Ingredients
| CURRY ROUX | |
| 100g unsalted butter | |
| 100g flour | |
| 4 tablespoons Japanese curry powder | |
| 1 tablespoon garam masala | |
| CURRY UDON | |
| 500g fresh udon noodles | |
| 1 tablespoon plain oil | |
| 1 onion, sliced | |
| 3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced into 2cm pieces | |
| 4 cups vegetable stock | |
| 10g kombu | |
| curry roux (use half of the recipe given and save the rest for another meal) | |
| tamari, to taste | |
| TOFU KATSU | |
| 300g firm tofu | |
| ½ cup flour | |
| 1 tablespoon cornflour | |
| ½ teaspoon salt | |
| 1 teaspoon togarashi seasoning, plus extra to serve | |
| ⅔ cup panko crumbs | |
| oil for frying | |
| steamed greens or cucumber and spring onion, to serve |
Japanese curry with crunchy katsu is super popular and delicious, but pre-made golden curry mixes and roux cubes are full of unnecessary additives. It’s very easy to make yourself with just a few ingredients and making your own means you can use vegan butter, if necessary. You can source Japanese curry powder from speciality stores but I find regular curry powder is fine, just make sure it is fresh and not from an old packet in the pantry! I have served the curry with a tofu katsu, but any other type of katsu, such as chicken, will also be good. Serve with cucumber and spring onion or steamed greens in colder weather.
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Instructions
| 1. | CURRY ROUX |
| 2. | Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and whisk in the flour. |
| 3. | Cook, whisking regularly, for about 15 minutes until the roux turns a medium golden brown. |
| 4. | Whisk in the curry powder and garam masala and cook for a few minutes then spoon into a small container and refrigerate until needed. It keeps for up to 1 month. |
| 5. | CURRY UDON |
| 6. | If necessary, cook the noodles in boiling water then drain. |
| 7. | If you have precooked noodles, I like to put them in a sieve and pour boiling water over them to loosen and refresh them. Set aside. |
| 8. | Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or high-sided frying pan over a medium heat. |
| 9. | Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. |
| 10. | Add the carrots, stirring for a couple of minutes, then add the stock and kombu and bring to a low simmer (try not to boil). |
| 11. | Simmer for 12 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove the kombu and discard. |
| 12. | Stir in the roux, heating gently to thicken then stir in the noodles. |
| 13. | Season with tamari (how much will depend on the saltiness of your stock). |
| 14. | Serve with katsu and vegetables. |
| 15. | TOFU KATSU |
| 16. | Cut the tofu in half horizontally. |
| 17. | Lay a few layers of paper towels or a clean tea towel on a plate and put the tofu on top. |
| 18. | Cover with more paper towels or another tea towel and put a plate on top weighted down with something heavy. |
| 19. | Press the tofu for 1 hour to remove excess moisture. |
| 20. | Put the flour, cornflour and salt in a bowl and whisk in 140ml cold water to make a batter. |
| 21. | Put the panko crumbs in a bowl with the togarashi. |
| 22. | Heat 2cm of oil in a frying pan. |
| 23. | Cut each piece of the pressed tofu into 2 pieces. |
| 24. | Dip each piece in the batter then the panko crumbs and shallow fry for about 2 minutes each side until golden. Serve immediately. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles