Omelet kozhambhu - A flavoruful curry with eggs

We all know how good a egg is for our body. When I am on South beach diet, I eat eggs (almost 2) every day. They are rich in proteins and that makes it an ideal candidate for phase 1 of SBD. I make scrambles with salmon, egg curry , plain omelet with broccoli and cheese or bell peppers or the typical South beach diet breakfast - quiche with mushrooms or my famous disguised egg curry. Eggs have been proving again and again to be so versatile and nutritious. 

As I browsed through the pages of my blog, I realized that I have missed writing about omelet curry. This is my grandmother's curry and I cooked them last weekend thinking about her.She would make it taste so delicious and after its done she will transfer the curry to a fresh bowl and to the kadai, she would add little cooked rice and mix them well to coat each morsel with the left out drops of the precious curry. The last few drops sticking along the edges tastes the best as they are full with flavors and spices.

My grandmother would spice up the eggs with chili, coriander powder and garam masala. But for an extra sweetness and zing, I added La Vieja Fabrica homemade preserves which I received for a product review. I met two lovely ladies at the SFO Fancy food show who shared valuable insights on their production process and I taste tested two of thier varieties and was in love with tomato jam right away. The jams are produced in Seville using high quality fruits. The tomate preserve tasted fresh and sweet with a mild spicy kick from the chilies.The bright colour and its texture suggests that they are made with pure fruits. I would highly recommend trying them and spicing up your dish with a dash of their delicious preserves/jams.

When made in an non-stick pan, the eggs can be cooked in almost zero oil and simmering it in a flavorful onion-tomato mixture for few minutes makes the sauce penetrate through the omelet and make it taste absolutely delicious. It has close to 400 calories when served with whole wheat rotis or quinoa or barley.

Muttai kozhambhu (Omelet curry)

Serves: 4

Source: My grandmother

Ingredients

For the omelet

6 eggs - beaten

1 large onions - chopped

2 green chillies - chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

10-12 curry leaves - chopped

2 tablespoon tomato jam - La Vieja Fabrica (my variation - optional)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions - finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger - minced

1 teaspoon garlic -  minced

2 tomatoes - pureed

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

2 teaspoon garam masala

1-2 cups water

Salt to taste

1/2 cup cilantro - chopped

Juice of half a lemon

Directions

For the omelet

1. Whisk all the ingredients under "for the omelet section" . Stir well to combine. Heat a non-stick saucepan with 1 teaspoon oil and once they are hot, add the mixture and make omelets out of it. Cook them in batches. Remove, tear them into tiny bits and set aside. 

For the sauce

1. Heat oil in a large cooking vessel. Once they oil gets hot, add onions and little salt (about a teaspoon) and let it brown a bit, about 8-10 minutes on low flame.

2. Mix in the  ginger and garlic. Saute for 60 seconds.

3. Sprinkle turmeric, chili and coriander powder. Mix well to combine with the onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the tomato puree and cook covered for 20 minutes until the oil separates out of the sauce.

5. Start by adding 1 cup water and add more if needed.

6. Add the omelet pieces and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and stir well. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over rice, quinoa, barley or whole wheat chapatis.

Tips
1. Ideal curry dish for South beach diet. Can be included in the phase 1 meals too.

2. Even enjoyable by women with gestational diabetes.

3. Please omit the tomato preserve when you are on diets as the additional sugar from them can hamper your weightloss journey.

My very good friend Prerna along with two lovely bloggers Barbara and Kathy have launched an event Indian Food Palooza, celebrating Indian food.  It's all about cooking Indian food and there are prizes to win as well.  If you love the idea and want to be a part of it, head over here and read more about it and start linking Indian food.

My grandmother's omelet curry is my entry for this month.