Here’s a delightful recipe for Pan-Fried Vegan Tofu Karaage, a delicious vegan twist on Japanese fried chicken!
We're using frozen firm tofu that has a wonderfully chicken-like texture.
The best part? It's packed with yummy Japanese curry flavor, making it super tasty even when cold—perfect for packing in bento boxes! Plus, I’ll share some easy tips to keep your tofu from falling apart, so you can enjoy a stress-free cooking experience. Enjoy!
I also use frozen tofu in another recipe, Crispy Fried Dumplings with Cilantro. Frozen tofu makes the dumplings more satisfying, and a little bit of cilantro goes surprisingly well with it. This is another vegan side dish that's great for bento. Please give it a try!
Also, just so you know, all the recipes on this blog are vegan and vegetarian. It's also great for anyone interested in a plant-based diet. If you've got some extra time, be sure to check out the other pages!
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🍗Ingredients For Vegan Fried Chicken
- Frozen firm tofu(木綿豆腐): I used frozen Taishi's "Itcho Yose Momen". You can also use this tofu for tofu hamburgers, fried dumplings, Korean steamed dumplings, vegan feta cheese, and vegan cream cheese. This cotton tofu is unique because when you freeze it, it forms a bunch of layers of air. This makes the texture more like chicken, and the flavor really permeates. I've tried other cotton tofu, but so far, this works the best for vegan tofu karaage.
- Curry powder: For the curry powder, I used S&B Curry Powder Oriental from the red can (amazon). This curry powder tends to be a little too spicy for my taste when I use it to make curry. But if you just want to add a little bit for an accent flavor, like in curry spring rolls or this vegan tofu karaage, S&B Curry Powder is the best.
- Soy sauce: I used Yamasa "Ginsen Soy Sauce"(amazon). The saltiness of this dish depends on the soy sauce you use, so you may need to adjust the amount accordingly.
- Mirin: adds sweetness. If you're using sugar instead, add it bit by bit and adjust the taste as needed.
- Grated ginger: I used grated raw ginger. If you're concerned about the fibers, you can just add the juice.
- Potato starch: Just before deep frying, coat the tofu with it to seal the seasoning inside the tofu.
- Oil: Please use any oil you like. Oils without strong flavors, like rice bran oil, work well.
For exact amounts, please check the recipe card👇
👨🏻🍳Tips For Delicious Vegan Tofu Karaage
Now, I'm sharing some secrets about making delicious vegan tofu karaage.
You might be one of those who've tried to make it before but didn't quite get the results you wanted. They might crumble apart or become soggy from absorbing too much oil. For those facing such issues, here are three tips on making delicious tofu karaage that you should know.
❶Thoroughly thaw frozen tofu to the center
When you thaw frozen tofu, it's key to do so thoroughly, all the way to the center. You have two options for thawing, natural thawing or a microwave. If you don't thaw it the right way, it'll lose its shape easily and it won't absorb the flavor well. So, take your time and make sure it's thawed right.
❷Don't squeeze the tofu with your hands!
You have to be careful when draining the water from thawed frozen tofu. Just don't squeeze it too tightly with your hands. Put the thawed tofu on a flat plate (a tray works great) and press down with your body weight to get rid of the moisture. Repeat this process of pressing and discarding the water a few times to remove all the moisture. If you need more details with photos, check out " how to drain frozen tofu instructions."
❸Pan-frying instead of deep-frying
When tofu is frozen, it develops a bunch of layers of air. The frozen tofu karaage is seasoned by thoroughly soaking these layers with seasonings. So, each piece of tofu karaage has a lot of moisture. Unfortunately, there's a rule that "deep frying something with a lot of moisture makes it greasy." So, the secret to making the best tofu karaage is to pan-fry it instead of deep-frying it. You can make tasty, non-greasy vegan karaage that's also lower in calories this way.
Now, let's keep these points in mind and make some tasty vegan tofu karaage!
☝️Instructions
- Thawing: First, defrost the frozen tofu. You may use either natural thawing or a microwave. If using a microwave, defrost it thoroughly in the middle at 600W for around 7 minutes.
💡 When defrosting in the microwave, allow it to cool completely. Be careful since tofu can easily crumble when warm.
- Remove excess moisture: Place the tofu on a flat dish or cooking tray. Press down with your palm to press out the moisture, then discard the water. Repeat "pressing → discarding water" until no moisture remains. After carefully squeezing the water, use a paper towel to remove any surface moisture.
💡Press lightly to avoid crumbling.
- Soak: Place the seasoning in a tray and stir it. Then, add the pressed frozen tofu and let it absorb the flavor. Flip it halfway to allow the taste to soak in from the other side. Finally, softly press the tofu with your palms from above several times to ensure the flavor is thoroughly absorbed.
💡For best results, use solely grated ginger juice.
- Tear: Once the seasoning is evenly distributed over the tofu, tear it into bite-sized pieces.
💡Dividing it into six pieces is recommended to prevent the tofu from crumbling.
- Coat with curry powder: Spread the curry powder on another tray. Arrange the torn tofu and gently cover it with curry powder.
