JAPANESE AUBERGINE & TOFU KATSU CURRY

I doubt many Japanese cooks would start a katsu curry sauce by frying red chilli and shallot, but I wanted to intensify the flavours. You can make both the curry powder and sauce in advance. Serve with plain sticky rice and Japanese pickled vegetables, if you like.

Serves 4

● 75g (2¾oz) panko breadcrumbs

● ½tsp cayenne pepper or red chilli powder

● ¼tsp black and/or white sesame seeds (optional)

● ¼tsp ground turmeric

● Sea salt

● 2tbsp rice flour or cornflour mixed with 4tbsp water to a paste

● 200g (7oz) firm tofu, pressed, patted dry and cut into 5cm slices, about 1cm thick

● 1 large aubergine, cut into 1cmthick slices

● Sunflower oil, for deep-frying

● Fresh red chillies and spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to garnish

● Sticky rice, to serve (see tip at bottom of page) For the katsu curry sauce

● 1tbsp sunflower oil

● 1 fresh red bird’s-eye chilli, finely chopped

● 1 shallot, chopped

● 1tbsp tomato purée

● 2tsp Japanese Curry Powder (see panel far right)

● ½tsp garlic powder

● 500ml (18fl oz) vegetable stock

● 200ml (7fl oz) coconut milk

● 4tbsp rice flour or cornflour mixed with 6tbsp water to a paste

To make the curry sauce, heat the oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the red chilli and shallot, stirring for 30 seconds to flavour the oil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the tomato purée. Add the curry and garlic powders. Stir for about 30 seconds to cook the spices. Stir in the stock and coconut milk with a pinch of salt. Add the flour paste and slowly bring to the boil, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas 2 and line a baking tray with kitchen paper. Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl, add the cayenne pepper, sesame seeds, if using, turmeric and a little salt, and mix. Put the flour paste in another bowl. Using tongs, take one piece of tofu or aubergine and run it through the flour paste to coat, then toss in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the pieces.

Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a heavy-based saucepan until it reaches 180°C. Add as many tofu pieces as will fit and deep-fry until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove to the lined tray and keep hot in the oven. Repeat with the aubergine pieces. Just before serving, reheat the sauce. Divide the tofu and aubergine between 4 plates and add some sauce. Garnish with chillies and spring onions, and serve with sticky rice.