Recipe – Masala Scrambled Eggs

Masala Scrambled Eggs are more or less a twist on my mom’s recipe for khageena that has many other identities like anda keema/anday ka salan, and can be made in a myriad of different ways to match.

In the olden days (the 90s), this was one of those breakfast menu items I used to look forward to as much as channa puri. I would have it with toast, with parathas, and when I wasn’t that hungry I would just eat it on its own. I used to think of it as a special treat that my mom whipped up out of love, because something so tasty could only be the result of hours and hours of grinding labour.

Little did I know it’s easier to make than omelette! (Because honestly, how many of us have had a little mishap flipping our omelettes and served scrambled eggs instead?)

Here is the way I make it. Traditionally, you’d fry the onions first, cook the tomatoes next and then throw in the other ingredients (+ additional spices like zeera, garam masala, etc). I honestly prefer to do it the way I describe below. It’s quick, simple, and delicious.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients
1/2 Tomato
1/2 Red Onion
2 Green Chillies
1/4 bunch Cilantro
6 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
2-3 tablespoons Oil

Procedure
1. Finely chop the onion, tomato, green chillies and cilantro.2. Mix the chopped ingredients in a bowl with the eggs, salt, pepper, and red chilli powder.3. Heat your pan and add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. When it’s hot, pour your mixture onto the pan and scramble – stirring frequently so the egg doesn’t clump into large pieces.4. Keep cooking until the colour changes and your eggs are no longer runny. 5. Serve while hot, preferably with a paratha and a fresh cup of chai. Savour the goodness.

Note: Feel free to modify the recipe as you like. You can add potatoes to the recipe if you like, and adjust the spices as you prefer. I’d go easy on the salt and green chillies though – it’s always easy to add more to taste later, but very hard to fix if you overdo it right in the beginning.