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WINNER: My Yolk Runneth Over!

By Sharmin Karanjia

Oh, the glory of an egg… is there anything more sumptuous?
Anything more adored, anything more scrumptious?
Is there any dish that dare challenge this avian miracle?
There be none, and that’s the truth empirical!

Ah, the symphony of a cracking shell… thy yolk is now free!
See the way it swims in its albuminous sea;
It obeys the hand that cooks it, eager to be eaten,
Whether fried, poached, boiled or beaten.

My yolk runneth over! I ask for nothing but an egg,
No smoked ham or barbecued chicken leg;
Just a warm wiggling yolk, in a blanket of white –
A creamy, tender, wholesome egg to fill me with delight!

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WINNER: ‘Bawa’rian EGGstasy!

By Roshan Dastoor

Here’s an egg-of-a-dish for you to sample,
Eggcellent and eggciting – a flavoured egg-scramble.
Few simple ingredients will get you started,
Readily available at home, no need to get them carted!
Two eggs, a dash of ghee, an onion and tomato please,

Heat a little ghee in a non-stick pan,
Saute them onions, chopped as fine as you can;
Throw in chopped tomato, let the water dry,
Keep the chilli and coriander ready, on stand-by!
Now add finely cut chillies and coriander too
Till the aroma tickles you into sneezing – ‘Aacchooo’!

Break two eggs and stir, don’t let your hands freeze,
While at it, add some grated cheese;
Bring to a consistency, not too loose nor thick,
Serve with roti or bread – take your pick!
Dear Eedu, our very eggsistence depends on you,
For us Bawas – ‘No Can Do – Without Eedu’!!

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WINNER: What’s In A Name

By Ruby Daruwalla

What is in the name? An egg by any other name
Tastes as good and spreads its fame.
The Brits called it Humpty Dumpty,
Eating it daily at breakfast made them less grumpy!
Indians call it Baida or Anda,
And relish it with all its funda!

For us Bawajis, it’s our universal, all-time favourite Eedu,
Be it akouri, bafeloo, poro or charvelu;
The meal is incomplete without Eedu on tamotu, bhaji or Bhida,
In all Parsi homes, where all our Bawajis go fida!

To all the mother hens who gave the world this treat,
We give both – our thankfulness and an apology sweet
9th October, 2020 is celebrated as World Day of Egg,
Let us Bawajis raise a toast to it with a fine Parsi peg!

 

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Special Mention: Eggy-Licious!

By Gulshan D. Morawala

I love the egg, it makes for a delicious treat,
However be it cooked – it makes one upbeat!
Fried or scrambled or mixed in a dough,
The result always makes the saliva flow!
Eedu is the all-time breakfast specialist,
But for lunch and dinner too, it adds a fine twist –
Bhaji-par-eedu or maybe on sali too,
It’s the favourite of all – whether me or you.
Some like it boiled, like humpty-dumpty,
Sandwiched in toast, it fills a tummy that’s empty.
I doff my hat to Mama chicken
For giving away her eggs, to grace our kitchens!
The humble eedu truly ‘eggsites’ all of us,
It’s ‘eggzistance’ is a boon – without fuss.
No one can do without the Eedu
The perfect companion for breakfast and lunch and dinner too!

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Special Mention: Oh, That Oval!!!

By Armin Dutia Motashaw

Bawajis and eggs are synonymous – hand-in-hand they go;
A refrigerator without eggs in a Parsi home brings woe!
In Bawa cookery, eggs are used in most dishes, from tip to toe!

Crazy we are about Eedu – we cherish it more than our pegs,
Be it a rich or poor Parsi – his diet must always contain eggs!
A Bawa from his Bawi, for breakfast – eggs in some form, begs!

Papeta-par-eedu, tamota-par-eedu, bhida-par-eedu –
We are so in love with the Eedu, we even have eeda-par-eedu!
That white oval is a mouth-wateringly staple diet for all us,
Without devouring this oval, we create quite the ruckus!
Don’t you agree with me, that eggs and Bawajis are a synonym, thus?

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Special Mention: The Bawa’s Tryst With The Eedu

By Dr. Aban J. Movdawalla

Oh, to be a Bawa!
With eedu there and here,
At breakfast, lunch and dinner,
With tea, wine or beer.

Oh, to be a Bawa!
A cute, brainy egghead,
Who loves to smack his lips
When he eats his eggs with bread!

Relishing Eedu in every form,
Hurrah to each and every Bawa!
Gooey scrambled eggs, fried eggs
Or Russi Modi’s eighteen egg pora!

Sali, wafer and bhida-par-eedu,
Tomato, kolmi and even eeda-par-egg!
Yummy, beauteous orbs everywhere,
Dear God, it’s only Eedas we beg!

Eschew the doctor, damn the cholesterol!
Embrace the Eedu, our Food-for-the-Soul’ –
Protein in the white, vitamins in the yellow,
The Eedu truly is a Jolly Good Fellow!

 

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