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| Masala Omelette |
As a child, I would be allowed to eat one egg every alternate day. Too much of it, my Grandmother would say, was not good for my constitution. And so, till the point when I turned twenty-one, I never ate more than one egg a day.
But then something changed my mind.
Essentially, it was the guy outside my university, who would entice me with a simple fare – an omelette made of two fried eggs, with a lovely, crusty bread stuck between them, cut in pieces, some raw onions and chillies sprinkled on top, and some ketchup shaken over it all. He sometimes called it mamlet, sometimes he would call it bread omelette. Whatever it was, it was the meal I survived on during the years I spent in JU; that, and cups and cups of tea which we took for granted, lost in Yeats and Derrida.
I was on my way to Varanasi, and there were people selling omelettes and bread pakoras and random things on the train. I ordered one, and it was deliciously flecked with tomatoes, chillies, and spices. It was not the standard, bland thing you eat, but was jazzed up. With a pair of toasts, it was demolished in four minutes flat.
I love the bread I get near my house. They are smaller than the normal ones, and are tastier, and when toasted, are glorious in their crunchy perfection. The omelette I make is rich golden brown on the outside, and slightly moist in the center. But then again, everyone has their own preference when it comes to cooking and eating omelettes. This is just one of the ways I like it.
Beat two eggs lightly. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Heat a nonstick flat pan, preferably not a big one, and add a teaspoon of oil. Add to the oil a tablespoon of chopped onions, a tablespoon of chopped tomatoes, and enough chopped green chillies to suit your mood. Of course, you can be fancy and add vegetables of your choice – bell peppers, baby corn, mushrooms… I have added finely chopped cooked potatoes, and the concoction tastes amazing. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add a pinch of salt, stir everything together, and then add a pinch of cumin powder, a pinch of pepper, and a pinch of red chilli powder. Stir well.
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| The desired doneness |
To this, add another teaspoon of oil, spread the vegetables around the pan, and pour in the eggs. Let the eggs settle for 30 seconds or so. Then shake the pan, and allow the eggs to spread properly, and cook till your desired doneness. You can see the desired doneness in my case – this makes perfectly moist innards and a fabulously brown exterior. At this point, you can add other things – cheese, more pepper, more chillies, coriander leaves – whatever you think might make this your favorite thing in the world.
Fold, and deposit on a plate. Eat with toasted bread.Thank me for the idea.
