Vegan scrambled chickpeas is a quick, nutritious, yummy, Indian-inspired breakfast, brunch, lunch, side-dish or even a speedy dinner. Serve your chickpea scramble on hot vegan buttered toast, packed into romaine lettuce leaves, with a baked potato, or enjoy chilled as a pitta, tortilla, or sandwich filling.
This recipe is perfect for busy people and families needing fast, tasty meals. Especially delicious as a packed lunch for on-the-go lunches, school, college or work.
If your new to a plant-based diet you may be missing scrambled eggs. Scrambled chickpeas is a creamy, savoury and satisfying replacement or even better think of it as an upgrade!
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Origin of scrambled eggs
People have been preparing scrambled eggs since at least the Ancient Roman times.
Basic British scrambled eggs are mainly eggs whisked with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. Milk or butter is sometimes added before the eggs are cooked in a fry pan, stirring frequently until soft and fluffy.
Many countries and regions around the world have there own variations of scrambled eggs.
In India additions such as onion, ginger, and chilli’s are popular flavourings for scrambled eggs. Other variations include the Spanish adding tomatoes and cheese, and Turkey popping in sausages or cured beef to their scramble. A popular dish in China is stir-fried tomatoes with scrambled eggs, whereas in the Philippines eggplant, shallots, tomato and garlic are popular additions.
Vegan scrambled eggs prepared with chickpeas can be prepared with so many different inspiring flavour combinations.
Vegan scrambled eggs
This recipe for vegan scrambled eggs uses chickpeas to replace eggs. Chickpeas are a valuable plant-based food so worth adding to your diet as they are extremely versatile, nutritious, inexpensive and tasty. Although I prefer to not think of scrambled chickpeas as replacing eggs but rather as an upgrade both in flavour and nutritional value.
Plant milk brings the creaminess factor, while paprika, onion, garlic, turmeric, and nutritional yeast work together to create deep savoury flavours.
A pinch of Kala Malak finishes the scrambled chickpeas with a flourish as it just adds that sulphur flavour and aroma that is typical of cooked eggs.
However, feel free to omit the Kala Malak if you dislike the sulphur flavour and aroma.
What is Kala Malak?
This recipes includes a pinch of South Asian black salt more commonly known as Kala Malak which provides the scramble with a sulphur egg taste.
Kala Malak has been traditionally used in India for its alleged therapeutic and culinary benefits for thousands of years.
A little pinch of Kala Malak goes a long way so if you manage to pick up a packet it will last for a long time. My first tub is still going strong and its been over 2 years.
Most health or wholefood shops stock black salt. Or maybe have a look in your local Asian supermarket, or even try Amazon. I bought my first packet from Amazon UK as I live in rural Highland Scotland with a limited choice of shops.
Many vegans and plant-based eaters claim that Kala Malak is a game changer! A few pinches of black salt mixed through vegan mayonnaise and mashed tofu, served chilled as a sandwich filling is another yummy lunch idea.
Recipe Notes And FAQs
How do I store and reheat leftover scrambled chickpeas?
Leftover scramble can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat place back in the cooking pan, and over a medium heat, stir and heat for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Add a splash of plant-milk, veggie stock or water if required.
What can I do with leftover scramble?
- Leftovers can be enjoyed chilled for a tasty, quick snack.
- Or use as a sandwich filling for any type of bread. Such as a vegan wholemeal pitta bread, French bread stick, or bagel.
- Crackers or Scottish oatcakes are delicious used as edible cutlery to scoop up this scramble.
- Add leftovers to a Buddha/power/salad bowl.
- Prepare a large salad, with extras for example vegan coleslaw/ potato salad/ hummus/ falafels/ pitta bread, etc and include the leftover scramble either hot or chilled. Perfect for a light summer dinner.
Can I sub out any of the ingredients?
Yes!
- Switch the Kala Malak for 2 teaspoons of white miso paste
- Instead of nutritional yeast flakes use grated vegan cheese or a scoop of vegan soft cream cheese
- Veggie stock can be used instead of plant-milk but the scramble will not be as creamy
- Instead of chickpeas use ordinary firm tofu or fine chopped mushrooms
- Replace the fresh onion and garlic for dried varieties
Can I add anything extra to scrambled chickpeas?
A few suggestions:
- sliced up pieces of vegan Quorn smoky ham
- pieces of vegan bacon or vegan sausages cooked and chopped
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- courgette
- grated carrot
- cooked chopped sweet potato
- dried herbs
- fresh herbs
- a few dashes of vegan Worcester sauce
- a tbsp of vegan butter added at the end of cooking and mixed through to melt
What can I serve with scrambled chickpeas?
