Eggs were the last thing I gave up when I went vegan and the hardest thing for me to stop eating. Meat? No problem, there were days when my parents would worry about my protein intake because of the little I ate. Dairy? My only issue was the lack of milk in my tea (still can’t find a plant based milk that works in tea – if you have a favourite let me know!). But eggs played a part in most of my breakfasts, baking is a whole new ball game without them, and they make an easy dinner when you’ve had a long day.
Breakfast was the first meal I tackled. I’ve since developed a few easy dishes that are my go to but I hadn’t had much luck with egg substitutes. There are hundreds of recipes out there for egg free scrambles normally based on tofu or chickpeas. Tofu didn’t work for me as I wasn’t eating soy at all when I first when vegan, while the chickpea versions just seemed wrong. I gave up on scrambles 6 months into turning vegan, they weren’t like the eggs I remembered.
Since then I’ve come to a realisation that I bet everyone else already knew; vegan recipes that are inspired by animal based products don’t have to replicate them entirely, they can stand on their own and still be good. So I looked again at chickpea scrambles. It’s taken me a while to find a recipe that works for me but it’s perfect for those mornings when you’re not quite awake so can’t be bothered with perfect measurements as a lot of it can be ‘see how you feel’. It’s the perfect addition to a breakfast bowl when you have a busy day or just with some toast to give you a firm start to the day. Play around with it and find your next breakfast favourite!
- Makes: Serves 2
Ingredients
- 125g Chickpeas
- 1/4 cup Chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Black salt (Kala namak)*
- 100ml Water
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute
- 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1-2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper (or to taste)
- 2 Tbsp Oil
Directions
Mix together the flour, spices, black salt, water, soy sauce and sesame oil into a smooth, light batter. Now lightly mash your chickpeas.
Place a wide bottomed pan on a medium to high heat with the oil. Throw in the mashed chickpea and saute until they just start to brown. Now add the batter and sprinkle on some of the nutritional yeast and pepper. Cook until it starts to firm up around the edges. Break up the mixture into chunks and toss, coating with another layer of nutritional yeast and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until the chunks are your preferred texture and loose the raw chickpea flour taste, adding more nutritional yeast and pepper to suit how you feel that morning.
Serve with toast, in your breakfast bowl with plenty of veg, or even in your breakfast burrito for a breakfast on the go.
Notes
My chickpea scramble is rarely the same twice as my seasonings will change each time. This recipe is more of a guide to help you find a version that works best for you.
A wide bottomed pan like a frying pan or even a wok works best for an evenly cooked scramble, use a small pan and you’re more likely to get a big lump than a scramble.
*Black Salt is here to add a slight ‘eggy’ flavour but it’s entirely optional. If you don’t want an egg flavour or don’t have any to hand, throw in some salt with your pepper and season to taste.
Allergy Notes; Taking into account my note on soy sauce below, this recipe should be vegan, gluten free, soy free and generally an easy, allergy safe start to the day.
I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.
