You know how we enjoy eating egg rolls in India. In small corners of the streets, you’ll find a roll wallah who’s rustling up some delicious varieties of rolls. Eggs are a great source of protein and are quite filling too. The accessibility and the comfort with which you can make an egg roll makes it a hassle-free job. While we were busy eating our yummy eggs rolls here, there is one egg roll that’s setting a world record and how! Yes, we’re talking about the famous ‘Egg Rolex’ of Uganda.
Recently, the Guinness Book of World Records shared a video of the making of a giant egg rolex in the African nation. It said that this was the largest Ugandan rolex and, therefore, deserved to be featured in the book of World Records. With a length of 2.32 metres, the egg rolex weighed about 204.6 kg and how many ingredients went into its making is something that will leave you amazed. The task of preparing this huge egg rolex was undertaken by a team of 60 people, who were led by Raymond Kahuma, a YouTuber and a native of Uganda. If you can't believe us, watch it here.
Source: Guinness World Records/Instagram
The hefty egg rolex comprised nearly 72 kg flour, 40 kg cooking oil and 1,200 eggs. The 90 kg worth of vegetables consisted of onions, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and peppers. After toiling for 14 hours, the dough was kneaded, mixed, stuffed and rolled into an egg rolex. Wondering why it is called an egg rolex, it is said that Ugadans eat rolex instead of wearing them and it’s basically derived from the phrase, rolled eggs, according to a news report by BBC.
The Kampala capital of the East African country saw such a huge egg rolex being prepared in the open kitchen for the first time. The dish, which is usually much smaller in portion, is served as a street-side snack across the country. The 10ft long rolex was accorded the status of being the largest rolex in the world, giving the humble street food dish a special place in the hearts and the map of world cuisine.
How Did The Idea Of An Egg Rolex Emerge?
Today, if you visit the landlocked country, you’ll surely be mesmerised by the beauty of the mountains and lakes. A lesser-known hub of culture and cuisine, Uganda has a wide array of foods to be savoured. The most commonly eaten ones include matoke which are basically cooked bananas. While this a staple dish of the region, it is the egg rolex that has become a part and parcel of their lives ever since it was invented.
Legend has it that the East Africans chanced upon the Indian chapati during the overseas trade with West India and have incorporated it as part of their diet since then. The idea of making an egg rolex emerged when Sula, a chapati seller in the region thought of combining the chapati with scrambled eggs. The idea of stuffing the chapati with eggs and later on, vegetables worked pretty well with the African audience and the egg rolex started selling like hot cakes. The stall was set up outside the Makerere University in Kampala and the hungry students seemed quite impressed by this cheap and easy-to-eat snack.
This popularised the snack across different parts of the country and today you’ll find an egg rolex being sold in every nook and corner. Street-side carts and shacks set up shop everyday outside college campuses, in markets, parking spaces and a plethora of other viable spots to attract more people. The large-scale fan fare of this dish makes it one of the favourite street foods of the country.
Think of how interesting it would be to try an egg omelette loaded with vegetables and wrapped in a chapati? That’s egg rolex for you. These days, people are also trying other variations of the traditional dish by stuffing in some chicken or other protein and giving it a wholesome taste.
Here are some egg rolls you can try at home:
1. Kolkata Egg Roll
Wrapped in a plain omelette that is thick and crispy, the chapatti is cooked till it turns flaky. Once the egg and chapati are cooked properly, sliced onions are added to the centre along with some spicy sauce. This is then wrapped up together and eaten with some tangy dip.
2. Avocado Egg Roll
Giving your roll a healthy twist, the egg rolls are stuffed with avocado bits and rolled up in the egg roll wrapper. Fill it with tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and red peppers and you will enjoy this crispy roll.
3. Lemon Chicken Egg Roll
Give a tangy twist to your filling with this lemon chicken. Fry these crispy egg rolls and enjoy.
