FusionBowl

Crispy Katsu Bowl

Four substantial turmeric-batter-and-panko tofu cutlets, sliced and fanned over deeply herbed dried-lime lentils with a creamy lemon-tahini finish.

Eat nowHeartyContains gluten, sesame, soy
Hands-on39 minTotal time44 minEnergy744 kcalProtein44g
Recipe details
Kitchen project

Equipment: Hob

Keep chilled after cooking

Crispy Katsu Bowl
Servings1 standard portionAdjust

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Standard portions

About 700 kcal per adult reference portion

Making 1 standard portion. Ingredients, instructions and Cooking Mode update together.

Doubling up barely adds effort and covers another mealtime.

Ingredients

Lentils

Finish

Slaw

Now we make

Method

Do the night before

  1. 1
    Defrost 110g cooked green lentils overnight in the fridge if using frozen

These steps sit outside the cooking-day clock.

39 min hands-on 44 min altogether
  1. 2
    Press 170g firm tofu gently under a heavy pan for 10-15 minutes - enough to firm the surface without squeezing it completely dry.
    πŸ– 3 minπŸ’€ 12 min unattended
  2. 3
    Meanwhile, cook Β½ white onion until deeply golden, about 8 minutes. Add 1 clove garlic, then stir for 1 minute
    πŸ– 9 min
  3. 4
    Pierce 1 dried lime several times. Add green lentils, the dried lime and 95ml hot water. Simmer covered for 8-10 minutes until hot, lightly saucy and infused with lime. Season generously
    πŸ– 3 minπŸ’€ 8 min unattended
  4. 5
    Slice the tofu into 4 broad cutlets about 1cm thick. Whisk 23g plain flour, Β½ tsp turmeric, 33ml unsweetened soy milk and a pinch of salt into a smooth batter with the consistency of thick cream; it should leave an opaque layer on a spoon rather than run straight off. If your soy milk makes it thin, whisk in another teaspoon of flour. Put 28g panko breadcrumbs in a second shallow dish. Turn each tofu cutlet through the batter, let only the loose excess drip away, then press panko firmly over every side. Patch any bare spots with a dab of batter and more crumbs, then rest the coated cutlets for 5 minutes so the crust bonds
    πŸ– 6 min
  5. 6
    Heat 7ml olive oil in a wide non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the katsu cutlets, lower the heat to medium and leave them undisturbed for the first 2 minutes. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and audibly crisp, then drain briefly on a rack
    πŸ– 8 min
  6. 7
    Remove the dried lime from the lentils. Stir in 1ΒΎ tsp dried dried fenugreek leaves and half the 9g dill, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant
    πŸ– 2 min
  7. 8
    Whisk 7g tahini with 19ml lemon juice and 1-2 tablespoons of warm water until creamy and pourable
    πŸ– 2 min
  8. 9
    Scrunch 85g finely shredded green cabbage and 55g coarsely grated carrot with 11ml rice vinegar and a pinch of salt until glossy but still crisp
    πŸ– 3 min
  9. 10
    Slice the katsu on the diagonal. Spoon the herb lentils into shallow bowls, fan the crisp tofu cutlets over the top and add the sharp cabbage-carrot slaw. Drizzle with lemon-tahini sauce and finish with the remaining dill
    πŸ– 3 min

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Nutrition details

Nutrition is shown for one standard portion, not the whole batch selected above.

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Nutrition summary

At a glance

Higher inPhosphorusVitamin KSelenium
Lower inVitamin ECholine

Calories

744kcal

35%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 36%Breadcrumbs Β· 14%Green Lentils Β· 13%
24% cal

Protein

44.2g

70%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 49%Green Lentils Β· 22%Breadcrumbs Β· 8%
39% cal

Carbs

73.0g

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Green Lentils Β· 24%Breadcrumbs Β· 22%Plain Flour Β· 19%
37% cal

Fat

30.6g

44%
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Firm Tofu Β· 56%Olive Oil Β· 21%Tahini Β· 12%

Small numbers, big impact

Everyday essentials

Fibre18.48g
63%
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Green Lentils Β· 47%Green Cabbage Β· 11%Carrot Β· 8%
Vitamin B120.50ΞΌg
21%
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Soy Milk Β· 81%Breadcrumbs Β· 19%
Vitamin D0.40ΞΌg
3%
Top contributors
Soy Milk Β· 100%
Iodine0.00ΞΌg
0%
Iron13.97mg
78%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 33%Green Lentils Β· 26%Breadcrumbs Β· 10%
Zinc5.85mg
53%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 48%Green Lentils Β· 24%Breadcrumbs Β· 7%
Calcium840.54mg
84%
Top contributors
Firm Tofu Β· 70%Breadcrumbs Β· 6%Soy Milk Β· 5%

Nutrients food alone won't reliably cover

These three are commonly under-consumed across all diets, not just plant-based ones - the difference is mainly B12, which has no whole plant food source at all.

  • Vitamin B12: is absent from whole plant foods entirely - the number above only reflects fortified ingredients (nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk). A reliable B12 supplement or fortified source is the standard recommendation for a fully plant-based diet, regardless of what any single day's total shows.
  • Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): most people fall short here regardless of diet - the typical omnivore diet doesn't include much oily fish either. This app only tracks ALA, the plant form (flax, walnuts, hemp, chia). The body converts some ALA to EPA and very little to DHA - the forms most directly used by the brain, eyes and heart - and that conversion is inefficient. An algae-oil supplement is the usual plant-based way to get EPA/DHA directly; it won't show up as an ingredient in any recipe here.
  • Vitamin D: deficiency is widespread across all diets, not just plant-based ones - it's mostly absent from whole plant foods here, and even the fortified soy milk and yogurt tracked don't cover the full target from food alone. Reasonable sun exposure or a D2/D3 supplement is the standard recommendation.

Not medical advice - if you're eating fully plant-based long-term, it's worth a conversation with a GP or dietitian, and a blood test is the reliable way to check where you actually stand.

See the full supplement guide (incl. creatine) β†’
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