Bethany's Vegan Kitchen

This is how I like to make my scrambled tofu. When I ate eggs, I liked them to be soft and fluffy, not dry or over cooked. The first time I tried scrambling tofu in a pan, I tried cooking it like I would eggs, it came out dry and unpleasant. I also added far too much turmeric, so not only was it dry, it was also bitter and tasted like wood shavings. This was utterly disappointing to say the least. But after some trial and error, I came up with this. My ultimate method to create creamy, soft, fluffy vegan scrambled eggs

Yield; 2-4 servings* Cook time; 5-8 minutes
* = based on if you’re serving it as scrambled “eggs” on toast, or a smaller portion with a cooked breakfast

You’ll need;

1. Two tablespoons of dairy free butter
2. One 400g/14oz block of tofu, I used some firm tofu by Cauldron
3. Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder
4. Half a teaspoon of dried parsley
5. 100ml dairy free cream
6. 50g/1.8oz grated dairy free cheese, I used the smoked vegan cheese by Applewood, but others work too
7. Black salt and black pepper to taste
8. A pinch of smoked paprika to top the scramble with (optional)

Method

• Take the tofu out of the packet and pat it dry. Roughly chop one third of the tofu and add it into a food processor along with the cream and turmeric. Blend until well combined
• Chop the remaining tofu into small pieces. I like to chop some of it, then break the rest into small pieces with my fingers, as this gives a less uniform and more natural “egg” look
• Add all the tofu, the parsley and cheese into a mixing bowl. Gently fold everything together with a wooden spoon. Once mixed, set aside, it should look like this
  You don’t have to cook it all at once, it will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. So you can cook it in individual portions if you prefer
• Once you’re ready to cook it, heat the dairy free butter in a frying pan over a medium heat
• Once melted, add the mixture (a portion, or all of it) and spread it out evenly in the pan. It should look like this. If you’re just cooking one potion, adjust the amount of butter to a teaspoon or two
  
• As soon as you’ve spread the mixture out, pop a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. You don’t need to cook the tofu in the same way you would cook eggs. You just want to heat everything up and melt the cheese. So you won’t need to constantly stir it, or take it on and off the heat repeatedly (like you have to in the Gordon Ramsey method). Now it should look like this
  
• Cook it for around 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, and replacing the lid after you stir. If you like your scrambled eggs to be very soft, you can serve them after 5 minutes. If you prefer them to be more firm carry on cooking uncovered for another couple of minutes or so, until you get the consistency you like
• Once it has achieved your desired consistency, remove it from the heat. Quickly stir in some black salt and black pepper to taste, then serve immediately
• You can serve this as part of a cooked breakfast, or simply with some dairy free buttered toast, topped with smoked paprika. This is just how I preferred eating scrambled eggs, so I eat it this way personally
  

Some things to consider

What kind of tofu works best?

This will depend on what texture you want. If you liked the Gordon Ramsey method of creating incredibly soft eggs, medium firm or firm work best. This gives a scramble with a very soft texture. I buy medium firm tofu from my local Asian supermarket

If you prefer a firmer cooked scramble, try using pressed firm tofu, or extra firm tofu. This will give a firmer more “fully cooked egg” feel to it

How much turmeric should I use?

The main thing to remember is a little goes a long way, so don’t be too heavy handed, otherwise you’ll have a scramble that looks neon yellow and tastes like bitter sawdust. So add a little at a time, and if you need to add more you easily can, but if you add too much that’s more difficult to solve

How do I season it?

With anything you used to season eggs with. Part of how I create vegan dishes that mimic animal products, is by using the same seasonings as those dishes. I used to season eggs with parsley, chives, tarragon (just a little, as it can overpower the “eggs”), smoked paprika, plenty of black pepper. So I find they work best

What else can I add to it?

Anything you like really. Some things I like to add are garlic, mushrooms, onion, peppers, mock meats. Again, just use plant based versions of anything you used to cook with eggs

Then all you’ll have to do is cook the vegetables or mock meats you fancy first, then add the scramble mix a few minutes before the end of the cooking time. Like I said before, you don’t need to cook the tofu like you cook eggs, you really just have to give it a few minutes or so to warm through

What can I use to add creaminess?

I use tofu cream mostly. Tofu cream is one 300-350g block of silken tofu blended with 200-250ml plant milk. You can also use soy or oat cream, or dairy free sour cream. Try out different things and find out which you prefer

How do I use black salt/kala namak in other dishes?

Just be aware that heat will destroy the sulphur in the salt, so when you add it is key. Make sure to fully remove your food from the heat, then season, and quickly mix it through then serve immediately

If you’ve ever added it at the start of making something, then wondered where the egg flavour went, this will be why. Always add it right at the end

I hope this information has been of some help