Vegetable Masala Omelette
Vegetable Masala Omelette is inspired by the masala omelettes of India, often eaten for breakfast at home or on the go. But it can be a tasty, quick and nutritious meal at any time of day. Packed with veggies plus spices like garam masala, turmeric and cumin, you can eat this substantial omelette on its own or with bread. I love it with a squeeze of lemon, rolled up in a flatbread with a dab of chilli sauce or chutney.
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NUTRITIOUS, VERSATILE, QUICK-COOKING EGGS
I’m always on the lookout for tasty, nutritious egg dishes. And especially when I don’t have a lot of time. Packed full of goodness, relatively cheap and quick to cook, eggs are perfect for an easy meal. In fact, if I could only eat one food, I’m pretty sure I’d choose eggs.
So versatile, I love them whether simply boiled and served with buttered homemade bread, poached or scrambled on toast. I’m also a big fan of eggs as the foundation of Spanish tortilla, Italian frittata, or French-style omelettes.
But the thing I’m understanding more and more is just how well the richness of eggs pairs with spices. Turkish Eggs (served on garlic yogurt with sizzling spiced butter) and Shakshuka (baked with spicy tomato sauce) are probably the most widely known spicy egg dishes.
But I think there’s another that should be up there with them. Vegetable Masala Omelette.
VEGETABLE MASALA OMELETTE
Since I learned about simple, quick and surprisingly delicious masala omelette, I’ve made one almost every week. Not only does it have that winning combination of eggs and spice, but also packs in plenty of veg. This omelette originated on the Indian subcontinent where it’s a popular breakfast dish made at home or bought from a street vendor or café. But it’s perfect for me when I want a speedy brunch or lunch.
Usually cooked on both sides, Vegetable Masala Omelette has more in common with tortilla and frittata than fluffy French omelettes. But while it’s substantial and filling, it isn’t at all heavy. Add spices such as garam masala, cumin, turmeric, plus as much or as little chilli heat as you like, and you’ve something very tasty indeed. And all in under twenty minutes.
Because the omelette is quick to cook, finely chop (or grate) your chosen veg so they have time to become tender. Although you could pre-cook the vegetables by frying in a little oil first, to me that slightly undermines the point of the dish: fast as well as delicious.
You’ll find ingredient amounts to make an omelette to serve one to two people in the detailed recipe card at the end. But feel free to use it as a template and adjust the vegetables and spicing level to your own taste.
EQUIPMENT & INGREDIENTS
To make Vegetable Masala Omelette you’ll need a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron frying pan. I prefer non-stick and, so the omelette isn’t too thin, use a smallish one with a base diameter of 16 centimetres or 6 inches. If you only have a larger frying pan, you might want to add another egg and slightly increase the amount of vegetables so it still has good depth.
Besides the eggs, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Oil, oil and butter, or ghee. You can fry the omelette in any of these fats. My preference is a mixture of butter (for flavour) with a bland oil (e.g. sunflower) to stop it burning.
- Spices. I’ve used the warm spice mix known as garam masala plus ground turmeric and cumin, mild chilli flakes, salt, and pepper. You can add as much or as little as you like of each spice, but my advice is to be generous.
- Vegetables. Those most often added to masala omelette are tomato, red onion (or spring onion), and green chilli. But you can include others like peppers or courgette; I’ve chosen carrot.
- Coriander leaf. To me, this adds a wonderful fresh flavour. But if you really don’t like it, swap in parsley or spinach.
HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE MASALA OMELETTE
Making Vegetable Masala Omelette is so easy that after your first go I doubt you’ll need the recipe at all.
Start by cracking the eggs into a small bowl then use a fork to beat them with all the spices plus salt and pepper. Then stir in the vegetables and coriander.
Next, put the oil/butter/ghee in the frying pan over medium-high heat. When it’s nice and hot, add the spicy egg and vegetable mixture, spreading it so the vegetables are evenly distributed. Note that if the fat is hot enough, then the egg around the edges of the ban should bubble up within a few seconds.
Cook for around two minutes or until, if you peek underneath, the bottom is set and golden brown. Now turn the heat down to medium and cover with a lid, plate or similar. Continue cooking until the top of the omelette is almost set.
Using a wide spatula, carefully turn the omelette over and cook uncovered for a further minute or so or until it’s done to your liking.
To serve, slide or flip the omelette onto a plate, depending on which side you want uppermost.
HOW TO EAT VEGETABLE MASALA OMELETTE.
Get the spicing right, and I think you’ll be surprised at just how good this easy, veggie-packed omelette can be. For a light, simple meal, you need add literally nothing to it. But a few additions are definitely worthwhile if you fancy them. A squeeze of lemon brings freshness and acidity while a dab of chilli sauce or homemade spicy chutney adds extra zing.
Masala omelette is often served with bread and I think my Soft White Baps would be good. But what I love best is Vegetable Masala Omelette rolled up in a flatbread. An Indian-style roti or chapati would be most fitting. Or you could try my easy, no yeast Quick Flatbreads or Yogurt Flatbreads.
Full disclosure though: for the omelette you see in this post, I used one of the store-bought Greek-style flatbreads I sometimes keep in the freezer. But oh my, did the combination work! Chewy bread, veggie-packed, spicy eggs, a squeeze of lemon, and some hot sauce (admittedly another short cut but so good: regular ketchup mixed with sriracha).
Once you’ve tried my version, do play around with the recipe. A few suggestions, as well as swapping in different veg, include: lightening the eggs with a splash of milk or water, adding cheese to the mix or scattering over once cooked, or adding other proteins e.g. cooked chicken or prawns.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Vegetable Masala Omelette
Although inspired by the masala omelettes of India eaten for breakfast, this makes a tasty, quick and nutritious meal at any time.
Packed with vegetables and with a warmly spicy flavour, eat this substantial omelette on its own or with bread: try it with a squeeze of lemon, rolled up in a flatbread with a dab of chilli sauce or chutney.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs (medium or large)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ⅛ - ¼ tsp chilli powder or flakes
- 1 large pinch black pepper
- 1 large pinch salt
- 1 medium tomato (deseeded then finely chopped)
- 1 rounded tbsp carrot (grated)
- 1 rounded tbsp red or spring onion (finely chopped)
- ½ - 1 green chilli (finely chopped)
- 1 rounded tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
- oil OR half butter and half oil, OR ghee (for frying)
To serve (optional)
- lemon wedges for squeezing over
- chilli sauce
- bread
Instructions
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Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the spices and seasonings then whisk with a fork to combine.
Stir in the prepared tomato, carrot, onion, green chilli, and coriander.
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Put a small, non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat and add enough oil or butter/oil or ghee to cover the base.
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When the fat is hot, add the egg mixture and spread over the base, making sure the vegetables are evenly distributed: if the fat is hot enough, the egg should bubble up around the sides of the pan within a few seconds.
Cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom is set and golden.
Turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid or plate and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the top is almost set.
Use a wide spatula to carefully turn the omelette over then cook without a lid for another minute or so or until done to your liking.
-
Slide or flip the omelette onto a plate and serve on its own, with a squeeze of lemon and/or chilli sauce plus bread if liked.
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