Once again agar powder steps in to do some truly amazing vegan magic (or science) to create a perfect vegan deviled egg!
For those unfamiliar with agar powder, it is a vegan gelatin derived from seaweed. It can be found in asian grocery stores or online. I use agar often in vegan cheese making, so always have some on hand.
The next ingredient that makes these eggs really convincing is Indian Black Salt, or also called Kala Namak. It is salt that is high in sulfur so it smells and taste like eggs! You can find this at specialty spice shops or also online. I really suggest not skipping the salt because it is the ingredient that make these vegan eggs taste like an egg.
The filling is made from tofu because as we all know, tofu makes a great egg substitute. It makes for a creamy filling with the help of some mustard, vegan mayo, and spices.
If you do not have egg molds, they can purchased on amazon or craft stores in the baking section, or you can use a deviled egg serving tray to mold the whites. A serving tray is actually how I made my first batch and it worked well, although it makes for shallow eggs.
I have fed these eggs to any and all vegan and non vegan friends and family that were willing to try them, and they were all amazed at how close these are to the real thing! So if you are skeptical, by all means, whip yourself up a batch and let me prove you wrong! I think you and everyone else you serve them to will be wowed and amazed.
I have missed deviled eggs for years and now I don’t have to. I make these for just about every pot luck, BBQ, or holiday get together side by side next to tray of regular deviled eggs, you would hardly notice a difference. Magic….sheer vegan magic!
These deviled eggs are delicious, beautiful, and super fun to serve to unknowing friends and family, if for no other reason, for the reaction you get when you tell them they are vegan!
Ingredients:
For the egg white:
2 cups almond milk
1 tablespoon agar powder
1/2 teaspoon Indian Black Salt, also called Kala Namak (this salt has a high sulfur content so it smells and tastes like egg. It is an essential ingredient in this recipe if you want this vegan version to taste like an egg)
For the yolk:
1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 cup vegan mayo
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Indian Black Salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon turmeric (This is for color. The more you add, the stronger the flavor, so it is just up to preference)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon all purpose greek seasoning (you can skip this if you like, but it is delicious in the eggs)
1-2 tablespoons diced dill pickles
pepper and salt to taste
paprika for garnish
Instructions:
You will either need a silicon egg mold or a deviled egg serving tray, the kind with egg shaped divots, to form the egg whites. If you use the serving tray the eggs will be pretty shallow, but it still works.
In a small sauce pan, whisk together almond milk, agar, and Indian black salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
Transfer the mixture to a pyrex, or glass bowl, and allow to cool on the counter top. Let the mixture sit until it appears to be thickening but is still liquid, and pourable, stirring occasionally. I have found if you pour the mixture into the molds too soon, while it is still very hot, the milk solids will separate and sink to the bottom, and the water will be left at the top. This is not an appetizing egg!
Once the mixture is ready, pour it into the eggs molds and pop them in the fridge for about half an hour, or until they are nice and solid.
While the molds are in the fridge, prepare the yolk filling by adding all of the ingredients, except the pickles, to a high speed blender or food processor. Process on high until the mixture is creamy and smooth. If you want to pipe the filling into the eggs, then you can drop the pickles into the mixture at the end and pulse a few times to get them good and minced. Large pieces of pickle won’t make it through a piping tip.
Remove the eggs from the fridge once they have set, and spoon out a divot from the middle to make space for the filling.
You can either scoop spoonfuls of the yolk filling onto the eggs, or fill a piping bag with a large tip and pipe the filling onto the egg whites. Garnish with extra dill and paprika.
Store the deviled eggs in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.
Yields 1 - 2 dozen eggs depending on the depth of the mold you use.
