Batate Upar Baida

Translating to "Eggs over Potatoes", Batate Upar Baida is a dish made at least once a week at Vikriti's house for breakfast as she was growing up. This recipe serves 3-4.

Ingredients

1. 6 Large Eggs
2. 2-3 Large Potatoes
3. 4 tbsp. Whole Cumin
4. 1-2 Thai Chilies
5. 1 tbsp. Chilly Powder
6. Oil

Directions

Batate Upar Baida is essentially a extremely simple casserole made in a pan. Potatoes are layered under eggs and cooked until the bottom is crispy.

Prep

Start by peeling the potato, then cutting it in half, and then thinly slicing it. The slices don't need to be very thin. You can also choose to dice the potatoes. Both methods lead to a different texture in the final dish, with the diced potatoes generally being mealier. Finely chop the Thai Chilies as well.

Make sure to use a pan that can fit all the ingredients comfortably, so they don't spill out from the side when mixing.

Cooking

• Take a large deep pan, and set it over Medium heat
• Add 2-4 tbsp. of oil. Make sure the bottom is well coated.
• Add 3 tbsp. of cumin and fry for 30 seconds. The cumin should become fragrant.
• Add about half your potatoes. If you have sliced them, they will tend to stick to each other. Use a flat spatula to separate and mix them so the cumin infused oil is well integrated.
• Add about 3 tbsp. salt, or to taste.
• Repeat with the rest of your potatoes. Add more oil as needed.
• Keep frying, letting the potatoes get some color on them. You can scoop the potatoes and flip them every 2 or so minutes to get makes sure all slices are evenly cooked. Do not cover yet. The potatoes will leave out a lot of steam at this point, and you want the potatoes to get fried, not boiled or steamed. The potatoes should be lightly browned.
• The potatoes will start to becomes translucent. When they are about a 2 thirds of the way cooked, make the top flat with you spatula.
• Crack your 6 eggs on top, evenly spacing them. It's okay if you crack the yolk, but don't mix it all together.
• Top with 1 tbsp. Chilly Powder, 1 tbsp. Cumin, and 1 tbsp. Salt or to taste.
• Cover, and reduce heat to Medium-Low.
• Cook until the yolks are fully cooked. If you smells burning, reduce heat slightly. The bottom is supposed to be extremely crispy and slightly charred so don't worry too much about burning.
• Serve with Pav, Ketchup, and Mayonnaise.

Notes

To serve, just cut out slices of the dish like it's a pie. If you used a non-stick pan, the slices should come out cleanly. If you did not use a non-stick pan, It's okay if the potatoes stick to the bottom. The part that sticks to the bottom is often the tastiest. Just scrape it off and serve. You can also serve it family style, and have everyone eat directly from the pan.