Almond Crust Tofu, Katsu Curry & Smashed Cucumber Salad (Gluten Free & High in Fibre)
At Wild Root, we’re always looking for ways to recreate comforting classics using whole, nourishing plant ingredients, without compromising on flavour, texture, or satisfaction. This Almond Crusted Tofu Katsu Curry is one of those recipes that ticks every box.
It’s golden, crunchy, rich, and deeply comforting, balanced perfectly with fluffy basmati rice and a bright, zingy smashed cucumber salad. Even better, it’s naturally gluten free, high in fibre, and packed with plant protein.
The almond crust gives the tofu a beautifully crisp exterior, while the creamy katsu sauce brings warmth, gentle spice, and a subtle sweetness from apple and maple. The cucumber salad cuts through everything with freshness and crunch, making this a perfectly balanced bowl.
This is comfort food, the Wild Root way.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Gluten free & vegan
High in fibre for gut health
Rich in plant protein
Perfect balance of crunch, creaminess & freshness
Better-than-takeaway comfort food
Why Almond Crust Instead of Breadcrumbs?
We love rethinking traditional methods to make dishes more nourishing without losing what makes them special.
In a classic katsu, breadcrumbs are used to create that crispy coating. In this recipe, we’ve swapped them for ground almonds and honestly, we think it’s even better.
Using almonds makes the tofu:
Naturally gluten free
Higher in fibre
Gentler on the gut
Rich in healthy fats
Breadcrumbs, even gluten free ones, are often more processed and offer very little nutritional value. Almonds, on the other hand, support gut health, help keep you fuller for longer, and create the most beautiful golden, crunchy crust.
The result is everything you want from a katsu… crispy, comforting and deeply satisfying, but in a way that leaves you feeling energised, not heavy.
It’s a simple swap that makes a big difference.
Almond Crust Tofu, Katsu Curry & Smashed Cucumber Salad (Gluten Free & High in Fibre): Serves 2
Ingredients:
Almond Crust Tofu:
1 block of extra firm tofu
2 tbsp gram flour
1 tbsp water
1 tsp tamari
100-200g ground almonds
Olive oil, for baking
Katsu Curry:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mild curry powder
500ml veg stock
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp tamari
2 tsp maple syrup
½ lime, juiced
Smashed Cucumber Salad:
½ cucumber, deseeded, smashed and roughly chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds
15g fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
For Serving:
Basmati rice, 1 cup dried
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
Start my making your almond crust tofu. Remove your tofu from its packaging, drain and pat dry with kitchen towel and slice into 4 square slabs.
In a flat-bottomed bowl, mix the batter by combining gram flour, water and tamari.
In another flat-bottomed bowl, add your ground almonds.
Now it's time to crust your tofu. Prepare a greaseproof lined tray to hand.
First dip the tofu into the batter, coating all sides. Now dip into the ground almonds, covering all sides. Place onto a baking tray and repeat for all 4 pieces of tofu.
Drizzle the crusted tofu with olive oil before placing into the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown
Whilst your tofu is baking, prepare the curry sauce. In a large frying/sauté pan add, olive oil, onion, carrot, apple, garlic and ginger and sauté for 10 minutes, low and slow, until golden, aromatic and soft.
Next, add the dried spices, turmeric and curry powder and sauté until fragrant. About 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid them burning.
Now its time to add your stock, miso paste and tamari and bring to the boil.
Once the sauce is simmering away, turn off the heat and using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
Taste and season with maple, lime juice and salt if needed. At this point you may want to thin down the sauce with a touch of water to your desired consistency. Personally I love a thick katsu, but you do you!
By now your tofu will nearly be ready so get your rice on the boil if you're serving with rice. This recipe serves 2 people so we would recommend adding 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan and bring to the boil gently. Keep an eye on this as we progress to the next stage. If your rice is ready before everything else, don't worry, turn off the heat and clamp on a lid to allow the rice to steam for extra fluffiness.
Cucumber salad time! Half lengthways and deseed your cucumber with a teaspoon. Lay down on a chopping board and give it a bash with a rolling pin. Roughly chop and add to a bowl with the sliced spring onions, chopped coriander, sesame seeds.
Mix up a quick dressing oil sesame oil, rice vinegar and maple syrup.
Pour over your cucumber salad and toss to combine.
Time to plate up: remove your tofu from the oven and slice. In 2 large flat bowl, add your fluffy basmati rice, pour over the curry sauce, top with your almond crusted tofu and add a heap of that zingy cucumber salad.
A perfectly balanced gluten free, vegan, fibre filled, protein heavy dish! Enjoy!