Tyron's Blog
February 11, 2023
Durban-Style Scrambled Eggs
Many chefs will tell you not to mess with scrambled eggs. They say things like, “it’s all about the eggs” while continuously stirring eggs with butter over a low heat, “your hand must just take the heat from the side of the pan. If you have to remove the pan from the heat, you lack understanding of temperature”.
So, says Marco Pierre-White in his BBC Maestro cooking course which I enrolled in to try get my cooking spark back after a series of Sunday lunch disasters.
While I do enjoy the buttery, creamy vibes of a well made French-style scramble, sometimes you wake up with a hangover, a piece of your soul is missing due to the crushing weight of regret and the only cure is a Green Ambulance (Creme Soda) and some Durban-style scrambled eggs on toast.
You may have never heard of Durban-style scrambled eggs, and that’s understandable because I invented them.
Durban boasts the largest Indian community outside of India. Indentured Indians were brought to Durban by the British to work on sugar cane farms 174 years ago and with them came their family curry recipes which over time evolved into what is now known as Durban curry, a fiery, oily style of curry based on tomatoes, coriander seed and chillis.
I grew up on the stuff. Having Indian neighbours is a delight as they love to share their food and culture, so I’m sure I had this dish when I was a kid, it was probably called masala eggs but I like to call it Durban-style scrambled eggs so that I can feel like I am a culinary genius.
Recipe
This serves one hungry, hungover person.
Ingredients
- 3 fresh eggs
- Half an onion, chopped
- 1 green chilli or half a tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Durban style curry powder (I use this stuff)
- A small handful of coriander leaves, chopped (called Dhania in Durban)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- Pinch of salt
- Aromat
- Splash of milk.
Method
Heat a tablespoon of sunflower oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the chopped onions and chilli with a pinch of salt until they start to turn golden.
While the onion and chilli mix is frying, beat the 3 eggs with a couple of shakes of Aromat and a splash of milk.
Once the onions are golden stir in a teaspoon of Durban-style curry powder, let the curry powder and onion mix fry for a minute or two, then add 3 tablespoons of butter.
When the butter is mostly melted add the beaten eggs, let the mixture sit for a few seconds then slowly fold the mixture, creating gaps where uncooked egg mixture can flow into. Be gentle, you can take the pan off the heat at this point and allow the residual heat to finish the eggs off to your preferred consistency, stir in the chopped Dhania.
Serve over toast or in a roti or wrap, or just devour without the carbs.
Buttery, spicy scrambled eggs go splendidly with a good cup of coffee, sure to warm up and expand your soul to fill in that missing piece.
#Recipes