Sali Par Eedu: These Parsi Breakfast Eggs Come With A Surprise
Image Credit: Sali Par Eedu

The Parsi obsession with eggs is no stranger to us. People from the community can eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, the Bahman month, according to the Parsi calendar, is the only vegetarian month of the year for them. However, eggs make an exception during this time too. People enjoy eating Sali Par Eedu, a traditional Parsi breakfast dish made with eggs.

The term ‘eedu’ refers to eggs and ‘sali’ is the surprise factor that we were talking about. Sali is a term used for potato straws that are used in a variety of meat-based Parsi dishes. So you’ll find Sali Boti (mutton) and Sali Chicken on the lunch and dinner menus too. However, mornings in Parsi households start with eggs like Akuri and Sali Par Eedu.

The classic breakfast dish is made with eggs laid down on a bed of potato straws, which gives the dish its name too. The potato straws are made by thinly slicing the potatoes and deep-frying them. The potato straws are then cooked along with tomatoes and coriander. Here, one has the option of either cooking them separately and then layering them or cooking them together. Finally, when the potato straws with tomatoes are ready, you can break your eggs on top of it.

The poached eggs are covered with a lid and cooked until they are half-fried. The eggs should remain slightly runny to the dish the moisture it requires. This is then served hot, alongside pav for breakfast in Parsi households. Crush a little bit of black pepper on top and you’re good to go. Potatoes and eggs go really well together as they serve the different nutritional requirements of the body. While the former is a great source of carbohydrates, the latter provides you with protein.  

To make the dish slightly healthier, you can always air-fry the potatoes instead of deep-frying them. This is a wholesome and easy breakfast recipe that is quick to make and quite filling too. Not just breakfast, it can also work well as evening snacks. Moreover, Parsis know how to make eggs in more ways than one. Another popular pick from their egg menu is Akuri. Soft, spicy scrambled eggs made in the desi style are paired with meat and a plethora of other ingredients at times to make a rich and delicious breakfast treat.