This South Indian style Egg Burji is a healthy staple that’s been passed on from my great grandma to my grandma.. and then to my mom, and me and now you guys!
What You Need
This ingredient list is simple and delicious. It doesn’t require any fancy ingredients but will result in a hearty weekday meal that’ll fill you up!
- Eggs: the key ingredient! Use whatever eggs you can find, I’m not gonna tell you to use farm-fresh eggs or something. This is meant to be a recipe you throw together using whatever you have at home.
- Chopped Onions and Tomatoes : onion-tomato masala is a very common component of gravies in Indian cuisine..
- Spices: you won’t need a ton of spices you’ll never use again for this dish! All you need is turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala.
- Garlic Cloves : as always…
- Mustard Seeds : mustard seeds are to South Indians what cumin seeds are to North Indians. Feel free to use which you have on hand! It’ll taste different, but yummy either way.
Variations & Substitutes
- Chilis : this recipe calls for only dried red chili powder. To add more spice, add some thai chili peppers and leave in the seeds of the green chilies as that is the spiciest part.
- Tomatoes : there are many different varieties you can use but the key is freshness as this will ensure both acidity and sweetness. I usually use roma tomatoes but you can use a larger variety such as beefsteak as well as long as you use less to account for the larger size.
- Herbs: the recipe calls for cilantro but you can replace it with or adds other herbs such as parsley, dill, chives etc. for a different flavour profile.
Ways to Serve
There are so many different ways to serve egg bhurji. Here are a few ideas:
- With Roti (this is how I always eat it!)
- Serve with slices of toasted bread
- Serve with parathas
- Make bhurji pav with toasted hamburger buns stuffed with bhurji and maybe topped with sliced onions!
- Dig in with a spoon! You don’t need a side, just eat the bhurji plain!
Experiment with your serving style and see what you prefer!
Around the World
Tomato and Eggs are an incredibly common combo around the world in many different forms. Here are a few other tomato & egg dishes around the world!
- Israel- Shakshuka: this dish consists of a bed of tomatoes topped with onion, garlic, bell peppers, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Then, small sites are made for the eggs to sit and simmer. Finally, it is topped with parsley and feta cheese!
- Turkey- Menemen: eggs are scrambled in a base similar to the Shakshuka. The pan is removed from the heat before the eggs are done cooking so they don’t harden. Don’t worry about them being uncooked, they will finish cooking on the table! It is served with bread which can be dipped into the mixture!
- Italy- Eggs in Purgatory: tomato sauce is spiced with herbs and cheese and then topped with eggs. The sauce is called “purgatory” while the eggs are the “souls”.
- Mexico- Huevos Rancheros: also known as Rancher’s eggs, this is a traditional breakfast dish in Mexico. The recipe calls for fried eggs served on tortillas topped with a tomato salsa made with chili peppers, onions, and cilantro. It can be very easily manipulated to personal preferences!
- China- Tomato scrambled eggs: a very simple stir fry dish, this recipe involves stirring eggs in a pan, then adding tomatoes, salt, and sugar. It’s as simple as 1…2…3…
Egg Burji
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds or cumin seeds
- 1 big onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- A large pinch of salt
- 1 stem of curry leaves
- 1 small spoon of turmeric (approx 1/4 tsp turmeric)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed using the side of a knife
- 1 tbsp red chili powder, or more to taste
- 3 eggs
- Garam Masala
- Chopped Cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a saucepan and add in the mustard seeds or cumin seeds. Give that a stir and let it dance around for a minute. Then, add in the chopped onion with a large pinch of salt and sauté until then onions get translucent and very soft. This will be the longest step so take your time, it usually takes around 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add in the curry leaves and chopped tomato. Once again, let this get very soft and break down. Add in the turmeric, crushed whole garlic and red chili powder. Stir and cook for a minute on medium heat. Add in 1/4 cup of water and stir, let this simmer on low until the water evaporates and it looks like the picture in the notes.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and crack in the eggs. To make it higher protein, you add in extra egg whites. Let it set for a minute and then turn the heat up and scramble. Once mostly cook, add a spoonful of garam masala and taste it. Add more salt and garam masala if needed. Finish off with chopped cilantro & enjoy!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me @eatsbyramya or DM me a picture & let me know how it went!
Notes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Cuisine: Indian