Recipe contributed by Anahita Ghista
A banker by profession, Anahita is a foodie at heart. Cooking is a stress-buster for her after a day at work. On the Weekends she loves to spend more time in kitchen than the sofa whipping up extras, with some baking thrown in.
L for Leela Lasan ni Akoori by Anahita Ghista
Green garlic is the young garlic that gets harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. Also known as garlic chives, green garlic adds a delicate garlicky flavor rather than the sharp bang that mature garlic does. In Mumbai though, green garlic is not found through the year. It’s only something that is available in winter from about November onwards with the local grocer. It is used in many dishes including the famous Gujarati undhyu and the Parsi Surti Papri ma Kebab.
To really enjoy the flavour of ‘Leela Lasan’ as we bawa’s call it, it is best to use this ingredient in a dish where it can be the star. And, what better supporting actor can there be than the humble Eedu?
Leela Lasan ni Akoori is one such recipe that highlights the tender garlic flavour while being creamy on the palate. Apart from breakfast, it also makes a delicious accompaniment to Masoor or a meat laden dish like Sali Boti.
Seasonal Green Garlic found in Mumbai “winters”
Towards the end of the season one can also make a batch of the sautéed green garlic (steps 1-3 in the recipe below) which can then be frozen and stored to enjoy for a couple of more months. Since I live in Singapore and have adventurous green fingers, I actually grow my own green garlic in a kitchen pot.
If you’d like to grow some too all you have to do is plant some cloves head down and evenly spaced out in a pot with the tail portion hanging outside the soil. In about 8 – 10 days it will start sprouting and you can then enjoy snips of green garlic whenever you like. I hope you enjoy my recipe below.
Leela Lasan (Green Garlic) Akoori
Ingredients
- 6 shoots of green-garlic
- 1 handful coriander
- 1 green chilli or more as per taste
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of turmeric
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and finely chop the green garlic, coriander and green chilli. The fewer chillies you use the better so that the flavour of the garlic shines through.
- In a pan, add the ghee and let it melt. Add the chopped ingredients, salt and turmeric.
- Saute for a minute being careful not to brown the ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, break the eggs and whisk them thoroughly.
- Lower the flame and add in the eggs.
- Keep stirring over low flame, till egg cooks to desired scrambled consistency.
- Serve hot with crusty bread like Brun, Ciabatta or Sourdough
This post is part of my ongoing series on the blog, the A to Z of Parsi Food which has been curated in collaboration with Parsi food enthusiasts globally. For more interesting recipes follow the hashtag #AtoZChallenge mentioned below.
Thank you! Just made this as a quick evening snack!