It is common knowledge that Parsis have a love affair with eggs. They are well-known for starting their day off with either Parsi akuri, a mix of cooked vegetables scrambled with eggs, or pora pao, an omelette with the same ingredients left uncooked, and then move on to lunch, where the first course is a vegetable topped with eggs – per eedu. It is either well-beaten, frittata-style, or whole, sunny side up.
For the longest time, Parsis lived in communal households and joint families. Family residences were large, spacious structures located in sandy parcels with open areas for chickens to run around (the start of the egg affair?), possibly a goat or cow for milk, and family dogs were common. Ours was no different. My grandfather’s house in Karachi was a stone building that was laid out in a chaotic fashion, with rooms having four doors, some of which opened up to the compound; it was the way of the world then. The fresh cross-breeze was the only source of respite throughout the sweltering summer months.
Few people ever had personal bedrooms, and most families used two spacious bathrooms. The shared spaces often became a hub of activity, while the kitchen was located at the back of the house, with the door left open all day for deliveries from the same reliable fisherman, milkman, baker, and whatever else showed up every day. I recall the excellent fishman, almost considered a family member by daily association, frequently putting the fish in the refrigerator while everyone except an elderly matriarch was at work. It was an exceptional era in which everyone was supposed to be honest and trustworthy.
With a dozen mouths to feed in each family, it was unavoidable to come up with foolproof methods of saving money. The menu for the day was selected based on the eggs available and the fresh seasonal vegetables delivered to our house. Our sweets were likewise primarily milk- and egg-based.
It seems Parsi cooking is well known for including eggs in everything we make. From eeda pak, a gooey, sticky, spreadable halva to strengthen our chests during the winter, and a concoction of milk, egg and brandy called ‘egg-flip’ to even forcing a raw egg down sickly children, Parsis can proudly rattle off a long list of ‘per eedu’, offering a variety to get through the week: papayta (potatoes), tamota (tomatoes), bhoji (spinach), turyu (zucchini), bheeda (okra), and kothmir kanda (coriander and onions), to name a few. It is always an egg-tastic occasion in any Parsi kitchen.
Papayta per Eedu (Potatoes Topped with Eggs)
Potatoes and eggs are staples in every Parsi home. They are two best friends in the kitchen, a go-to dish as an accompaniment, as a quick lunch, and at times when someone drops in and stays for a meal.
Traditionally papayta per eedu is served with a carrot pickle with lots of dried fruit and jaggery called gajar mewa nu achar, and fresh warm rotis or crispy bread are a must.
Ingredients
- •3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- •1 large onion, thinly sliced
- •1 kg 2.2 lb potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- •4 green chillies, finely diced
- •1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- •6 large eggs, at room temperature
- •Freshly ground black pepper, optional
Preparation
In a deep skillet with a lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring often, until well browned. Transfer the onion to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to low. Add about one-third of the potatoes in an even layer. Sprinkle with a little of the salt and some of the diced chilies. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, seasoning and adding chilies as you build the layers. Spread the browned onion over the top.
Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and, using a spatula, gently lift and turn sections of the potatoes to bring some onion down into the layers (don’t worry about a perfect flip). Cover again and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes more.
With the back of a spoon, make 6 wells in the potatoes. Crack an egg into each well. Cover and steam until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking, 5 to 10 minutes.
If you like, season the eggs with a little more salt and some black pepper, then serve straight from the skillet.
