Spicy Eggs

Debu and I love this place in Manhattan! Its called Hummus and serves up (you guessed it!) hummus and the freshest pita bread. The menu has a total of 5 things on it, 3 of which are hummus with different toppings. And then there is Shakshuka, a heavenly blend of tomatoes, garlic, peppers and egg. Its piping hot, spicy and dunkable making it perfect food after a workout or while nursing a hangover.

The original version

Its a drive away, not a long one but a drive anyway, and there are days when I'm too lazy to look for the car keys, who I should mention, have a mind of their own and prefer hiding in tiny places to staying on a key hook. So I found an easier recipe in a cookbook I got recently. Its not perfect coz I hear the authentic version takes time to cook up and I need breakfast on the table like an hour ago! Its a hearty dish and a different take on a breakfast staple.

My version- bigger and badder. It can kick your version's ass to Russia!

Ingredients

1 shallot, sliced
2 garlic pods. peeled and chopped fine
1 tomato, diced
2 chili peppers
olive oil
basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the shallots in the olive oil lightly. Throw in the garlic pods and chili peppers and saute for another minute. Put in the diced tomatoes. and cook a little bit. Add salt, pepper and any dried or fresh herbs you have on hand. Add a little bit of water, just 1 teaspoon or so. Don't make it too watery. If the tomatoes give off enough liquid to cook the eggs, don't bother adding water. Let the mixture cook. Crack two eggs in bowl and slide them one by one into the skillet. Don't stir it. Sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the egg yolks. Scatter the basil leaves on top. At this point if you have an oven proof skillet, slide it into a pre-heated oven and cook till egg whites are firm. If you don't have an oven just cover with a lid and cook on a really low flame till the whites are set and the yolks are slightly runny. I didn't have pasteurized eggs this time so I cooked the eggs completely through. Serve hot in the skillet with some crusty bread.

Carbs are so pretty...sigh!

Serving suggestion: Serve with a glass of freshly brewed mint iced tea.

KHARERA (CHANA DAL KI SABJI)

This is one of my favorite sabji made by chana dal, but u can make it by besan (gram flour) also.

INGREDIENTS----------

Chana dal---200 gms.(soaked in water for 5 hrs.)
Garlic paste----2 tbs.
Musterd seed----2 tbs
Red chilli powder--2 tsp
Salt
Coriander leaves---chopped
Turmeric powder---1/2tsp
Tomatoes-----1/2cup chopped
Methi seed----a pinch
Whole red chilli--2
oil--for deep frying
METHOD----------
This sabji is made by 2 steps----1)-square or trianguler shape berfi or wari and2)-gravy

-For Wari u have to grind chana dal into fine paste.
-Then add salt,1/4tsp turmeric powder,1/2tbs garlic paste,1tsp red chilli powder,and a glass of water into this paste.
-Take a nonsticky karai or pan,put 1tbs oil
-Now put chana dal paste mixture and cook it stirring continuously on medium flame for around 10 minutes untill water evaporates (it should look like a dough by which u can make any shape),now switch off the gas.
-take 2 flat plates or tray,grese it eventually by oil,take 1 part of that dough in 1 plate and other part on another plate and flat the dough to 1 inch thickness around the plate (dough should have to be hot or warm,if it will cool down then it will not make any shape).
-After 15 min. cut it into any shape or size as you like,and deep fry till golden brown
FOR GRAVY------

-Take a karai,put 3tbs. oil,then add methi seeds and whole red chilli,cook untill methiseed turns golden brown.
-Then add mustard paste,turmeric powder,redchilli powder,fry it for 6-7min. on medium flame.
-Then add tomatoes and salt, and cook for more 5 min. then add 1 glass of water.When water start boiling then put the waries and coriender leaves and switch off the gas immediately and cover the pan for 10 min. and then serve hot with rice.







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