Eggs are a significant source of protein in India, and when you eat a lot of eggs you look for ways to vary them. This is a standard preparation and a great one for lunch, a late supper, or for those who like really savory breakfasts. They’re also made as street food, which is how I first had them—prepared at a cart and eaten from a paper plate standing up (and, in a hurry, in the back of a car). In India, these eggs might have cooked lentils (Dal, page 433), black-eyed peas (page 434), or cooked shredded potatoes stirred into them.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1/2 cup roughly chopped scallion

　　1 jalapeño or other small fresh chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or to taste

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　8 eggs

　　1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　

Step 1

Put the butter in a skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion, chile, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to color, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, beat the eggs lightly with a little more salt and pepper. With the heat still at medium-high, add them to the pan and stir. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir until the curds stop forming, a minute or so. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are creamy and thick but not dry (they will continue to cook under their own heat after you remove them, so stop a moment short of your desired consistency). Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.