A spicy and tasty tofu "egg" curry that's vegan and eggless. Instead, tofu stands in as a delicious substitute.
In my childhood home, egg curry was a perennial favorite. My father, whose family hails from India's Konkan coast, had a very special and flavorful recipe he'd make for us occasionally, and I can still remember its rich, deep flavor. He'd add to it some onions, a few spices and lots of coconut -- an ingredient that features in nearly every Konkani dish because coconuts grow abundantly along the Konkan coast. And then the eggs would go in. Sometimes he'd boil them first and halve them and then add them to the curry. At other times he'd just break them into the curry near the end, letting them poach in the liquid.
That egg curry was delicious. It was also a stunningly easy recipe to make, which made it a popular food for evenings when time was running short. All you needed to serve with it was some boiled white rice, or a few rotis, and you had an amazing meal to eat.
For my vegan version of my dad's egg curry, I chose some firm tofu. I love using tofu in tasty vegan curry recipes, like my easy tofu curry and tofu makhani. Because tofu is protein-packed it makes a perfect egg substitute.
For this curry I cut the tofu into a really small dice. This is crucial because the tofu diced small absorbs all of the flavors from the curry, and the poaching gives it a texture and flavor very much like eggs. In fact, if you have an egg lover at home, this is a good recipe to try out on them. And they oughta thank you for saving them the cholesterol.
The rest of my recipe is almost exactly like my dad's. And, best of all, it tasted just as good. Who needs eggs?
More tasty Indian curry recipes
- Tofu Paneer Bhurji
- Chick'n Lentil Curry
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter "Chicken" with Tofu
- Zucchini Kofta Curry
Tofu Egg Curry
Ingredients
For masala:
- 1 cup shredded coconut (frozen or fresh, either is fine)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red onion (sliced)
- 5 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon black cumin (shahi jeera)
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 dry red chilies
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 inch stick cinnamon
Instructions
Make the masala:
- Heat half a tablespoon of oil. Add the cloves, cinnamon, black cumin, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and red chilies and saute until the coriander is a few shades darker and the spices are fragrant.
- Add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions start to brown.
- Add the coconut (thaw first if frozen). After adding the coconut, don't wander away because coconut can burn fast. Stir frequently until the coconut's turning pale blonde and toasty.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender, add a cup of water, and blend into a smooth paste.
Make the curry:
- Heat the remaining oil. Add the onions and some salt and saute until they start to brown.
- Add the tomatoes, turmeric, and paprika, if using. Stir to mix, cover with a lid, and let it all cook until the tomatoes are quite mushy.
- Add the ground masala and stir well to mix. If the curry is really thick, add some water to thin it out.
- Bring the curry to a boil, add salt, then add the grated nutmeg and tofu cubes. Stir well to mix.
- Let the tofu poach in the curry over medium-low heat, about 8 minutes.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with some rice.
ramananth
I wish you would not use the word egg also for this dish. It is a vegan dish just give it a simple vegan name.
And can you please tell me what is vegan butter?
All your recipes are very good.
Vaishali
Hi Ramananth, thanks for your kind words. Vegan butter is any margarine made with plant-based oils, rather than dairy products. In the United States, Earth Balance is one of the commonly used brands. And I appreciate your concern about not calling this an egg curry, but as a former omnivore myself I believe that there are some of us who miss animal foods to some extent, and there is nothing wrong with trying to recreate those foods, albeit with plant-based ingredients. In a way, that is more likely to keep some people from lapsing back into a non-veg lifestyle.
Vegan Donkey
I can't wait to try this!
Dominique Odessa Mallard
Eeek! I'm in the middle of making this and can't see the measurement for turmeric? 1 tsp at a guess?
Vaishali Honawar
1/2 teaspoon is enough, although 1 tsp would be ok.
Cozinhar Sem Lactose
Sounds wonderful!
cal
Sounds great. If we have masala spice can it be substituted for the masala in the recipe?
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Cal, Garam masala would add a different flavor, but it wouldn't be bad at all. You can substitute-- use a tablespoon, or more if you'd rather!.
cal
Thank you! I'll just have to make it both ways.
NancyK
Looks like another winner!
Anonymous
Yummy