Greek scrambled eggs (Strapatsada)

This is a classic Greek scrambled egg dish. The combination depends on making a delicious, bright, fruit-forward tomato sauce, then scrambling the eggs until soft in it. Top the eggs with salty feta cheese to finish the dish.

The name of the dish is interesting; it is derived from the Italian “strapazzare”, meaning to scramble or cook roughly. The dish arrived during the Venetian rule of the Ionian Islands between the 15th and 18th centuries. The dish was also influenced by the Turkish omelette, “Kagianas”, meaning omelette. Interestingly, kagina is also an Indian dish, made with tomatoes and spices, derived from the Mughal rulers.

The dish is subtle, the eggs creamy; please do not overcook them until they are dry, and the salt from the feta adds the “oomph” and Greek character. I had these for breakfast, a lovely change from the staid scrambled eggs I usually make.

Mazi means “together” and is a true Greek restaurant in the center of London. I really don’t recall where I picked up this cookbook, but it has languished on my shelf. I pull it out often, and then struggle with the depth of Greek ingredients that I cannot seem to locate in India, or even in San Francisco, for that matter. It is a beautiful book with recipes that use indigenous ingredients, but reinterpreted.

For more recipes from this book, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 long pepper, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tomatoes, finely diced

4 eggs, whisked

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Method:

Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Add the peppers and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the oregano and toss well. Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-10 minutes to get a sauce.

While the tomatoes are cooking, whisk the eggs with the salt and pepper. When the sauce is ready, turn down the heat to low. Pour the eggs in a thin stream, whisking the mix so you don't form crumbles. Cook on very low heat for 5- minutes until the eggs are just set.

Remove from the heat and add most of the feta, keeping some for garnish.

Serve immediately with sourdough bread or warmed pita bread.