From the Garden: Cilantro for Breakfast

Last night, after some negotiation, we had decided on some sort of breakfast food to have for dinner. I was perusing the internet for a breakfast casserole and came across one that looked delicious, but I had never seen before. It was basically eggs cooked over hashbrowns mixed with cilantro, and since I've been itching to use my cilantro before it goes to seed, I thought it would be perfect.

The blog with the recipe said this is actually an Indian dish, from the Parsi people. I tweaked it a bit because of our preferences and what we had on hand, and was very pleased with the results!

Pateta Par Eeda

3 eggs
2 large potatoes, shredded
small pinch ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp minced cilantro
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the garlic till lightly browned.
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Press any excess water out of the shredded potatoes and add them to the pan. (I did this with a cotton towel, but not as well as with the crispy hashbrowns)
4. Add the cilantro and toss everything together and pat it down in the pan. (See my results) Cook on medium heat till the potato cake is browned at the bottom.
5. Flip it over (most easily done by flipping first onto a plate, then slide into pan. While I had the potatoes on the plate, I added about a tablespoon of oil to the pan, so the bottom would fry, too). Break the eggs over the potato cake and season them.
6. Cover and cook till the eggs are set the way you like them and the bottom gets browned and crispy.

The results were delicious, in my opinion. The outside of the potatoes were crispy, the inside soft but cooked, and the cilantro and garlic gave the whole thing a pleasing but unexpected taste. The eggs on the top just added to the whole interesting-textures aspect of the dish. We sliced the pan-shaped "casserole" into wedges to serve, and it fed both of us with generous servings.

A bonus: this is possibly the most 'local' meal I've cooked, with the eggs from the farmer's market and the cilantro from my 'garden'. I do have PLENTY of cilantro and parsley left, if anyone in the area wants some. This is also the first Indian cooking I've tried, not that I'd consider it typical Indian fare. An adventure all around.