Crisp Tofu Katsu With Lemon-Tahini Sauce Recipe (2024)

Ratings

4

out of 5

1,355

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

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

Ann Robinson

I made this tonight. Roasted the cauliflower with the mushrooms. I did not have anchovy paste and couldn't find shiitakes, so used regular mushrooms. Even, so, it was so delicious. The lemon and soy with garlic really gave the whole thing a bright flavor, and the panko crumbs added texture.I can't wait to try it with the anchovy paste and shiitakes !

Anonymous

Easy to veganize this recipe by replacing the egg with a dip made with 1/2 cup Soy combined with a teaspoon of mustard. The mustard will curdle the soy milk, yielding a buttermilk-textured liquid for dipping the tofu.

Rachel

I was shocked at the nutritional value of this vegan recipe...for 1000 calories I’d just as soon eat pork tonkatsu. But the recipe looked interesting so I used cooking spray to roast the mushrooms, cauliflower (seemed strange to keep it raw), cut back the bread crumbs to 1/2 cup, used the recommended amount of tahini but just 1 T of oil for the dressing. It’s delicious! Tofu is wonderfully flavored and I could stick to my healthy eating plan.

Max

We’re gluten free as well. Our go to substitute for pinko is crushed white corn tortilla chips.

silvia rennie

Are the cauliflower florets to be used raw?

Don

Perhaps a little more information will help people make up their own minds about canola oil:https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/oil-of-oleacute/

Paige

Canola oil is just fine for you in the amounts you would use it for cooking. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/oil-of-oleacute/

patrice

You've ruined the recipe by using canola oil. This oil has no place in the new healthy recipe lexicon

JEnny Schmidt

Instead of calling the tofu 'slabs', can we call it 'fillets'?

Gail

The serving size appears to be "four servings," which implies that the nutritional info is for the entire dish. Per serving, it would be 16.5 grams of fat.

Robin

Would it be better to blot the sliced tofu with paper towels? I often do this to get rid of excess water. Haven't made the dish yet, but will soon!

Don

Made as instructed. The quinoa salad is very tasty. The sauce/dressing does not really need as much of the oil as called for. And next time I would increase the tahini and reduce the dijon a couple of teaspoons each. Be careful with the tofu, as it can (and did) dry out in the oven; I will fry it next time.

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.

Tess

Made this with a few tweaks (roasted the cauliflower, pan-fried the tofu so it didn’t dry out, and served the sauce and tahini separately) and it was delicious! And for everybody worried about the calories or fat: leave out the tahini.

Deborah

What could I use instead of eggs? I'm vegan.

Ruth's notes

Has anyone made just the quinoa without mushrooms and cauliflower? I am looking for an easy quinoa dish that is flavorful but not much prep work.

Melissa

One of my all time favorites. I love using pearl couscous instead of quinoa and always cook the cauliflower.

Richard

Is there a viable substitute for cornstarch, such as flour or something else? Thanks.

Ray Furse

Can we make an effort to reduce the jargon in cookery?, like oddly naming this dish a variant katsu, which is simply the shortened Japanese term for cutlet (full form katsuretsu, カツレツ) from the French côtelette, which in any case is always meat and deep-fried. This dish is just slices of tofu prepared and served in an interesting but totally non-Japanese way.

Patricia Fisher

If you toast that panko (after tossing it with the oil) on the stove for a couple of minutes, your resulting tofu katsu will have more of the toasty flavor of deep-fried. This trick comes from Nami, the mastermind behind "Just One Cook." Also, if you bake the breaded tofu on a baking rack, both sides will get toasty with no effort and no flipping.

D

About to make this for the first time and the recipe doesn't say anything about pressing the tofu first - i'd love some guidance for next time!

Suz in Portland

Excellent! Family said it was a nice change of pace. As recommended, I roasted the mushrooms and cauliflower together. I used a mix of of three types of mushrooms and pressed the water out of the tofu. To the dressing I added about two tablespoons of white miso. Sesame oil would be a nice touch. Start cooking the quinoa about 10 minutes before everything goes in the oven. Lemon juice is a must. This is time-consuming to make but worth the effort. Next time I may do the veggie prep a day ahead.

Esther

The sauce feels unbalanced, overly sour, too much water.

Madeline

I made 2 modifications and had enjoyable recipe. First I substituted the Just Egg vegan product (egg allergy). I also had the plain off-white quinoa so I balanced the colors in this recipe by using steamed baby carrots instead of cauliflower. I think it add a nice sweetness to the dish.

