coating, flip, and press again. This way, your hand didn't have to press down a wet slice of tofu.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 16-block of tofu has about 3 to 4 servings, 3.5 to 4 ounces per person.
Panko is Japanese-style breadcrumbs that are highly preferred due to its ability to create a crispier crust than other breadcrumbs. This results from cooking, where the dough is steamed first until most of the water evaporates. The breadcrumbs' color is all beige because the bread is crustless when baked. And the unique cooking methods create flakes due to the bread's airy and brittle texture.
In addition, chefs highly prefer panko due to its inability to absorb liquids as much. For example, it is an excellent binder for ground meat and coating for oil-fried foods.
Extra firm tofu would be the best for frying since most of the moisture has been pressed out. To clarify, water prevents food from becoming crispy. The more liquid you remove, the more crispy a food item will get.
Asian Recipes
Looking for other Asian-inspired recipes like this? Try these:
- Quick Spicy Potstickers | Chili Momo Tibetan Style
- How to Make Multigrain Rice | Purple Rice Recipe
- Lemongrass Marinated Grilled Chicken Spring Rolls
- Easy Sheet Pan Spicy Miso Salmon Rice Bowl
Vegetarian Recipes
Looking for other vegetarian recipes like this? Try these:
- Homemade Cholula Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce
- Homemade Pico de Gallo | Fresh Salsa in 10 Minutes
- Quick & Easy Food Chopper Guacamole with Jalapeño Kick
- One-Pan Calabrian Chickpea Pasta Recipe | Fast & Flavorful
Video
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📖 Recipe
Herb Panko Tofu with Curried Potatoes, Carrots and Onions
Ingredients
Easy Curry Herb Mix
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Tofu Katsu-Style
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu
Vegetable Curry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion small diced
- ½ cup carrots small diced
- 1 cup mushrooms quartered
- 1 cup potatoes small diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 ¾ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 t teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala spice blend
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper sauce
Serve With
- 1 ½ cups cooked basmati brown rice
- sliced scallions for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Make the Spice Blend: In a small mixing bowl, combine the curry powder, Italian herb blend, salt, and pepper.
- Set the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390 Fahrenheit for a cooking time of 8 minutes.
- Cut the Tofu: Cut the tofu block into two pieces. Then slice each half into three.
- Make the Breading Station: Whisk the egg with a quarter of the curry herb seasoning blend in another mixing bowl, and pour into a breading tray.
- Place the bread crumbs in another breading tray and gently shake them to spread them out evenly. Then lay a piece of the sliced tofu into the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly on both sides.
- Take the egg-coated tofu and place it in the bread crumbs. Gently pat down the tofu into the bread crumbs, allowing it to stick. Flip and do the other side the same way. And lay on a tray that should fit all of the tofu pieces. Make sure to repeat this process for all tofu slices. Sometimes, you may have to take the breaded tofu and pat it again in the leftover breadcrumbs to give it a good coat.
- Cook the Tofu: Flip the tofu slices over after 4 minutes. When done, leave it in the air fryer to stay warm while you finish the rest of the meal.
- Make the Curried Vegetable: Heat the oil in a medium saute pan on medium-high heat. Then add onions, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and sweat by occasionally stirring with no browning until the onions become translucent.
- Next, add ginger and garlic and combine well. Allow them to cook halfway while infusing them into the vegetables. Then add the broth, orange juice, spice blend, and brown sugar and combine well.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat back to medium-high and cover to continue cooking. Allow cooking for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Check the potatoes and lower the heat if they are not cooked all the way through.
- Season the Curry: Adjust the seasoning, and add salt if needed. Then add scotch bonnet pepper sauce, orange zest, and garam masala and remove from the heat immediately.
- Plate Up: Use about two of the breaded tofu slices per serving. Then cut each of those breaded tofu slices into four. Then add the rice on one half of the plate; place the sliced tofu pieces on the other half and pour the curried vegetables over the two in the center. Garnish with sliced scallions for some crunch.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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