A comfort meal that always hits the spot

By Sarah's Vegan Kitchen · 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Optional but recommended: freeze the tofu in its package a day or two ahead, then let it defrost completely (overnight in the fridge or on the counter).
2. Drain the tofu and press out the excess liquid. If you froze and defrosted it, a gentle hand press is enough.
3. Cut the tofu into slices about 1/2 inch thick, ideally along the long edge to get 6-8 cutlets.
4. Season each cutlet with salt and pepper.
5. Set up three dishes: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; a very thin batter of 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup water whisked together; and panko breadcrumbs, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more as needed.
6. Dredge each cutlet in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip it in the flour and cornstarch batter and let the excess drip off. Coat it in panko.
7. Place a wire rack over a baking tray (or line a plate with paper towels) to drain the fried tofu.
8. Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of vegetable oil to about 375°F in a heavy-bottomed skillet or pot with high sides, using a thermometer.
9. Fry the cutlets in the hot oil 3-5 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Do not crowd the pan, as this lowers the oil temperature and makes the tofu greasy.
10. Move the fried katsu to the rack or lined plate and sprinkle with salt right away.

Summarized from Sarah's Vegan Kitchen's video. Watch it for the details.

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