Palaces of Stone But Only After Breakfast

Breakfast was never my favorite meal and it has become less so since we moved to the US. Sweet cereals, sweet breads, sweet pastries—everything is sweet. I'd rather have leftovers from dinner for breakfast. Or brunch.

Breakfast in India spoiled me, especially when we traveled, as there was always an enormous spread: idlis, dosas, upma, and the desi omelet. There was a whole bunch of other stuff, too: Chinese pot stickers, cheeses, parfaits, and even cereal but none of us ventured close to those buffets. Why would we? The dosas were made to order as were the omelets!

You could say that the desi omelet is like a frittata that has been folded over. The chef usually has an array of finely diced veggies, meats and herbs you could add to your custom omelet: onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, green chiles, cilantro, bell peppers, ham, chicken, and cheese. It's very tempting to say I'll have everything!

We usually made an early brunch of the breakfast spread and only then, ventured out to see palaces made from red sandstone.

Ornate columns and passageways

Fatehpur Sikri, seat of the Moghul Empire for about a decade, is made up of the monument of Salim Chisti's tomb and the little city of palaces and gardens, all within a fort. Salim Chisti's tomb is free to everyone whereas there is an entrance fee to the palaces, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We retrieved our shoes and wandered on to immerse ourselves, yet again, in the Moghul era. I was completely done with annoying guides and decided to rely on the erstwhile lost paper, written by Anita, for details of each building.

Glowing in the setting sun

Unfortunately for us, this part of our visit was rushed as we had spent too much time at the tomb, leaving us only an hour or so to absorb the sheer beauty of these buildings. My husband's anxiety levels started waxing as the sun dipped because it meant driving to Jaipur in the dark. It was also the day of the lunar eclipse and at the back of our minds was the superstition that one must avoid travel or proceed with caution. Our driver had already executed some crazy maneuvers  en route to Fatehpur Sikri from Agra, making for some very tense moments. Maybe it was time to get superstitious!

Panch Mahal, five storey palace

One of the most spectacular buildings is the Badgir or the Panch Mahal. Five-storeyed, it gets smaller with each floor, with the chhatri on the top-most floor reserved for the Emperor. I wanted to go up there for views of the city outside the fort but the upper floors were closed to the public. I also wanted to look down at the Pachisi Court, a life-size checkered board game where people once served as the playing pieces.

Ready for a private audience with the Emperor

I walked in and out of these palaces, through corridors lined with ornate pillars, with a feeling of reverence. The palaces are in excellent condition and it's unfortunate—or is it—that this beautiful monument does not draw as many crowds as the Taj Mahal. Apart from a few other families, we had the palaces to ourselves. The light was beautiful and the red Sikri sandstone reflected the glow of the setting sun, adding another dimension to the feeling of awe. 

Birbal's house

The house that Birbal occupied was the last stop on our short self-guided tour of the palace complex at Fatehpur Sikri. Each building is an architectural marvel, with features that can be traced back to various cultural influences and regions. If only we had had more time...

I made a vow to go back to Fatehpur Sikri and spend an entire day there, if not more. My bestie Anita has promised to go along. I'm sure I will get a photocopy this time, even if she's right there to watch over her research paper.

Indian Omelet

desi omelet

• 2-3 eggs
• splash of milk
• 1/2 tbsp butter, or more
• 2-3 tbsp onions, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1-2 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 2-3 Thai green chiles, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp bell peppers, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp grated cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

most of the ingredients

1. Heat a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, and melt the butter in it. Do not skimp on the butter, using more if required. Keep a cover handy.
2. Add onions, tomatoes, cilantro and green chiles. Stir fry for a couple of minutes on medium-high.
3. Add mushrooms and bell peppers. Sprinkle salt and stir fry for another couple of minutes.
4. While the veggies are frying, break eggs into a tall and narrow beaker or container. Add a splash of milk and note the volume of the mixture. Beat until the eggs are frothy and at least twice the volume that you started off with.
5. Spread the veggies all over the skillet, distributing them as evenly as possible but leaving a margin of an inch or so from the edge of the skillet.
6. Pour the beaten eggs over the veggies making sure you transfer all the froth to the skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over. Cover and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes. The omelet will rise and become fluffy. Carefully tease the edges of the omelet away from the skillet. If the edges are not cooked, cover and cook for another minute.
7. Put grated cheese along the middle of the omelet and cover for another minute so that the cheese melts.
8. If the edges of the omelet appear to brown quickly, turn the heat down to medium or lower.
9. Fold a third of the omelet over onto the cheese. It will melt further as you do this and then fold a third from the other side over as well.
10. Serve hot with or without toast and with sides like wilted spinach, fresh corn salad, berries and fruit.

breakfast is ready!

Notes:

• This is an inexact recipe. Please use as much or as little of the ingredients as you wish. There are many versions of the Indian omelet and this is how we like it best.
• Diced ham or cooked chicken can be added to this omelet. Some people add cumin and ginger.
• Beating the eggs in a tall and narrow container makes for more froth. The frothier the egg mixture, the more the omelet will rise when covered.
• Try to maintain a balance between the veggies and the eggs. If you use too many veggies, the egg mixture will not be able to hold everything together and your omelet will break as you fold it over. I add extra eggs and split the omelet between two people.
• Try not to let the omelet brown too quickly as it will become crisp and again, the omelet will break and crack as you fold it over. I've made many cracked omelets in my lifetime. They don't look very good but they taste just fine!
• Use cheese that melts well. Tillamook's Pepper Jack Cheese is our favorite. Mozzarella cheese works well, too.
• I skip bread and opt for more egg or sides with my omelet.
• I like to top mine with a dash of Sriracha sauce. Others in my family prefer ketchup.

I made the mistake of introducing Medha to desi omelet a couple of years ago. She loves it so much that eggs cooked any other way are eaten under duress. This is our go-to meal for brunch on Sundays and dinner on busy weekdays.

I've been planning to post this recipe for several years now but the pictures were never right or I was too tired to take any. This post came together because of a conversation on Twitter when Jaya mentioned omelets. Jaya, Soma and I decided that omelets were on the menu for dinner that night. Soma bailed as she had only one egg which she needed for her daughter's lunch box the next day but promised to make it soon. Aqua Daze jumped into the fray and we agreed to use this collective energy to each write a Desi Omelet post by the end of May. I hope to update this post with links to their posts so that you can see their take on Indian Omelet.

Update:
Feeling the urge to eat an omelet? Take your pick:
Aqua Daze (Served With Love): Indian Omelet
Jaya (Desi Soccer Mom): An Omelet and a Story
Sharmila (Cheeky Chilli): Three Killer Desi Omelets
Shulie (Food Wanderings): An Indian Omelet
Soma (eCurry): Indian Omelet
Manisha (Indian Food Rocks): Indian Omelet