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Masala omelette
Spiced chilli omelette
Masala omelette: the thin, chilli-flecked tawa omelette cooked in homes and at egg carts all over India
From hostel kitchens in Pune to the egg carts outside Chennai railway stations, the masala omelette is what India makes when breakfast, a late supper or a tiffin filling has to be ready in minutes. Eggs are beaten with raw onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander and a pinch of turmeric, then spread thin on a hot tawa so the edges crisp and the middle stays soft and juicy. Eat it folded with buttered toast, rolled in a chapati, or beside dal and rice. The usual mistake is chopping the onion and tomato too coarsely: big pieces stop the egg setting round them and the omelette tears when you flip it. Chef's tip: salt the eggs only at the last second before they hit the pan, because salted tomato weeps water into the batter and the omelette turns spongy.
- Total time
- 11 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 4 eggslarge
- ½ red onionvery finely chopped
- 1 tomatosmall, seeds scooped out, very finely chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp sunflower oil or ghee
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Crack 4 eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork for about 30 seconds, until the whites and yolks are fully combined and a little frothy.
Step 2: Stir in ½ red onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ¼ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder. Leave out the salt for now.
Step 3: Heat a 24 cm non-stick pan or tawa over a medium-high heat with 1 tsp sunflower oil or ghee, swirling it to coat. It is ready when a drop of egg sizzles at once.
1 minStep 4: Stir ¼ tsp salt into half the egg mixture and pour it into the pan. Tilt the pan so it spreads thin, right to the edges.
1 minStep 5: Cook without stirring until the underside is golden in spots and the top is almost set with only a thin wet film, about 1½ minutes. Lower the heat if the edges brown too fast.
2 minStep 6: Flip it with a wide spatula (or fold it in half) and cook for 30 seconds more, until the centre is no longer runny when pressed. Slide onto a plate.
1 minStep 7: Make the second omelette the same way with the remaining 1 tsp sunflower oil or ghee, ¼ tsp salt and egg mixture. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, a young child, an older person or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook the eggs until fully set. Serve hot with toast, chapati or ketchup.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masala omelette take?
- About 11 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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