Akoori, or Parsi Scrambled Eggs, starts with a flavorful base of onions, turmeric, garlic, ginger, serrano peppers, tomatoes and cilantro.
I simply cannot start my day without an egg (over easy!) and toast. And coffee, lots of coffee. Breakfast is the one meal where I am perfectly content eating the same exact thing every day. That is, until now.
I recently discovered Akoori or Parsi scrambled eggs thanks to Louella, who is part of the Dish & Club where passionate home cooks swap favorite recipes with each other on handwritten recipe cards. April’s theme was favorite breakfast or brunch dishes and Louella, whose family came to Minnesota from East Africa when she was a young girl, shared this recipe that she grew up eating on Sunday mornings with her family.
Louella was so kind to “dish” with me about her cherished family recipe and tell me about the culture and cuisine of Parsis—the community of people who settled in Bombay (now Mumbai), India from Iran in pursuit of religious freedom more than 1,200 years ago. Over time, they developed a unique cuisine that drew on the foods and ingredients in western India yet retained the flavors and techniques of ancient Persia.
Louella, whose mother is Parsi, had a front row seat to this distinct style of cooking that often features a blend of hot and sweet flavors. Staple ingredients in many Parsi dishes include onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chilies as well as spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powders. While many Parsi dishes feature lentils or rice, others are topped or finished off with eggs.
“Parsis love eggs and often put them atop a variety of vegetables such as potatoes or okra,” said Louella.
Where did this recipe for Akoori come from?
This version of the favorite Parsi dish comes from Louella’s mother, Dolly, who would make it after church each Sunday for brunch when Louella was growing up. Akoori can go a long way to feed many with one dish, which worked well as Louella’s family included her father as well as her two sisters and a brother.
Louella said she has made Akoori many times for her own family throughout the years—she has three grown sons—and continues to make it about once a month for herself and her husband.
It’s quick and easy to prepare with ingredients many home cooks are likely to have on hand. And, could easily work for a quick weeknight supper as a weekend brunch!
Tips from Louella:
- The recipe calls for ginger-garlic paste which Louella said is sold in jars and can be found at Indian grocery stores like India Spice House in Eden Prairie, but you could also substitute ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and ½ teaspoon of minced ginger. (Side tip: Louella said that India Spice House also has a fabulous restaurant that serves many regional Indian dishes!)
- If you want less heat in your dish, remove the seeds from the serrano peppers.
- Pay attention to the color and texture of the sauce when simmering down the tomatoes. It should be a deep red color.
Louella has many fond memories of her mother’s cooking when she was growing up including: Kolmi No Patio, marinated shrimp served in a flavorful, tomato gravy (somewhat similar to the mixture used in Akoori) served with white rice; and Dhansak, a dal that’s cooked with a delicious medley of chicken or lamb with vegetables (eggplant, pumpkin or squash) that is served with caramelized rice and a side salad of cucumber, onion and cilantro mixed with lime juice.
And, of course, Akoori will also always have a special place in Louella’s heart! She says the smell of the vegetables and spices cooking immediately brings her back to those Sunday mornings enjoying brunch with her parents and siblings. If that’s not the perfect example of a cherished, family recipe, I don’t know what it is!
Thank you to Louella (and Dolly!) for sharing their recipe for Akoori introducing me to Parsi cuisine and giving me some inspiration to try a new way to enjoy my daily eggs.
