I cannot survive without eggs in the morning. Make that Chai and eggs in the morning. I cannot survive without chai and eggs in the morning. First thing I do in the morning while rubbing my half open eyes, after getting out of my cozy hugger of a bed is, put up a pan of water on the stove for chai and pull out eggs out of the refrigerator for them to come to room temperature before I decide what to do with them. They sometimes end up getting boiled, hard or soft, fried or end up getting poached but mostly they get scrambled.
I am a lazy person specially when cooking the first meal of my day but I do know how important that first meal is so nothing healthier and easier than a piece of toast topped with some nice and egg scrambles. I’ve had some healthy smoothie or oatmeal for breakfast phases too but I always find myself coming back to the good old eggs. So Its only right to share the recipe for one of my most favorite and no frill breakfasts. Now I know sharing a recipe for scrambled eggs is like telling people how to brew a pot of coffee but for the longest time (and I still) I couldn’t brew one so….
For a recipe as simple as this one there isn’t much in the recipe itself than some of the finer details or tricks and techniques that make all the difference. But what also sets one scrambled egg apart from another is your taste preference. Some like it silky, some like it loose and some like it as they call it “American diner style” which is cooked through but still moist and fluffy. I will not confuse you with all those details though. I will just share a few tips that I practice and then you can play around with your eggs and create your own recipe. So here’s what I do to scramble my eggs-
- Bring the eggs to room temperature: I feel they whisk better when room temperature. Technically the eggs do not need to be stored in a fridge but if you’ve been doing it like me for some reason then just pull them out of the refrigerator a while before you whisk them. Another way to bring eggs to room temperature faster is to put then in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- Add salt while whisking: Now there are two groups on this one. One says add salt in the end after the eggs are cooked thinking adding it before might make their eggs watery. I personally think its better to add salt while whisking your eggs as (in the words of a very wise gentleman who once told me) salt acts as a buffer between the proteins between the eggs preventing them from linking too tightly and as a result they are softer even after being cooked through on a pan. I believe him so I add my salt before.
- Whisk continuously or just fold?: If you like your eggs soft and silky, I’d say keep whisking it on high heat with either a spatula or a whisk, with a 4-5 seconds interval in between. As I prefer mine fluffy I just use my spatula and keep folding the eggs, turning the wet side down to the direct contact with the pan.
Basically these are the only tricks I follow. Then I cook my eggs following the steps discussed below and jazz it up with either creamy Avocados or hot sauce, even a dash of ketchup or a sprinkle of chaat masala does wonders.
Ingredients: Serves 2
4 eggs
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
Crushed black pepper, to taste
Method:
Break eggs in a bowl. Add salt. Whisk well until blended.
Add butter or olive to a thick bottom pan. Turn up the heat to high. As the butter melts of the oil loosens to grease the pan.
Pour egg mixture. As eggs begin to set, gently the eggs across the pan with a spatula, forming large soft curds. Continue the process of pulling and turning until the eggs are cooked through. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a plate. Sprinkle crushed pepper. Serve hot.