Weekend Indulgences~Masala Cheese Omelet

At Brunch Buffets, I always notice, no matter how many items are on the menu, the live counter for eggs on order is always very popular. I know because I am one of those that lines up for the masala cheese omelet.

While we are stuck with a mad rush on weekdays, weekends are when indulgent breakfasts are the order of the day and a thick luscious omelet like this, sets the pace for more good stuff to happen.

It’s easy to dish it out restaurant style. The keys are several. Firstly, add a dash of milk to the beaten egg mixture and whisk, to give you a silky texture. Secondly, Use butter to fry the egg, just a little not a lot and see the difference. Thirdly, use a fork to lightly scramble the middle of the omelet before it is set, to give you a thick fluffy centre.

Here is my recipe for an indulgent Cheese Masala Omelet (makes 1 really large omelet)

2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk till fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cup pan sautéed vegetables of choice. Use a combination of onion, tomato, green/ spring onions, coloured bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, etc. chop up and add to a lightly oiled pan, sauté without oil till the onions are translucent. Transfer to a plate and cool.

1-2 cubes (2-3 tablespoons) shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2 cubes of Amul processed cheese)

1 tablespoon butter

 

Heat an 8 inch frying pan on medium, add half of the butter and toss it around to melt. Mix the sautéed vegetables into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the pan and twirl the pan around till the egg has spread into the pan. Take a fork and lightly scramble the centre, to create layers. Do this before the egg sets.  Drizzle the rest of the butter along the edges of the pan to brown the egg. When the edges have browned, and the egg is almost cooked, add the shredded cheese over the egg, lower the flame and allow the cheese to melt. Ease a spatula under one half of the omelet, gently fold over into half and cook for another minute. Ease it onto a plate. Serve hot with toasted buttered bread and preserves.

Quick Cooking ~ Egg curry with Readymade Masala Paste

I’m not a big fan of processed food and prefer cooking with fresh ingredients. I do use products such as readymade coconut milk, because its plain convenient. Readymade curry powders and dry masalas too were a hot favourite till i learnt to make my own and now when i do use them, its because they have been received as gifts. With cooking pastes, i cannot get over the characteristic smell they all seem to have which i think is the result of the ingredients meant to increase its shelf life. So everything that is made with it, no matter the other ingredients, continues to smell just like the masala packet did. I tend to avoid this, preferring to make my own onion, tomato, ginger garlic preserve with a few aromatics.

Having said all of that, when magi bhuna masala came highly recommended, i wasn’t too convinced. I did pick up both versions of it (they have one for curries and one for dal) recently to try it out.  i admit it did come in mighty handy in an emergency. However i had to add almost ½ a cup of coconut milk and fresh coriander and curry leaves to mask the smell of the masala. This masala is purely for convenience, for those times when you need to serve dinner from scratch in 15 minutes.

Quick Cooking ~ Egg curry with Readymade Masala Paste

3 fresh eggs/ 3 hard boiled eggs

1 packet of Maggi bhuna masala or 3 tablespoons of any other readymade tomato onion curry paste

½ cup tomato puree (i used homemade tomato puree, puree from a carton/ can with ½ teaspoon of sugar to cut the tartness can be used)

½ cup thick coconut milk (i used dabur hommade)

1 heaped tablespoons kerala egg roast masala (or substitute with 1 teaspoon regular garam masala, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder and ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder)

1 teaspoon dhania / coriander powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder or 1 green chilly chopped

¼ cup water

Salt to taste

2-3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves chopped

7-8 curry leaves

If using fresh eggs, put them to boil in a pan, simmering for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat once it has come to a boil. In another pan, add the readymade masala paste, tomato puree and water and heat through. Add the powdered masalas and salt and cook about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, coriander leaves, curry leaves and simmer till the consistency is like a thick sauce. Turn off the flame. Shell the boiled eggs, slice into two and add to the gravy. Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice. I served mine with Khichdi. Will post the recipe soon.

Is there such a thing as a perfect breakfast?

At the end of a tightly packed work week, there’s nothing better than unwinding on the weekend……spending a lazy morning poring over the newspapers……drinking that extra cup of coffee, while making a real attempt at the crossword……not looking at the clock every few minutes, actually chewing before swallowing food (ok I am exaggerating here!!) or simply spending the day lazing with a book or the TV whichever is the preferred entertainment provider of the day……

Breakfast is very important in our ecosystem……which means my system is tuned for breakfast by a designated time….the body I think doesn’t recognize weekends quite as enthusiastically as the rest of my senses! a filling and hearty breakfast with minimum effort suddenly then is such a weekend treat……bread and eggs fit the bill to a T……the blend of protein and carbohydrates makes it a top contender in my list of perfect breakfasts…..

Scrambled eggs with buttered toast…bliss on a plate and one of the simplest pleasures of life……I like my scrambled eggs with a little colour……chives, mint, fresh coriander, leeks, bits of tomato…..all add colour flavour and texture……this time I used fresh coriander and tomatoes……creamy, quick and filling, just the way breakfast should be.

this is my first post in this new year….it also is my 150th….i cant believe i lasted this long!! i had a lot of things lined up…to end the year…and to begin another blogging year….dekhte dekhte, its already the second half of the month….so lemme keep all the ideas to myself till i get down to actually doing something about them….

this is off to Celine’s “How do you like your eggs game” chaeck it out…..

Khageena – Eggs Hyderabadi Style

Khageena and roti was a breakfast staple….its a typically hyderabadi breakfast….khageena is very much the masala scrambled eggs meets egg burji….only better!! Even if I say so myself!! What can I say about eggs that have been scrambled into a spicy onion and tomato mix?? It is a good accompaniment for rotis and rice, awesome on a toasted sandwich as well!!

if you havent had khagina for breakfast, you can bet your last rupee you havent been to the right places to eat in hyderabad. while the biryani gets so much coverage, i cringe when these lesser known dishes, which are part of the culinary landscape of hyderabad are dying obscure deaths…. plus with the landscape and demography of hyderabad changing the way it has been… a lot of the “typical hyderabadi” stuff is perishing…slowly…but very surely… including the cuisine…. while multi cuisine is the way to go to attract the crowds….north indian fare ( i am not even sure it is authentic north indian) is much more easier to find / sell than regional…..and while andhra cuisine with its fiery trail has managed to lodge itself by way of speciality restaurants….it is sad that authentic hyderabadi fare is now relegated to the gallis of the Old city….where one can still find khichdi and khatta on the breakfast menu…..

i digressed…. not surprisingly…..anyways…. here’s my version of khageena…. am sure there are other’s as well in cyberspace….each one as authentic as the next!!

Never Fail Egg Curry

 

When guests drop by for a meal unexpectedly, I always heave a sigh of relief if I have eggs on hand. This simple to make egg curry is a crowd pleaser and goes well with plain or flavoured rice, rotis, paranthas, Malabar paranthas, dosa and even bread. If you aren’t a very eggy person this can be easily made with potatoes, pumpkin, brinjal or even mixed veggies such as cauliflower, beans,peas and carrot.

I made this recently when we had freinds over for lunch and this curry fed 6 of us (with a little leftover) …. The measures are for an army, but feel free to scale down to feed yourself.

this is off to the Saas bahu aur sensex contest that’s on at Nags, the Edible Garden