Crisp Tofu Katsu With Lemon-Tahini Sauce

By Kay Chun

Updated September 10, 2018

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,430)
Comments
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Katsu, the Japanese-style fried cutlet dish, is made just a bit healthier in this version prepared with tofu slabs. Here, the slabs are dredged in seasoned bread crumbs, baked, not deep-fried, and paired with quinoa, making it full, protein-dense meal. Note, too, that the leftover katsu here reheats nicely: Simply put it in your oven at 400 degrees, and bake for 10 minutes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE TOFU KATSU

  • 5 tablespoons safflower or canola oil, plus more for greasing

  • ⅓ cup cornstarch, plus more as needed

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons granulated onion

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 pound firm tofu, cut about ¼-inch thick, into 12 equal slices

  • 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ½-inch thick (4 packed cups)

FOR THE QUINOA

  • ¾ cup red quinoa, rinsed well and drained

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

  • ¾ teaspoon grated garlic (about 1 large clove)

  • 8 ounces cauliflower florets, thinly sliced (2 heaping cups)

  • ½ cup chopped parsley

  • Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

66 grams carbs; 93 milligrams cholesterol; 965 calories; 33 grams monosaturated fat; 23 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 66 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 982 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the katsu: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 large rimmed baking sheets with the oil. Put cornstarch, eggs and bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls, and add ¾ teaspoon of the granulated onion to each bowl. Season all with salt and pepper and mix well. Add 3 tablespoons oil to the bread crumbs and mix well.

  2. Step 2

    Working with one piece at a time, dust tofu in cornstarch, then dredge in egg, shaking off excess. Press in bread crumbs to evenly coat. Arrange on one baking sheet, and transfer to oven. Bake until golden and crisp, 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Place mushrooms on second baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until golden, 12 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Make the quinoa: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, then return quinoa to the pan. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes; fluff into a large bowl.

  5. Step 5

    In a small bowl, combine tahini, oil, lemon juice, mustard, soy sauce, garlic and ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    To the quinoa, add mushrooms, cauliflower, parsley and 1 cup of the dressing and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

  7. Step 7

    Divide quinoa in bowls and top with tofu. Serve with remaining sauce for drizzling on tofu and lemon wedges, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,430 user ratings
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Comments

Leah Macpherson

So the cauliflower goes into the dish raw?

Christina

▫️Roast the cauliflower until golden and crisped on the edges. ▫️Fry the pads of tofu after breading until golden and crunchy ▫️sauté mushrooms until golden and fragrant ▫️1/2 water for sauce is plenty ▫️little extra lemon and tahini, watch- garlic is potent

Tim

Certainly the nutrition information is not correct? 66 grams fat?

Lydia

I the raw cauliflower adds a nice texture to the quinoa. I skip the mushrooms altogether as I find they don’t add much. I also press the tofu before coating it. I’ve made this for friends and family many times and it’s always a hit. The tahini sauce is delicious!

Erin

This is a good method for tofu katsu, and it’s quick. I seasoned the tofu with s&p and garlic powder before all of the dipping steps and added some soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil to the eggs, because I had a feeling it would need something extra. I made the tonkatsu sauce from the nytimes chicken katsu recipe.

Eb

We weren't big fans of the sauce...I was hoping for more of a sweet sesame dressing taste and it is definitely lemon forward, kind of bitter and tangy. But the texture of the crispy tofu was amazing, will be adapting to abetter sauce. Also I roasted the cauli really quick after a toss in olive oil and garlic salt.

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