Kurumafu no katsudon / gluten cake cutlet rice bowl

While normal katsudon features pork cutlets as the main ingredient, this features cutlets made with gluten cakes. As gluten cake cutlets soak up the broth, they become very juicy and take on the texture of fatty meat, but without the actual fat of pork. This dish is filling even when served with a smaller portion of steamed rice, yet it does not overwhelm your stomach and leaves plenty of room to comfortably enjoy other dishes.

It is quick to prepare, if all ingredients are ready, so have other accompanying dishes or soup almost ready before starting to make katsudon, to ensure the optimal serving temperature.

1/2 of recipe (without steamed rice):
302 calories; 13.7 g protein; 17.0 g fat; 20.6 g carbohydrate; 15.1 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.5 g fiber; 413 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 110 g steamed rice [made with 1/3 180-cc cup dry rice]):
386 calories; 15.0 g protein; 17.1 g fat; 39.1 g carbohydrate; 33.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 428 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe (served with 170 g steamed rice [made with 1/2 180-cc cup dry rice]):
428 calories; 15.5 g protein; 17.2 g fat; 48.1 g carbohydrate; 42.4 g net carbs; 450 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 211 mg cholesterol; 5.7 g fiber; 435 mg potassium


<Ingredients>

2 servings of steamed rice

2 kurumafu no katsu gluten cake cutlets (each kurumafu cut into 3 sections)
1 small onion (113 g in photo)
1 egg
Small handful mitsuba (5 g in photo)

For broth
6 tbsp (90 g) dashi
1 tbsp sake + mirin (equal parts)
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
4 tsp soy sauce

<Directions>
1.

Put all ingredients for broth in a small frying pan, and heat.

2.

As ingredients heat, slice onion relatively thickly (4-6 mm) from top to bottom.
Chop mitsuba.
Lightly beat egg (do not whip).

3.

When broth boils, add onion, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Onion slices do not need to be completely cooked at this point.

4.

Place gluten cake cutlets on top in a single layer.

Pour over egg, top with mitsuba, and cover. 

Wait 30-60 seconds or until eggs are 70-80% done to the preferred degree of the finished dish, and remove from heat.
Keep covered to cook eggs to desired degree.

5.

Serve immediately over steamed rice.

<Notes>

• Mitsuba can be put on top after everything is place on steamed rice.
• If mitsuba is not at hand, green onion slices are a good substitute -- for an authentic look and texture, diagonally slice them relatively wide instead of thinly slicing into rounds or chopping in straight line.
• If you prefer a sweeter taste, add slightly more onion, the key ingredient that determines katsudon's character, rather than increasing the amount of mirin (or other other sweetener).
• This can be made with other cutlets, of course, including tonkatsu pork cutlets and torikatsu chicken cutlets.
• When gluten cake cutlets are made with balsamic vinegar instead of shoyukoji rice malt in the cutlet-making process, the sodium content will be 20 mg lower per serving.

(Last updated: August 3, 2019)