Purslane Tomato Omelet

Purslane is an edible weed that while native to India and Iran, has been eaten for millennia from Europe to Africa. Known as ‘kulfa’ in Hindi, purslane, a succulent has a mucilaginous  (aka slimy) texture and may be eaten as a salad or cooked. It has a slightly lemony flavor and is often added to dal, at stews and cooked like saag as a pureed green vegetable.  It contains more omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E than any other green vegetable and also has seven times more beta carotene than carrots. 

Makes 2 small servings

ingredients

1 cup egg whites

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 stalk green onion, finely sliced

1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup finely chopped purslane, stems & all

instructions

Discard the thick bottom stems of the purslane; the rest may be chopped up and consumed.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with turmeric, fresh ginger and salt.

In a frying pan, heat up the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds. Almost immediately, add the sliced green onion and cherry tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the onions are wilted and the tomato is slightly cooked. Now add the purslane and cook it for a few seconds, just until barely wilted. Stir these into the bowl with the egg.

Heat up two tablespoons of olive oil in the frying pan again and pour the egg mixture into it. Cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes and loosen the sides if needed. Flip the omelet and cook the other side for a minute or two.

notes & variations

• Add melted cheese in between omelet before flipping

• Add a half cup of boiled potato to the green onion tomato mixture.

Also in Recipes