Do you all love to eat? Yes of course we all love to eat! There are two kinds of people in the world—those who eat eggs and those who don’t. Of course, this is not for those who fall in the latter category. But we are sure the number of such people is minimal. Eggs re a man’s best friend when it comes to easy breakfast, lunch or dinner—or for that matter, any meal. We can easily say that all good things come in small packages and this small oval-shaped pearl of pure joy is a blessing for all of us. Let’s take a look at 25 lip-smacking egg-based dishes:
1. Classic Cheese Omelets
Perhaps the most common way to make eggs is to make an omelet. There are thousand and one ways to make omelets, and one of the most famous ones is a cheese omelet. Whisk 2-3 eggs with salt and white pepper. Pour it over an olive oil-drizzled sauce pan to form a circle. Cook for about a minute and a half. Grate mozzarella cheese or any regular cheese over the omelet. Form a ‘D’ by carefully turning the omelet in the sauce pan. Heat it for 10 to 15 seconds on both sides. Serve the delicious goodness of eggs hot.
2. Poached Eggs
This is the easiest way to prepare eggs and healthy too. Boil water in a pot with little vinegar. Let it simmer for a while. Break an egg and drop it in the pot. With the help of a ladle, gently pour water from the pot over the eggs until it forms a small white layer over the egg. With the help of a perforated ladle, pick up the egg and drain the water. Add seasoning and you are game. This will go great in a sandwich with English mustard sauce.
3. Bengali-Style Poached Eggs
Most Bengalis will agree with this. It is the usual sunny side up omelet but with a twist. Once you have made a sunny side up with all the seasoning added to it, just flip the egg over. Now what you have is a fried egg which is crisp from both sides. This small little side dish will accompany every Indian dish from Khichdi to Dal Roti. Instead of white pepper, sprinkle some crushed black pepper.
4. Devilled Eggs
Slightly tiresome to make, but once these are made you will drool for sure. Prepare hard-boiled eggs by boiling them for over 3 minutes. Run cold water over the eggs after boiling them. Peel off the skin and cut it lengthwise. Remove the yolk and mash them with a bunch of your favorite sauces. The ingredients may include hollandaise sauce, mustard sauce, or tartar sauce. Season the mixture well. Fill the hollow part of eggs with the yolk mixture. And voila! Devilled eggs will make your belly smile.
5. Egg Pizza
Pizza is something that one can easily order and choose from the menu that is offered by the restaurant. But this mouth-watering amalgamation of eggs with pizza will leave you speechless. The concept is getting the eggs between the tomato sauce and cheese. Once you spread out the pizza sauce over the pizza base (both are easily available with your local grocery store), add whisked eggs and cook it until the eggs are done. Add grated cheese and pepperoni as toppings. Place it in the oven until the cheese melts, and enjoy your gluttonous egg pizza.
6. French Toast
Everyone knows about the French toast. This easy-to-make dish has been a Sunday morning favorite of many. Whisk eggs, honey and salt in a bowl. Soak bread in the eggs for 30 seconds. Remove the excess eggs by placing the bread on a cooling rack. Add a dash of butter on a frying pan and fry the egg-laced bread from both the sides until brown. Now, eat it without even sharing because some things are better enjoyed alone. If you do not like the sweet French toast, you can add crushed black pepper and chopped onions. When you are done with two slices of the French toast, place a slice of cheese in between the two and heat it for about 25-30 seconds from both the sides. Your French cheese toast is ready to tinkle your taste buds.
7. Frittata
Frittata is basically a thick omelet which originated in Italy. Whisk 3-4 eggs with seasoning. Add herbs like oregano or rosemary—whichever you like the most. Butter a thick sauce pan and pour the eggs in it. While it is still in its liquid form, add cooked veggies and meat of your choice. Grate cheese from top. Put it in the oven until it is cooked. All you want is the heat from top. Cut out the wedges. And what you get is an omelet that you love. Traditionally it is cooked in a skillet and then in a broiler.
8. Eggs in a Basket
Remember the movie ‘V for Vendetta’? We use to cook this for every. All you need is a large piece of bread with a circle cut out in the center. Heat it in a pan with butter. Break an egg right in the center. Cook till the eggs are done. Flip gently to avoid any spillage. Add seasoning and chopped coriander. The idea of this dish is simple and bulletproof.
