Spicy Scrambled Eggs

In spite of owning Plenty, a wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook, I just had to purchase Plenty More, published in 2014. And I’m certainly glad I did.

For the blog, I’ve made zucchini Baba Ghanoush, and I’m especially intrigued by a membrillo and Stilton quiche, made with butternut squash, so that will be next.

But one recipe I bookmarked on the first read-through is Spicy Scrambled Eggs. Nothing exceptional except, well, it is. There are spices, herbs, eggs, tomatoes, a chile pepper and did I mention spices?!!

From Ottolenghi: Many of my brunch dishes were devised BC (before children), so food-meets-the-need-to-soothe was often in mind when cooking on a Sunday morning. A few dishes have remained part of the weekend breakfast repertoire since we started turning in early on a Saturday night. This is one of them.

Spicy Scrambled Eggs
Serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 small onion, finely diced
1 1/4″ piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 medium red chile, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4″ dice
8 eggs, beaten
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Urfa chile flakes

Put a large, preferably nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil, cumin, caraway, onion, ginger, and chile. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.

Add the ground spices, tomato paste, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and for and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the eggs, turn down the heat to medium-low, and continuously, but very gently, scrape the base of the pan with a wooden spatula.

You want to end up with large, curd-like folds and you want the eggs to be soft and very moist.

Cook the mixture for a total of about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with the green onions, cilantro, and chile flakes.

Serve at once.

Enjoy!

By Published On: January 9th, 201984 Comments on Spicy Scrambled Eggs

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

84 Comments

  1. Jodi January 9, 2019 at 6:33 AM - Reply

    Wow! Pow!!!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 6:44 AM - Reply

      Yep!

  2. Travel Gourmet January 9, 2019 at 8:31 AM - Reply

    What a great supper dish this would make.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 8:37 AM - Reply

      Yes! It really would, with some lovely grilled bread.

  3. Our Growing Paynes January 9, 2019 at 9:04 AM - Reply

    A great twist on scrambled eggs. I love the flavours you put in this dish.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 9:20 AM - Reply

      The seasoning is wonderful. Have you tried Urfa chile peppers before? Earthier than, say, ancho chile peppers.

      • Our Growing Paynes January 9, 2019 at 9:34 AM

        I haven’t but I’ll keep an eye out. We love chili peppers.

  4. cookingwithauntjuju.com January 9, 2019 at 9:14 AM - Reply

    Besides an omelette, scrambled eggs are the only way I will eat eggs – no fried, poached or whatever for me! I’m very interested in your recipe and will certainly be trying it…

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 9:19 AM - Reply

      It’s so flavorful! And spicy. Urfa chile peppers were completely new to me.

      • cookingwithauntjuju.com January 9, 2019 at 9:28 AM

        Yes, I have some that I bought to make a chili recipe from Zingerman’s Bakehouse and still have not made it.

  5. thatskinnychickcanbake January 9, 2019 at 9:23 AM - Reply

    I love, love scrambled eggs, but these look over the top delicious! I have the urfa pepper, just need to get the rest!!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 9:47 AM - Reply

      Fabulous. You’ll love the eggs!

  6. Ron January 9, 2019 at 9:39 AM - Reply

    Nice spicy looking one Mimi. We love a good scramble and this one will make our table. I must admit that when I saw the Crimsom and clove jar it reminded me of a song from my youth by Tommy James and the Shondells.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 9:46 AM - Reply

      They were my first concert! In Seattle. I had an older sister and I went with her. There was some good music back then!

    • Kim Bultman January 9, 2019 at 9:54 AM - Reply

      I have their greatest hits CD — will pop it in and listen again. (My favorite was “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” :) Dont’cha just love how music and food are intrinsically linked?

      • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 9:55 AM

        Oh that’s funny! They didn’t have many hits, did they?!! Kind of like the Turtles!

