Vegan Japanese Vegetable Curry with Crispy Tofu

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍚 300g rice (dry)
• 🥤 1,100ml tap water
• 🌾 400g tofu
• 🌾 3 Tbsp corn starch
• 🏺 4 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 🧅 2 medium onions
• 🥕 2 medium carrots
• 🥔 2 medium potato
• 🧄 2 cloves garlic
• 🪴 10g ginger
• 🧈 30g plant-based spread
• 🌾 3 Tbsp flour
• 🌿 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 🌿 1 Tsp garam masala
• 🥫 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 🍆 1 cube vegetable stock cube
• 🍏 1 small apple
• 🥣 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 🍚 1 Tsp sugar
• 🧂 0.5 Tsp salt

Method

1. Cook the rice: rinse until the water runs clear, put in a pot with 400 ml of the water, bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest, covered, off the heat.
2. Prepare the vegetables: slice the onions into thin half-moons. Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut into large bite-sized chunks (about 3 cm). Mince the garlic and ginger. Peel and finely grate the apple.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and light golden – this is where much of the sweetness comes from.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots and potatoes and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add the remaining 700 ml water and crumbled stock cube (check it's vegan). Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
6. Make the roux while it simmers: melt the plant-based spread in a small pan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until it smells toasty and turns light brown. Add the curry powder and garam masala and stir 30 seconds more. Take off the heat and stir in the tomato paste to make a thick paste.
7. Ladle about 200 ml of the hot cooking liquid into the roux and whisk until smooth, then pour it all back into the pot. Stir in the grated apple, soy sauce, sugar and salt.
8. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until thick and glossy – it should coat the back of a spoon.
9. Make the crispy tofu: press the tofu between kitchen paper for 10 minutes, cut into large cubes and toss in the corn starch. Fry in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp all over. Drain on kitchen paper.
10. Serve the curry spooned beside the rice with the crispy tofu on top. Leftover curry tastes even better the next day.