Description
This is my version of the classic Katsu Sando. Thick cut marinated tofu, breaded in a crispy panko, and sandwiched between two slices of soft milk bread (shokupan). It’s the best way to take delicious katsu on the go. It makes for a satisfying, and very delicious meal. It might end up being your new favorite!
Ingredients
Scale
Main:
- 1 block – extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained
- ¼ cup – soy sauce
- ¼ cup – sake
- ¼ cup – mirin
- ⅓ cup – oil, for frying
- 4 slices – Shokupan (Japanese milk bread), see recipe here See notes
- 4 pieces – lettuce, cut into sandwich size pieces
- Katsu sauce (Here are my two picks for katsu sauce: Kikkoman Katsu Sauce or Bull Dog Tonkatsu Sauce both accidentally vegan!)
Wet Dredge
- ¼ cup – soy milk
- 3 tablespoo – all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp – garlic powder
- ½ tsp – onion powder
Dry Dredge:
- ⅓ cup – panko bread crumbs
- ½ tsp – salt
- ¼ tsp – black pepper
- ½ tsp – garlic powder
- ½ tsp – onion powder
Equipment:
- Tofu press (Use whatever you have to press the tofu)
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Small mixing bowl
- Large flat container with lid, like a Pyrex container (To hold the marinated tofu in)
- Paper towel or tea towel
- 2 medium-size bowls
- Large frying pan
- Tongs
- Plate & paper towel/tea towel or cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath
Instructions
Day 1:
- Make the bread. If you want to make the milk bread recipe, click here.
- After, marinate the tofu that night. Press and drain the tofu for about 30 minutes. Then cut the tofu into steaks about ½-inch thick. You should get about 4-5 pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sake and mirin. In a large flat container, place the tofu steaks and pour the marinade mixture over the tofu. Place in the fridge to marinate overnight. See notes.
Day 2 (Next day):
- Prepare two bowls. In one bowl, mix together soy milk, flour, garlic and onion powder until you get a batter. It should be a little bit thicker than pancake batter. In the second bowl, mix together the panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside until ready to use.
- Remove marinated tofu from the fridge. Pat each tofu steak dry with a clean paper towel/tea towel. Coat each piece in the batter first and then into the panko. Set aside and repeat for all. See notes.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is ready, fry the tofu steaks until golden brown for about 5 minutes on each side (Don’t forget to fry the sides as well!). Set it over a plate with a paper towel or cooling rack to drain the excess oil and to cool completely.
- Take a slice of bread and cut it in half, on one half evenly spread katsu sauce (you can put more if you’d like) and place a piece of tofu katsu over. Next, place the lettuce over the tofu katsu, and then place the second half of the bread over. Repeat for the rest. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t want to make my milk bread recipe, you can use any vegan white bread you like.
- I found the flavors to be much better when the tofu was marinated overnight. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can marinate for an hour.
- If you don’t pat the excess marinade from the tofu, it will cause the coating to slip off as you cook it.
- You can make the tofu katsu ahead of time, and keep in the fridge for a couple days or keep in the freezer for a few weeks. If you want to reheat it, you can refry it or bake it for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Keywords: vegan, Japanese, recipe, entree, snack, sandwich, bread
