Katsu Sando, which means Katsu sandwich. Yes, you heard right, Katsu. Sandwich. This is a vegan 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!
So what exactly is Katsu? Katsu is short for Tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish, and originally it is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It’s usually served with rice, katsu sauce, and a vegetable salad. It’s one of the most popular dishes in Japan. However, on this blog we don’t eat meat. In other words, I had to use a substitute, which is tofu! I know what you’re thinking, “But tofu is so bland!”. Yes, we all know tofu is bland, but that’s the beauty of it. Tofu is basically a sponge, and it will take on the flavor of whatever you marinate it in. One of my hot tips for tofu is to marinate it, and marinate it long. The longer the tofu sits in the marinade, the more it will take on flavor.
What kind of bread should I use? Japan is also known for their delicious fluffy baked goods, and for katsu sando, they use shokupan. Shokupan is a Japanese milk bread, and it’s perfect for this recipe. It’s soft, pillowy and fluffy — and guess what? I have a recipe for that too! I highly suggest making this sandwich with shokupan. It has a rich flavor and moistness that makes it a pleasure to eat. If you want to check out that recipe, click here. Don’t worry it’s also vegan!
Top Tips:
- Make Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) a day ahead. This will just make the process easier and you won’t be spending all day in the kitchen. (If you don’t want to make shokupan, you can use any vegan white soft bread you like.)
- Marinate tofu overnight! The same day you make the bread, marinate the tofu. The longer the tofu sits in the marinade, the more it will take on flavor.
- Before you start dredging your tofu, make sure to dry the tofu from the marinade. Don’t worry, if you marinated overnight you won’t lose any flavor by drying it off. If you don’t do this, it will cause the coating to slip off as you cook it.
If you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did, let me know what you think of it in the comment section! And don’t forget to rate it. You can also share and tag me in your recreations on Instagram @flouredframe or on Pinterest @flouredframe. Happy cooking!
📖 Recipe
Katsu Sando (Japanese Katsu Sandwich)
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Small mixing bowl
- Large flat container with a lid like a Pyrex container
- Tea towel or kitchen towel
- 2 Medium bowls
- Large frying pan
- Tongs
- Cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath
Ingredients
Tofu Katsu
- 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)
- 4 pieces Lettuce (cut into sandwich size pieces)
- Kikkoman Katsu Sauce
Wet Dredge
- ¼ cup Soy milk (or your milk of choice)
- 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
Dry Dredge
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
Instructions
Day 1, Make the Shokupan & Prep:
- Make the shokupan. If you're not making bread, you can skip this step.
- Next, 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. Then place the tofu steaks and pour the marinade mixture over the tofu in a large container with a lid. Place in the fridge to marinate overnight. See notes.
Day 2 Cook & Assembly:
- Prepare two bowls. In one bowl, mix together soy milk, flour, garlic and onion powder until you get a batter consistency. 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 mixture. 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 it 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.
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