The HK restaurants and night markets I grew up around served tofu galore – sauteed tofu, steamed tofu, stinky tofu, and so much more. While I enjoyed a tofu meal, I was always intimidated to cook it. I was concerned about maintaining the integrity of the tofu chunks while still incorporating flavor.
Until one day when I visited a vegan bistro on the East Coast and tried a tofu scramble dish, it was then that I realized that I did not worry about maintaining the integrity of the tofu chunks, I could break it all up and still serve up a tasty and visually appealing meal. Thus, was born my curried tofu scramble with green beans.
This curried tofu with green beans has become my go-to weeknight meal. It is a hearty wholesome meal that nourishes and feeds the dinner crowd. It is also versatile - green beans can be swapped for peas or bell peppers or even without any other added veggies. While I usually serve it on a bed of white rice, it is also great in a puff pasty, on toast, or as a side salad - allows for one to regularly enjoy it without getting bored of it.
The flavors of curry, coriander, and black pepper add a depth that are all warming and delicious. This dish is perfect for a cool night or even tasty when served at room temperature. This is an easy to make meal, and like many of my recipes it uses minimum ingredients that are easy to access at most grocery stores.
Curried scramble tofu with green beans on top of a bed of rice
Recipe
Yield: 4 servings
Time: Prep: 30 min; Cook: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 block of extra firm tofu – I like to use Nasoya extra firm tofu
- 1 cup of green beans (bell peppers or broccoli would work too)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 + 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil, divided
Directions
Prep
- Remove the tofu block from its packaging and drain the water from the block. I do this by wrapping the tofu block in paper towels and placing it on a plate with a cooking pot on top for about 30 minutes
- Wash the green beans and then cut in 1-inch diagonals
- Finely cut the shallots
- Measure out the spice powders (turmeric, coriander and curry), salt, and black pepper
Cook
- Turn stove to medium-low
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil
- Once the olive oil is hot, add half of the shallots and cook until fragrant
- Add the green beans and sauté until vibrant green, about 5 minutes
- Place shallots and green beans in a bowl and set aside
- Heat the other tbsp of olive oil on medium-low
- Once the olive oil is hot, add the other half of the shallots and cook until fragrant
- Add the drained tofu to the shallots and break into crumbles until it starts to look like pieces of scramble eggs
- Add all the spices and mix, further breaking the tofu pieces into smaller morsels
- Cook the shallot and tofu for about 5 minutes
- Add the sautéed shallot and green beans, continue to mix, cooking for about 5-8 minutes
Serve
- Serve with white rice and enjoy
KEYWORDS: tofu, curried tofu scramble, tofu crumbles