Tofu fried rice is a delicious vegan version of the Chinese egg fried rice. This dish gets ready under 30 minutes and is a great way to use leftover rice.
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A few days ago I saw a documentary on BBC stories about kids who grew up in Chinese takeaways. It was the story of kids of Chinese immigrant parents who moved to the US and Canada with the hope of building a better future for their children.
Since a lot of them were not qualified enough to get other jobs, they started cooking and selling their food in these new countries.
The show was about the struggles of the kids of those immigrant parents who had to spend hours cutting, chopping, and frying in the tiny kitchens, after school when their other classmates were busy playing or attending hobby classes.
That was a time when people were not used to seeing people of different colors, features, speaking a different language, or talking in a different accent so they grew up hearing a lot of mean, racist comments from other people.
There was a lady who shared how as one such kid, she very innocently used to pray for receiving complaints in some orders so that she could also get to enjoy that food.
While enjoying our delicious meals we rarely think about all the efforts put in by so many people to bring it to our table.
In India also the Chinese takeaways are very popular but other than the Chinese food sold by the vendors of China street in Kolkata most of the Chinese street food in India is not authentic Chinese. It’s not even cooked or sold by Chinese vendors.
In fact, Chinese street food in India is actually Indo-Chinese food which we also call desi-Chinese. It’s the Indian version of Chinese food tweaked to suit the local taste buds and we love it more than the authentic Chinese food.
However, there are a few recipes that are almost the same in both Chinese and Indo-Chinese takeaways like Egg fried rice. Egg fried rice and Chowmein are two of my favorite Chinese takeaways.
Since my husband doesn't eat eggs, I make vegan egg fried rice which I make using tofu. It looks and tastes so much like egg fried rice that it’s very hard to tell that no egg is used in it.
How to make tofu look and taste similar to the egg?
To give the look of scrambled egg tofu is first crumbled and then turmeric powder is added to it which gives it a yellow color.
To make it taste similar to egg a secret ingredient-Kala namak (Indian black salt)is added. Kala namak is Himalayan rock salt that has a strong pungent egg-like taste and smell due to its sulfur content.
However, if you can't find Himalayan rock salt use table salt. Tofu will taste less similar to the egg but will still be delicious.
Egg, fish, and cheese- these three are considered to be the most difficult things to quit by a lot of vegans. So if you are a vegan who is craving eggs or can’t have eggs due to medical reasons then you must try this dish.
Though this dish is very filling and flavorful and you don't need to serve anything else with it but I would recommend trying it Veg Manchurian. The combination is awesome.
More easy vegan Chinese recipes
Chinese is one of my favorite cuisines. If it's your favorite too then don't miss to check the following easy Chinese recipes which you can make at home:
More vegan rice recipes
Want to try more vegan rice recipes, don't miss to check the following posts on my blog:
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Step by step photo instructions
Vegan Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 5.5 cups leftover steamed rice
- 1.5 cups roughly scrambled tofu
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup green peas fresh/ frozen
- ½ cup finely chopped french beans
- ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
- ½ cup finely chopped carrots
- ½ cup finely chopped bell pepper (any color)
- ½ tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup finely chopped spring onion (green part only)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon kala namak (Indian black salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Heat a wok. Add scrambled tofu, turmeric powder, and Indian black salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes or till the raw smell of tofu goes away. Stir in between to ensure that it gets evenly cooked. Take out on a plate and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a wok and add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds till they become fragrant.
- Next, add the chopped onion and sauté till it becomes translucent.
- Once onions are done add all the other vegetables except spring onion and stir fry for 4-5 minutes on high heat or till the vegetables get cooked but stay crunchy.
- Add chopped spring onion green, salt, and pepper. Saute for about a minute.
- Next, add rice, soy sauce, and vinegar. Mix and stir fry for 2-3 minutes
- Finally, add scrambled tofu and gently mix with the rice. Switch off the gas.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions and enjoy your eggless egg fried rice!
Notes
- After taking out the scrambled tofu either change the wok or wipe with a damp kitchen towel other turmeric will change the color of rice and vegetables too
- Always use left over rice to make this or any other fried rice recipe
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