- hot vegan buttered toast
- wedge of vegan Irish soda bread
- vegan Scottish oatcakes
- whole romaine lettuce leaf’s or a different type of lettuce
- fresh spinach
- mixed salad
- homemade fries/chips/wedges
- baked white or sweet potato
- salsa
- guacamole
- hummus
- falafels
- rice
- couscous
- baked whole mushrooms
- roast whole tomatoes
- vegan sausages
- vegan bacon
- lemon/lime wedges for squeezing over if you like a zesty kick
What can I use to garnish scrambled chickpeas?
- any fresh herbs you have available, especially good are coriander, parsley, chives, dill
- toasted/plain almond flakes
- chopped walnuts
- toasted/plain seeds, a mix or /pumpkin/sunflower/sesame/poppy/chia/whole flax seeds
- spring onion/green onion
- sliced fresh chilli
- chilli flakes
- red pepper flakes
- hot sauce
- sweet chilli sauce
- a drizzle of plant cream for extra creaminess
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes. This recipe can be easily made gluten-free. Simply ensure that the vegetable stock used is gluten-free, as well as any bread.
How to prepare creamy scrambled chickpeas:
Cook onion and garlic in veggie stock or olive oil. Mash chickpeas and add flavourings. Mix chickpeas through the onions and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add extra plant-milk for creaminess. Add lettuce to pitta bread or simply use a romaine leaf. Pack the chickpea scramble into the pitta bread.
Scatter coriander over. Or serve the scramble with a baked potato, rice, salad or your favourite bread.
Easy Vegan Creamy Scrambled Chickpeas
Equipment
- Sauté pan/fry pan/skillet
- Potato masher/ fork
Ingredients
To cook the onion and garlic:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or 250ml of vegetable stock
Scrambled chickpeas:
- 2 cans chickpeas 400g/14 oz cans, drained.
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic fine chopped/minced. Or 2 tsp dried garlic.
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- ¼ tsp Kala Malak plus a few pinches extra for seasoning at end of cooking.
- 125 ml plant milk
After cooking add:
- 4 tbsp plant milk
- â…› tsp Kala Malak add a pinch and then adjust until flavour to your liking.
To garnish:
- 20 g coriander chopped
Instructions
- Tip the chickpeas into a bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher. Don't completely mush the chickpeas up as some texture is good.
- Mix through the turmeric, paprika, nutritional yeast, Kala Malak and plant milk.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan. Or if using veggie stock add to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for around 8 minutes,, over low-medium heat, until soft. Stir frequently.
- Add your chickpea mix to the pan.Stir and cook for about 3-5 minutes until everything is heated through.If too dry add an extra splash of plant milk.
- Remove from the heat and add the extra Kala Malak (add a pinch at a time until its to your liking) and plant milk.Season with salt and pepper to taste.Sprinkle coriander over.
- Serve hot or chilled.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary. Data is analysed using computerized nutrition apps.
- Leftovers will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the same cooking pan. Stir frequently until heated through. Or enjoy leftovers chilled as a sandwich, pitta bread, or tortilla wrap filling.
- Chickpea scramble is delicious as a baked potato filling, as part of a power/Buddha/salad bowl or simply served hot over slices of thick vegan buttered toast.
Nutrition
Fancy a tasty, wholesome, plant-based bowl of soup with your scramble? Or for next days yummy dinner?
Vegan Traditional Scottish Lentil Soup
Vegan Curried Cauliflower Soup
Yummy! This looks and sounds so delicious! My husband and I love how healthy this is, and how tasty this turned out! Absolutely loved here and I’ll definitely make this again.
So glad you all enjoyed the scrambled chickpeas 🙂
I’ve not tried any sort of vegan egg variations, but was intrigued by your recipe. I tried these and they are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Your very welcome! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the scrambled chickpeas 🙂
These strambled chickpeas look amazing! These pita sandwiches will be great for lunch with a green salad.
Oh they were great for lunch! The pita breads were the thick variety so really easy to open and fill up 🙂
What a flavorful and tasty looking scrambled chickpea dish! I love this idea, YUM!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Yum! This was so hearty and delicious. I’ve never had a chickpea scramble, I always used tofu. This was so much more filling and had great flavor.
So glad you enjoyed the chickpea scramble! Its such a simple dish but lovely flavours. I love tofu scramble too but I find chickpeas less expensive, and I can’t always access tofu as I live rurally 🙂