Masala Egg Bites

These fluffy mini frittatas or egg muffins are spiced with a simple combination of ginger, green chile, and turmeric to take the ubiquitous coffee-chain egg bites up a notch. They are great for meal prep, make a fast but filling breakfast or snack on the go, and clock in at approximately 25 calories per bite. You can mix up the toppings as you like—feel free to use spinach, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, or any other veggies or cheeses you like.

Ingredients

4 eggs

½ cup/113g full-fat cottage cheese

½ cup/56g shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup/75g diced red bell pepper/capsicum

2 Tbsp diced onion

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro/fresh coriander

1 Indian green chile, jalapeño pepper, or Thai chile, chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

½ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp salt

Directions

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. (If using a regular muffin pan, increase the baking time by 5 minutes in Step 5.)

Step 2. Combine the eggs, cottage cheese, and Cheddar cheese in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will be the consistency of heavy cream/double cream.

Step 3. Add all the other ingredients to the blender and pulse a couple of times until evenly distributed (we don’t want to blend the toppings smooth, just distribute them evenly throughout the mixture).

Step 4. Pour the mixture into the prepared mini muffin pan, filling each muffin cup no more than two-thirds full.

Step 5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan (they will deflate a bit). Remove from the pan and serve.

Cooking Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat for 20 seconds in the microwave. They are also freezer friendly—just wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking together, and freeze for up to 1 month.

Reprinted with permission from THE VEGETARIAN RESET by Vasudha Viswanath, The Collective Book Studio, January 2023. Photo credit Alexandra Shytsman. Viswanath is the founder of We Ate Well, a community for foodies that focuses on eating mindfully and sustainably on a vegetarian diet. After a doctor’s note about her elevated blood sugar, she transformed the way she cooks to cut out excessive starch and sugar and has never felt better. After spending over a decade on Wall Street, Vasudha left her career in finance to write a cookbook and create We Ate Well.