Neonata

I left out the cauliflower and definitely didn’t miss it. Used baby-Bella’s ‘regular’ quinoa that’s what we had and it was fantastic. I freeze my tofu (buy it in bulk) which makes it much spongier and it worked beautifully in this recipe- very crispy. We even copied the tofu method for another dish the same week.

Katie

Does it really take only 15 minutes to make the tofu? Tofu has always taken me 25-30 in the oven at 425

Private notes are only visible to you.

Crisp Tofu Katsu With Lemon-Tahini Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon herb tahini sauce made of? ›

What is Lemon Herb Tahini made of? This green tahini is made with tahini (ground sesame seeds), fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and optional maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What not to mix with tofu? ›

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

How to cook tofu so it tastes good? ›

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

Does tofu need to be cooked? ›

Tofu can be eaten raw, and so cooking it is completely optional and is mostly done for texture or to bind the sauce to the tofu. You can pan-sear the sides and add it to a colorful stir-fry or deep-fry it and coat it in a savory and sweet sauce.

What's the difference between tahini and tahini sauce? ›

Tahini paste is just ground sesame seeds. Period. In comparison, tahini sauce is made by thinning the paste to a consistency similar to a thick cream, typically by adding other ingredients. My family's recipe adds lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil to our tahini sauce.

Does lemon thicken tahini? ›

When a small amount of lemon juice (or water) is added to the tahini or peanut butter, the hydrophilic dry particles are drawn to the water. As a result, it clumps up. As water is added, more clumps develop, causing the tahini to thicken overall.

Why won't my tofu get crispy? ›

If your crispy tofu isn't getting crispy, it could be because there is too much moisture in the tofu. Another issue could be the oil isn't hot enough to fry the tofu. Or you forgot to add the corn flour. These three reasons can cause your tofu to be soggy or not crisp up as much as you'd like.

Why can't you eat a lot of tofu? ›

Potential Risks of Tofu

Some people believe that eating too much soy can increase the risk of breast cancer, disrupt thyroid function, or "feminize" men (who naturally have lower estrogen levels than women) due to the estrogen-like isoflavones. However, the research is "mixed and inconclusive," according to Iu.

Why can't you eat spinach with tofu? ›

- It is said that tofu cannot be eaten together with spinach at the same time. As tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively, the combination of the two will form kidney stones. But in fact, only prolonged and volumionous consumption of tofu and spinach at the same time will pose this risk.

What to add to tofu to make it taste better? ›

Find inspiration from other foods

For instance, many of these ingredients that will give steak marinade a flavor boost would also make sense to your tofu marinade. The suggestions for adding maple syrup and honey for sweetness or lemon juice for fresh citrus flavor are also good ideas for a tofu marinade.

What should I season tofu with? ›

Tofu seasoning rub: Rub the pressed tofu with lots of spices like garlic or onion powder, salt and pepper, nutritional yeast or a spicy taco seasoning, KFC seasoning, Buffalo spice, etc. Tofu marinade: Soak the tofu cubes in your favorite chicken/meat marinade to infuse extra flavor.

What is the secret to cooking tofu? ›

Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.

What happens if you don't press tofu before cooking? ›

And if tofu is vacuumed packed or firm already, you definitely don't need to press it. Here's why: moisture in tofu is a good thing. Tofu is over 80% water, and that moisture is what makes it such a succulent, juicy source of protein. Pressing it can make the tofu unnecessarily dry and strip it of its intended texture.

What happens if you don't drain tofu before cooking? ›

Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.

How long does tofu last in the fridge? ›

If it darkens in color, begins to smell, or feels slimy, it should be thrown away. Bottom line: Open packages of tofu are good in the fridge for up to five days, provided you change the water daily.

What is tahini sauce made of? ›

What is tahini sauce? Tahini sauce is a Middle Eastern condiment that is served with many dishes from the region. It's made with only 3 main ingredients: tahini paste, which is crushed sesame seeds, lemon juice, and garlic. Tahini is made by grinding toasted, hulled sesame seeds to create a creamy, smooth spread.

What is tahini and what does it taste like? ›

Tahini has a very earthy flavor and is slightly bitter, but not overpowering. Although the spread resembles peanut butter and other nut butters, it does not have a similarly sweet flavor profile. The toasted sesame seed flavor shines through in this creamy, rich ingredient.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Greg O'Connell

Last Updated:

Views: 5703

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg O'Connell

Birthday: 1992-01-10

Address: Suite 517 2436 Jefferey Pass, Shanitaside, UT 27519

Phone: +2614651609714

Job: Education Developer

Hobby: Cooking, Gambling, Pottery, Shooting, Baseball, Singing, Snowboarding

Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.