The best tofu scramble

Forget what you know about tofu. Forget what you know about tofu scramble.

The best tofu scramble Credit: Hardie Grant Books

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  12 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

 Shannon’s scramble is award-winning. And what award is that, you say? It’s the one our stomachs give out every morning we’re fortunate enough to eat this dish. Slap it on toast, add your favourite veg to make it more omeletty, put it in a burrito or brekkie tacos, or eat it directly from the pan, whatever way you choose … It’s perfect, so enjoy it.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 35 g (¼ cup) plain flour
• 15 g (¼ cup) nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp black salt (optional, but worth getting)
• 250 ml (1 cup) soy milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Nuttelex or other dairy-free margarine (see Note)

Scramble

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed for a milder taste)
• 500 g extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled into biggish chunks
• small handful of your favourite herb

Instructions

To make the sauce, combine the flour, yeast, spices and black salt (if using) in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the soy milk, whisking constantly until you have a smooth sauce. Add the mustard and butter and whisk until thick and creamy. Reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer, whisking often, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the scramble.

Heat the butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Toss in the garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the drained, crumbled tofu and gently stir to coat in the onion mixture. Without stirring, fry the tofu until it browns slightly on one side. If you find that your tofu is letting out too much liquid and it’s starting to stew instead of fry, tilt the pan and remove the liquid with a spoon.

Add the reserved sauce and gently fold through the tofu. Be careful not to break up the tofu too much or you’ll end up with some kind of weird eggy tofu soup.

Finish with a scattering of your favourite herb and season to your liking.

Note

• Butter can be used for those who eat dairy. 

Recipe and image from Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (that happens to be vegan) by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse (Hardie Grant Books, hbk, RRP $48), is available in stores nationally. Read our article on the authors and find more recipes here. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

 Shannon’s scramble is award-winning. And what award is that, you say? It’s the one our stomachs give out every morning we’re fortunate enough to eat this dish. Slap it on toast, add your favourite veg to make it more omeletty, put it in a burrito or brekkie tacos, or eat it directly from the pan, whatever way you choose … It’s perfect, so enjoy it.