13 Egg starters to utilise those ration wale ande!

If those weekly egg trays that come in the ration are too much for your small family, then I am sure you are always on the lookout to finish off those 20-something eggs before the next batch gets delivered. Major Sa’ab and I had literally broadcast to the entire military station that we have extra eggs if anyone was falling short. We even had a tie-up with another  officer who had to buy extra eggs for his pet dog (not after we made a deal to send him our stock).

I later realised that it’s best to utilise the eggs during the numerous house parties that we had at our place. So invariably, the menu would have anda curry.

However, since we end up spending a bomb on the starters (the frozen variety), I thought why not put these eggs to good use in this department.

So here I have for you 13 egg appetisers or starters that will floor your guests. I am not very great with writing recipes and measuring ingredients, so I am just going to give you a general overview and you can use the services of Youtube to get the complete recipe from professionals! Also, I am not rambling here… I have actually taken the pains to cook these 13 dishes for you (to check feasibility)!

1. Capsicum Ring Omelette: I’ve taken this one right off Pinterest. You will need extra small capsicums for this starter recipe — it will be difficult for your guests to eat it if you use a big one. So just cut a horizontal section of the capsicum and use it as a mould to cook whole eggs (or whisked) within it. Flip it and garnish with cheese (another diary item that fauj loves to shower on us).

   

2. Potato Omelette slices: Whisk eggs and add all those things that you generally do while making a normal omelette. In addition to that, add grated boiled eggs. Do add a bit of diced tomatoes, because potato tends to dry out the omelette. It’s gonna be a thick omelette, so cut it up like a pizza and serve it with sauce.

   

3. Scotch Eggs: You’ve probably seen it at the formal dinner parties that have ‘English Menu’. It’s not that difficult to make it. Minced meat added with greens and whites of spring onion and garlic, salt and pepper will make up the outer cover of the egg. The half-boiled egg needs to be covered properly with the mince and then fried. Cut it up vertically (halves or quarters, your choice) and serve with love!

   

4. Egg-Cheese Crostini: You can either use your ration wale bread slices for this crostini, or you can buy that long bread (I don’t know if it has a name). I bought toasted garlic slices and put up layers of cheese, slice of boiled egg and cheese on top it again. In the over for 10 mins at 200 degrees. Garnish in a fun way to have small bites of heaven.

   

5. Little Egg Muffins: The savoury kind, duh! Whisk eggs with diced onions, tomatoes, chilies, salt and pepper. Feel free to add anything else that you fancy, like grated carrots, cheese or mushrooms. Add a little milk and bake in a muffin mould (small size) for quick bites!
6. Korean Egg Roll: It’s a rolled up omelette, cut into neat discs that makes it look like a pinwheel! This is like the easiest starter recipe that looks equally pretty! A tip – don’t whisk the eggs vigorously, you want the omelette to be flat and not fluffy. One way to achieve that is to pass it through a sieve.

   

7. Boiled Egg salad on Monaco: It’s easy, economical and tasty… all you need to do is present it like a pro!
8. Egg Murtabak: I’ve used the Malaysian name here. You probably know it by the name Mughlai paratha or egg paratha. Roll out a maida roti real thin, put it on a hot pan, and spread your spicy whisked egg bater on the uncooked side. Fold the sides onto the egg once it thickens and cover it up. Flip it, let it cook, and then cut it up into bite sized pieces. The ones I made were not that pretty, so no pics here.

9. Boiled eggs zindabad: Cut them in halves, or quarters, sprinkle some chat masala, and you are good to go. Perfect for those midnight raids or impromptu night outs at friend’s place. I won’t bother with the pics, it’s just so damn easy.

10. Anda Bhurji: The easiest recipe that can be used as chakhna when hungry bachelors come calling for a midnight snack. Major Sa’ab used to say Anda Bhurji is like the ultimate JCO Mess starter. Since wives of officers are not allowed inside a JCO Mess, I have no choice but to believe him. This recipe is quick and simple.  Load it up with cheese or veggies to give it’s taste some variation.

    

11. Egg Puff: Here’s an interesting starter item for those who love to bake. If you don’t usually bake but still wanna try something ambitious, then this one is perfect for you. First get some gyaan on how to make a pastry dough at home. Alternatively, you can buy frozen pastry sheets (I am not sure if small military stations will have this fancy item). Almost all cantonments have one or two kick-ass bakeries, so you can ask them for help on making the dough. Roll it out and fill it with anda bhurji or boiled egg with spices. Cover it up, coat it with egg-wash and bake it for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Taa-daaa!
12. Egg momos: What makes momos awesome? Two years in momo-land have taught me a few basics. Crumble up boiled eggs with minced ginger, green mirchi and coriander. Use this as the filling in your momos. Serve it with that fire-brand red chili tomato chutney for a unique snack-time experience.
13. Egg cocktail samosa: Making cute little samosas is completely manageable — I am talking to women here who like me are guests in their own kitchen. Instead of the aloo or paneer filling, you just need to make anda bhurji and stuff the samosa with it. Small bite sized pieces  will go quite well with your welcome drinks! I guess you can use a mixture made of boiled eggs also… lemme give that a try and let you know how that went.

    

    Got anymore ideas? Write to me (email in About section) or just pen it down in the comments section. If you’ve got pics, then great! I’ll feature it here as a guest chef creation!