Eggah is a Middle-Eastern dish made with eggs, potatoes and vegetables. It originated in Egypt and since my father was an Egyptian jew, I grew up with this delightful dinner once a week.
It is similar to a frittata and is generally thick, commonly filled with vegetables and sometimes meat and cooked until completely firm. It is usually circle-shaped and served sliced into rectangles or wedges, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. Eggah can be served as an appetizer, main course or side dish.
My father didn't cook in our home, my mother was the "house chef", and an amazing one too. But the one and only thing he did make was an Eggah! He made an amazing Eggah which he taught my mother how to make.
The kitchen smelled so good when the eggah was cooking stovetop, seasoned with MiddleEastern spices. Eggah could be cooked in the oven too and there are many varieties of the ingredients used. In my house it was always cooked with potatoes and seasoning but I now also make it using leftover vegetables or anything else tasty.
It is also delicious made with sweet potato for a healthier version!
Eggah makes a perfect mid week dinner. I am exited to share with you this wonderful easy and quick family recipe I grew up with.
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 large white potato or 2 small ones peeled and cut into cubes or you can use a sweet potato
I onion sliced thinly
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ cup of chopped parsley, cilantro or a combination of both
3 tablespoons olive oil
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add cubed potatoes. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until a fork goes into the potato easily. Drain all the water and pat the potatoes dry in a paper towel.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the onions until yellow in color and translucent. Add the salt, pepper and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl beat the eggs well and add the potatoes and onion mix. Add the parsley and cilantro. Mix all ingredients to blend together.
Option 1: (my preference)
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large non-stick frying pan. Add the egg mixture and cook on high heat for 2 minutes then lower heat to medium and cover. Cook stove top for 12 minutes or until the bottom looks cooked and the top is beginning to set.
Here's the tricky part which gets easier with practice. Take a large plate, lift pan and turn the eggah upside down on to the plate, then slide it back into the pan so that now the less cooked side is on the bottom. Cover and cook on medium for about 10 minutes.
Option 2:
Heat oven to 400 degrees
Put egg mixture in a round medium to large oven dish and cover. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the eggah looks set.
That's all there is to it and you have a great weeknight meal!
Sweet potato egg version!
