What is anda bhurji?
In Hindi and Pubjabi, two common languages spoken in Indian, anda means egg, and bhurji means scrambled. Simply put, it’s a scrambled egg dish with a beautiful yellow color thanks to turmeric and specks of colorful vegetables. It’s popular in many homes across India and Pakistan and it’s also a common “street food!”
When and how do people enjoy anda bhurji?
Anda bhurji can theoretically be eaten any time of the day, however, in most homes it is served as a breakfast or lunch item. It can be served alongside naan, roti, or even toast! Truthfully, in Nita’s home it is often served as a quick weekday dinner or lunch on Sundays! Her boys love it with fresh roti.
*roti = known as chapati in some areas of India and Pakistan, it is an unleavened flatbread made of flour – it can also be a blend of different flours too, and it is not filled with anything. Roti is a staple flatbread eaten daily or multiple times per day by desi folks.
*naan = is a leavened flatbread made of flour which results in a heavier product; it can be plain or it may be stuffed.
When can anda bhurji be offered to my baby?
Theoretically, you can offer this to your little eater right at 6 months, similar to other variations of scrambled eggs. Keep in mind that eggs are a top priority allergen so ensure you’ve offered eggs to your baby in the past.
If you are nervous about offering all of the spices and vegetables at once to your new eater, you are welcome to take things slow and adapt the recipe. Our suggestion would be to prepare the recipe without the vegetables the first time. Once your baby has tasted this recipe, you can offer it with the tiny vegetables for the next time.
The vegetables don’t pose a risk for choking because you’re slicing them very small and they will soften during the cooking process. This is a great way to expose your child to vegetables early on and have them become comfortable with the visual appearance of vegetables mixed into other foods.
How will serving anda bhurji benefit my baby?
This recipe has a lot going for it in terms of exposure.
First let’s chat about the spices! Turmeric and garam masala are great spices that add a lot of flavor to any dish. A great tip to prevent childhood picky eating is to repeatedly expose your child to new flavors, and spices can help! If your baby already enjoys scrambled eggs, why not expand their palate and acceptance of the same food in a new way by offering anda burji? Plus, you can share it with your baby…now that’s a win win!
In terms of nutrition, your baby can reap the benefits of tons of vitamins, minerals, fat and protein from this recipe. Eggs are a great source of B vitamins like B2 and B12. Additionally, eggs naturally contain vitamin D, iron, choline and iodine too. It comes as no surprise, they are a powerhouse!
What vegetables work best in the recipe?
Our favorite combination of vegetables is listed below in the recipe, however you truly can make this recipe your own! Shredded carrots, mushrooms, small pieces of cauliflower, tomatoes, finely chopped spinach, diced mushroom, peas, and bell peppers are the most common vegetables used in a traditional bhurji recipe. Again, you can add vegetables to your recipe one by one if you’re exposing your baby to new produce at a slower pace!
More FAQ
- This recipe is best eaten fresh in terms of taste and texture, however you can reheat leftovers in the microwave or a pan the following day
- You can offer it to your baby with toast strips, roti, or naan if they are doing well with these food
- The tomatoes add a really nice element in terms of taste and texture however if you don’t have it at home, you can omit it
- You can easily prepare ½ this recipe: use 4 eggs and half the rest of the ingredients
How to make anda bhurji step-by-step
Follow along with the photos below or watch the video here:
Heat oil for about 90 seconds over medium heat, and add in cumin seeds. Let the cumin sizzle for one minute, ensuring they are not burning.
Add in onion, garlic, ginger and saute for 4 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium low. Add in frozen green peas, sauté, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. In Indian cooking we really like to cook the peas through.
Add in mushroom and bell peppers, sauté for 2 minutes until they soften.
Add in tomato, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne and salt. Cook this mixture until the tomatoes are integrated into the mixture, about 4 minutes.
Pour in whisked eggs. Do not touch the mixture right away, let the eggs cook for 30 seconds and then with a spatula fold the eggs. Continue to fold until the eggs are cooked through. This doesn’t take very long at all, about 3 minutes. The more you break it apart the finer the “scramble” will be. Work the egg as much or as little as you’d like for your baby.
For adults – garnish with cilantro.
Serve with naan, roti, bun, or toast spread with ghee or butter.
Anda Bhurji
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola or avocado oil
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds whole
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ⅔ cup diced mushrooms
- ½ cup diced bell peppers
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne optional
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ½ or more of tsp salt omit for baby
- 7 eggs, whisked (feel free to use 8-9 eggs for a larger volume)
- cilantro - garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil for about 90 seconds over medium heat, and add in cumin seeds. Let the cumin sizzle for one minute, ensuring they are not burning.
- Add in onion, garlic, ginger and saute for 4 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Add in frozen green peas, sauté, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. In Indian cooking we really like to cook the peas through.
- Add in mushroom and bell peppers, sauté for 2 minutes until they soften.
- Add in tomato, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne and salt.
- Cook this mixture until the tomato is integrated into the vegetables, about 4 minutes.
- Pour in whisked eggs. Do not touch the mixture right away, let the eggs cook for 30 seconds and then with a spatula fold the eggs. Continue to fold until the eggs are cooked through. This doesn’t take very long at all, about 3 minutes. The more you break it apart the finer the “scramble” will be. Work the egg as much or as little as you’d like for your baby.
- For adults - garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve with naan, roti, bun, or toast spread with ghee or butter.
Video
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2 thoughts on “Anda Bhurji for Baby Recipe”
Staple recipe for breakfasts and dinners. We change up the ingredients all the time – recently we had leftover Indian rice and we added this in…wow, so good. If any one is on the fence about this recipe, go for it!
Such a versatile recipe!