One of the easiest meals to cook is some form of eggs with bread. Agree? From scrambled to fried, eggs are versatile, delicious and dependable when the fridge stares back with an empty produce drawer. Eggs are also comforting to eat. Their large store of fat (in the yolk) coupled with proteins (in the white) is the kind of balance that is often tough to replicate in other foods. I like to think of eggs as a category of food unto themselves. Anda Bhurji is an Indian style of making scrambled eggs flavoured with a mix of ground spices. This by no means is unique to India; there is Khagina in Pakistan, Khagineh in Iran and Akuri in Parsi cuisine. (all wikipedia!)
Indian bhurji(s)
Bhurji refers to two kinds in India – one made of eggs and the other with crumbled paneer. Each is quick to make and pairs well with fresh warm paranthas or other breads like a missi roti or tawa roti. The method of cooking is almost the same in each, i.e. the first step involves cooking a tadka and the second scrambling eggs or mixing in crumbled paneer.
The word bhurji – noun and adjective
Until now I hadn’t thought about the word bhurji itself, its origins, etymology and related cognates. In Hindi ‘bhurji’ originates from “भुरभुरा” (bhur-bhura) which describes an object’s tendency to crumble. In common parlance bhurji is either used to denote the food prepared, as a noun, or as an adjective for when things are really messed up. For instance one could use it to describe a chaotic event, especially where there was no sequence or sense in how things unfolded.
For me though, it’s primary meaning will be food!
How to make Anda Bhurji or scrambled eggs with Indian tadka and spices:
Total Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive: 10 minutes, Active cooking: 20 minutes
Serves: 2-3 people
Ingredients:
- 4-6 eggs,
- 1 to 2 garlic pods,
- 1 to 2 green chillies,
- 1 medium red onion,
- 1 roma tomato,
- 1 small or 1/2 large pepper (red or green),
- Small bunch of fresh coriander (8-10 stalks),
- 1 tbsp olive oil,
- 1 tsp salt,
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder,
- 1/2 tsp or more red chilli powder (to taste),
- 1/2 tsp or more black pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup green peas (optional).
Process:
Start by prepping ingredients for the tadka. If using chillies, slice down the center and remove the pith and seeds. This will reduce some of the heat. Dice onion, tomato and pepper. Also chop fresh coriander (cilantro) and keep aside for garnishing at the end.
Step 1: the tadka:
Then in a deep wok, kadhai, heat about 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them splutter. At this point add garlic and green chillies. Sautee for a minute before adding onions. Cook the onions until they start browning. Next add tomato and mix well. Add salt over the tomatoes and mix again. Cook covered on low heat until mushy. Adding salt at this point helps to break down tomatoes. They release their moisture due to osmosis and cook faster.
While the tomatoes and onions cook, break 4-6 eggs in a bowl and whisk them until all the yolks have broken and combined. Do not over mix. Introducing too much air in the mix will not help because we are scrambling them, not baking.
Check the tadka. Mix it and add remaining spices – red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Next, add chopped pepper (red of green) and cook covered for another 5 minutes on medium heat before adding eggs. Additionally you could also add some green peas. If using frozen peas, soak them in lukewarm water before adding to the tadka at this stage.
Step 2: adding eggs
Once the eggs are in reduce heat to a minimum and stir continuously. The curds (size of cooked scrambled eggs) in a bhurji are quite small. Stir rapidly in a circular motion to break the curds into small pieces – imagine a look like crumbled feta cheese. Once the eggs stop being runny and look like they are almost done cooking add half the chopped coriander, cover the wok and let them sit undisturbed for another 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and ladle the bhurji into a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with fresh paranthas, chapattis or buttered toast, a spoonful of fresh hari chutney and some plain yogurt.
Anda bhurji with parathas is one of our brunch staples!
Hope you enjoy a bhurji soon, and you can be sure it will be on my table someday soon. 😋
- 4-6 eggs,
- 1 to 2 garlic pods,
- 1 to 2 green chillies,
- 1 medium red onion,
- 1 roma tomato,
- 1 small or 1/2 large pepper (red or green),
- Small bunch of fresh coriander (8-10 stalks),
- 1 tbsp olive oil,
- 1 tsp salt,
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder,
- 1/2 tsp or more red chilli powder (to taste),
- 1/2 tsp or more black pepper (to taste).
- Start by prepping ingredients for the tadka.
- If using chillies, slice down the center and remove the pith and seeds.
- Dice onion, tomato and pepper.
- Chop fresh coriander (cilantro) and keep aside for garnishing at the end.
- In a deep wok, kadhai, heat about 1 tbsp of cooking oil.
- Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Then add garlic and green chillies.
- Saute for a minute before adding onions.
- Cook the onions until they start browning.
- Next add tomato and mix well.
- Add salt over the tomatoes and mix again.
- Cook covered on low heat until mushy.
- While the tomatoes and onions cook, break 4-6 eggs in a bowl and whisk them until all the yolks have broken and combined.
- Check the tadka, mix it and add remaining spices – red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder.
- Next, add chopped pepper (red of green) and cook covered for another 5 minutes on medium heat before adding eggs.
- Once the eggs are in reduce heat to a minimum and stir continuously.
- Stir rapidly in a circular motion to break the curds into small pieces – imagine a look like crumbled feta cheese.
- Once the eggs stop being runny and look like they are almost done cooking add half the chopped coriander, cover the wok and let them sit undisturbed for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and ladle the bhurji into a serving bowl.
- Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with fresh paranthas, chapattis or buttered toast, a spoonful of fresh hari chutney and some plain yogurt.