Akuri (Parsi Scrambled Eggs)

I have prepared scrambled eggs before with chopped vegetables and spices. While searching for more  egg recipes, I came across Akuri, a popular Parsi breakfast dish prepared with spices. No morning in a Parsi household is complete without a nice Akuri breakfast. Akuri is somewhat of a texture between a scrambled egg dish and fully cooked Egg bhurji / Egg bhurjee, a similar egg dish popular in many parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Try making this in place of your regular scrambled egg dish and serve it for breakfast. Enjoy Akuri hot and fresh with warm buttered toast and your favourite cup of tea / coffee.

Akuri is a spicy scrambled egg dish eaten in Parsi cuisine of India. The eggs are never overcooked and the eggs are cooked until almost runny. Fried onions and spices (ginger, coriander, chopped chilies, and black pepper) add to the flavour. Akuri is traditionally eaten with pav or double roti.

A less common version is Bharuchi Akuri, supposedly originating from the city of Bharuch in Gujarat. The dish contains nuts and dry fruits like cashews and raisins in addition to the other spices.

Ingredients:

• Eggs: 6
• Milk: 1/4 cup
• Onions, finely chopped: 4 medium
• Tomatoes, finely chopped: 2 medium
• Capsicum, finely chopped: 1 medium
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder:  1 tsp
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped: 6
• Ginger, finely chopped: 1 tsp
• Green chillies, finely chopped: 2
• Butter, chilled 2 cubes
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped: 1-2 bunch
• White oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Chop onions, tomatoes, capsicum and green chilies finely. Finely chop ginger and garlic cloves. Keep aside.
2. Break all the eggs in a bowl. Add salt to taste, pour in the milk and lightly beat the eggs. (The more you whisk the eggs, the fluffier the dish will be)
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and add chopped onions. Cook until the onions turn light golden brown and are soft and translucent. (This gives Akuri the slight sweetness and flavour of onions).
4. Add chopped tomatoes, capsicum, some chopped coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillies and the dry spices. Mix and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
5. Add the beaten eggs mixture in the pan, mix well and lightly scramble the eggs until they are cooked and a little runny. (Make sure they are soft and not overcooked).
6. Add the chilled butter to the Akuri and mix well to have a creamy texture.
7. Sprinkle rest of the chopped coriander leaves and black pepper powder, mix well and turn off the flame.
8. Garnish with sliced capsicum rings, serve Akuri (Parsi style seasoned Scrambled Eggs) hot with buttered bread /rotis.

The dish is somewhat liquid in texture, I dried a bit and it tasted superb with roti. Although the recipe didn't mention capsicum, I prepared with chopped capsicum.

Sending this scrambled eggs to RCI-Parsi Cuisine, guest hosted by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food, event started by Lakshmi.