A flavorful vegan "egg" biryani made with tofu instead of eggs, but exactly in the same way a top-class Indian egg biryani would be made. You have to taste it to believe how delicious it is!
There is so much that's wrong with eggs today. I am not going to bash egg-eaters here: I have two in my home, despite my best efforts, because there's something about eggs that some people seem to just love. Jay came to us rather addicted to eggs which he calls his favorite food, and Desi eats them occasionally for breakfast because "they're easy to make." But even with all the meticulous attention we pay to buying eggs cage-free, all of the news out there on the abuse of egg-laying hens makes my skin crawl each time I see eggs in my refrigerator.
In recent months, with a six-year-old to convince (hard, trust me) about the redundancy of eggs, I have redoubled my efforts to try and make vegan versions of foods with egg as the central ingredient. It's easy with baked goods: Jay can never tell the difference in the waffles, pancakes, vegan cupcakes and cakes I make for him. But with foods where the egg is the centerpiece, it's not an easy win.
I've had some really good results substituting tofu for eggs, in recipes like curries.
Tofu makes a great egg substitute for many reasons:
- It is high in protein, just like eggs.
- Like eggs, it doesn't need much cooking time, just enough to absorb the flavors.
- It lacks the cholesterol in eggs-- huge bonus points for tofu!
- It has a similar texture to that of cooked egg whites, especially when poached.
For this recipe I coated the tofu with some spices and chickpea flour and shallow-fried it so it got a lovely, golden crust. If you are a fence-sitter on tofu, cooking it this way will turn you into a fan.
Recipe card
Vegan Egg Biryani
Ingredients
For the biryani rice
- 1 cup raw basmati rice (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes)
- 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 pods green cardamom pods
- 2 pods black cardamom pods
- 1 inch stick of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala some of these can by spicy, so adjust per your taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 serrano chilies optional-- you already have some heat from the biryani masala
- ½ cup mint leaves finely chopped
- ¼ cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- Salt to taste
For the tofu "eggs"
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu (cut into small cubes)
- ¼ teaspoon biryani masala
- ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- â…› teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- Salt to taste
For serving
- Vegan cucumber raita
Instructions
Make the biryani rice
- Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the bay leaves, both types of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and caraway seeds to the oil and saute until the bay leaves turn color just slightly.
- Add the onions and continue to cook, sauteing, until golden spots appear on the onions.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, saute for about 30 seconds, then add the mint and coriander leaves
- Stir-fry the mint and coriander. Add the biryani masala and the cashew yogurt.
- Stir-fry until the yogurt is rather dry, then add the rice and salt to taste. Stir to coat the rice with the masalas, and then add 1 ½ cups of hot water.
- Let the rice cook on an open flame until most of the water is absorbed. Then cover with a lid, turn the flame to the absolute lowest setting, cover with a lid, and let the rice steam for another 15 minutes.
- Turn off the stove and let the rice stand for 10 minutes at least before opening.
Make the tofu "eggs"
- Place all of the tofu egg ingredients except the oil in a bowl. Toss the tofu well with the spices and besan, taking care not to break the tofu.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or griddle. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. Don't worry, if you wait until the oil is heated to the right temperature, the tofu won't absorb the oil. The way to do this is to place a tiny amount of whatever you are frying right into the saucepan. If it sizzles immediately, you are good to go.
- Place the tofu in the saucepan in a single layer. If the saucepan is too crowded, do it in two batches.
- Let the tofu cook over medium-high flame until the underside is golden. With a wide spatula, flip the tofu pieces so they cook on all sides.
- Remove to a paper-towel-lined dish.
- Add the tofu to the cooked rice and toss gently with a fork to mix. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Jenny says
Made this biryani yesterday and can't say enough good things. I love the texture of the tofu and the spices in this one. My husband has a new favorite. Thanks, Vaishali.
Vaishali says
So happy you tried it, Jenny!
Monica says
This looks delicious! I used to get egg biryani occasionally at a local restaurant, but haven't had it in years, since becoming vegan obviously. I have a couple quick questions though I was hoping you might be able to answer. First, I'm sorry if I'm overlooking something, but I'm not sure where the turmeric and serrano pepper get put in when making the rice? I'm assuming maybe with the biryani masala? Also, do you have a brand of biryani masala you can recommend? I stopped by the Indian grocery store yesterday and was overwhelmed not only with so many different brands, but also there seemed to be different varieties of the masala from each brand.
Vaishali Honawar says
Yes, you can try baking-- I've made baked pakoras before and the coating on the tofu is very much like a pakora batter. Great idea on the kabobs!
Anonymous says
This looks excellent! I'm right with Jay in that I'm not a huge fan of tofu and I love eggs, but I so want to try this. I have been looking for a good biryani recipe for ages and this looks easy enough for me to try. Do you think I could bake the tofu instead of shallow frying? I'm thinking I could make coated tofu like this and even skewer it with some peppers for kabobs!
The Vegan Junction says
I like the crunchy tofu bits in this one, and plenty of flavour from the herbs and spices. I love how there are so many great veggie options, that are always so much more appealing too! I can smell it already! 🙂
Vaishali Honawar says
Thanks, TVJ!
janet says
Can this be served for breakfast - or could you make a suggestion as to how this 'egg'(less) recipe could be served at breakfast? Thanks so much - this looks amazing
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Janet, sure, rice is usually a lunch or dinner item in India, but why not serve it for breakfast? I don't see one good reason not to! 🙂
SR Sharma says
Vaishali love your recipes!! Love this one too. Must confess don't manage to try them all but just to know they are there brings me such joy ;-))
i recently made scrambled eggs using besan batter. If we add enough other veggies like onions, tomatoes etc. and season it nicely (I love to add amchur powder) one can't tell the difference easily.
Best wishes, and keep them coming
Vaishali Honawar says
SR, what a great idea to make scrambled eggs with besan. I have to try that-- reminds me a bit of zunka, a popular rustic Maharashtrian dish made by scrambling chickpea batter and veggies. Thanks for your kind words about Holy Cow! 🙂