For me, the hardest part about going vegan was giving up my favorite breakfast food: eggs. Before I made the switch, I was eating at least two eggs per day! I loved the flavor of them, but they also kept me feeling full because of all the protein.
At first, I thought that going plant-based meant that I would never be able to have my favorite breakfast food again. I thought that my morning meals would only consist of fruits and granola and that I would never start my day with something savory. I’m happy to say that I was SO WRONG!
I had seen many people talking about tofu scrambles, and my first thought was, “Well, it looks like scrambled eggs, but there’s no way it tastes like them.” By doing a little more research, it seemed like there was one key to the perfect tofu scramble: Kala Namak.
I had no idea what Kala Namak was (also known as Himalayan black salt), but everyone claimed it tasted just like eggs. So, I found some on Amazon and decided to give it a try. As soon as I opened the package, an aroma filled the air, and after a couple of seconds, I realized it smelled like eggs! I put a little on my tongue and WOW. Nobody was lying.
So now I knew that tofu, that can be made to taste like anything, could be made to taste like eggs. I set off to make my first tofu scramble…with no success. After many recipes, I didn’t feel like it truly tasted like eggs. Every recipe seemed to be missing something.
I kept thinking if Kala Namak tastes just like eggs, what is keeping my tofu scramble from tasting just like the real thing. After a lot of experimentation, I think I found the other key to the perfect tofu scramble: vinegar.
Eggs, like many other animal products, are very acidic. So I decided to put a little rice wine vinegar in my recipe, and bingo! It brought my tofu scramble to a whole new level.
I encourage all previous and current egg lovers to try this tofu scramble recipe. It packs all the flavor of scrambled eggs with no cholesterol and added nutrients and, believe it or not, just as much protein as (if not more than) eggs.
Tofu Scramble Ingredients
- firm tofu
- nutritional yeast
- turmeric
- paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Kala Namak (Himalayan Black Salt)
- dijon mustard
- rice vinegar
- water
Recipe Instructions
Getting the ingredients right isn’t enough. The way you cook the tofu scramble is incredibly important—and can make or break the recipe.
For this recipe, you need to have pressed tofu. If you don’t press your tofu, it won’t absorb all of the flavors that you add in later, and it will be a bit watery. I like to press my tofu the night before and save it in the refrigerator. But, if you have some extra time in the morning, you can press it then.
If you have your tofu ready to go, heat a nonstick pan on medium-low heat. You can put a little bit of oil in the pan if you’d like, or you can skip this to make it an oil-free recipe.
Take half of the block of tofu and start ripping off little pieces. Ripping the tofu gives the scramble the texture and look of scrambled eggs, but if you are more comfortable chopping your tofu, feel free to do that instead. Place all the tofu in the pan and let it start frying, but be sure to mix it often.
Before you fry your tofu or while it is frying, make the seasonings mixture. Mix the water and all of the seasonings together in a small bowl or ramekin and set aside.
Keep stirring the tofu until most of it has changed color. (When you fry tofu, it changes into an off-yellow color.) Don’t overcook it, or it will be crispy, and scrambled eggs aren’t crispy.
When the tofu is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it cool down for 30 seconds to a minute before adding the seasonings. If you add them too soon, they will simmer too much and let off a powerful smell that not everybody enjoys. Also, if the pan is cooler, it gives the tofu time to absorb the flavors.
Once the pan has cooled off a bit, pour the seasoning mixture over the tofu and stir. It will look watery, but don’t worry. As the tofu absorbs the mixture, it will dry out. After about a minute, place it back on the heat while continuing to stir.
Keep cooking scramble until you all of the seasonings have been absorbed. Add some fresh cracked pepper and any other toppings you’d like and serve!
Basic Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu pressed
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp turmeric ground
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Kala Namak (Himalayan Black Salt)
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Press 1 block of firm tofu. *
- Before you fry the tofu or while the tofu is frying, mix together all of the seasonings with the water in a separate container.
- Heat a pan with a little oil on medium-low heat. Crumble/tear the tofu into small pieces and add to the pan.
- Stir the tofu until most of it is a dull yellow color. Don't overcook the tofu—scrambled eggs aren't crispy.
- When the tofu is cooked, remove it from the heat for about 1 minute. After the pan has cooled, pour the seasoning mixture over the tofu and stir to coat.
- It will look a bit watery. To absorb the rest of the seasoning mixture, place the pan back on the heat and stir until absorbed.
- Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you'd like