malabari cooking

Kaayi Beragiyathu

If you had told me that bananas and scrambled eggs, with nuts and rose water makes for the most indulgent, decadent snack, I would 🤢. But lucky for me, I grew up eating kaai beragiyathu, and grew to love it long before I found out what was actually in it. Kaayi beragiyathu is a tangle of deliciousness that is mostly soft, fudgey in some bits and crisp in others. I associate this dish with Iftaar — there’s that Ramzan of 2005 where my sister was in charge of the household, and she made it every single evening. While her two hyper toddlers created havoc all around her, she would stand patiently by the stove browning the bananas. When I think of her that Ramzan, this is the image that comes to mind:

Anyway, kaayi beragiyathu is delicious, and you wouldn’t think rosewater works with scrambled eggs, but it does. Ditto with bananas. All in all, a winner. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to use ripe nendran bananas. And you really have to take your time letting the bananas get a little colour. And while kaayi beragiyathu is great for Iftaar, it is even better late at night, in front of the fridge, straight out of the container, Nigella-style; silk-robe optional. 

Recipe: Kaayi Beragiyathu

Ingredients
2 ripe nendran bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 eggs
3 tbsp sugar, divided
Handful of cashew, chopped
Handful of raisins
3-4 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp rosewater, or to taste

Method
Heat the ghee in a pan, and sauté the cashew and raisins for 2-3 minutes, until the cashew is golden. Set this aside. 
In the same pan, add the bananas and 1 tbsp of sugar and sauté on a medium flame until the bananas start to colour around the edges — this should take 6-8 minutes. 
In the meanwhile, break the eggs in a small bowl and stir in 2 tbsp sugar. 
When the bananas are browned, pour the egg into the pan, and continuously stir until the eggs are cooked, and coat the bananas. 
Add the cashew and raisins to this and turn off the heat. 
Stir in the rose water. 
Enjoy!