This masala scrambled tofu is jam packed full of flavour. Think tofu is boring? Think again - the Indian herbs and spices in this tasty vegan breakfast or brunch recipe are anything but boring.
Eating your first portion of scrambled tofu is a bit of a rite of passage for a vegan.
Will it taste like scrambled eggs?
What's the texture like?
Will I like it?
I've come to love scrambled tofu. And when cooked with Indian herbs and spices - like I've done in this masala scrambled tofu recipe - it is truly delicious.
Learn to love tofu
Tofu is:
- relatively cheap
- easy to get hold of
- a great source of protein.
So many people think they don't like tofu. But it's one of my favourite plant-based ingredients.
Its famously bland taste makes it a wonderful blank canvas for you to add your favourite flavours.
Scramble it with garlic, turmeric, cumin, chilli and a large handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) and you have a very special breakfast.
Inspired by Indian breakfasts
When I was in my twenties I spent some time travelling in India.
Breakfast in the Indian subcontinent is quite a different affair to the cereal, toast or porridge that we tend to eat here in the UK.
It varies hugely depending on where you are of course - but masala omelettes definitely featured a lot.
They were always freshly made, packed full of spices and herbs and delicious.
I've never quite managed to recreate the magic of eating one for breakfast in a bustling restaurant or even on the street or a train platform.
But I think I've come pretty close with the flavours in this masala scrambled tofu recipe.
Easy to adapt
Feel free to play around with the flavours to suit your tastes, using the recipe below as a guide.
If you like it super spicy add a finely chopped red chilli.
If you hate coriander (cilantro) - some people do you know - then leave it out.
If you have some nutritional yeast at home add a little in, if you don't then don't worry about it - you can leave it out.
Press your tofu before starting
This scrambled tofu recipe works best if you press the tofu first. This will help to get rid of any excess water in your tofu.
To press your tofu:
- Pat it dry with kitchen towel or a clean tea towel
- Wrap with some fresh kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and put something heavy on the top eg a large saucepan
- Leave for at least 10-15 minutes.
The ideal time to do this is while you're preparing the other ingredients.
More vegan tofu recipes
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Ingredients
To make this recipe you will need:
- firm tofu - for best results press your tofu before making this recipe
- sunflower oil
- onion
- garlic
- chilli flakes - or to taste
- ground cumin
- turmeric
- nutritional yeast - optional
- kala namak (black salt) - optional
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
- sea salt
What is kala namak?
Kala namak is another name for black salt. It has a slightly eggy taste so works well in scrambled tofu to make it taste a little more like scrambled egg.
If you don't like the taste of egg then simply leave it out.
How to make masala scrambled tofu
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Masala scrambled tofu
Equipment
- Tofu press (or board and heavy pan or book)
- Knife
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu pressed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast optional
- ⅛ teaspoon kala namak (black salt) optional
- 15 g fresh coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion, reduce the heat a little and fry gently until soft. Stir often.
- Add the garlic, cook for a further minute, then add the chilli, turmeric and cumin powder. Stir.
- Add the tofu. Break it down with a potato masher or with the back of a wooden spoon and mix well so that the onion mixture is well combined.
- Once it's well mixed and heated through stir in the fresh coriander, nutritional yeast and kala namak if using.
- Taste and season with salt if needed (if you've used kala namak you may not need more salt).
Notes
- Kala namak is another name for black salt. It has a slightly eggy taste but can be omitted if not liked/not available.
- Nutritional yeast is full of nutrients and is a good ingredient for any vegan to have in their store cupboard. It adds a savoury, slightly nutty taste to food.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
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Ayesha
This was delicious! Quick and easy. The spices were well balanced. Added tomatoes at the end and a few more punches of salt. I’ve made other tofu scrambles but i found those bland, I like this one a lot!
Thanks for the recipe!
Cook Veggielicious
So glad you enjoyed it Ayesha