Eggs Kejriwal with Ham

Eggs Kejriwal is a dish that is rumored to have been created at the Willingdon Club in Mumbai, India. No one is very sure who Mr. Kejriwal actually was. Some say he was the head chef, and some say he was a patron who frequented the Club, and asked for his eggs to be cooked this way. My dad says that this particular recipe is a lot fancier than the original Eggs Kejriwal. According to him, the right way to do it is - toast, fried egg, lots of chopped chilies, topped with cheese, melted in the oven and served. No fancy-pants ham, or tomatoes or anything else. My husband says they used to make it at home, and it always had ham. So, I decided to mix the two together and add a little something of my own.

Eggs Kejriwal with Ham

4 slices bread, toasted

4-8 slices honey roasted ham or smoked ham

2 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely chopped, seeds removed

4-5 green onions, finely chopped

1-2 cups white sauce

½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped

4 Eggs, fried

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Chop all the ingredients and keep aside. This dish can only be assembled right before you eat, or the toast becomes very soggy.

Toast the bread till light brown but crisp. In the mean time, fry the eggs. To assemble, place a toast on an oven proof plate. Top with 1-2 slices of ham, then add a generous amount of tomatoes, green onions, and chilies, salt and pepper. Place the egg on top and cover it with white sauce. Put the dish in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and broil till the top is well heated. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.

Notes:

*I use white sauce because my husband is lactose intolerant. I would prefer to use a cheese sauce instead, and suggest that you try it with cheese.

*If you are not using cheese and only using white sauce, you could heat the white sauce on a slow flame, and skip the broiling step I have mentioned above.

*Here is a very easy White Sauce recipe.