To celebrate International Women’s Day, I can’t think of a more fitting dish to make than Louella Anderson’s akoori, a Parsi-style scrambled egg dish. Louella learned to make it from her mother, Dolly, a Parsi matriarch who recently turned 100, preserving a cooking style that blends the spices and techniques of ancient Persia with ingredients from western India. It’s a perfect example of how women pass down culture, family, and love through food. –Sarah Peterson, author of “Dish & Tell.”
Akoori/Parsi Scrambled Eggs
by Louella Anderson, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
- 2 small onions, sliced thin
- 3 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ginger/garlic paste (see tip)
- 2 serrano chili peppers, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
- 2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
- 6 eggs, beaten
- salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and cook onions until translucent. Add green onions and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Stir in turmeric and ginger garlic paste and continue cooking until onions start to brown.
Add chiles and ¼ cup cilantro to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes and stir well; continue cooking until tomatoes break up and liquid is boiled off. The mixture should be a dark red color. Stir in eggs and scramble to preferred consistency, watching so they do not become too dry. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve with buttered toast.
Louella’s Tips:
- The recipe calls for ginger garlic paste that’s sold in jars and can be found at Indian grocery stores, but an alternative is to substitute ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and ½ teaspoon of minced ginger.
- Pay attention to the color and texture of the sauce when simmering down the tomatoes. It should be a deep red color.
