KATSU TOFU BAO WITH PICKLED VEGGIES

Soft, fluffy bao filled with crunchy tofu, zingy pickled veg and a rich katsu drizzle. Add sriracha mayo and crispy onions, and you’ve got unbelievable flavour.

Ingredients (makes ~6 buns):

1 x 200g block extra-firm tofu

2 tbsp cornflour

Splash of plant milk

½ cup breadcrumbs

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 carrot

½ red pepper

2 spring onions

3 radishes (optional!)

2–3 tbsp mirin (or rice vinegar)

½ cup katsu curry sauce (homemade or shop-bought)

6 bao buns

Sriracha mayo

Crispy onions (optional)

Extra sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

How to make them:

Step 1 – Pickled Veg

Slice carrot, pepper, radish & spring onion into thin sticks. Pop into a bowl and pour over mirin. Leave to lightly pickle while you prep the rest.

Step 2 – Crispy Tofu

Slice tofu into bao-sized rectangles. Coat in cornflour, dip in plant milk, then press into a mix of breadcrumbs, hemp seeds & black sesame seeds. Pan-fry in a little oil until golden on all sides.

Step 3 – Heat Your Katsu

Warm through your katsu sauce. (I used a homemade batch from the freezer – scroll back for the recipe!)

Step 4 – Steam Your Bao

Steam the buns as per packet instructions (usually ~8 mins over boiling water).

Step 5 – Assemble

Layer up your bao: pickled veg, crispy tofu, warm katsu drizzle, sriracha mayo, crispy onions and extra sesame seeds.