Ah 2020.
To say that it has been a year would be a painstakingly obvious understatement, given the current state of affairs globally. While I would love nothing more than to spend the next 300 words or so musing about just how drastically my life has been impacted by recent happenings, I won’t. Partly because a) I am so exhausted from having every waking thought, conversation, social media feed, e-mail, WhatsApp message, and VC meeting consumed by the Coronavirus but mostly because b) I am well aware that my perspective is hardly a unique one.
That is to say, as challenging as this pandemic has been, we’re all in this together. As devastating as it has been, I can’t help but marvel at the fact that this is the first time (in my relatively short lifetime) that I have ever seen the world so unequivocally unified.
Of course, those of us that are young, healthy, and protected by governments taking the adequate precautions to prevent the spread of the virus are undoubtedly privileged. I don’t for a second take that privilege for granted and my heart and prayers are with the front-liners, those fighting for their lives (as well as their loved ones), and those who simply don’t have the means to protect themselves.
On a brighter note, there are some perks to self-isolation and working from home. Primarily, the prospect of a homemade matcha latte and a freshly cooked breakfast every day.
As a bonafide scrambled eggs savante pre-vegan (thank you, Gordon Ramsay for the world’s most decadent recipe), I have been dedicated to perfecting my tofu scramble recipe ever since.
While I often dress up my scrambles with a selection of veggies, spices and on occasion some vegan cheese – this easy, everyday tofu scramble has become a staple breakfast fave over the years.
- 1 block of organic extra firm tofu (12 oz or 340 g), drained and crumbled
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp of coconut oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- 1 tbsp liquid aminos or ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
- 1-2 tsp ground turmeric powder
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp black salt (kala namak)
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- ½ cup of water
- ¼ cup vegan cooking cream
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh herbs to serve
- To a medium frying pan or wok, add the oil and onions. Saute on medium heat , stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned.
- Add in the crumbled tofu, liquid aminos, nutritional yeast, turmeric, curry powder and black salt. Stir through until all the seasonings are well incorporated. Add the water and lower the heat, allowing the mixture to simmer and cook through for 5 minutes, making sure to stir from time to time to avoid sticking (feel free to add a little more water as needed).
- Once the tofu mixture has reduced, add in the cooking cream, garlic and black pepper. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Serve with fresh herbs and sides of choice.
The water added to the recipe is intended to help infuse the flavouring/spices into the tofu. You don't want it to be too watery as a final product!
I’m going to level with you here. While tofu scramble is indeed a revelation, it doesn’t really taste all that much like its non-vegan counterpart. While the black salt and nutritional yeast definitely impart a hefty dose of Umami, at the end of the day it does distinctly have a very different flavour and texture profile, so do temper your expectations if you’re trying to transition away from eggs.
The good news however, is that it is extremely delicious, nutrient-dense, and incredibly satisfying. It is without a doubt one of my favourite savoury breakfasts, and has been for years with good reason. My preferred way to serve it up is with all the trimmings – sourdough toast, grilled mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, and roasted potatoes or hash browns.
Truly, a breakfast of champs in my opinion.
Stay happy, healthy and safe friends!
That looks gorgeous! Thank you so much for posting. I fortunately bought a tofu maker just before the great lockdown, so we’ll definitely be trying this.
This looks really good — and easy! Perfect for breakfast at home.
Thank you, and be well.
It’s funny that you say that it doesn’t really taste like eggs even with the black salt. For me, I haven’t eaten eggs in almost 20 years, so when I first had tofu scramble with the black salt, it tasted like eggs to me! So much so that it was hard for me to eat because it felt so much like eggs. But, I guess it all has to do with how long ago it was you had eggs and what kind of egg taste or texture you are expecting.
It’s the little things, like a good meal, that keep me sane right now. Your scramble looks so perfectly comforting, so refreshingly… Normal. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve been off eggs for about a week… and this morning when I woke up I thanked God my Father for allowing me to see another day, along with a strong urge for eggs! God answered my prayers bcz I happened on your recipe. I had all the ingredients except the black salt. But decided to make it anyway. Soooooo delicious and great substitute. I’ll make this dish again and again. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!