Earlier in the week this vegan Taiwanese scallion omelette appeared in our post for homemade Mantou (Taiwanese Steamed Buns). While the recipe for the Mantou will be available in our July 31st newsletter, this scallion omelette recipe is available today. Scallions and egg sometimes seem ever-present throughout Taiwanese cuisine and the two are often combined to form an omelette used as a filling for various breads. When it’s added to the inside of a Taiwanese pancake it’s known as Dan Bing, an ubiquitous dish across Taiwan.

We often use the vegan scallion omelette as a filling for our homemade Mantou to make a hearty and savory breakfast. We’ve veganized our scallion omelette using tofu and chickpea flour (besan) in place of egg. It’s really quite a simple recipe, but to make it even easier I have included step by step photos to walk you through it. When your omelette is finished, be sure to garnish it with a pinch of white pepper for a distinctive Taiwanese flavor!

A few notes regarding the ingredients used in this recipe.

The kala namak (Indian black salt) is used to provide an added sulphuric egg-like flavor to the omelette. Kala namak is available at Indian markets and a number of online retailers including Amazon.com.

The arrowroot starch will be dissolved in water and serve as a thickener and binding agent for the omelette. Arrowroot starch, sometimes referred to as arrowroot powder or arrowroot flour, is available at most natural food stores and Asian markets. There are a few different widely available brands, including Bob’s Red Mill. Some Asian brands of arrowroot starch, while cheaper, are occasionally sold in chunks that require grinding with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

This recipe is gluten-free.

Vegan Taiwanese Scallion Omelette

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) firm tofu, drained
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• ¼ cup water
• 2½ tablespoons chickpea flour (or besan)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¾ tsp kala namak (black salt)
• 1½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• ¾ cup chopped scallions (use the light green and green parts)
• White pepper for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. In a small bowl, dissolve the arrowroot in ¼ cup water. Line a 12″ x 9″ sheet pan with parchment paper and spray or brush the top of the paper with a light coating of oil. Cut a second piece of parchment paper and lightly coat one side with oil, set it aside.

Crumble the tofu into a high-speed blender and add all the ingredients except the scallions. Blend until smooth. You will likely need to stop the blender to stir and scrape the walls. Continue bending until the ingredients are all incorporated and the consistency appears smooth. Add the scallions and stir (do not blend). Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly across the top. It should be about 1 to 1½ cm thick. Place the second piece of parchment paper, oiled side face down, on top of the batter; covering it completely.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate pan and bake for about 15 minutes more until the parchment paper starts to slightly brown. Cool for 10 minutes and remove the top layer of parchment paper. Sprinkle with white pepper (about ¼ tsp). Run a knife around edges to loosen omelette and slice in whatever size you desire and serve.

If you would like the bottom of your omelette to be slightly crisp, try pan frying on the softer side of the omelette for several minutes with a bit of oil over medium heat until dry.

Notes

Advance preparation: The omelette can be kept in the refrigerator, covered well, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat by pan frying for several minutes with a bit of oil over medium heat until dry, or microwave until warm.