Vegan Schnitzel Cutlet
This crispy tofu schnitzel is simple to make and tastes surprisingly like chicken! Perfect as a base for parmigiana, katsu curry or served on its own with a leafy salad and generous squeeze of lemon.
Servings 4 people
Calories 300kcal
Cost $7
Ingredients
Tofu Schnitzel
- 450 g extra firm tofu pressed
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 400 g canned chickpeas reserve aquafaba
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- sunflower oil for shallow frying
Crumb mix
- 100 g panko crumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp thyme
Instructions
- If you have time, press the tofu for 10-20 minutes. To do this, place the tofu on paper towel or a clean, non-fluffy tea towel and weigh it down with a chopping board and some heavy objects (a heavy cast iron dish or cook books work nicely).
- Slice the tofu into 4 large pieces. Place them in a tray with soy sauce to marinate while you prep the crumb. Flip them over after a few minutes so they absorb evenly.
- Combine all crumb ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Transfer onto a dinner plate.
- Drain chickpeas and reserve the aquafaba. The chickpeas themselves are not needed for this recipe, so pop those into an airtight container in the fridge and keep for another recipe (suggestions in notes). Carefully pour the aquafaba onto a dinner plate.
- Place the cornstarch onto a dinner plate. You will now have 3 dinner plates - 1 aquafaba, 1 crumb mix and 1 cornstarch.
- Coat each schnitzel in a thin layer of cornstarch on both sides, then dip into aquafaba to form a gelatinous egg-white like layer. Next, coat the schnitzel in the crumb mixture on both sides. Sprinkle extra crumb mix over the top and and press down to get it to stick well onto the tofu. Give it a light shake so any excess crumb falls off, then transfer to another plate. *Note you can freeze the schnitzels at this point if you would like to keep them for another day.
- Add a generous lug of oil to a large shallow frying pan over medium-high heat. To test if the oil is hot enough for frying, add a breadcrumb to the pan and if it sizzles immediately, it's ready! Fry the schnitzels until golden brown on both sides - it takes about 2 minutes each side.
- Transfer schnitzels onto a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Serve with a leafy green salad, a wedge of lemon and mayonnaise or aioli.
Video
Notes
If you're looking to use up those leftover chickpeas, why not try this easy Chickpea Pumpkin Salad for lunch, or my viral Thai-Inspired Chickpea Peanut Curry or Tahini Chickpeas.
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Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1343mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 4mg