AKOORI – MY FAVE SCRAMBLED EGG

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 blob of butter (a little more than half a tsp)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 flakes of garlic, finely chopped
1 cm piece of grated ginger
1-2 finely chopped green chillies, (remove seeds if you can’t take the pungency)
A quarter tsp of turmeric (haldi) powder
A quarter tsp of red chilli powder
A quarter tsp of pepper powder
A quarter tsp of cumin (jeera) powder
A quarter tsp of coriander (dhaniya) powder
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 sprig mint, chopped. Use mint sparingly too much tastes awful.
1 large tomato, finely chopped
4 eggs
4 tsps milk (skimmed or soya milk)
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a hot frying pan (remember you have to heat the pan itself first) and cook the onion until transparent, (about 2 minutes). Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the five powdered spices – haldi, pepper, chilli, jeera, dhaniya. Add half the tomato and a large pinch of coriander – fry for another minute.

2. Whisk the eggs, milk and salt until combined. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the egg mixture. Return the pan to a medium-low heat and stir until the mixture lightly sets - it should have a creamy texture.

3. Stir in the remaining tomatoes and coriander, and the chopped mint. Serve straight away with hot, buttered toast. Or chapattis. Or pitta bread.


TIP:
In scrambled egg to die for, after heating the pan, throw in some chopped bacon and stir it around until the oil drips from the fat, then follow the above recipe. At the end throw in some grated cheese and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt into the akoori.

Ah. Heaven.

QUICK BUT BLAH SCRAMBLED EGG

Ingredients
1 large egg
1 teaspoon milk
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp butter for frying

First as always you have to heat the frying pan on a setting just above medium if you are using a non-stick pan. Do not add the butter yet.

In large mixing bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, pepper and salt. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.

Put the butter and very little oil, maybe a quarter of a teaspoon in the frying pan and when the butter melts add the beaten egg mixture.

The tendency is to start stirring madly. Don’t. Wait until the first hint of setting begins. Using a spatula or a flat wooden spoon and push the egg mixture towards the centre of the pan and tilt the pan to spread the liquid portion evenly.

Keep shoving the egg mixture towards the middle until all the liquidy stuff is not liquidy any more. Flip the whole mixture over and cook for about 10 to 15 seconds. Break the large pieces of egg with your spatula. Transfer scrambled egg to plate.

Now you can add many things to the scrambled egg if you want to be adventurous, chopped sausage, dinner leftovers chopped fine, anything.