Vegan Aubergine Katsu Curry

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.

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Vegan Aubergine Katsu Curry

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

A vegan version for the much loved Japanese comfort food

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: aubergine katsu curry

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the breaded aubergine

• 2 medium aubergines sliced
• 6 tbsp corn flour
• 3 tbsp water
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 200 ml vegetable oil to fry

For the Katsu Curry

• 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

Instructions

1. 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.

   

2. Add the carrot pieces and the spices. Simmer for 2-3 minutes together before adding the vegetable stock.

   

3. 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.

   

4. 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.