Sweet Potato Katsu Curry — a plant-based Other recipe by BOSH!
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Sweet Potato Katsu Curry

Sweet Potato Katsu Curry is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again, and honestly it never gets old. There's something about that crispy, golden sweet potato with that deep, warming katsu sauce that just hits every time. The quick pickled veg cuts right through the richness and adds this brilliant tangy crunch that makes the whole thing feel really fresh and alive. We've made this for big dinner parties and quiet midweek nights in, and it always goes down an absolute storm. If you need one plant-based dinner to win someone over, this is the one.

Cook: 50 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Sealable container for pickling
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Pickle ready before serving (can be made ahead)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 carrot - ribboned
  • 1 red onion finely sliced
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • ½ yellow bell pepper
  • 2 inches of ginger - coarsely grated
  • ½ chipotle chilli flakes
  • rice vinegar - to cover
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 tbsp white miso
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 200g button mushrooms
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Sambar seasoning
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 160ml coconut cream
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • tbsp rapeseed oil
  • tsp salt
  • edamame beans
  • sticky rice
  • nigella seeds
  • coriander leaves

Method

1

First make the pickle

  • Trim, peel and ribbon the carrot
  • Peel the red onion and cut into fine slices
  • Trim, deseed and cut the peppers into fine slices
  • Peel and coarsely grate the ginger
  • Put the carrot, red onion, peppers, ginger, chipotle chilli flakes, brown sugar and salt into a sealable container and stir to combine
  • Pour the rice vinegar over the vegetables, seal the container, shake to combine and set to one side
2

Then prepare the vegetables

  • Wash, trim and cut the sweet potatoes into 1cm chunks
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Cut the button mushrooms into 1cm chunks
  • Warm the rapeseed oil in the frying pan over a medium heat
  • Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds
  • Turn the heat down and add the white miso, harissa paste, white wine vinegar, brown sugar and stir for 1 minute to form a paste
  • Add the sweet potato and mushrooms to the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes so they're well covered in the paste
  • Take the pan off the heat and transfer the sweet potatoes to the baking tray
  • Put the tray in the oven for 15 minutes
  • Take the tray out of the oven, put the mushrooms on the tray and return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes
3

Roast the vegetables

  • Take the pan off the heat and transfer the sweet potatoes to the baking tray
  • Put the tray in the oven for 15 minutes
  • Take the tray out of the oven, put the mushrooms on the tray and return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes
4

Whilst the vegetables are roasting, make the katsu sauce

  • Peel and finely dice the white onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Prepare the stock
  • Warm the rapeseed oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
  • Add the onions to the pan with a pinch of salt and stir for 4-5 minutes until soft
  • Add the garlic to the pan and stir for 1 minute
  • Turn the heat down and add the soy sauce, sambar seasoning, brown sugar, turmeric, paprika and stir for 1 minute to combine
  • Add the coconut cream to the pan, stir to combine, increase the temperature and bring the sauce to a light simmer
  • Add the stock, stir to combine, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir until the sauce is the consistency of a thick cream
5

Serve and enjoy!

  • Take the vegetables out of the oven, add them to the sauce and fold to combine
  • Plate up the curry with sticky rice (sprinkled with nigella seeds), edamame beans, a generous helping of the pickled vegetables and a light sprinkle of coriander leaves for garnish and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Make the pickle first: Get it in the jar before you do anything else. Even 20 minutes of pickling time makes a big difference to the flavour and it just gets better the longer it sits.
  • Slice the sweet potato evenly: We find that keeping your slices a consistent thickness helps everything cook at the same rate so you get that lovely even golden crust all the way through.
  • Double the sauce: We always make extra katsu sauce and keep it in the fridge. It's brilliant on pretty much everything and it reheats perfectly the next day over rice or noodles.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the sweet potato properly golden and crispy before the sauce gets involved, because that contrast of textures is what makes this dish so satisfying. What really makes the katsu sauce sing is letting it simmer long enough to develop that deep, savoury warmth. And don't skip the pickle, seriously, it takes five minutes and transforms the whole plate.