A delicious recipe for masala scrambled tofu that is jam packed full of flavour. Think tofu is boring? Think again – the Indian herbs and spices in this tofu scramble are anything but dull.
Eating your first portion of scrambled tofu is a bit of a rite of passage for a vegan. Even before I decided that I was going to try my hardest to carry on eating vegan after Veganuary this year I was not a fan of eggs and would prefer to eat scrambled tofu than eggs for breakfast.
Tofu is relatively cheap, easy to get hold of and is a great source of protein for both vegetarians alike. Its famously bland taste makes it a wonderful blank canvas for you to add your favourite flavours. Scrambled on its own it’d likely be as dull as you’d expect. But add garlic, turmeric, cumin, chilli and a large handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) and you have something rather special.
When I was in my twenties I spent some time travelling in India. Breakfast in the 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.
You can play around with the flavours to suit your tastes – just use what I’ve written below as a guide. If you like it super spicy add a finely chopped red chilli. If you hate coriander – 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 of this one.
How to make masala scrambled tofu
This scrambled tofu recipe works best if you press the tofu first – pat it dry then wrap with some kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and put something heavy on the top for 10-15 minutes. The ideal time to do this is while you’re preparing the other ingredients. Pressing the tofu in this ways helps to get rid of the excess water.
Masala scrambled tofu
A delicious recipe for masala scrambled tofu that is jam packed full of flavour. Think tofu is boring? Think again - the Indian herbs and spices in this tofu scramble are anything but dull.
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu pressed and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast optional
- 15 g fresh coriander 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 and nutritional yeast if using. Season with a pinch of salt and serve with toast.
If you like this you might like this marinated tofu with ginger and maple syrup.
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