Passport & Plate - Mumbai omelette stuffed with prawn pickle

draupadi_caesar — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:05:45 GMT

Ingredients
Ingredients:
For the prawn pickle:
300 grams prawns
2.5 tsps red chilli powder
2 tsps salt
2 tsps turmeric powder
1 tsp asafoetida powder
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2-3 fenugreek seeds
0.75 cup water
For the omelette:
2 eggs
Quarter tomato chopped
Quarter onion chopped
Quarter coriander leaves chopped
1 spoon black olives chopped
0.25 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper crushed
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
1 tsp Kashmiri Paprika powder
0.5 tsp rice bran oil
chaat masala to taste

How to prepare this recipe
Method:
For the pickle:
1. Clean, devein and marinate the prawns with part of the turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and asafoetida powder overnight or for three to four hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai or deep-bottomed pan (sort of like a wok), put mustard seeds in it and wait till they splutter.
3. Put the fenugreek seeds in it next and add the rest of the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and asafoetida powder.
4. Put in the marinated prawns, fry it in the spices for some time and add the water.
5. Put a lid and let it simmer till the prawns get cooked.
6. Then remove the lid and cook till the gravy dries up, leaving just a little sauce.

For the omelette:
1. Beat the eggs and add the salt, pepper, Italian herbs and Kashmiri paprika powder.
2. Put half of the chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves in the beaten eggs and mix it.
3. Fry the other half of the onion, tomato and coriander along with the chopped black olives in a non-stick pan.
4. Pour the egg mixture over this and let it cook for a while.
5. Put some of the prawn pickle with the sauce over one side of the omelette, when it is nearly cooked.
6. Fold the other half of the omelette over the prawn pickle and let it cook.
7. Serve hot and sprinkle chaat masala to taste.

The story behind this recipe
Story behind Tweaked Mumbai Masala Omelette stuffed with typical ‘Amchigele’ Prawn Pickle
Chitrapur Saraswat Brahman is the community I belong to. Our platters mostly offer typical ‘Amchigele’ cuisine, wherein the flavours are mild, homely and occasionally bold, just like our people. Seafood is my favourite and this pickle is a speciality in my family. My grandmother passed this on to her daughter (my aunt) and her daughter-in-law) my mom. I got this from my mom. The prawn pickle recipe brings me closer to home.
The Mumbai masala omelette recipe with tomato, onion and coriander also brings me very close to home, to the crazy city of grit, grime and gold that so many people, including me, are in love with. This city exposes you to big dreams, hardens you and your way to live and teaches you to love, much like the flavours of the omelette.
The black olives, Italian herbs and Kashmiri paprika powder is the tiny amount of rebellion in me and the need to get away in order to come back to what’s waiting for me at home. This recipe partly defines me, my home, my yearning to go away and be different; my roots and wings.

My Scholarship entry - A local encounter that changed my life

draupadi_caesar — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:53:53 GMT

Why are crucial moments in life always signified via slow motion in movies? In the moment, when I was hurled off a scooter, toppling in the air and struggling to reach ground, I knew why.
On the way back from Majorda beach to Palolem beach in Goa, my friend lost balance, while riding at a turning on the highway. The most aware I have been of each passing second in my life, those few moments! And yet in twenty one years, it was the first time I realized love in its true sense. I got up, found my friend alive; then removed the grime from my teeth and hair, and checked for wounds. She got up, found me alive; then came close to pasiing out. Two other friends jumped off a moving scooter to hold us as we fell.
Our mothers generally bring girls up, conditioning them to not ask men for help;always go to women! Men see women in either a derogatory or lustful manner and could look to take advantage of you. Women always understand other women.
That night, purple oblivion was clouding my friend's eyes. Color drained from our eyes, but she couldn't see them or anything else. A crowd of men instantly rushed to our side to help.Our upbringing taught us to fear them and we asked them to go ahead, lying that we would be able to manage. Would we? We would never know. They wouldn't hear of it, as they took our broken scooter back to our hotel and rushed us to the hospital. Here the nurses took us in to tend to us.
Tend to us they did, while mumbling away in Konkani, their disapproval of our clothes and thereby the values of our generation. I was reminded of the times when we talk in English among the household help, so s/he doesn't understand. So today we were treated as illiterates!
Finally, we returned to the men, who had been waiting outside to take us back to our hotel. Judge all, Trust Few, Love fewer they teach us. That day I learnt to Love all, trust few, Judge fewer!

Accidental Wisdom

Passport & Plate - Mumbai omelette stuffed with prawn pickle

My Scholarship entry - A local encounter that changed my life