Omelet masala – Caroline’s Cooking

Where is masala omelet from?

Masala omelette is often said to come from South India, though you will find it across the country. It’s a popular street breakfast or snack, but also something many will make at home. I loved this account of enjoying them at railways stations.

Exactly how the omelette got to India is a little unclear, but certainly there’s a distinctive Indian twist in the ingredients.

How is it different to European omelets?

Of course, omelettes, fritattas and tortillas vary from one country to another as well. But this Indian omelette has a few distinguishing features:

It’s heavily loaded with vegetables – you often taste them more than the egg.
Ingredients vary, but pretty much all will include fresh chili and dried spices. Some also include coconut.
You cook it slowly and thoroughly, rather than leaving it softer in the middle.
The idea is not to make it light and fluffy – instead it’s generally thin and more dense.

I have made this omelette a bit thicker than they can often be, in part due to the size of my pan. But whatever the thickness, you want to be able to fold it as you’ll often double it over in bread or roll in a roti/paratha.

Steps to make this omelet

Dice the onion, tomato, chili and cilantro – all should be pretty small.
Lightly whisk the eggs with a little salt in a bowl.
Add the onion, tomato, chili, cilantro and turmeric to the eggs and mix.
Slightly warm the oil in a skillet and for the eggs in.
Once the eggs are almost cooked through, flip it over and finish on the other side.

I didn’t pre-cook the onions here, as is pretty common in a lot of recipes that I drew from. Some suggest if you thin them, they’ll cook through, and possibly I didn’t get them small enough for that to be the case.

So either chop super small, or if you prefer a slightly softer, sweeter onion rather than with a bit of a crunch, you can guarantee that a bit more if you pre-cook them a little.

Either way, this is a really quick to make. It’s great served just as it is, but as I mention, it’s also popular served as more of a sandwich, whether that’s the more traditional roti or paratha, or sliced bread toast.

A masala omelette is a delicious combination of eggs, veggies, and a little kick of spice. It’s really quick and easy to make, and makes a wonderful change for brunch. So, grab your ingredients and give it a try.

masala omelette on plate with tomato, chili and cilantro behind

Try these other egg dishes from around the world:

Print Recipe

masala omelet

This Indian omelet is loaded up with veggies and spices, and makes a delicious and easy breakfast/brunch.

Ingredients

2 eggs
¼ cup onion approx ½ onion
¼ cup tomato ½ large or 1 smaller
½ fresh green chilli eg serano, or more to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro cilantro (chopped volume)
⅛ teaspoon turmeric
⅛ teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or other neutral oil

Instructions

Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl – they should be broken up but not frothy.
Finely chop the onion, tomato, chili and cilantro. Add them to the eggs, along with the turmeric and chili and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt to taste, if you like.
Gently warm the oil in a small-medium skillet/frying pan over a medium heat (see notes) and add the egg mixture while it’s still warming up.
Cook the omelette on the first side for around 2-4 minutes until it is cooked on the sides and largely cooked in the middle. Cover the top of the omelette with a small plate and flip it on to the plate and back into the skillet to turn. Cook on the other side for a minute or two to be gently brown and cooked through. Serve as it is or with roti/bread.

Ratings

If you prefer the onion to be slightly sweeter tasting, you can pre-cook them a minute or two, or else make sure you cut them really finely.
I used an 8in/20cm skillet/frying pan but slightly larger eg 10in/25cm would allow you to get a thinner omelet.
This is a great base of ingredients, but you can add others too eg some grated coconut, spinach or additional spices.

Nutrition

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