“An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different,” said Oscar Wilde. And the next one at Eggriculture, a very small, almost minute café at the Supermart 1, is certainly an adventure. This one-month-old eatery is geared to serve eggs in 43 different forms.
“My inspiration behind this café came while I was enjoying a late night anda paratha under the Moolchand flyover,” says Harsh Mehra who runs this place, ably assisted by his two young daughters. A consequence of the nocturnal nibble is a menu that is varied and tempting enough (at egg dish prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 110) for me to want to order the full monty. I curb my enthusiasm and ask the owner for his recommendations.
The first dish to arrive is a Kerala staple—muttai roast with Malabar parathas (Rs 90). It looks inviting and tastes very good. After all, how can one go wrong with hard-boiled eggs which are then fried golden brown and served with a base of caramelised onions that have been tempered with garam masala and pepper, and served with a flaky multilayered paratha?
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| Muttai Roast with Malabar Parantha |
I am curious about the next dish that I have ordered. Omelette kozhambu (Rs 90)is actually an omelette curry. The omelette originated in the Mesopotamian civilisation where beaten eggs were mixed with chopped herbs, fried until firm, and then sliced into wedges. It is fascinating to see how the Dravidian civilisation has interpreted it for its own residents. Omelette in a spicy coconut-based curry turns out to be a tasty idea, with the omelette developing a soft, velvety texture when coming in contact with the curry.
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| Omelette Kozhambu |
Baida Kheema Pao (Rs 90) is a variation of the once ubiquitous meal served at every Irani restaurant in Mumbai. It is robustly spiced chicken kheema and a mini omelette in a buttered bun. It hits the spot, and brings back the true Mumbai flavours. Palak ke funde (Rs 90) is a fresh tasting dish of spinach and eggs tossed in garlic and cream, and served with a crispy paratha.
Some hiccups are to be expected from a restaurant that is a month old. So there are some misses too. Egg Florentine (Rs 110) is supposed to be a variant of Egg Benedict, where spinach takes the place of ham. What I get served is the creamed spinach and eggs with some cheese added to it. Now it does taste agreeable, but perhaps needs to be rechristened. A bigger disappointment is chicken minced steak (Rs 150), which turns out to be little chicken koftas floating in sludgy looking gravy. The apple and cheese omelette dessert (Rs 90) is missing in cheese or any sweetness and is just a bland omelette with hurriedly chopped apple bits bunged in.
Having said which what this café does exceedingly well is the vast variety of Indian dishes. Their taste and the attractive prices will make you want to keep going back for the eggsperience.
Meal for Two: Rs 400 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: No| Timings: 10AM-11PM
Address: Eggriculture, B-115, Super Mart-1, DLF Phase-4, Gurgaon| Phone: 99715-95673 / 99715-95074
– Aalok Wadhwa
This review was first published in Friday Gurgaon