Chef Anahita Dhondy's Poached Eggs

Imagine this: A perfectly poached egg oozing rich, creamy yolk, placed on a bed of a toasted crispy bread and layered with a mixture of spicy avocado and walnuts.

Makes you salivate?

Then do try Chef Anahita Dhondy's Indian-Style Poached Eggs.

High on protein, this breakfast provides a healthy dose of omega-3.

Indian-Style Poached Eggs

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1-2 ripe avocados (please see the note below)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2-3 or less green chillies, chopped
• 2 tbsp green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp or less lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 20 gm walnuts, crushed
• Salt to taste
• Pinch pepper
• Butter, for greasing

To serve

• Slice of regular or wheat or multi-grain or gluten-free bread, toasted
• Pinch red chilly powder
• Pinch salt
• Dash pepper
• Chopped fresh herbs of your choice like dill, cilantro, parsley, to garnish

Method

• Scoop out the avocado flesh in a bowl.
  Add the chopped onion, tomato, green chillies, coriander, olive oil, crushed walnuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper to it.
  Mix together with a fork.
  Keep in the fridge to chill.
• Fill a large saucepan half full with water and bring to a simmer.
  Meanwhile, crack the egg in a buttered small steel bowl or katori.
  Season with salt, pepper and put the egg-filled bowl in the saucepan of simmering water.
  Cover the pot and let the egg cook for just 3 minutes and then remove the steel bowl from the water.
• Place the toasted bread on a plate.
  Spread a large scoop of the avocado-walnut mixture on the bread.
  Place the poached egg on top and make a small cut on the side so the yolk oozes out.
  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, red chilly powder, and garnish with fresh herbs.

Note: You may like to add fried bits of bacon for a more meaty taste.

A vegan version of spicy avocado poached eggs is possible -- use vegan egg available online from brands like Ogran and GoodDot, which are Jain friendly and super healthy too. Jains will also have to omit the onion.

Those on a gluten-free or diabetic diet, should opt for ragi bread or oat bread.

If you have avocado mixture leftover reserve in an air-tight container in the fridge to eat later with tortilla chips or nachos.

A perfectly ripe avocado will be firm and soft at the same time. If you squeeze it, it would not get squashed, but would yield mildly to pressure. Sometimes slightly under ripe or overripe avocados still taste fine -- do a taste check before discarding an avocado.

Anahita Dhondy is the chef and author of The Parsi Kitchen.

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