As with most things in life, there’s always more to learn about tofu. While I think most people have heard of it and know it is made of soy, that’s about the end of their knowledge. They might think it’s a bland, dull block of off-white cheese-like substance, and I don’t think they are wrong. Of course, there’s more to tofu than what’s on the surface. When it’s flavored well, tofu can be a delicious base for a scramble.
What is tofu and how is it made?
Tofu is a essentially a block of blended soy beans and is sold in different densities, including silken, soft, firm, extra firm, super firm, and more. The process involves making soy milk out of soy beans and water, cooking the soy milk, and then adding a coagulant to make soy-curds. On YouTube, Tasty made a wonderful and informative video with Paul Eng explaining how his tofu shop Fong On in New York City, NY makes their tofu. You can find the video here, or watch it below.
If you’d like to learn more about tofu, I would recommend taking a look at Tofupedia’s article about the types of tofu and how to prepare it. Britannica also has a page on tofu, which is worth reading too (and it’s where I found some information for this post)!
Tempeh vs Tofu
Unlike tofu, tempeh is fermented and is more “whole” in the sense that the soy beans remain intact (while the soy beans tofu are blended into a pulp in the soy-milk stage of production). Tempeh also has a nutty flavor.
How to Make a Tofu Scramble
Drain tofu. Cook vegetables. Crumble tofu. Add spices and mylk. Add greens. Enjoy.
Creamy Curry Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- A block of firm tofu extra firm would work too
- 1/2 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk pea, oat, soy
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 5 cups of spinach or other greens
- 1/2 cup pesto homemade or store-bought (optional)
- Water or vegetable broth to deglaze the pan optional
Instructions
- Drain the water from the tofu to remove excess liquid for at least 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the milk, spices, nutritional yeast, and tahini while the tofu is draining.
- To a large pan on medium heat, add the onions and bell pepper. After a few minutes, add the garlic. Deglaze the pan with water or vegetable broth as necessary, but avoid adding too much to allow the onions to caramelize.
- Add the drained tofu while gently crumbling the tofu with your hands and mixed liquids and spices (from step 2) to the pan. Cook for about five minutes. Mix and crumble the tofu with a spatula as necessary.
- Add the greens to the pan and cook until the greens lose most of their volume.
- Serve the scramble with homemade pesto, or any other desired toppings like sriracha hot sauce, avocado, or nutritional yeast.