  7. Kim Bultman January 9, 2019 at 10:04 AM - Reply

    Mimi, this recipe and your review and photos prompted me to dig through my spice stash a.s.a.p. — my mortar and pestle have been neglected for far too long — plus, I love scrambled eggs when the term “curds” is associated with them. (Reminded me of Julia Child’s recipe for scrambled eggs, but with a lil’ ZIP.) No wonder folks in the South offer salsa when they serve them. Love this!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 10:06 AM - Reply

      I love salsa on eggs!

  8. Kim Bultman January 9, 2019 at 10:11 AM - Reply

    Ironically, The Turtles “Happy Together” tour was the first concert I ever attended. :) They were well into their golden years, but it was fun and brought back memories.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 10:13 AM - Reply

      Oh, that’s funny! Good music. Trying to think of a British singer from back then. Total crush.

  9. Lynz Real Cooking January 9, 2019 at 10:36 AM - Reply

    Wow this looks soooo good!

  10. kitchenriffs January 9, 2019 at 10:39 AM - Reply

    Wow, LOTTA spice in this dish. But I love spice, so it’s for me. Thanks. And Happy New Year!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 12:15 PM - Reply

      I think we use cayenne as much as salt!!!

  11. Italian Goodness January 9, 2019 at 11:42 AM - Reply

    Hello Mimi! This recipe sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 12:14 PM - Reply

      I’m pretty sure you will love it!

  12. cookingontheweekends January 9, 2019 at 11:48 AM - Reply

    I love egg dishes (especially for dinner). This recipe looks divine — I’m loving all of the rich spices. And topped with those fresh herbs and onion, yum! These photos are beautiful, so appetizing that I want to jump right in.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 12:14 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much! Colorful is much easier to photograph for me!

  13. Loretta January 9, 2019 at 12:26 PM - Reply

    I’m sure you wouldn’t need lunch after this filling breakfast. As I mentioned before, I was gifted one of Yotam’s books. I just browsed through all the recipes, but have yet to attempt to make one of them. I’m excited to bookmark some. Your scrambled eggs look wonderful, those spices, wow!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 2:10 PM - Reply

      I resisted a long time. Then I finally bought one, then two, and now I have 5!!! His recipes are irresistible !

  14. abushabanr January 9, 2019 at 2:02 PM - Reply

    This looks so delicious and your pictures are just beautiful!

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 2:09 PM - Reply

      Thank you so much!

  15. Eva Taylor January 9, 2019 at 4:07 PM - Reply

    The eggs look wonderful, so flavourful. Just love the bunch of cilantro on the side. I have scrambled eggs on the menu for tonight’s dinner, perhaps I’ll give this one a try. I have Jerusalem, although I haven’t made anything from it yet.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2019 at 5:42 PM - Reply

      His recipes are pretty incredible. I resisted him for a long time. We did go to one of his restaurants in London for lunch, and it was perfect.

  16. Velva January 9, 2019 at 8:00 PM - Reply

    Love, love the spicy eggs. What a filling great meal anytime of day. Thanks for sharing it with your readers,

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 6:29 AM - Reply

      I agree! Thanks so much!

  17. Tandy | Lavender and Lime January 9, 2019 at 9:55 PM - Reply

    This is Dave’s kind of breakfast.

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 6:29 AM - Reply

      They’re fabulous!

  18. Abbe@This is How I Cook January 9, 2019 at 10:23 PM - Reply

    I think I have all of his books and most of them are pretty good. Do not have the latest and I do have Sweet but haven’t been smitten with it the way I have with his others. These eggs are gorgeous. Must give them a try soon!

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 6:29 AM - Reply

      I don’t have sweet because I don’t bake, nor do I really eat sweets. I eat a lot of everything else! I do have Simple, and it’s good, too, in my opinion. The eggs are fabulous!

