Indian scrambled eggs with naan or toast, one of the recipes in Home Bird by Megan Davies and Clare WInfield.
Indian scrambled eggs with naan or toast, one of the recipes in Home Bird by Megan Davies and Clare WInfield.
In an extract from Home Bird by Megan Davies, we feature two great recipes for a long weekend lie-in.
Indian scrambled eggs with naan or toast
My friend Ivan taught me this recipe, having come back from a year working as a naturalist guide at Kipling Camp in the KanhaTiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (home of The Jungle Book). The head chef at Kipling Camp, who has worked there for 30 years and who taught Ivan this recipe, serves the "anda bhurji" in a roll as a picnic breakfast for guests, ahead of a day on safari. I, however, first tried them in Surrey. Although the surroundings weren't quite as exotic as their origin, I loved the recipe and have been making them ever since. I serve them on toast or sometimes naan bread, with tamarind chutney on the side.
Swap ins
Any type of onion will do and use any fresh tomatoes you have, you just need about 130g–150g fresh tomato. Ground cumin works instead of seeds.
This recipe serves 2 people so there shouldn't be much left, but you could cook basmati rice, then add to a frying pan/skillet with the leftover scrambled eggs and make an Indian-style egg-fried rice, with extra dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes and coriander/cilantro. Make sure the eggs and rice are piping hot.
Ingredients
olive oil or ghee, for cooking 1 onion, finely chopped 4 eggs 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 garlic clove, grated 2 vine tomatoes, roughly chopped 10g freshly chopped coriander/cilantro Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 naans or slices of toast, to serve Dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes, to serve Tamarind chutney, to serve (optional)
Heat a generous glug of oil or a large knob/pat of ghee in a medium, non-stick frying pan/skillet on a medium-high heat and, when hot, add the chopped onion. Let sizzle and soften for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a fork, then set aside.
Once the onions have had 5 minutes, add the cumin seeds and turmeric. Cook for a further minute, then add the garlic and chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine well and cook for a further minute.
Remove the pan from the heat briefly, add the eggs, mixing well, then return to the heat again and scramble for a final minute or two.
Once the eggs are ready, remove from the heat and fold through the coriander/cilantro and season.
Serve on warmed naans or toast, generously sprinkle over some dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes and a spoonful of tamarind chutney on the side, if you have some.
Sweet ginger tea
I was first given this tea by my Indian neighbour; it was so warming I only drank tea like it for a week after. Ginger aids digestion and the honey offers some sweet satisfaction, perfect for post-meal cravings.
Sweet ginger tea, from Home Bird by Megan Davies and Clare WInfield.
Ingredients
60g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 2 black tea bags Milk, to serve Runny honey, to serve
Serves 4 Time 10 minutes
Put the ginger into a saucepan with 1 litre water and the tea bags, then bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and stand for a minute before straining into tea cups, with a dash of milk and a drop or two of honey.
Swap ins
Very simple swap-ins would be loose black tea (probably more authentic, too, I just use tea bags as I always have them in my cupboard) and then sugar as a replacement for honey.
Leftovers
Cool down and serve chilled as an iced tea, topped up with cold water, fresh chunks of ginger, lemon slices and lots of ice (no milk).
Spiced mint tea
This is a wonderfully soothing refreshment for after dinner, first thing in the morning or as and when you feel like it! It's also lovely chilled and served over ice, so don't pour away the teapot dregs!
1 litre boiling water 3 cardamom pods, bashed 10g fresh mint 2 cloves 2 star anise
Serves 4 Time 5 minutes
Fill a teapot with hot water to warm.
Pour out the warming water from the teapot, fill with the measured fresh boiling water and add all the remaining ingredients. Let the tea stand for 5 minutes before straining and serving.
Swap-ins
You could make this tea without anyo f the spices above and it would still be lovely, so if you don't have it all, just make do with what you have.
Leftovers
Cool to room temperature, strain and then freeze into ice cubes. Add an iced tea cube to a mug with boiling water and you have the same tea without any ingredients needed. That, or add the ice cubes to water, gin or vodka tonics for a minty, spiced hint as the ice melts.
Home Bird, by Megan Davies.
Home Bird by Megan Davies, published by Ryland Peters & Small
Photography by Clare Winfield, distributed by Bookreps NZ