💡If you tap the tray on the table, the curry powder will spread more easily across the entire tray.
- Dust with potato starch: Apply potato starch to the surface in the same way as the previous step. Do it fast and go to the next step.
💡For crispy deep-frying in plenty of oil instead of pan-frying, use more potato starch and coat the entire surface.
- Coat with oil: Put the required quantity of oil into the frying pan (without turning on the heat yet). One by one, add the tofu pieces to the pan, making sure to cover the whole surface with oil.
💡The key is to work quickly. For steps 6 and 7, coat one piece of tofu at a time with oil in the pan, starting with the piece that was just coated with potato starch. This will prevent the potato starch from absorbing the seasoning and sticking to the tray.
- Frying: Place the frying pan over low heat and cook until the surface is well browned. Once the entire surface has been equally browned, transfer to a plate and serve.
💡If oil is not enough for cooking, add little quantities.
🍴Tools
- deep-dish
- cooking tray x 2
- frying pan (Yanagi Sori cast iron frying pan)
- cooking chopsticks
- paper towel
🫙Storage
Store in a food container and refrigerate. It will become moist over time, so eat it while it's hot to enjoy the texture. If you put it in a bento, it will become moist. But it will still taste delicious even when cold because the flavor is well-infused.
💭Frequently Asked Questions
I suggest heating a good amount of oil, enough to cover the tofu karaage, to a high temperature and frying it until the surface is nicely browned, which should only take a short while. The great thing about Tofu Karaage is that, unlike meat karaage, you don't have to worry about it cooking all the way through. As long as the alcohol in the mirin evaporates and the potato starch is cooked, it's all good. Also, since the tofu soaks up the seasoning, if you fry it at a low temperature, it'll turn out pretty soggy. Try frying it quickly at a high temperature to make juicy tofu karaage.
If you like this recipe or have already made it, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the COMMENTS 🐒. Also feel free to ask any questions or leave any requests!
🌿More Vegan Recipes with Frozen Tofu
Here are other recipes that use frozen firm tofu:
🥢Latest Vegan Recipes
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📖Recipe Card
Pan-Fried Vegan Tofu Karaage (Wafu Curry Flavor)
Equipment
- deep-dish
- cooking tray
- frying pan
- cooking chopsticks
- paper towel
Ingredients
- 1 block Frozen firm tofu (about 400g)
Seasoning
- 5 teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 3 teaspoon mirin
- 4 g grated ginger (Best to use only the juice)
Coating
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (S&B Curry Powder Oriental)
- 11/2 tablespoon potato starch
Pan-Frying
- 2 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Thawing: First, defrost the frozen tofu. You may use either natural thawing or a microwave. If using a microwave, defrost it thoroughly in the middle at 600W for around 7 minutes. *When defrosting in the microwave, allow it to cool completely. Be careful since tofu can easily crumble when warm.1 block Frozen firm tofu
- Remove excess moisture: Place the tofu on a flat dish or cooking tray. Press down with your palm to press out the moisture, then discard the water. Repeat "pressing → discarding water" until no moisture remains. After carefully squeezing the water, use a paper towel to remove any surface moisture.*Press lightly to avoid crumbling.
- Soak: Place the seasoning in a tray and stir it. Then, add the pressed frozen tofu and let it absorb the flavor. Flip it halfway to allow the taste to soak in from the other side. Finally, softly press the tofu with your palms from above several times to ensure the flavor is thoroughly absorbed.*For best results, use solely grated ginger juice.5 teaspoon Soy Sauce3 teaspoon mirin4 g grated ginger
- Tear: Once the seasoning is evenly distributed over the tofu, tear it into bite-sized pieces.*Dividing it into six pieces is recommended to prevent the tofu from crumbling.
- Coat with curry powder: Spread the curry powder on another tray. Arrange the torn tofu and gently cover it with curry powder.*If you tap the tray on the table, the curry powder will spread more easily across the entire tray.1 teaspoon curry powder
- Dust with potato starch: Apply potato starch to the surface in the same way as the previous step. Do it fast and go to the next step.*For crispy deep-frying in plenty of oil instead of pan-frying, use more potato starch and coat the entire surface.11/2 tablespoon potato starch
- Coat with oil: Put the required quantity of oil into the frying pan (without turning on the heat yet). One by one, add the tofu pieces to the pan, making sure to cover the whole surface with oil.*The key is to work quickly. *For steps 6 and 7, coat one piece of tofu at a time with oil in the pan, starting with the piece that was just coated with potato starch. This will prevent the potato starch from absorbing the seasoning and sticking to the tray.2 teaspoon oil
- Frying: Place the frying pan over low heat and cook until the surface is well browned. Once the entire surface has been equally browned, transfer to a plate and serve.*If oil is not enough for cooking, add little quantities.
So how did you find the recipe for "Vegan Tofu Karaage (Vegan Fried Chicken)?"
If you're looking to pack a bento, we suggest things like Tofu Soboro, Vegan Bibimbap, and Soy Bean Mixed Rice(Takikomi-gohan). They're all packed with protein and seasoned well, so they're delicious even when they're cold. Please give them a try!
I hope everyone has a healthy and happy day today🕊
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