The Sooji Omelette

Here's a recipe I invented for Pranav who does not eat eggs. 

"He don't eat no eggs? What do you mean he don't eat no eggs? Oh, that's okay. I make you omelette."

I decided to make uttapam one morning. Well, any South Indian chef worth a salt knows that the batter for a good uttapam should be prepared the night before. Clearly I am not South Indian, nor is my sodium high enough to be worth anything. I quickly searched my brain, and reached the very borders of my imagination to find a substitute. The solution: sooji, or semolina as my friends in the West call it. I threw in a little yoghurt and water, and thus the sooji omelette was born. 

At least, that's how MY version of the sooji omelette was born.  I have since discovered another version called the "semolina pancake" by Tarla Dalal. Her recipe can be found here. I think mine is better; not just because it's mine, but because it's spicier, doesn't include corn, and I put the fresh coriander right where in belongs - in the dish. Mr. Raj and I enjoy sooji omelettes at least twice a month and usually in the morning, but they make a good afternoon snack as well. The ingredients are many but don't worry. This dish is actually very simple, and remarkably difficult to mess up. Today, they are my brunch.

Sooji Omelettes (serves 2-3)

• 1 cup of sooji
• 3 tbsp yoghurt of any kind
• 2/3 cup water (+/- a bit)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• 1 green or red chili chopped (remove the seeds if you don't want all the kick)
• a hanfdul of fresh coriander chopped
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 coriander powder
• salt to taste

You will need a non-stick pan or skillet, and a silicon spatula. In addition, a little ghee for brushing on the non-stick pan, and on top of the omelets can make life easier. 

First thing's first: wash whatever needs to be washed, and chop whatever needs to be chopped. This is a no-stress dish, so don't be too concerned if your onions are chunky, or whether the tomatoes aren't firm.  It's all getting mixed up, and in any order that you like. I tend to mix the sooji, yoghurt and water first, but I've also put my chopped ingredients in a bowl and added everything else on top. It really doesn't matter, but what you should end up with is a medium thick batter that slides of the spoon, and doesn't splash. After adding all the ingredients and thoroughly combining them, let the batter sit for about 5 minutes. 

In the meanwhile you can heat up your pan on medium, and brush a little ghee into the centre - emphasis on little. The ghee is just to help brown the bottom of your omelette. It's not a major contributor to the taste of texture of this dish. When the pan is ready, add the batter. My omelets are round, and usually comprise 3 tablespoons of batter, but you can make them any size and shape you like. I have been known to make them in Mickey Mouse format for my nieces. 

Cook each side for about a minute. You'll know it's ready when it can slide around the pan but still hold its shape, and when you can easily flip it over (either with the help of the spatula, or a good hand toss.) Some parts of the omelette should look brown for example, pieces of onion or tomato. Sometimes the edges get nice and crispy. This is a good sign. You can enjoy these on their own, with ketchup, yoghurt, or any chutney that you love. 

Variations for Health and Taste 

Sometimes when I make these, I substitute jeera for the black mustard seeds, and chopped curry leaves for the fresh coriander.  In South Indian cooking, the mustard seeds and curry leaves belong together, but I've mixed them up in different combinations, and come to the conclusion that whatever I have at home is what's going into the dish. The greatest benefit of cumin seeds is iron. Not only is iron an integral component of hemoglobin, it's essential to keeping your immune system healthy. Besides that, these tiny unassuming seeds pack a mean punch when it comes to flavour. On the other hand, curry leaves serve to strengthen the digestive system. Their mineral contents are calcium, phosphorous, vitamin C and, you guessed it, iron. Finally, if you're super health conscious, brush the pan and omelets with olive oil and forget the ghee. Good eats amigos!