Rich Egg Pak (Idapak Saras)
A luxurious and traditional Parsi confection known as "Ida Pak," made from a rich base of fifty egg yolks, pure ghee, and sugar. This winter delicacy is packed with energy-giving ingredients including almonds, pistachios, water chestnut flour, and wheat starch, all infused with the warmth of saffron, nutmeg, and mace. The result is a dense, golden fudge with a complex, nutty flavor profile and aromatic sweetness, perfect for festive occasions or as a restorative tonic.
Ingredients
- 50 yolks Egg yolks (From 50 fresh eggs. Use yolks (or whole eggs if preferred, but traditionally yolks for richness).)
- 8 pounds Sugar (Chinese sugar candy or granulated) (Originally '4 seers'. Can use rock sugar or granulated sugar.)
- 5 pounds Ghee (Clarified Butter) (Originally '2.5 seers'. Divided use: 2 lbs for frying, 3 lbs for mixing.)
- 3 pounds Almonds (Originally '1.5 seers'. Blanched and peeled.)
- 2 pounds Wheat starch (Nishasta) (Originally '1 seer dried wheat milk'.)
- 2 pounds Water chestnut flour (Singoda) (Originally '1 seer dried singoda'.)
- 1 pound Pistachios (Originally '0.5 seer'. Blanched and peeled.)
- 8 ounces Charoli (Chironji) nuts (Originally '0.25 seer'. Blanched and peeled.)
- 2 ounces Bottle gourd seeds (Dudhi magaj) (Originally '1 navtank'.)
- 2 ounces Cucumber seeds (Kakdi magaj) (Originally '1 navtank'.)
- 2 ounces Pumpkin seeds (Koholu magaj) (Originally '1 navtank'.)
- 2 ounces Melon seeds (Kharbuj magaj) (Originally '1 navtank'.)
- 2 ounces Poppy seeds (Khaskhas) (Originally '1 navtank'.)
- 25 grams Dry ginger powder (Suth) (Originally '2 tolas'. Approx 3 tablespoons.)
- 12 grams Cardamom powder (Originally '1 tola'. Approx 1.5 tablespoons.)
- 12 grams Nutmeg powder (Originally '1 tola'.)
- 12 grams Mace powder (Javantri) (Originally '1 tola'.)
- 12 grams Ganthoda powder (Pipramul/Long Pepper Root) (Originally '1 tola'.)
- 6 grams White pepper (Originally '0.5 tola'. Crushed and sifted.)
- 3 grams Saffron strands (Originally '0.25 tola'.)
- 1 cup Rose water (Quantity estimated. Use enough to make syrup and soak saffron.)
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This unique historical Parsi egg curry transforms simple hard-boiled eggs into a luxurious dish by separating the yolks and whites to create distinct textures. The egg whites are finely chopped to thicken the rich, caramelized onion sauce, while the whole yolks are gently simmered in a fragrant blend of freshly ground spices including saffron, cardamom, and cloves. Finished with a splash of lemon juice to balance the richness of the ghee, this savory dish offers a complex flavor profile that pairs perfectly with crusty bread or rotis.
Instructions
- 1Lightly roast the saffron, crush it, and soak it in 3 small spoons of rose water in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.
- 2Blanch, peel, wash, and dry the almonds, pistachios, and charoli. Crush and sift the pipramul. Crush and sift the wheat starch and water chestnut flour separately through a wire sieve.
- 3Combine the sugar with enough rose water (or water mixed with rose water) to dissolve it. Make a sugar syrup, strain it, and allow it to cool completely.
- 4In a large kadhai (wok), heat about 2 pounds (1 seer) of the ghee on medium heat. When it smokes, fry all the nuts (almonds, pistachios, charoli) and melon seeds separately until golden, then remove and crush them coarsely. In the remaining hot ghee, fry the water chestnut flour. Then, in the remaining ghee, fry the wheat starch until pale red. Finally, roast the poppy seeds in a little ghee.
- 5In a large tin-lined vessel, beat the egg yolks thoroughly until very thin. Mix in the remaining raw ghee (approx. 3 pounds) until completely combined into a uniform mixture.
- 6Add the cooled sugar syrup to the egg-ghee mixture and mix well. Place the vessel on low heat and stir continuously without stopping. Once the mixture thickens slightly, add all the fried ingredients (nuts, flours, seeds) and spices (ginger, pepper, pipramul). Increase heat (traditionally over hot coals) and continue stirring vigorously.
- 7When the ghee begins to separate from the mixture, stir in the saffron-rose water mixture. Continue cooking until the ghee fully separates and the Pak is ready. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cardamom, nutmeg, and mace.
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