Nati Eggs (Country Eggs)

What are nati eggs?

Nati eggs are eggs laid by nati koli, the native country hens of India. Nati is the Kannada word for native or local. The same eggs are called country eggs or desi eggs in English, naatu kodi guddu in Telugu, nattu kozhi muttai in Tamil and desi anda in Hindi.

Country hens are usually kept free range. They walk about in the open and scratch for part of their food, and they lay fewer eggs than the hens kept on commercial layer farms.

Organic Mandya's nati eggs are country eggs from free-range desi hens.

Nati eggs and farm eggs: how they differ

Size: nati eggs are smaller than regular farm eggs. Commercial layer hens are bred to lay large eggs of a uniform size, while eggs from country hens vary a little from one to the next.

Shell colour: shell colour is decided by the breed of the hen, not by how she is kept. Nati eggs are usually cream, off-white or light brown. The white eggs and the brown eggs sold in shops come from different breeds of layer hen.

Yolk colour: yolk colour depends on what the hen eats. Green plants, maize and other feed rich in natural pigments give a deeper yellow or orange yolk; other feeds give a paler one. So yolk colour can change with the season and from flock to flock.

Rearing: country hens are mostly reared free range in small flocks. Commercial eggs mostly come from large layer farms where the hens are housed and given a fixed feed.

How to check if an egg is fresh

Read the pack first. Use the eggs within the best-before date printed on it.

Float test: put the egg in a bowl of cold water. A fresh egg sinks and lies on its side. An older egg sinks but stands on its end. An egg that floats is old and should not be used.

Check the shell before you buy or cook. Leave out eggs with cracked or leaking shells.

Break each egg into a small bowl before adding it to the pan. A fresh egg has a firm, raised yolk and a thick white that holds together, and it has no unpleasant smell.

How to store nati eggs

Keep eggs in the refrigerator, in their tray or carton, and use them within the date on the pack.

Store them on a shelf inside the fridge rather than in the door, where the temperature changes each time the door is opened.

Keep them with the pointed end down, and away from strong-smelling foods such as cut onion or fish, as the shell is porous.

Do not wash eggs before storing them. If a shell needs cleaning, wipe or rinse it just before cooking.

How nati eggs are used in cooking

Nati eggs are cooked in the same way as any other hen's egg: boiled, fried, scrambled, or made into an omelette.

In South Indian homes they go into egg curry, egg bhurji (motte palya), egg roast, egg biryani and egg fried rice. Boiled eggs with pepper and salt are a common snack.

Because nati eggs are smaller, a recipe written for large eggs may need one extra egg. A small egg also boils a little faster than a large one.

Organic Mandya nati eggs

Organic Mandya nati eggs are smaller than regular farm eggs, with a firm white and a rich yolk.

In Bengaluru they come in a 6-egg pack, and in 15 and 30 egg packs for families who eat eggs every day. In Hyderabad they come in a 15-egg pack.

Keep them refrigerated and use them within the date on the pack.