Eggs and the Man

Arvind Kejriwal doesn’t know it but all the Parsi votes (which won’t number much, but anyway) at least in South Bombay are his for the asking. Why is that? That’s because there is an egg dish called ‘Kejriwal’ which is popular at clubs like the Willingdon and the Cricket Club of India (CCI), both having many Parsi members. And given the fact that no self-respecting Parsi will ever consume any vegetable (in the eyes of the bawas, one of God’s inferior creations), unless it is on, under, or mixed with eggs, to have an eponymous egg dish (even though it was not named for him) in the Parsi bastion is an electoral advantage Kejriwal would do well not to squander. Thus with tamota par eedu (eggs on tomatoes), bhinda par eedu (eggs on ladyfingers), papeta par eedu (eggs on potatoes) to say nothing of akuri (spicy scrambled eggs) apparently there has existed Kejriwal nu eedu for many years now.

A ‘Kejriwal’ is a combination — cheese-egg-chillies — sandwich. There are variants but what appear to be common are the toast, cheese, eggs and chillies. The story goes that it was invented many years ago by a Devi Prasad Kejriwal, a Marwari businessman who liked his eggs although his family was strictly vegetarian. Since he couldn’t have them at home he ensured that the clubs which he frequented, the Willingdon and the CCI, served him his favorite snack. This consisted of cheese on toast, topped with a fried egg (or two) and sprinkled with chopped green chillies and coriander. It caught on and became a permanent item on the breakfast menu at both places and even spread to a few other clubs and eating places. So if Delhi’s chief minister plays his eggs (sorry, cards) right he could well become "Aapro (our) Arvind" for the egg-loving Parsis. And that, all his well-wishers would agree, would be far better than Kejriwal par eedu (egg on Kejriwal).

BAKHTIAR K. DADABHOY

bakhtiardadabhoy@yahoo.co.u