• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mirchi Tales logo
  • Pakistani Recipes
  • Pantry Guide
  • Recipe Index
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Pakistani Recipes
  • Pantry Guide
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Pakistani Recipes
    • Pantry Guide
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Mirchi Tales » Recipes

    Khagina (Khageena) – Spicy Pakistani Scrambled Eggs

    Published: Mar 23, 2021 · Modified: Nov 8, 2021 by Kiran

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Khagina (or khageena) is the South Asian or Desi version of scrambled eggs. The recipe I am sharing is the Pakistani version made with onions, tomatoes, green chilies and coriander leaves / cilantro. Ready in less than 20 minutes, it’s a popular breakfast option and can be served with paratha, roti or bread.

    Khagina or Pakistani style scrambled eggs in a silver serving bowl.
    Khagina aka Pakistani style scrambled eggs

    What is khagina (khageena)?

    Khagina (or khageena) is the South Asian or Desi version of spicy scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes. There are versions of this dish throughout the Indian sub-continent. It’s called khagina (or khageena) in Pakistan and within the Muslim community in the sub-continent, ande ki bhurji (or bhujia) in India, and akoori (or akuri) within the Parsi community. Made with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, coriander and spices khagina is a popular vegetarian breakfast (or brunch) recipe that can be served with South Asian style bread such as roti / chapati, air fryer paratha, naan or western style bread such as toast. Even croissants to make a khagina sandwich. Though khagina is traditionally a breakfast recipe, it also makes for a delicious meal option for lunch and dinner. Ready in less than 20 minutes, it’s perfect for those days when you can’t think of what to make, turning into a perfect ‘breakfast for dinner’ meal option. The recipe that I am sharing is for khagina made in the Pakistani manner, the way it was made in my home growing up.

    On the bottom left is a small plate with 4 eggs. Above the plate is a small bowl with coriander powder, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and garam masala. On the right is a chopping board with chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, green chilies and coriander leaves kept on top of it.

    How to make khagina aka Pakistani scrambled eggs?

    • Whisk the eggs: Break the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Whisk till fluffy, and set aside.
    • Make the khagina masala: Heat oil in a pan, and saute the onions till light golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes till soft. Then add the green chilies, followed by the spices. Cook for another 2 minutes till the masala is all blended together. If I want to prep ahead for a party / dawaat the next day, I will take the khagina masala off the heat and let it cool. Once cooled, I will keep it in an container, and the next day I will heat it up again and then add the whisked eggs.
    • Add the eggs: Once the masala is ready, add the whisked eggs. Cook the eggs on a low-medium heat, while stirring, until the eggs are scrambled and almost cooked through.
    • Garnish and serve: Right at the end, add the chopped coriander leaves / cilantro and season the eggs with salt. Stir for another minute, and then serve right away with bread of choice.

    Can khagina (khageena) be made in advance?

    Khagina is one of those dishes that is best served fresh, and right from the pan. However, there are certain preps that can be done in advance. If you need to prepare the khagina for a dawaat or let’s say for an Eid breakfast, chop up the vegetables the night before, making sure to keep the onions and tomatoes separately.

    Another thing that you can do is prepare the khagina masala (the onion and tomatoes mixture) a day before and keep it in the fridge. Once the spices are added and the masala is cooked, take it off the heat and let it cool. Place the masala in the fridge. The next morning, heat the masala with a little oil in a pan. Once the masala starts bubbling from the side, whisk the eggs and add to the pan. This is something that I do for all my breakfast and brunch dawaats – saves a lot of time!

    In case you do have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge and eaten the next day.

    Khagina or Pakistani style scrambled eggs in a silver serving bowl with bronze handles. The khagina is topped with coriander leaves.

    What to serve with Desi scrambled eggs?

    Whether you make khagina (khageena), or ande ki bhurji, or akoori the versatility of these dishes is that they can be served with any style of bread, be it South Asian style bread or Western style bread. Serving options include chapati, roti, naan, paratha, bread and croissants. If I am having a lazy weekend breakfast, I like to serve khagina with air fryer paratha, and on the side I have a cup of steaming chai or a refreshing glass of lassi. On the weekdays, I prefer to keep it simple with simple sliced bread. I also love having khagina (or khageena) for dinner – it’s a perfect ‘breakfast for dinner’ option and on those occasions, I like to serve naan or roti on the side. In case you are having these Desi scrambled eggs for lunch, they also taste delicious in a sandwich with a slice of cheese - use sandwich bread or a croissant.

    Some other breakfast or brunch recipes that you can try are:

    1. Pakistani qeema with onions
    2. Airfryer paratha
    3. Aloo ki tarkari
    4. Chicken and mushroom quiche
    5. Overnight French toast Bake
    6. Sindhi style crispy bhindi

    Would love it if you could try out and rate the recipe, and let me know how it was in the comments below! 

