With their fruit pizza and halwa, Jaipur’s Egg Dee shows us that few ingredients are as versatile in their mutability as eggs. For our Fusion Confusion column, Rini Singhi says breakfast here is a Nancy Silverton-esque affair.
Every morning, Jaipur wakes up to hot pyaaz kachoris from Rawat, cups of Sahu’s chai, or samosas from Shankar Samosa. At any time of the day, food on the streets of this pink city is fried, potato-filled, and doused in chutneys or filled with gur. The hot winds in the summer dictate mobility and moods, often alleviated with a glass of cold lassi. And when the heat subsides, the crisp cold air invites indulgence in gajak and copious amounts of kadhai milk.
Although less pervasive than pav bhaji, chaat, or chai stalls, egg-based food stalls can be found throughout the city, especially in and around Raja Park, where many Punjabis live. One of Jaipur’s favourite egg stalls is Egg Dee, pronounced as it is in McD of McDonalds. Incidentally named Egg Dee before the burger chain came to India, Sanjay Sharma started the brand in 1981.
In the 80s, my father and his friends would treat themselves to a “Sanjay omelette” every evening after French class. Unlike my father’s ambition to learn a foreign language, the omelette at Sanjay’s was far from its French counterpart, usually slathered with a deep red lassan ki chutney on top. Inspired by the favourite condiment of Rajasthani cuisine, this egg preparation had found its way to the palates of the city’s inhabitants.
The success of this combination was just the beginning. In the following years, Sharma would sell dishes like ‘Obama omelette’, egg cold coffee, egg pav bhaji, egg bhelpuri, mastani bhurji (just after the release of the movie Bajirao Mastani), and an ever evolving list of his interpretation of this versatile ingredient. I visited Egg Dee on a slightly rainy morning last July, waiting to eat on a tall table in a crowd of Swiggy delivery workers waiting for packages not their own. My previous visit had been a few years ago, sitting in the car with my father, eating masala-boiled eggs (sliced boiled eggs topped with onions, green chilies, coriander, and some spicy masala).
In the years that passed since, Sharma’s eggs had also taken on the role of being in pizza, pav bhaji, and whatnot, the menu becoming more extensive and alien.
For Egg Dee’s pizza, eggs are beaten with green chilies, onion, tomato, salt, pepper, and lal mirch powder, poured on a hot sizzling pan, and covered with a market-bought pizza base. In a minute, the cook does a pan-flip to let the base cook. The now-on-top eggy part is decorated with vegetables and doused with the special lassan ki chutney and cheese. That’s not all; as a finishing touch, a garnish of green coriander chutney and pickled onions add to the look.
Sharma’s brand new addition on the menu is mixed fruit pizza. But even more is needed for Sharma: his undying ambition includes a dessert counter full of mithai like halwa, rabri, malpua, rajbhog, and falooda – uncanny takes on familiar dishes, of course, all of them made with eggs.
While a novel concept to some, egg halwa is a fairly common delicacy in Muslim households. The first bite of Sharma’s halwa melted in my mouth. A combination of egg, ghee, sugar, saffron, cardamom, and mawa was moderately sweet, warm, and full of ghee; the egg was only an aftertaste.
Jaipur, a prime tourist destination, has transformed tremendously in the last decade. Cafés, restaurants, and coffee hubs featuring avocado toast, eggs Benedict, and specialty breakfast menus have sprouted everywhere; there’s an aspiration toward the Western palate. While these experiments may seem disconnected from local taste buds, Jaipur’s street food culture remains a dynamic and ever-evolving force. Street vendors embrace a spectrum of flavours, welcoming sweetness, spiciness, and everything in between. In this vibrant culinary tapestry, no taste is questioned but instead assimilated, adapting to the varied moods of the city.
Amidst this culinary evolution, one can find steadfast figures like Sanjay Sharma, vendors who have committed themselves to serving the city with unwavering quality, taste, and a dash of nostalgia. For over four decades, Sharma has mastered the art of egg-based recipes, adapting to the desires of Jaipur’s youth while maintaining a sense of consistency. From the early days of his food cart to establishing multiple outlets and ingraining himself into the city’s culinary infrastructure, Sharma’s adventurous feat has not only been about culinary creations but also challenging societal barriers. Overcoming inhibitions associated with his caste and the taboo of handling eggs, he has become a symbol of perseverance.
During my interviews with Sharma, it was not the absurdity of these weird permutations and combinations that surprised me but his Nancy Silverton-esque obsession (bread, in her case) with eggs, and his need to make eating eggs accessible. For Sharma, the thak-thak-thak sound of eggs beating in a steel bowl with a spoon is the symphony of livelihood, sustenance, and nourishment. It signifies his deep connection with his craft and its profound impact on his customers. For customers like myself, I hope Egg Dee is here to stay.
