Tofu Bhurji (Indian Tofu Scramble) with Spinach and Green Peas
Spiced tofu bhurji with onion, tomato, spinach and sweet green peas, finished with kala namak for an eggy flavor. Ready in about 25 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Serves
- 2

Tofu Bhurji (Indian Tofu Scramble) with Spinach and Green Peas is a vegan breakfast recipe made with firm tofu, neutral oil, cumin seeds. It takes 25 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes resting, serves 2, and each serving has 462 calories, 39 g of protein and 9 g of fiber.
This tofu bhurji uses the same base as the classic egg version: cumin seeds bloomed in oil, then onion, ginger, garlic and tomato cooked down to a jammy masala. The tofu is crumbled into uneven pieces so it holds onto the sauce, and the kala namak goes in right at the end so its sulfur, egg-like aroma stays strong. Peas and spinach fold in during the last few minutes, adding color and sweetness without making the scramble watery.
Ingredients
- 14 oz397 gfirm tofu, pressed
- 1½ tbsp21 gneutral oil
- 1 tsp2.1 gcumin seeds
- 1 medium110 gonion, finely chopped
- 1 small14 gjalapeño or green chili, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp2 gfresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, minced
- 1 medium123 gtomato, finely chopped
- ½ tsp1.5 gground turmeric
- ½ tsp0.9 gKashmiri chili powder
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- ½ cup67 gfrozen green peas
- 2 cups60 gbaby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp1 ggaram masala
- ½ tsp3 gkala namak (Indian black salt)
- 3 tbsp3 gfresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp10 glemon juice (optional)
- 4 slices128 gwhole-wheat toast or warm rotis, to serve (optional)
Kit: large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, clean kitchen towel
Tips
- Add kala namak off the heat. Long cooking dulls its egg-like sulfur aroma.
- Don't crumble the tofu too fine. Uneven pieces give a better bhurji texture and keep it from turning pasty.
- Cooking the tomato until oil separates is what keeps the scramble from tasting raw or watery, so don't rush it.
Swap ideas
- Kale (stems removed, finely chopped) instead of spinach
- Chewier texture and an earthier flavor. Add it with the tofu so it has time to soften.
- Extra-firm tofu instead of firm
- Drier, meatier crumbles. You can skip pressing, but you may need an extra splash of water.
- 1 diced bell pepper added with the onion
- Extra sweetness and crunch, and the scramble stretches to 3 servings.
- Pav bhaji masala instead of garam masala
- A tangier, street-style flavor that goes well with buttered-style toasted rolls.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
462kcal per serving
Everything else · 2 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 3.4 g 17%
- Sugars
- 6.2 g
- Sodium
- 735 mg 32%
- Potassium
- 1007 mg 21%
- Calcium
- 1432 mg 110%
- Iron
- 9 mg 50%
- Vitamin C
- 38 mg 42%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate, Oil, canola, Spices, cumin seed, Onions, raw, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Ginger root, raw, Garlic, raw, Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average, Spices, turmeric, ground, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne (SR Legacy; used as proxy for pure ground red chili, since USDA 'chili powder' is a salted spice blend), Salt, table, Peas, green, frozen, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Spinach, raw, ORGANIC GARAM MASALA (KHAZANA, SLT Foods Inc.; USDA Branded Foods, serving size 100 g), Naco Black Salt Kala Namak (Carb Manager food database), Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw
Method
Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and set something heavy on top, such as a skillet with a few cans in it. Press for 10 minutes, then crumble it with your fingers into uneven pieces, some pea-sized and some larger, the size of a hazelnut.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until they darken a shade and smell toasty, about 30 seconds.
Add the onion and chili and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and golden at the edges, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until the raw smell is gone, about 1 minute.
Add the tomato, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder and regular salt. Cook, mashing with your spoon, until the tomato breaks down and oil starts to glisten at the edges of the masala, 3–4 minutes.
Add the crumbled tofu and peas and fold until every piece is evenly yellow. Cook, stirring now and then, until the tofu is hot all the way through and the peas are bright green and tender, 4–5 minutes. If the pan looks dry, splash in 1–2 tablespoons of water.
Stir in the spinach and garam masala and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle in the kala namak, cilantro and lemon juice if using. Toss, taste and add more salt if needed, then serve right away with toast or rotis.
Storage: Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water until steaming, and add a fresh pinch of kala namak, since its aroma fades in storage.
Questions
- How much protein is in tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas?
- Each of the 2 servings has 39 g of protein, 9 g of fiber and 462 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, so 25 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas ahead?
- Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water until steaming, and add a fresh pinch of kala namak, since its aroma fades in storage.
- What can I substitute in tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas?
- Kale (stems removed, finely chopped) instead of spinach — chewier texture and an earthier flavor. add it with the tofu so it has time to soften.. Extra-firm tofu instead of firm — drier, meatier crumbles. you can skip pressing, but you may need an extra splash of water.. 1 diced bell pepper added with the onion — extra sweetness and crunch, and the scramble stretches to 3 servings.. Pav bhaji masala instead of garam masala — a tangier, street-style flavor that goes well with buttered-style toasted rolls..
- Does tofu bhurji (indian tofu scramble) with spinach and green peas contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 5, 2026 ·Indian