    To keep updated with recipes, stories and so much more follow me on Facebook and Instagram

    📖 Recipe

    Khagina or Pakistani style scrambled eggs in a silver serving bowl.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Khagina (Khageena)– spicy Pakistani scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes

    Khagina (or khageena) is the South Asian or Desi version of scrambled eggs. The recipe I am sharing is the Pakistani version made with onions, tomatoes and green chilies. Ready in less than 20 minutes, it’s a popular breakfast option and can be served with paratha, roti or bread.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine: North Indian, Pakistani
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Kiran

    Ingredients

    • 6 large eggs preferably free range eggs
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 medium / 120 gm onion sliced
    • 2 to matoes chopped
    • 2 green chilies sliced (remove the seeds if you prefer less spicy taste)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
    • Salt to taste (½ teaspoon is usually good for 2 eggs, but adjust to taste)
    • ½ cup coriander leaves / cilantro chopped plus more for garnish

    Instructions

    • Crack the eggs in a medium sized bowl, and whisk with a fork till light and fluffy. Set aside.
    • Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
    • Add the sliced onions, and saute till light golden and soft.
    • Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft (about 4 – 6 minutes). Use a wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes.
    • Add the green chilies, and the spices (coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder). Cook for about 2 minutes, till the raw flavor of the spices dissipates, and oil can be seen from the side of the masala.
    • Add the whisked eggs and cook on low – medium heat till the eggs are almost cooked through. They should be soft and resemble soft scrambled custard. Make sure to keep stirring and using your spoon to scramble the eggs.
    • At this stage, add the salt and chopped up coriander.
    • Stir for another 1 – 2 minutes, and then take off the heat. Serve right away with bread of choice. Garnish with more coriander leaves.
    Khagina or Pakistani style scrambled eggs in a silver serving bowl with bronze handles. The khagina is topped with coriander leaves.

    More Recipes

    • A bowl of roasted ground cumin with a spoon, on a white plate.
      How to make Roasted Ground Cumin (Bhuna Zeera)
    • A bowl of chaat masala with a spoon in it, on a white plate.
      Homemade Chaat Masala (Quick & Easy)
    • A plate with mash ki daal in it, with a spoon next to it.
      Mash ki Daal (Urad Daal) – Instant Pot and Stove Top
    • Chicken malai tikka skewers on a white serving plate.
      Chicken Malai Tikka – Malai Boti

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vanillabean says

      April 08, 2022 at 2:52 am

      5 stars
      Really good!

      Reply
    2. Maryam says

      March 09, 2022 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      Such a helpful post - thank you Kiran!

      Reply
    3. Hira says

      November 08, 2021 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      My favourite breakfast.

      Reply
    4. Asad says

      March 29, 2021 at 12:14 am

      Such a great recipe I'll find this recipe much time, but could not find them good article

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Kiran!

    Welcome to my kitchen. Here you will find Pakistani and Indian recipes along with delicious tea time desserts. I am all about putting a modern twist to traditional South Asian recipes for the contemporary kitchen.

    More about me →

    Ramadan Recipes

    • Two bowls of chana chaat, with one bowl having a spoon in it.
      Chana Chaat

    • A meal planner that will help you plan your meals in Ramadan. Plus there is a FREE sample menu guideline for sehri/suhoor, iftar and dinner.
      Ramadan meal planner + FREE sehri and iftar menu

    • A plate of lentil fritters with yoghurt, with more fritters on the side.
      Mash ki daal kay dahi baray | Lentil fritters in yoghurt | Dahi bhallay

    • A bowl of chaat masala with a spoon in it, on a white plate.
      Homemade Chaat Masala (Quick & Easy)

    • A mound of air fryer pakoras with coriander on top. Behind the air fryer pakoras is green chili sauce, and tomato ketchup.
      Air fryer pakora | No fry pakora | Healthy onion pakora

    • An image with the text 'Ramadan Food Preparation Guide. Prepare for Suhoor and Iftar in Advance'. On the back of the text is a collage of 9 pictures of iftar and suhoor snacks which includes shami kebabs, pakoras, green chutney, chaat, fried onions, and vegetable puff patties.
      Ramadan Food Preparation Guide with Recipes – How to prepare in advance for Suhoor, Iftar and Dinner

    • A golden bowl with imli or tamarind chutney in it.
      Imli Chutney w/o Dates (Tamarind Chutney)

    • A bowl of cilantro chutney with mint in a bowl, with a small spoon in it.
      Cilantro Chutney with Mint (Hari Chutney) | Green Chutney

    Popular Recipes

    • Kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal is a popular Pakistani lentil recipe made with black gram lentils. It can be served with chawal (rice) or roti.
      Kaali daal or khari masoor ki daal | Black gram lentils

    • A bowl full of Pakistani keema aloo topped with coriander leaves.
      Pakistani aloo keema | Ground mince with potato curry

    • Similar to a pilaf, aloo ki tahari or spiced potato rice is a Pakistani / Indian vegetarian dish made with rice and potatoes. Other vegetables can be used but the most popular are potatoes. 
      Aloo ki Tahari or Aloo Chawal | Spiced Potato Rice

    • So this isn’t exactly a recipe but a super simple delicious hack that turns frozen parathas into crispy flaky puri style paratha! Just the thing to have for breakfast with chai.  Follow my step by step tutorial on how to make frozen paratha in an air fryer! 
      Air fryer paratha | How to make frozen paratha in an air fryer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021 Mirchi Tales