When you’re asked to drag yourself out of the bed for an event of Saturday morning, located half a galaxy away from your house, you say NO. Plain, simple, loud, NO. But what if you’re told that this event enables you to taste the sumptuous breakfast fair at Sodabottleopenerwala? And what if you also come to know that the diva of the world of cooking, Chef Anahita Dhondy, will herself be present at the venue, taking a whole workshop on cooking with eggs?
Well, in such a scenario, you shake off the sleep, freshen up, don your best clothes, and leave for the venue promptly – you are, after all, on your way to meet the celebrity Chef herself!
Interestingly named, ‘Eeducative’ Workshop, the day’s cooking demonstrations were all about ‘Eedu’ – Parsi for egg. With Mister Tikku as the co-organizer, you can trust creativity to ooze out from all aspects of the experience. While we settled in around the lavishly laid out cooking counter at the Cyber Hub outlet of Sodabottleopenerwala, we were served Bun Maska and Vada Paao, along with our choice of drink. Chef did not want our stomachs to rumble with hunger as we waited for her to begin cooking. How thoughtful!
Initial pleasantries done, we then turned our heads to Anahita’s cooking counter. Needless to say, she was confident and graceful with her equipment and ingredients, and the first dish, Akuri – Parsi Style Anda Bhurji – though simple in preparation, left us a lot richer with knowledge about egg-based cooking. She followed up with the Parsi Omelette, called Poro. Anahita gently and expertly guided us all into understanding everything – right from breaking the egg shell to final plating with balanced flavours, colours and nutrients. She also patiently addressed all our queries and concerns about cooking with eggs.
Chef Anahita was a sport when it came to giving all of us a practical experience as well. So many of us confidently strode to the counter to cook with her, and also experiment egg dishes of our own. Let’s just say, not all of them were pieces of culinary perfection. What was fantastic, however, was how open Anahita was with sharing recipes, and allowing us to become privy to her world of traditional cooking.
Each dish that was demonstrated was also promptly delivered to our tables for us to observe closely, and relish. The Akuri, though a version of the Bhurji, was very different. It had zero lumping of eggs and was a smooth preparation which could easily be spread on the buttered bread pieces we were served with it. The Poro was a thin and even omelette, served with generous portions of veggies and pao, along with baked beans and potatoes in a cheese sauce. The whole plate put together was overwhelming to my senses. And of course, the tastes were perfect, and this rather filling meal took the help of another of my friends to finish.
Like with all Mister Tikku events, the morning was peppered with fun and games. Quiz questions and some singing and dancing later, we were at the moment of departure. Full and satisfied, we were getting clicked when a final gesture in the form of flowers, upcycled from egg cartons, were presented to us by Mister Tikku and Anahita. Well, what can I say – the workshop truly was a wholesome, well planned and beautifully executed experience, and I cannot wait to participate in many more like this!
