This curry tofu scramble is a vibrant, satisfying, and healthy first meal of the day. It tastes like it should be unhealthy but it’s full of clean fuel.
A light yet satisfying breakfast scramble
One of the things I’ve really loved about eating plant-based is that even delicious and filling meals don’t get in the way of a busy day. There’s no food comas and no feeling that there’s a “brick” in your stomach for hours after you’ve eaten. Your brain and body are free to do whatever you want. There’s no “recovery period” from a good plant-based meal.
I ate two plates of this curry tofu scramble for brunch, along with a generous helping of home fries. I was more than satisfied with the portion, and the bright flavors made it easy to gobble down. Yet 45 minutes after finishing, I was with my wife on the trail, taking a five-mile run. There’s no way I could do that after eating any typical omnivorous brunch.
The flavors here revolve around Indian-inspired curry. But the accents of other spices make the dish really pop. I use a Madras curry powder, accented with ground cumin, coriander, and a bit of cardamom. The tofu absorbs them nicely with the aid of some veggie stock and some nutritional yeast. Optional coconut milk brings some intense creaminess and balances the spices.
I served this scramble with some roasted potatoes and sliced tomatoes and it was a solid pairing. It would also be great with sliced avocado and toasted bread.
The dish, while straightforward and simple to prepare, does require a bit of chopping (carrot, onion, kale) so I’d say it’s more of a weekend breakfast than a weekday one.
Cooking notes
I used extra firm tofu and chose to chop the tofu into irregular bite-size pieces with the spatula in the skillet. You can use softer tofu and break it apart more (or mash it) if you prefer that texture.
I recommend mild curry powder because spicy powders can vary greatly in their chili content. If you want to spice the dish up a bit, you can add some chili powder separately, or even serve it with hot sauce.
Curry Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 pound tofu extra firm (or other), drained
- 3 carrots medium, peeled and diced
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup kale leaves separated into rib and leaf, with ribs diced and leaves shredded
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons vinegar apple cider or other
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 Tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
Seasoning mix
- 2 Tablespoons curry powder Madras, mild
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add carrot, onion, and kale ribs. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until ingredients are half-cooked. Add seasoning mix. Stir to coat well.
- Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until spices are lightly toasted and become fragrant.
- Add tofu to skillet and give it a stir, breaking it into scrambled chunks.
- Add vinegar, coconut milk (if using), salt, and half of the vegetable stock. Stir for a minute or so until blended.
- Add shredded kale leaves. Cook for 1-2 minutes until kale leaves are wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Add nutritional yeast. Stir. Add more vegetable stock achieve desired consistency. The scramble should not be too dry.
- Serve immediately.
This sounds delicious, love the spice mix, and the photography is beautiful, wonderful styling and composition. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Happy to share. Thanks for stopping by!
I just made this and it was terrific. (I think I may throw in some halved cherry tomatoes next time, for a little burst of flavor and some extra color.
I made it without the coconut milk, but I’m wondering how much you would suggest to put in the dish? Thanks for sharing the great recipe.
Hey Scottt, thanks for your message. I’m happy to hear that it went well. And I appreciate you asking about the coconut milk (I meant to include the amount in the recipe, but didn’t; it’s there now). I would say the coconut milk is a nice-to-have, but not a must for this dish. It adds some richness and balances the spiciness. I used 2 tablespoons when I made it.
And tomatoes sound great. They should pair really well with the other flavors in the dish.
Can this be made without oil?
I think it could. If you do make it without oil, I would be careful about ingredients sticking to the pan early on, and then take care not to burn the spice blend as you toast it. Stir in a splash or two of veggie stock if the ingredients start to smoke at any point. You may need more vegetable stock than prescribed in the recipe.