Omelets often are served at breakfast or brunch in the U.S., but in plenty of cuisines the dinner table is fair game, too. Which also means you’re not limited to American-style omelets, which can be overly cheesy, greasy and salty.
We keep things lighter and more flavorful with Egypt’s spiced frittatalike eggah, which is substantial but balanced, with layer upon layer of flavor thanks to a trio of spices and fresh herbs and scallions.
It’s a hearty dish, made with shredded potatoes and beef. Turmeric, coriander and allspice infuse the eggah with a warm, inviting fragrance and flavor. In this recipe from our book “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from the region, we whisk those spices directly into the eggs, along with fresh dill and a little baking powder to provide lift. We also shred the potatoes by hand and rinse them under cold water to remove excess starch before wringing them dry.
We then brown the beef and potatoes with scallion whites to develop deep, savory flavor, and vigorously scramble them with the spiced egg mixture before transferring the whole thing to the oven to finish. Sliced scallion greens and more fresh dill offset the richness of the meat and eggs and add pops of vibrant color.