  19. Debra January 9, 2019 at 10:37 PM - Reply

    I have that particular cookbook, but I don’t recall the spicy eggs. I get excited when I put curry powder all over my eggs, and that’s it! LOL! This is a wonderful recipe and I’d like to dive right in. Your photos made my mouth water. :-)

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 6:28 AM - Reply

      Aw, thank you Debra! How come I’ve never thought to put curry powder on eggs?!! What a great idea!!!

      • Debra January 12, 2019 at 9:21 PM

        I learned about curry on fried eggs through another blogger. What we learn from one another, right?

      • chef mimi January 13, 2019 at 7:39 AM

        Which is why I continue to follow many blogs!!!

  20. David @ Spiced January 10, 2019 at 6:36 AM - Reply

    Woah, what an awesome recipe! I eat a scrambled egg on toast quite often for lunch, but I typically just put a bit of Cajun seasoning (Tony’s!) and some shredded cheese. Now I’m realizing that I need to think outside the box more. These scrambled eggs have me wondering if it’s time for lunch yet?? (It’s not. It’s only 7:30am. Haha.)

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 9:16 AM - Reply

      My most I’ve ever done to eggs is to make piperade – tomatoes, red bell peppers, prosciutto, parsley. But these eggs have that beat, especially if you love flavors and spiciness!

  21. annie@ciaochowbambina January 10, 2019 at 12:56 PM - Reply

    I eat a lot of scrambled eggs so this will definitely make it to the rotation! Everything Ottolenghi does is magic! Thanks for sharing!

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 3:20 PM - Reply

      He is amazing. I keep buying his cookbooks!

  22. Karen (Back Road Journal) January 10, 2019 at 3:25 PM - Reply

    I’m not a scrambled egg person but these sound so very good!

    • chef mimi January 10, 2019 at 3:42 PM - Reply

      They are! I love everything about them.

  23. olivesandfeta January 10, 2019 at 4:09 PM - Reply

    Oh I do like the idea of adding spices to scrambled eggs. My husband adds oregano which I am not too fond of in the scrambled eggs but your version sounds absolute delish ✌️

    • chef mimi January 11, 2019 at 6:04 PM - Reply

      Well, it’s Ottolenghi’s version actually! I never would have thought to do this, although I was raised on piperade, which is a sort of Basque scrambled eggs dish with goodies. I don’t think I’d like just oregano either.

  24. David January 11, 2019 at 7:40 AM - Reply

    I can’t tell you how many times we have made this recipe for a weeknight supper! The flavors are incredible – I love what he does with just about everything!

    • chef mimi January 11, 2019 at 8:05 AM - Reply

      Oh interesting! It certainly caught my eye during the first read through. And his last book is great – another one I resisted buying!

  25. Katherine | Love In My Oven January 11, 2019 at 9:49 PM - Reply

    We make scrambled eggs ALL of the time, but they’re never this exciting. I love all things spice so these must be tried!

    • chef mimi January 12, 2019 at 9:52 AM - Reply

      If you do, you’ll love the complexity of this egg dish. Fabulousness.

  26. Blogtastic Food January 12, 2019 at 4:46 AM - Reply

    Well done chef!! The though of having this for breakfast make my stomach rumble! (:

    • chef mimi January 12, 2019 at 9:51 AM - Reply

      I believe you! Thanks so much.

  27. Susan@savoringtimeinthekitchen January 12, 2019 at 11:37 AM - Reply

    It not only looks beautiful but sounds delicious! Love all of those seasonings!

    • chef mimi January 12, 2019 at 2:53 PM - Reply

      It makes me wonder why in the world I hadn’t thought of it before! It’s delicious!

  28. Kathryn January 12, 2019 at 11:38 PM - Reply

    I love Ottolenghi and have a few of his books, although not this one. His elevation of humble dishes and vegetables always makes me smile. Such gorgeous colours and flavours in this dish Mimi!

    • chef mimi January 13, 2019 at 7:39 AM - Reply

      You said that so well. I’m always a bit skeptical when a new cookbook comes out, and then, it’s wonderful, just like all the rest!

