For those of you who thought that a Bombay Omelette was a little something that appears on the pavement outside Abacus on Friday morning, think again. Because, to honour the wonderfully paint-splattery Indian celebration that is Holi, I’ve come up with a spicy omelette supper. Yum.
This is a perfect mid-night meal, because it takes very little planning – if you’ve got a decent spice rack that contains coriander and cumin. All you need is some eggs and any other bits and bobs to add some colour to the omelette to honour…well…the Festival of Colours.
Ingredients
3 eggs
Splash of milk (about the same amount as the gin you’d pour into a G&T)
1 teaspoon of creme fraiche (not necessary if you don’t have any)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Heaped teaspoon of cumin
Heaped teaspoon of coriander
1 chilli
Colourful vegetables: I used cooked beetroot and (defrosted) frozen spinach, but use whatever you have in the fridge – tomatoes, courgette, red onion, peppers etc.
Fry the onions until they start to turn translucent. Add the chopped chilli, coriander, cumin and garlic, and fry for a couple more minutes.
In the meantime, use a fork to stir the eggs and milk in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the spicy onions in a hot pan. The egg round the edges will cook quicker than the egg in the middle, so use a wooden spatula to push the edges into the centre – apart from that, just leave the pan on a medium heat, and don’t touch it too much – definitely no stirring otherwise it’ll turn into scrambled eggs.
Once the top of the omelette is starting to set, place your prepared vegetables on top. I used finely sliced, cooked beetroot and (defrosted) frozen spinach (with the moisture squeezed out of it). If you’re more of a traditionalist, pop some cheese on top too – not quite as Indian, but more omelette-y.
Once the omelette has cooked through, use the wooden spatula to fold it in half, and slide onto a plate. It’d be nice with a spicy tomato sauce – but (being a cheapskate) I used the leftover beetroot sprinkled with some sunflower seeds. Enjoy!
I love cooking “a bit of this and a bit of that” style. I think this is real cooking. Adapting and creating based on what you have and what is in season. Does paneer lend itself to being sprinkled into an omelette? Because that would be good substitute for Indian cheese.
Brilliant picture of Holi celebrations and a fab omlette recipe. I miss Bombay omlettes!