Egg Paratha
Parathas are essentially a tortilla like flat bread made out of whole wheat flour. It is very common to have them for breakfast in India. They are typically stuffed with vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower or even a daikon. It can also be prepared plain layered with butter or ghee and eaten with yogurt. In this dish, a whole wheat tortilla or any choice of flat bread can be used. I grew up eating egg parathas for breakfast. I am not sure how common they are amongst other Indians, but we would have them once in a while for breakfast or even lunch. It is almost a whole meal- whole wheat bread with an egg. The egg is nicely spiced with salt and cayenne pepper. The cilantro gives the dish great flavor and color. Typically a regular onion is sauteed with a green chili- I like to use green onions because of their mild flavor and beautiful color. The soft layer of egg goes very well with the crispy paratha. The spice level can be increased by adding more cayenne pepper in the egg mixture- I love it spicy, so I add more cayenne and more serrano chilies to the frying pan- my mouth salivates as I write about this dish!!!- even though I just finished eating the most flavorful biryani I have ever had! Stay tuned for the recipe and explanation on Monday… as usual, I digress…
Egg paratha goes very well with ketchup or even a tomato chutney and a cup of hot masala chai– perfect combination! We usually look forward to having this breakfast dish on the weekends.
- 1 large egg, beaten well
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- 1 round flat bread, a tortilla, a prepared roti or paratha
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the green onion and Serrano chili. Saute for a minute or two on medium heat. In the meantime, beat the egg well and add the salt, cayenne pepper and cilantro. Have the tortilla or the paratha ready. Pour the egg mixture on to the onion mixture in the frying pan. Rotate the frying pan to spread the egg mixture evenly. Plate the paratha on top of the egg mixture and press down with a spatula. Cook on medium heat till the egg below the paratha is well cooked- about 3-4 minutes. Flip the egg paratha over and brown the other side.
