Quick and easy desi style fried eggs

Alliyah Dawud
August 8, 2019

Eggs must be the original fast food. They cook quickly, are an affordable protein and eaten as part of a healthy diet will not cause too many problems in the fat department. Yet as a nation we notice periods of TV campaigns to get us enjoying eggs (remember the Mummmmmmm there’s nothing to eat in the Fridge adverts) and the Lion Eggs adverts. It seems we have a lot of negative press one year and good the next.

I love eggs. I enjoy them in salads, with Turkey Bacon (have you tried smoked Turkey Bacon), in crustless quiches and on and on.

But this recipe is more of a hommage to my heritage as a desi person.

These eggs are tangy, spicy and hit the spot for Breakfast, Brunch or even a late Supper. Enjoy on buttered toast or even as a Breakfast Burrito filling.

To serve one person here’s what you will need:

2 large eggs beaten
4 TBSP chopped tinned tomatoes
1 small onion diced finely
1 TSBP oil
Cooking salt-to your own requirement
1/2 TSP ground coriander powder
1/2 TSP ground cumin powder
Freshly ground black pepper (to your taste)
1 TBSP fresh coriander leaves chopped finely
1 fresh green chili finely chopped (optional if you want extra heat)

1) Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat.
2) Add the onions and fry until the onions soften (not brown). Add the green chili if you are using it.
3) Add the salt and spices and fry for about 30 seconds (generally we do this to cook out the spices. Raw spices taste bitter and well harsh on the tongue).
4) Add the tomatoes and fry for one minute.
5) Add the coriander and stir well.
6) Now pour in the eggs. Do not start stirring straight away. Wait about 15 seconds and then gently stir it. The aim is to product ‘clumps’ of fluffy egg.
7) Keep an eye on the heat and stir the egg. It will soon be clumpy. Cook for 2/3 minutes.
8) And voila your eggs are ready. If you have some lemons or lime on hand (or in the fridge looking sorry for itself) give it a squeeze over the eggs. Lemon does something awesome to tomatoes which makes it taste even more amazing.

Enjoy!

Note: you could make this recipe with just egg whites too. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Easy-O Tex Mex inspired Spicy Rice (aka my version of Burrito Rice)

Alliyah Dawud
June 7, 2019

Easy-o Tex Mex inspired Spicy Rice (aka my version of Burrito rice).

Note: the image of the Burrito is to show you where else you will find my Rice recipe featuring. The Burrito Recipe will be posted on 10th of June 2019.

I love a good old fat Burrito filled with beans, rice, protein, salsa, cheese….all wrapped in a golden corn tortilla wrap. Certain fast food places make awesome ones but the fat content (and salt) can sometimes leave you feeling well…guilty.

I started making Burritos at home so I could control things better (in others words what was going in them). And the one thing I know my girls love is the spicy rice…so to make life easier for me I created a quick and easy recipe using basmati rice that has been cooked and cooled. This makes this recipe ideal for using up leftover rice or frozen rice too.

For this recipe I don’t have ‘weighed’ out ingredients. Such is the nature of using leftovers.

NOTE: I have added sweetcorn to my rice to add a bit of extra goodness. This is optional.

This recipe makes two bowls of the rice which is enough for 4-6 Burritos (depending on how big/curvy your Burritos are).

  • INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 bowls (I use bowls called cereal bowls….) of cooked cooled rice
  • 200 ml passata (or half a standard carton if that makes life easier)
  • 1/2 a 400 gram chopped tomato tin.
  • 1 400 gram tin of red kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • OPTIONAL: 100 grams Sweetcorn-cooked
  • 4 cloves of crushed garlic or 1 TBSP of garlic paste
  • 2 TBSP coriander leaves chopped finely
  • Salt-to taste
  • 1 medium onion diced finely
  • 1 TBSP rapeseed oil
  • 1/2 TSP chili powder
  • 1 TSP cumin powder
  • 1 TSP coriander powder
  • Juice of 1 lime

1) Heat the oil in a large pot on a medium heat.
2) Add the onion and fry until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Stir well because burnt garlic tastes very bitter.
3) Now add the spices and beans and fry. You’ll smell a wave of spice which is good. Fry for about a minute. If the mixture starts to burn move onto step 4.
4) Add the tomato tins and passata and stir well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2/3 minutes.
5) Add the majority of the coriander (keep some back if you wish to use it as a garnish). Now add the rice and stir through to encorporate all the ingredients.
6) Turn the heat off. Add the lime juice and your rice is ready to go.

Can be enjoyed as a side at your next Tex Mex night or in a rice bowl or well in a Burrito.