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) 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.

Awesome discovery! I started my vegan diet not too long ago, and am already craving the tomato egg dish. Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Milly!! No problem, tomato egg is a dish that’s really hard to miss hahah. let me know if you like it!
What about using yuba 豆包? I just bought a pack of it and am wondering how to cook it hehe
Hi!! Aah sorry about the late reply, somehow the system marked your comment as spam. Yuba DEFINITELY works!! I would probably just tear it apart and fry it in a pan/wok with some oil, until they’re lightly browned (just like scrambling eggs)!
Delicious!! I made a large bowl just for me for lunch. 5 stars
Hi Teresa!! Ahhh I’m so happy to hear this, glad you liked it xxx
Very nice recipe! Thank you 🙂