  29. Jean | Lemons + Anchovies January 13, 2019 at 11:20 AM - Reply

    I know the feeling–I’ve collected all the Ottolenghi books and once in a while find myself just leafing through all the pretty dishes. Glad you shared this recipe as it had not been on my radar. Looks wonderful!

    • chef mimi January 13, 2019 at 11:23 AM - Reply

      So glad you know about it now! It’s stupendous!

  30. sippitysup January 13, 2019 at 5:49 PM - Reply

    This looks so amazing. Really. Just the thing I want to make and eat. GREG

    • chef mimi January 13, 2019 at 5:52 PM - Reply

      That’s what I thought when I first saw the recipe! Enjoy it!

  31. Elena Bourke January 13, 2019 at 9:21 PM - Reply

    I have just recently explored this chef and was planning on making the Black pepper tofu later in the week! On another topic, might I ask your opinion on Dutch ovens? Is there a way to PM via this site? Thanks.

  32. neil@neilshealthymeals.com January 14, 2019 at 5:22 AM - Reply

    I have an Indian Scrambled Eggs recipe on my blog, one that I love as a weekend breakfast. This has way more spices in it and I’m drooling at the thought of giving this a try instead! There’s something really good about starting your Sunday with a good dish like this! All those flavours together. Yum!

    • chef mimi January 14, 2019 at 8:08 AM - Reply

      Oh, just that sounds fabulous. I had no idea there was such a thing as any kind of spiced eggs out there! This recipe was outstanding.

  33. Debbie Spivey January 14, 2019 at 7:48 AM - Reply

    These look and sound amazing, Mimi! I love anything spicy!

    • chef mimi January 14, 2019 at 8:09 AM - Reply

      We do too. We use just about as much cayenne pepper flakes as most people use salt!

      • Debbie Spivey January 17, 2019 at 8:29 AM

        Also a good way to cut back on salt! ;)

  34. Vicki Bensinger January 14, 2019 at 2:08 PM - Reply

    I have all but their most recent cookbook Ottolenghi Simple. However, I’ve never made this egg dish, it looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing it, I’ll be sure to try it.

    • chef mimi January 14, 2019 at 6:44 PM - Reply

      You’ll love it. I’ve never dressed up eggs like this – at least to this extent!

  35. Julie is Hostess At Heart January 14, 2019 at 5:48 PM - Reply

    These are some amazing looking eggs. I am just kind of an egg eater not lover except when they’re all dressed up like this recipe. We’re going to love all of those spices too!

    • chef mimi January 14, 2019 at 6:43 PM - Reply

      You will! It’s a fabulous recipe with so many wonderful flavors!

  36. Sheryl January 14, 2019 at 10:01 PM - Reply

    mmm. . . this looks yummy.

    • chef mimi January 15, 2019 at 8:47 AM - Reply

      It truly is. Such fabulous flavors and textures.

  37. Marie January 17, 2019 at 10:51 AM - Reply

    These scrambled eggs looks perfectly fluffy and full of delicious flavours! Beautiful presentation too. What a wonderful breakfast to have.

    • chef mimi January 17, 2019 at 2:59 PM - Reply

      Or lunch. Or dinner! They were just fabulous!

  38. Cathy January 18, 2019 at 10:31 PM - Reply

    I adore all of Ottolenghi’s recipes and yes, I own everyone of his cookbooks. Not sure how I missed this delicious looking recipe. Making this Sunday.

  39. FrugalHausfrau January 24, 2019 at 5:20 PM - Reply

    If I leave now, I think I can be there for Saturday brunch…or maybe I’ll just have to make this! I cannot tell you how good this is and your photos make it look that much more appetizing!!

    • chef mimi January 24, 2019 at 6:24 PM - Reply

      Thank you! Gas up!

      • FrugalHausfrau January 24, 2019 at 10:07 PM

        -7 in my yard right now, Mimi!! I would love to, lol!

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