Punjabi-Style Scrambled Eggs

There are countless ways of preparing fried or scrambled breakfast eggs in India, but one thing they almost all have in common is cooking the eggs well until they are almost hard. These eggs, scrambled with a Punjabi-style infusion of ginger, hot pepper and Indian spice flavours, go deliciously with buttered toast and fruit for a fast and tasty breakfast. They also make for a delightful dinner.

Punjabi-style scrambled eggs

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
8 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, let them sizzle for a few seconds, then stir in the onions and fry for a few minutes until they start to turn brown at the edges. Add the ginger, stir once, then stir in the tomato and jalapeños.

With a fork, lightly beat the eggs together with the cayenne, turmeric, salt and garam masala. Pour in the pan and stir the eggs, spices and vegetables gently with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat, until the eggs have been cooked into firm and fairly dry curds.

Serve hot right out of the pan. Serves 2-4.