Vegan Tomato Egg Stir-Fry (番茄炒蛋)

What keeps me up at night… making a vegan version of Tomato Egg Stir-Fry (番茄炒蛋) that does the original dish justice.

Tomato Egg Stir-Fry is the quintessential Taiwanese comfort food. As a Taiwanese boy, I practically grew up eating this dish both at home and in restaurants. Traditionally, it consists of just two principle ingredients, tomatoes and eggs, and takes only a good 10 minutes to prepare, but really packs the most harmonious flavors and textures. For the longest time, I’ve tried to make a worthy vegan version of the simple stir-fry, but to no avail. I’ve tried making it with tofu, which ended up being too mushy, and chickpea “egg,” which is a great omelette alternative but also cannot achieve that soft & smooth texture I was after. Japanese Tofu Pouches (Abura-Age) is by far the best approximation — I couldn’t be happier when I discovered it.

Abura-Age (油揚げ)

Abura-Age (油揚げ) is a type of Japanese fried tofu pouch typically used for soups, hot pot, or sides like inarizushi. It’s basically very thin sheets of tofu that’s been deep fried to golden-brown and light & airy.

In this recipe, I tear them apart to make them resemble large chunks of scrambled egg. I then simmered them lightly, dyed them with a bit of turmeric, and seasoned them with black salt (kala namak) to get them on par with Taiwanese-style scrambled eggs (the type you usually see in a tomato egg stir-fry dish).

The result: light, airy tofu pockets paired with tart, tangy tomatoes nearly as good as the original dish. And you guessed it, this vegan version doesn’t take much time to prepare either.

Vegan Tomato Egg Stir-Fry (番茄炒蛋)

5 from 5 votes

Recipe by George L. Course: DinnerCuisine: TaiwaneseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Tomato egg stir-fry, the ultimate Taiwanese comfort food, vegan-ized: light, airy tofu pockets paired with tart, tangy tomatoes. A version that does the original dish justice.

Ingredients

• Tofu Pouches

• 3 pieces (50 grams) abura-age, or Japanese fried tofu pouch

• 3 tablespoons water

• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/8 teaspoon black salt (kala namak) or regular sea salt

• Tomato Sauce

• 1 large tomato

• 3 tablespoons ketchup

• 1/4 cup room temperature water

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 scallion, thinly chopped

• vegetable oil, for frying

• Thickening Agent

• 1 tablespoon cornstach

• 2 tablespoon room temperature water

Directions

• Prepare the Tomato Sauce. First, remove the stem. Slice the tomato in into quarters, then slice each quarter into 2-3 chunks. In a non-stick pan, heat up a little vegetable oil on medium heat. Add the tomatoes, followed by 1/4 cup of water. Bring water to boil and cook to slightly soften the tomatoes, around 2 minutes. Add in the ketchup, then add the cornstarch slurry (thickening agent) to thicken. Turn down the heat and keep warm aside.
• Prepare the Tofu Pouches. Use your hands to tear tofu pouches into large chunks. In a separate bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of water, turmeric, and black salt (or regular salt). Heat up a lightly greased non-stick pan on medium heat and add the torn tofu pouches. Add turmeric water and cook tofu pouches until all liquid evaporates.
• To Finish. Add cooked tofu pouches to tomato sauce and gently combine. Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately.

Notes

• *Black salt, also known as Kala Namak, has a sulfurous, pungent smell and taste that resembles eggs.