Chili Masala Tofu Scramble

Rob is gone this week.

To a work conference.

His dilemma yesterday was whether to go a talk from Al Gore, Tim Berners-Lee (he invented the web browser), or Neil Gaiman (a fantastic author according to Rob). All 3 happening at the same time. Rob had to clue me in on the last two since I have only heard of Al Gore. 😉 (In the end, he chose Al Gore’s talk about The Future). Today he is going to try to track down Grumpy Cat. In the flesh. She is here, too. 🙂

As I’ve shared before, Rob is the king of hot meals on the weekend. His specialties are tofu scramble, arepas and besan chilla. But this weekend, alone with some tofu and veggies, I pulled them all out for a hot lunch and made myself some scramble.

While it seems like the majority of recipes (even Isa’s) call specifically for extra-firm tofu, this time I opted for Chinese-style soft tofu. Turns out this specific tofu is made so close to where we live, too. I wonder if I can get a walk-in discount? 😉

I’ve used soft tofu in a scramble before and now I prefer it to the extra-firm. Who wants a dry scramble? Who wants to wait for their tofu to be pressed? Not me! I want mine fluffy, flavourful and filled with veggies. This scramble certainly fit the bill: spiced with cumin and curry powder, the assorted vegetables played a roll in the colourful plate. Since Rob was not here to make arepas as a side, I just ate the whole thing. Delicious!

Rob likes to update me on his foodie finds while away: yesterday’s lunch was jicama slaw with captain-crunch-encrusted chicken strips in a bacon waffle cone and a trip to the flagship Whole Foods store. After he sees this, I think he’ll want some of this curried tofu scramble when he returns, though. 🙂

Long-term vegans are probably well-versed in their tofu scramble preferences. Do you like firm or soft tofu in your scramble?

This is my submission to this month’s One Ingredient Challenge for chilies and Breakfast Club for local eats.

Chili Masala Tofu Scramble
Adapted from The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book (original recipe here)

1 tsp coconut oil
salt, to taste
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Aleppo chili flakes, or to taste
3/4 cup red bell pepper (1 small), chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
200g soft tofu, crumbled
1/2 tbsp Braggs or soy sauce
1/2 tsp curry powder (I used Penzey’s sweet blend)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
handful spinach, stemmed (30g prepped)
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast

1. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, stir in onions and sprinkle with salt. Saute until lightly brown and turning translucent, 5-7 minutes.

2. Stir in garlic and chili flakes and saute one minute more.

3. Stir in bell pepper and mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and saute until the veggies become soft, around 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the crumbled tofu, Bragg’s/soy sauce, curry powder, cumin and tumeric and continue to heat until everything is warm, around 5 minutes. If there is a lot of water at the bottom, keep cooking until that evaporates (or leave it in, which is what I did).

5. Place spinach overtop and cover. Allow to wilt slightly, approximately 1-2 minutes.

6. Remove form heat and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Serves 1 (or 2 with a side).