An Omelet Without Eggs?

In all these years of posting recipes, I've somehow forgotten about one of my favorites- tomato omelet. If there is one thing I can say about this recipe, it would be "plays well with others" in the sense that it is low-maintenance and fits into many different diets.

Although called an omelet, there are no eggs involved and this recipe would work for a vegan diet and for those who don't eat eggs. If you skip the rava/sooji (cream of wheat) in the recipe, they are gluten-free. Besan is good stuff, economical and high in protein, and low in carbs as flours go.

You can go from craving a hot savory breakfast to chomping one of these in about 15 minutes and even less if you have mad chopping skills.

Tomato Omelet

1. In a bowl, mix together

• ³⁄₄ cup besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
• ¹⁄₄ cup rice flour
• 2 tbsp. rava/sooji
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. turmeric
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. red chilli powder
• 2 finely chopped fresh tomatoes (I discard the seeds)
• ¹⁄₄ cup minced onion
• ¹⁄₄ cup minced cilantro
• Salt to taste

2. Stir in warm water to make a batter of pouring consistency.

3. Heat a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned cast iron griddle, and use a few drops of oil to make thin pancakes. If you like them crispy, cook them for some extra time on a low flame. Eat 'em while they're hot.

If you like spicy food, add one or two minced fresh jalapeno peppers or green chillies to the batter for a wonderful zing.

I love eating tomato omelets the same way I ate them as a child, with a dollop of butter melting on them, and with ketchup on the side. When I made them this weekend, V enjoyed them with some locally made goat cheese and claimed that the combination tasted divine. I mention this for those of you who love goat cheese; personally, I cannot stand the stuff. But V is a devotee of goat cheese in general and this local brand in particular.

Because besan is made of chickpeas, this entry goes to My Legume Love Affair: The 22nd Edition, hosted at Ruchikacooks.

On The Bookshelf

Here's another great choice if you are looking for something that is an easy read while being a meaningful and engaging story. I picked up Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins the minute I read this great review of the book. I won't tell you much more about it because the review says it all (but does not give anything away, don't worry). It is billed as a YA (Young Adult) book, which means not-so-young-adults can easily finish it in two or three hours- the perfect read for a rainy weekend or a quiet evening.

I will see you tomorrow, with the announcement of Blog Bites: the third edition! Meanwhile, I hope you will all continue to read the entries and vote for your favorite from the last round.