Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Dishoom King's Cross›Vegan Akuri Recipe

Vegan Akuri Recipe

Inspired by Dishoom King's Cross
Time2h
Serves4

A vegan version of the Irani café special. Spiced scrambled tofu piled up richly alongside plump, home-made vegan buns and grilled tomato.

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Ingredients

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Tofu Akuri (scrambled filling)

Vegan Bombay Buns (serve 6 small buns)

Grilled Tomato & Garnishes

Method

Tofu Akuri (scrambled filling)

  1. 1

    Press and crumble tofu

    Wrap the extra-firm tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and press under a heavy pan for 15–20 minutes to remove excess water. Crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl with your hands or a fork until it resembles coarse scrambled egg.

  2. 2

    Cook aromatics

    Heat olive oil and vegan butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt; sauté 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add green chilies, ginger paste and garlic paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

  3. 3

    Spice the mixture

    Stir in turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, kashmiri chili (or paprika) and black pepper. Cook 30–45 seconds to wake up the spices, stirring so they do not burn.

  4. 4

    Add tomato and tofu

    Add the chopped tomato and cook 3–4 minutes until it softens and breaks down slightly. Add the crumbled tofu, then sprinkle salt and amchur (or lemon juice). Mix thoroughly so the tofu is evenly coated with the spiced tomato-onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low.

  5. 5

    Simmer and finish

    Cook the tofu mixture, stirring occasionally, 6–8 minutes to let flavors meld and moisture evaporate slightly. Taste and adjust salt, lemon (amchur) and chili. Stir in crushed kasuri methi if using and fold through chopped cilantro. Keep warm until serving.

Vegan Bombay Buns (serve 6)

  1. 6

    Make dough

    In a bowl, whisk warm plant milk with sugar and yeast. Let rest 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Pour the yeast mixture and melted vegan butter into the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

  2. 7

    Knead and first rise

    Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 7–8 minutes until smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with dough hook 5–6 minutes). Lightly oil a bowl, place dough inside, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 60–75 minutes until doubled in size.

  3. 8

    Shape buns and second rise

    Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight round bun and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving 2–3 cm between buns. Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes until puffy.

  4. 9

    Bake

    Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Brush buns with vegan milk or melted vegan butter. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving. Split buns horizontally before plating.

Grilled Tomato & Assembly

  1. 10

    Grill tomato halves

    Brush tomato halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and place cut side down. Grill 3–4 minutes until nicely charred lines form and tomato softens. Turn and heat 30 seconds on the skin side. Remove and keep warm.

  2. 11

    Assemble and serve

    Open a warmed bun, place a generous scoop (about 1 cup) of the tofu akuri on the bottom half, add a grilled tomato half alongside or on top, sprinkle extra cilantro if desired, and close with the bun top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over the filling.

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