Eda Chutney na Pattice, a Parsi-style Scotch Egg
The Parsi obsession with eggs has resulted in several ingenious creations that have brought delight across generations. Amit Mehta shares a recipe for one such - the egg chutney pattice.
If you were to approach a Parsi for the solution to a(ny) problem, the response would most likely be: “No need to worry… just put an egg on it.”
The Parsis, arguably more than any other community in the world, are obsessed with eggs. While most people consider eggs for breakfast, Parsis will have eggs any time of day (or night). In fact, most Parsis will probably tell you eggs are vegetarian, meant to be consumed on those rare meat-free days.
With a cuisine that is fairly meat-heavy, Parsis have an ingenious solution to consuming vegetables: Just put an egg on it. A veritable treasure trove of ‘per eedu’ (put an egg on it), their recipes have evolved to put an egg over lady fingers, potato wafers; over tomatoes and fenugreek leaves. ‘Put on an egg on it’ makes every kind of vegetables more acceptable to the palate.
One of my personal favourite egg recipes is Eda Chutney na Pattice, literally, egg-and-chutney pattice. Imagine a Parsi-style scotch egg: boiled eggs folded in sweet and spicy coconut-coriander chutney, wrapped in a blanket of mashed potato, then finally coated in semolina and whisked egg (yes, more egg), sealed with a kiss of hot oil.
Being of mixed parentage, half-Parsi and half-Gujarati, I can attest to the fact that this is the perfect introduction to Parsi cuisine, beautifully encapsulating the community’s mastery over flavours, balancing sweet, spicy and savoury in a single bite of multple textures. The recipe is simple, ideal for eggetarians, or vegetarians who consume egg.
In Christianity, the egg stands for resurrection. For Parsis, the egg represents life itself. Without it, our cuisine (and our lives) would be woefully incomplete.
RECIPE FOR PARSI-STYLE EGG CHUTNEY PATTICE
(Makes approx. 6)
Ingredients
3 boiled eggs, halved
2 beaten eggs, lightly salted
5-6 tbsp fine semolina
Oil, for frying
For chutney
1/2 coconut, freshly grated
1/2 bunch coriander
3 green chillies
Salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar
7-8 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 lemon
For potatoes
6-7 medium potatoes
Salt, to taste
Method
Grind all the ingredients for chutney with a tablespoon of water to form a thick paste. Squeeze lemon to finish. Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once done, mash the potatoes and add salt.
Make 5-6 balls of the mashed potatoes and roll in semolina. Make indents in them and stuff the chutney and half a boiled egg in each ball.
Roll the ball to close it and flatten it a bit between your palms.
Coat each ball in semolina, dip in beaten egg and deep fry in hot oil on medium flame for around 5 mins, till the exterior is a rich golden brown.
Amit Mehta is a copywriter and creative director who likes to collect things as a hobby, including food…everything he savours is added to his collection of food memories and stories.
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