9. Egg Fried Rice with Tandoori Chicken
This isn’t the usual stuff that you order from your local restaurant. All you need is rice (pre-cooked and cold and whatever amount your belly can hold up), Tandoori Chicken from a local restaurant and eggs. Make a plain omelet and cut it into thin strips. De-skin the tandoori chicken roughly and chop it. Now add butter in a pan. When it melts, add chopped onions and red bell peppers. When they turn brown add rice with few drops of soy sauce. Stir constantly and add chicken into it. Mix it well with the strips of omelet. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Home cooked egg fried rice with chicken is ready. For the zing, squeeze a lemon into it.
10. Egg Drop Soup
As the name says, you just need to drop an egg into a soup. But here you need to make the soup. All you need is chicken stock or you can use regular water. Heat it with few flakes of ginger and a small drizzle of olive oil. Boil it and let it simmer for a while. Put some spring onion in a separate container. Beat 2-3 eggs in a bowl with seasoning. Pour eggs a little at a time. Eggs will cook up immediately. Add the spring onions. To get the consistency right pour in some cornstarch to thicken it up. Add salt and pepper to taste and you get the authentic Chinese soup in your kitchen.
11. Egg Mushroom Salad
This salad is simple and quick. Sauté chopped onions with mushrooms, add seasoning to taste. Cool it off and add sprouts. Hard boil an egg and cut it in small cubes. Add it in mushroom mix. Assemble everything with chopped iceberg lettuce. Garnish with a poached egg and green coriander.
12. Eggs in Baked Potato
Things you need: one egg and one large potato. Boil the potato for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then carefully make a cup in the potato so that the egg can sit in. Grease the potato with butter from inside. Beat eggs with seasoning and pour it into the potato. Grate cheese on top with pieces of pepperoni. This will sit in your belly for long time and may be on your taste buds for the rest of your life.
13. Egg Sandwich
Another simple and quick to grab egg-based dish is an egg sandwich. Make an omelet with onions and tomatoes in it. Butter the slice of bread. Assemble the sandwich by placing lettuce, slices of tomatoes, mayonnaise, and the omelet in between the two slices of bread.
14. Fried Hard Boiled Eggs
Do just as the name says—fry the hard boiled eggs with garam masala. Hard boil the eggs. In a sauce pan, drizzle some oil and add garam masala and red chili powder. Cook for about 15-20 seconds on high flame. Cut the eggs lengthwise and fry them. It even goes well in egg curry.
15. Egg and Keema Patties
Yeah it is like desi hamburger minus the ham. Get mutton keema for the ultimate taste. Sprinkle some dried oregano or kasturi methi over the minced meat with salt and crushed pepper. To bind all add an egg yolk. Mix all together and make small round patties of it. Grill these with butter. Place it on a bun. Put a slice of cheese and a small poached egg on top. Cover it with the other bun. Enjoy it with a loved one.
16. Egg Paratha
There are 3 basic ways in which one can make egg paratha. First is plain paratha on both sides of an omelet. Make an omelet and place a plain paratha on it. Flip it and place another plain paratha, and it’s done. Second is egg on both sides of one paratha, it is more like Malabari Paratha. Third one is made by making scrambled eggs first. Then placing it the small dough and covering it, like a dim sum. Then spread it out in shape of a circle. Cook and enjoy with lemon pickle (nimu ka achaar).
17. Egg Bhurji
Simple yet delicious! Sauté chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes and season it well. Whisk eggs with cream. Pour the beaten eggs over onions. Keep stirring regularly until the eggs get completely scrambled. Add boiled corn for extra crunch.
18. Egg Samosa
You get no points for guessing this one. This is egg bhurji stuffed inside a Samosa. The trick here is to get the Samosa shape correct. There are so many different techniques of making Samosa that you can find on YouTube. Make sure you get Bhurji right, add whatever that suits your taste. Enjoy it and share it!
19. Bhurji Pav
If you have never been to Maharashtra, you can cook this yummy Maharashtrian street food in your home. Prepare the usual egg bhurji with loads of spices. Make sure you get enough green chili and tomatoes and onions in it. Squeeze a lemon and sprinkle some chaat masala over it. Small bread buns called ‘pav’ is easily available at a grocery store near you. Butter it and then grill it.
20. Egg Bread
Every college or educational institute must have a small vendor/hawker that sells this desi variation of an egg sandwich. It’s a simple omelet cooked with plain white bread. You already know how it is made so we need not really go into the details of its recipe.
21. Egg Maggi
Last but not the least! All over world’s favorite dish Maggi .Cook Maggi and break an egg in it. What you get is the most used variation of Maggi. For 15 different variations of Maggi.
By Shamim Noorani.
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