On Sunday morning, I woke to find Hubby making breakfast for me!  Having food made for you when you are the one in the kitchen everyday is quite a luxury. Of course, I knew immediately what he must have been making.  There are only two things he makes on his own these days  and that would be either scrambled eggs or vegetable rice.  As it was nine in the morning, you can guess what he was making.  Indian style scrambled eggs are pretty much responsible for Hubby surviving at college.  He would make himself eggs in the morning and then only ate again once he got home at midnight after a full day of classes and multiple campus jobs.  No wonder he was as skinny as a stick when I first met him.

Hubby:  “I remember the first time I made scrambled eggs I was super excited!  I used to see my mom make them in Bombay and ask her “how do you make this?  This looks so difficult!”  How do you know when to pour the eggs into the pan? How could you tell when they are done?  The first time I made them, the eggs were too wet and the onions were undercooked and crunchy but I got it right the second time. 

I have to admit, Hubby does make a great batch of scrambled eggs and having breakfast made for me while I was still recovering from Saturday’s sugar coma was a special treat.

Scrambled eggs are wonderfully adaptable.  We like them with just a hint of chili and a bit of spice but scrambled eggs in Punjab will set your mouth on fire.  You can make your eggs fluffy and bit more wet if you prefer but Hubby and I like our eggs very dry, or as my Gramma used to say “you like your eggs powder dry”.

As vegetarians, eggs are one of our main sources of protein and healthy fats.  My friend Judd, who owns the Crossfit gym I joined a month ago has told me to stop throwing away the yolks. “Don’t throw away the yolks!” he exclaimed, “they’re full of the good kinds of fat you need.” That was a shocker for me as I’ve always been adamant about having only the whites, maybe having one yolk for flavor and throwing the rest out. “No!!” He said, “You need the yolks, those fats are going to give you the energy you need to get through these workouts.  You should have three whole eggs a day” Judd explained.  I took his advice and started having three whole eggs for breakfast and I’ve noticed a nice surge in my energy. 

“Don’t throw away the yolks!” he exclaimed, “they’re full of the good kinds of fat you need.” That was a shocker for me as I’ve always been adamant about having only the whites…”No!!” He said,  “You need the yolks! Those fats are going to give you the energy you need to get through these workouts.  As a vegetarian, you should have three whole eggs a day” Judd explained.

- Judd, Owner and Trainer at Crossfit Silicon Valley

Indian Scrambled Eggs

This recipe was one of the first dishes Hubby made for me in college. It is responsible for my daily love of eggs.  Here is a flavorful Indian take on the classic scrambled egg breakfast.  This dish adds a punch of flavor and heat with Indian spices, onions and green chilies.  Serve alone or with a slice or two of toast or go traditional by eating the eggs with your hands using homemade chapatis.

Mummy-ji’s tips for scrambled eggs: “Just keep stirring”.  Thanks Mummy-ji.

Serves: 2     Time: 20 minutes

Equipment

Fork or wire whisk

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

1 medium onion (or ½ large onion), diced

2 green chilies, sliced in half and diced (optional)

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin powder

¼ teaspoon red chili powder, to taste (optional)

Small handful of cilantro, chopped fine for garnishing (optional)

Directions

1. Finely dice the onion and green chilies and if using it, the cilantro.  Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat and add the oil.

2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and chilies to the pan.  Sprinkle on the salt and mix with the onions.  Adding the salt at this point helps the onions brown faster.  Let the onions and chilies sauté until they turn brown, about 8 minutes.

…and if you’re Hubby, idly stir the onions while actually concentrating on the soccer game…

3. While the onions are browning, beat the eggs in a bowl until the yolks and whites are fully blended, about 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

4. Once the onions have turned reddish brown, add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder and red chili powder.  Mix the spices into the onions and let cook for a minute before pouring in the eggs.

5. Gently stir the eggs continuously so they thicken and clump together.  This will take 3 to 5 minutes depending on how wet or dry you like your finished eggs.  Just keep stirring until they are as wet or dry as you like.

 Tip: If the eggs burn on the bottom of the pan while scrambling, the heat is too high.

6. Garnish the eggs with chopped cilantro, adding into the pan and mixing in.

Have with a few slices of toast or chapatis. 

Hubby was pretty involved with the game at this point so rather than having him move out of the kitchen so I would have room to make chapatis, I just made some toast and chai.

 

Indian Scrambled Eggs

This recipe was one of the first dishes Hubby made for me in college. It is responsible for my daily love of eggs.  Here is a flavorful Indian take on the classic scrambled egg breakfast.  This dish adds a punch of flavor and heat with Indian spices, onions and green chilies.  Serve alone or with a slice or two of toast or go traditional by eating the eggs with your hands using homemade chapatis.

Serves: 2     Time: 20 minutes

Equipment

Fork or wire whisk

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

1 medium onion (or ½ large onion), diced

2 green chilies, sliced in half and diced (optional)

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin powder

¼ teaspoon red chili powder, to taste (optional)

Small handful of cilantro, chopped fine for garnishing (optional)

Directions

1. Finely dice the onion and green chilies.  Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat and add the oil. 
2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and chilies to the pan.  Sprinkle on the salt and mix with the onions.  Adding the salt at this point helps the onions brown faster.  Let the onions and chilies sauté until they turn brown, about 8 minutes.
3. While the onions are browning, beat the eggs in a bowl until the yolks and white are fully blended, about 20 to 30 seconds. Set aside.
4. Once the onions have turned reddish brown, add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder and red chili powder.  Mix the spices into the onions and let cook for a minute before pouring in the eggs.
5. Gently stir the eggs continuously so they thicken and clump together.  This will take 3 to 5 minutes depending on how wet or dry you like your finished eggs.
6. Garnish the eggs with chopped cilantro, adding into the pan and mixing in.

Tip: If the eggs burn on the bottom of the pan while scrambling, the heat is too high.