Katsu curry with tofu

Preparation

Suzanne shows Panna how to cook a delicious and adaptable katsu curry with tofu that's sure to be a winner for dinner. She can freeze the curry sauce separately and change up the main ingredient, depending on who she’s cooking for, which means less stress in the kitchen and smiles all round.

1. To make the sauce, add the oil to a saucepan over a medium heat. Dice the carrot and add to the pan with the onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until beginning to soften.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, honey, soy sauce and vegetable stock. Mix well then bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the veggies are soft, then blend using a hand blender until smooth.
3. Meanwhile, bread the tofu or aubergine. If using tofu, press first to remove excess water; place the block between sheets of kitchen paper on a board and weight with a plate and a heavy food can. Leave for 20 minutes.
4. Cut the tofu into chunks or slice the aubergines into discs. Add the cornflour to a shallow bowl with 6 tablespoons of water and mix to a paste. Add the breadcrumbs to a second shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the tofu chunks or aubergine discs into the cornflour mix, then roll in the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat well.
Cooking now:
5. Drizzle the breaded tofu or aubergine with vegetable oil and cook in the air fryer at 190°C for 18 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Plate up with rice and the sauce on top.
To freeze:
6. Add the raw breaded tofu or aubergine to a freezer bag and place flat in the freezer. Add the sauce to a freezer bag and freeze flat.
Cooking from frozen:
7. Remove from the freezer and defrost. Once fully defrosted, reheat the tofu in the air fryer until crisp and heat the sauce in a pan over a medium heat.