It’s not surprising that so many of my stories revolve around food. It’s amazing how food can take us back in time. This one is special to me. This egg curry is a recipe that my Nana used. Although I didn’t ask for one, I tried replicating the taste.
The story follows: We would enjoy visiting our Nana’s house as children for the mango tree, the pampering, and the delicious food. Although Nana is passionate about feeding people, he rarely enters the kitchen except on special occasions. Our visit was justified. He would make something unique on the rare occasions that he did. This egg curry was inspired by a trip to a dhaba during our many road trips.
Nani would have a ball running around at her beck and call, cutting up this and mincing that, looking for ingredients, and cleaning up after the hurricane he left behind. She knew it would be worthwhile, and she never complained.
Although his preparation was very intense, I chose a more straightforward route than usual. However, the flavor reminds me of the days we waited patiently at the table to get his Egg Curry. It made for a great lunch and was delicious with rice. It tastes divine, and the spicy gravy is an excellent accompaniment to the boiled eggs. It tastes like old memories, and that’s just the beginning.
Ingredients
Paste
2 Onions sliced into small pieces
One teaspoon of minced garlic or three cloves
One teaspoon chopped ginger or 1/2 inch.
2 Green Chillies finely chopped
1/4 Cup Coriander leaves 15 grams
Curry
Two tablespoons butter or Ghee
One tablespoon oil
One teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
2 Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cinnamon small Stick
2 Pods Cardamom Green
Finely chop three tomatoes
Chili powder 1/2 teaspoon
One teaspoon of Coriander Powder heaping
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
One tablespoon of tomato ketchup
One teaspoon salt to taste
Two teaspoons chopped Coriander Leaves
Tempering
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
5 Eggs Hardboiled and Peeled
1 Teaspoon Oil
Instructions
Paste
- Blend garlic, ginger, and green chilies to make a paste. Keep aside.
Curry
- Ghee can be heated in a large saucepan or Kadhai. You can also add cumin seeds and bay leaf to the mixture.
- Once the onions start to stir, add the onion paste to the pan. Cook until the oil separates and the color changes to a golden brown.
- Mix tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Let the tomatoes cook until they are incorporated into the gravy. Cook for 10 minutes with half a cup of water.
- Cook for two more minutes.
- You can add the tempered eggs to the sauce and serve it as-is. However, I prefer to remove the whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cloves) from the gravy and then pulse it in a mixer grinder 4-5 times until the sauce is smooth. This step can be skipped, depending on how chunky or smooth you prefer your gravy to be.
- Serve hot with chapatis or rice, garnished with more chopped coriander.
Tempering eggs
- As shown in the video, make a slit down the length of your egg. Mix it with turmeric powder and salt. Set aside.
- Add eggs to a saucepan and heat one tablespoon of oil. Sauté for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and add to the gravy.
Notes
Pan-frying the egg can be done before adding it to the curry. This gives the egg a crispy coating. Garam Masala flavor can vary from household to household, so adjust the quantity accordingly. The curry can be used as a base, and you can substitute boiled eggs with vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans, and carrots. You can also add chicken to the curry while it is being cooked.
