This is a dish that I came across by accident. A few years ago I was at Dindigul in South Tamil Nadu. For decades, this town was known for its lock making industry, just like Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. But over the past few years, it’s Dindigul’s biryani that’s been its biggest draw. Dindigul was on his way to Kodaikanal, one of the state’s most popular hill stations. It’s no surprise that Dindigul’s biryani eateries provide the perfect lunch time for backpackers from Chennai and Bengaluru.
Thalapapaktti, now a chain with multiple stores in Chennai and Bengaluru can get a lot of credit for making Dindigul’s biryani famous. But there are other local eateries like Ponram and Venu biryani that make a great version of the traditional Dindigul biryani handmade with Seeraga Samba, a delicious small-grain rice. At Venu Biryani, I had my first brush with a fluffy, ball-shaped karandi omelette.
It is not clear if this dish is of Dindigul origin but one thing is for sure, this is a dish invented as a matter of convenience. Karandi omelettes became popular thanks to small eateries and street food stalls across the state. Karandi is the Tamil word for ladle. This is an omelette that can be quickly put into a large ladle (Thalippu Karandi in Tamil) that you would normally use for incubation or ‘tadka’. It is this style of cooking (in a confined space, rather than pouring on a pan) that gives the karandi omelette its soft layers and texture.
The shape and texture of a karandi omelette can vary depending on the number of eggs (usually one or two) or the size of the ladle. My orderer in Venu provided another delightful look at this scrumptious omelette. With huge volume, most of the big restaurants have started using molds to make multiple karandi omelettes at once. These omelettes tend to be more ball-shaped while your omelette will likely be flatter if you use a larger and flatter ladle. They are also known as mutta (eggs) paniyaram.
So what are the typical ingredients in a karandi omelette? Most restaurants in Dindigul follow the traditional recipe with green peppers and onions. I also tried a delicious version of this dish at Haribhavanam in Coimbatore a few weeks ago with the same ingredients. Restaurants like Haribhavanam use coconut oil as a cooking ingredient and it definitely adds flavor to this omelet. Today, it is not uncommon to find karandi omelettes with chopped tomatoes or even pieces of meat; Some chefs even add mushrooms. While our recipe follows the traditional recipe with a sprinkle of chopped coriander leaves and tomatoes, you can add any ingredients you like to your omelette.
An omelette may be a special breakfast dish, but in Tamil Nadu, like many other parts of India, it is also an accompaniment to a meal. The karandi omelette goes well with biryani or even rice and rasam. It’s also a perfect snack for a winter snack or coffee or when you need a little comfort on a rainy day.
How to make Karandi Omelette. Karandi Omelette Recipe:
Ingredient:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped tomato
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instruct:
1. Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green peppers. Put everything in the mixing bowl.
2. Crack an egg and add it along with the required pepper powder, paprika, turmeric and salt. Mix together.
3. Now heat a ladle, add oil. Pour in the egg mixture. Do not fill more than 3/4 of your ladle
4. Cook for one minute over low heat.
5. Once done, flip gently with a spatula to the other side and cook for one minute. Remove from ladle and serve hot.
About Ashwin RajagopalanI’m slashie dialect – a content architect, writer, speaker, and cultural intelligence coach. School lunch boxes are often the beginning of our culinary discoveries. It only got stronger as I explored food cultures, street food and fine dining restaurants around the world. I explored cultures and destinations through culinary motifs. I am also passionate about writing about consumer technology and travel.
