Lately, I’ve been enjoying making vegan and vegetarian Japanese style meals at home. I made this Super Simple Japanese Vegetable Tempura Recipe the other week. Since the lockdown we only had a few takeaways but not Japanese food and I’m missing eating out – especially Japanese restaurants, because that’s not something I normally make at home and it’s not the easiest to shop for ingredients at the moment either.
This Vegan Aubergine Katsu Curry recipe is not too complicated though. I’m sure for those, who love katsu curry – but don’t eat meat, like me – it’s perfect. The classic Japanese meal is a real comfort food for many, or has been maybe before they gave up meat. Aubergine is not at all chicken like of course. So don’t imagine you’ll get a meat free meal that tastes like meat. Not at all. The aubergine is though a perfect match with the katsu curry. The flavours make a really good combination and it’s insanely yummy! I’ve tried katsu with other vegetables too, like mushrooms and butternut squash. But my personal favourite is the aubergine katsu curry.
It’s not too complicated I say, but it’s not throwing everything into the same pot either. And they are the best when freshly prepared at the same time. It’s a real treat. I’ve read lots of different recipes: some adds coconut milk (which makes it too creamy and bland for my taste, I’ve tried it) and some adds peanut butter (which sound a bit odd to me, but each to their own). I found this the best and you can play around with the curry spices: make it hotter or milder depending on the curry powder you use.
The katsu sauce can be reheated. If you make double quantities, you can freeze the sauce too, so it’s good for batch cooking and saving some time.
Let me know what you think of this Vegan Aubergine Katsu Curry recipe.
A vegan version for the much loved Japanese comfort food
- 2 medium aubergines sliced
- 6 tbsp corn flour
- 3 tbsp water
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 200 ml vegetable oil to fry
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 small yellow onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
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First I make the katsu curry.
Chop up the vegetables. Heat the oil and add the onions with the sugar, let them caramelise for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
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Add the carrot pieces and the spices. Simmer for 2-3 minutes together before adding the vegetable stock.
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Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until it starts to look sauce-like and the carrot pieces are soft. Set it aside, let it cool down a little bit before blending it with a blender.
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Next, prepare the aubergine. Cut them up into 1-1.5 cm thick slices after washing.
In a small bowl, make a batter by combining the corn flour with water. Place the breadcrumbs into another one. Then dip the aubergine slices first in the cornflour, then the breadcrumbs, repeating until well coated.
Heat the oil and fry the slices in the hot oil.
Serve immediately with Japanese rice.
Comments
I absolutely love Katsu curry. I’ve never tried aubergine though, I have to say though this looks delicious.
I might have to be brave and give it a go x
I love katsu curry but I’m also vegetarian. Usually, I use tofu as meat substitute but aubergine also sounds delicious
Oo yes please! I’m a vegetarian, so ‘normal’ katsu curry is off the menu, but this looks delicious – certainly going to give this a go 🙂
Ohh now this sounds like an interesting curry to try! I am struggling with what I can eat of late so I’m definitely up for trying more plant based things.
This sounds amazing, I have heard such great things about katsu curry but have never tried it yet. I am going to try it out x
Oh wow. I love katsu and this vegan version looks really delicious. I have to try making this soon. I am positive this will be another family favorite.
This sounds delicious – and it’s something else to do with aubergine. My entire repertoire revolves around Moussaka!
I love a good katsu curry but have never tried it with aubergine. Sounds delicious though so might have to give it a try
Wow this sounds delicious! Especially as I am a vegetarian, this seems a very nice dish to cook! I am really keen to check out and try this recipe
I love Katsu curry, and this vegan alternative sounds delicious and also easy to make gluten free with just a switch of the bread crumbs.
omg this is so yummy! I need to make one this weekend! thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
This recipe sounds delicious and I love that crispy crumb coating on the aubergine .