I have been obsessed with chili oil since I discovered it during the pandemic. An Indian crepe(dosa) with an egg broken on top, drizzled with chili oil, was the one thing that kept me from losing my mind. (yes, ok, that’s an exaggeration; it’s obviously my sweet, sweet child. obviously.). Don’t come at me for your chili crisp burning. Yes, it has happened to me too, but I have some tricks to avoid that. First, use the oil and the solid crispy bits separately. The oil, along with the butter without any of the chili, garlic bits will be used to fry the egg.I drizzle( fine plop) the solid bits on the egg after it’s finished. So yayie! No burnt chili egg! Oh, and last—watch that pan like a hawk. Yes, you can do it. It takes two minutes in total, I promise. Now, if you love egg breakfasts like me, you must try making French toast with sourdough bread or a savory spin on French toast. Another amazing recipe is this banana Nutella crepes. And if you have access to good dosa batter, make this egg dosa with chili oil.
Chili Crisp
Use your favorite store-bought one. It’s quite easily available. One caution, though: the chili crisp in Southeast Asia is quite spicy, so take that into account while making chili eggs. And conversely, it’s pretty bland in rest of the world, so add more!
How to cook Chili Oil Eggs
First, a few disclaimers: Use a heavy-bottomed pan, such as a well-seasoned cast iron pan, nonstick pan, or stainless steel pan. If you are using a stainless steel pan, first make it a nonstick skillet. Here is how.
Step 1: Heat the pan
For this recipe, we need to be extremely cautious of the pan’s heat. Otherwise, your house will smell of burnt chili, which is awful! Separate the oil from the chili crisp. Reserve the solid bits. Add butter to the pan along with the oil from the chili crisp.
Step 2: Add Eggs
Gently break the egg in the hot oil-melted butter mixture. Watch the heat as you want the pan to be hot enough to cook the eggs but not enough to burn the chili bits. Sprinkle salt and the solid bits from the chili crisp. Spoon butter/ oil on top of the egg to help it cook. It should take 2-3 minutes.
Why does my chili egg burn
It’s not entirely your fault, so that’s good. Red chilies burn quite fast, and if you want the fried egg’s golden brown crispy edges, you will definitely burn some chilies. Another reason could be that your heat is way too high. This particular fried egg is fried low and slow instead of fast. To avoid all that drama, separate the oil and the solids from the chili crisp. Use the oil for frying and the solids for drizzling. We love eggs. Nothing is easier to make while being nutrient-dense. Here are two of our house favourite egg recipes: egg dosa and egg roast masala—a curry that’s just too irresistible!
