Sweet Tangy Tonkatsu Sauce?
The classic tonkatsu sauce is a sweet, tangy Japanese sauce with a thick brown consistency. The Japanese initially invented this sauce to enjoy with tonkatsu – which is deep-fried pork cutlets. In the Japanese language, Ton means pork, and Katsu means cutlet.
But this sauce becomes very versatile. Now, the Japanese use this condiment when they eat other types of dishes as well, such as crispy chicken katsu, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and other deep-fried food and vegetables.
Making this sauce from scratch is time-consuming, like any other sauce and condiment. So people prefer to buy ready-made bottles from the shop.
Unfortunately, the original sauce is quite pricey, and the copycats of non-Japanese brands might need to deliver the taste that can represent the authentic tonkatsu sauce. And most of them, if not all, have mirin (rice wine/ alcohol) in their ingredients list. So, it is non-consumable for Muslims.
So, I have tried mixing many sauces to replicate the taste of authentic Tonkatsu sauce without the alcohol. And I ended up with this halal tonkatsu sauce recipe.
Disclaimer: Admittedly, I have not tasted the original tonkatsu sauce, even when I was in Japan. However, from my Japanese friends’ explanations about what this sauce should taste like, I am confident my recipe hits the nail. It is not necessarily 100% the same as the original (it is impossible to do so anyway). Still, it is about 8 out of 10.
This recipe I’m sharing uses five pantry ingredients you can get from the shop, so you don’t have to go through any cooking process to create this sauce—most of those five items you may already have in your kitchen. So you can mix them to replicate the taste of the famous tonkatsu sauce.
So, if you love Japanese food and want to try some of their recipes, this sauce is perfect with my chicken katsu bowl, chicken katsu salad, or chicken katsu sushi.
The best thing, if you’re like me, who can not consume alcohol, is that this halal tonkatsu recipe is for you.
Why You’ll Like This Easy Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe
- A unique and flavorsome combination: It has a delicious blend of savory, fruity, sweet, and tangy.
- Taste close to the original: My Japanese friends approved it and loved the flavor. They said the sauce tasted like the traditional tonkatsu sauce.
- Perfect dipping sauce: It pairs well with any finger food you like to have a sauce to dip into.
- Versatile sauce: Although this sauce was initially invented for tonkatsu, now it is enjoyed with various popular Japanese dishes. Chicken katsu, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki are only a few examples of Japanese cuisine that uses this sauce.
- Halal tonkatsu sauce: Only uses halal ingredients.
- Easy homemade tonkatsu sauce: You can make it in 5 minutes using ready-made components from the shop.
- Cost-effective: It uses simple, accessible ingredients that are available for you to buy locally. You can create as little or a larger quantity, making this cost-effective and reducing waste. Also, you can use the remaining ingredients for other cooking recipes.
Ingredients You Need
- Tomato ketchup: Rich tomato ketchup with the right balance of vinegar, salt, sugar, and tomatoes. This sauce lends the sweetness to katsu sauce.
- Hoisin sauce: It’s a Cantonese sauce usually used as a dipping sauce, stir fries, and marinade. It has a reddish-brown hue and combines rich umami flavor with sweet elements (similar to American barbecue sauce).
- Oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom sauce: A thick, dark brown condiment made from oyster or mushroom extracts, sugar, salt, and water thickened with corn starch. It offers an earthy, slightly sweet, and salty flavor.
- Japanese soy sauce: Made of four main ingredients — soybeans, wheat, water, and salt and is double fermented. It is used in 90% of Japanese recipes and adds saltiness and umami (savoriness) to your dishes.
- Water: Ensures that the consistency of the sauce is just perfect.
How To Make Tonkatsu Sauce
It’s easy peasy to make homemade tonkatsu sauce. All you have to do is place all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good stir using a fork or a small hand whisk.
Combining all the ingredients thoroughly makes the sauce smooth and relatively thick. Taste the sauce and make sure all the flavors are there. Feel free to adjust it by adding any ingredient with your preferred flavor so it gives the best result that goes well to your palate.
Foods Served With Tonkatsu Sauce
- Traditionally, in Japan, the sauce has been used to eat with popular recipes like tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), chicken katsu, and korokke (potato and beef croquettes). However, it can accompany anything. Just challenge your tastebuds and use this sauce to dip your favorite vegetable fritters, vegetable sticks, crisps, etc.
- The sweet tanginess of the sauce goes nicely with burgers, barbecued meat and vegetables, and stir-fried noodles such as yaki soba, okonomiyaki, etc.
Substitutes and Variations
- You can use an ordinary soy sauce, i.e., Chinese-style soy sauce. Though the flavor may differ slightly, it is not majorly different.
- Alternative to oyster sauce: If you prefer, you can omit this sauce or replace it with vegetarian mushroom sauce as it has a lovely flavor, and you will have a vegan tonkatsu sauce.
How To Store
- Storage: You can store the sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2–3 weeks.
FAQs
What is a tonkatsu?
In Japanese, Ton means pork, and Katsu means cutlet. Therefore, tonkatsu is a deep-fried pork cutlet coated in breadcrumbs. The tonkatsu sauce is named after this dish because the Japanese created the sauce to go with this dish.
What is the traditional tonkatsu sauce made of?
Tonkatsu sauce, or katsu sauce for short, is originally made with vegetables, toasted sesame seeds, fruits, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and spices.
Homemade Halal Tonkatsu Sauce
This halal homemade tonkatsu sauce recipe is a quick alternative to enjoying this well-known Japanese sauce in a halal way. You can make it with five simple pantry ingredients; mixing takes less than 5 minutes. I hope you enjoy the sauce with your food as I do.
Halal Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Small bowl
- A fork or a spoon
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup.
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce.
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce.
- 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce.
- 1 tablespoon water.
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients with a spatula, a spoon, or a small hand whisk until you get a smooth, relatively thick sauce.
Notes
- You can use an ordinary soy sauce, i.e., Chinese-style soy sauce. However, the flavor may differ slightly but not majorly different.
- Some brands of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or oyster sauce may have ingredients that are not halal, such as alcohol. Please check that before buying.
Nutritional Info Disclaimer
The nutritional info on this page is only an estimate using online calculator. It should not be used for health related guidance. Please verify your own data if you seek an accurate info.
Nutrition
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