Masala Scrambled Eggs (Anda Bhurji)
Soft scrambled eggs cooked with onion, tomato, green chilli and a little turmeric. The breakfast half of South Asia grew up on, done in five minutes.
Method
- Heat the oil and cook the onion on medium until the edges go golden. Do not rush this, it takes about two minutes and it is where the sweetness comes from.
- Add the green chilli and the tomato. Cook until the tomato breaks down and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Stir in the turmeric and chilli powder for a few seconds.
- Beat the eggs with salt and pour them in.
- Wait ten seconds, then start folding slowly with the back of a spoon. Keep the heat medium-low.
- Pull it off the heat while it still looks slightly underdone and stir in the coriander.
Soft scrambled eggs cooked with onion, tomato, green chilli and a little turmeric. The breakfast half of South Asia grew up on, done in five minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 420 mg
Values are estimates based on USDA FoodData Central and vary with brands and portioning.
Chef notes
My mother makes this with the heat much higher than I do and hers is drier and a little browned, which is how a lot of people like it. I prefer it soft, so I drop the heat once the eggs go in. Either is correct, it just depends what you grew up with. The one thing you should not skip is cooking the tomato until the oil separates. That is the signal the masala is done, and if you add the eggs before it, the whole thing tastes raw and sharp.
Substitutions
- Ghee: any oil works, ghee just tastes better here — Green chilli: a pinch of red chilli flakes|Tomato: two tablespoons of passata if you have no fresh tomato
Serving suggestions
Roti or buttered toast, and a cup of chai. That is the whole meal and it has been for a long time.
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for a day. The texture goes firmer.
Reheating
Reheat in a pan on low with a splash of water. It goes rubbery in the microwave.
Equipment
- Small frying pan
- Spoon
Variations
- Cheesy
- fold in grated cheddar at the very end
- Paneer bhurji
- swap the eggs for crumbled paneer
- Extra veg
- add finely chopped capsicum with the onion
Why it works
Cooking the onion and tomato down first drives off water and concentrates the sugars, so the masala clings to the egg instead of leaving a watery pool. Pulling the pan off early lets residual heat finish the eggs so they stay soft.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my eggs watery?
The tomato was not cooked down enough before the eggs went in.
Can I make it without onion?
Yes, though you lose most of the sweetness. Add a little extra tomato.
How spicy is it?
Mild as written. Leave the seeds in the chilli if you want more heat.
Tags
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