Ingredients
SERVES: 6
Butternut Squash Katsu
Black rice & spring onions
Katsu Curry Sauce
Toppings
Method
BUTTERNUT SQUASH KATSU
- Roast the butternut squash whole at 180ºC for 45 minutes to 1 hour until cooked. Cool down then portion into neat discs with a round cutter, then remove outer skin.
- You will need three bowls, one with the cornflour, another one with the thickened soy milk and the last one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the turmeric.
- To pané (crumb) the butternut squash discs, first coat in cornflour, then dip into the soymilk mixture, and finally coat in the breadcrumbs ready for deep-frying.
BLACK RICE & spring onions
- Rinse the black rice, then place into a pot with the water and salt, bring to boil and simmer for 20–30 minutes until cooked.
- Slice the spring onions finely and set aside.
- Drain the cooked rice and allow to cool.
KATSU CURRY SAUCE
- Sweat the onion and garlic in a pan until soft, add the spices and cook them out for a few minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and dashi, simmer for 8–10 minutes, until thickened to your liking.
- Pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, then stir in the gluten-free soy sauce to taste.
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Deep-fry the crumbed butternut squash discs on both sides until golden and crisp.
- Wash and spin the topping greens, julienne the red chilli, then mix together.
- Reheat the cooked black rice in a pan with a splash of dashi and the spring onions.
- Reheat the sauce, and pour into a sauce jug.
- Prepare a bed of the black rice on each of six serving plates, then place a deep-fried crumbed butternut slice on each, followed by a mound of greens, a sprinkle of chilli slices, and finally a generous glug of katsu curry sauce poured over the katsu at the table.
TIPS:
- There are several ways to thicken soy milk (adding a small quantity of xanthan gum, cornstarch or silken tofu, or simmering off in a pan until partially evaporated). Ready-bought plant-based creams are also available.
- Dashi is a Japanese mushroom and seaweed broth, widely available in Asian grocery stores.
Recipe contributed by Monster Kitchen and Bar, Canberra
