Egg is not something I grew up eating much. My mom is allergic to eggs and when I was a teenager, the doctor embargoed me from eating eggs. He convinced my parents that my weight gain was directly proportional to eggs. As my mom listened to that doctor, she began only cooking eggs once every two months.
After coming to the States, when I was free girl, I started to read more about eggs. The nutritional value of eggs is exceptional. They only have only 78 calories and are densely packed with protein, carbs, minerals. They are easy to cook, and moreover I love them very much. I love eggs in any form. Soft boiled, hard boiled, poached, omelets; anything. After potato, if I am addicted to something, it’s eggs. So I screwed the doctor and started cooking eggs quite often. Now, my husband makes me two poached eggs every day in the morning. Let’s say that I wake up to eggs.
Eggs are a staple food in our diet. In a month, one week I cook chicken and fish and another week eggs and fish, and so on. Not to mention the fact that my husband loves my egg curry more than anything. It’s perfect for the day when you do not have any time for grocery shopping. As I am always stocked with eggs, potatoes, ginger, garlic and onion – in the middle of the week I prepare egg curry and rice for the two of us.
It is much better than takeout’s from Harvest India (a local Indian restaurant).
Egg curry is very much common in an Indian household. My mom used to serve egg curry with rice at lunch or with flatbread at dinner. Some people like red spicy thick curry while others like a runny curry with potatoes. I like thick curry but with potatoes. (You know that potato is my first love, right?). There is no standard recipe for egg curry; every family has their own version. I am sure your family has one too.
Most of the time, I prepare egg curry with onion, ginger, garlic, a lot of spices and dried fenugreek leaves, but this week mom suggested trying it with coconut milk. We loved this egg coconut curry recipe. It’s adopted from Shrimp Malaikari, which is a very common Bengali delicacy; perfect for people who do not eat seafood.
Recipe for Egg Malaikari or Egg coconut curry
- 1 red onion, half cubed and half sliced
- 1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 18 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- salt to taste
- 2 medium potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 whole dried red chile
- 1 bayleaf
- 1 piece (1/2 inches) cinnamon bark
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 whole green cardamom pods, lightly smashed but whole
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro(for garnish)
1. In a food processor, add cubed onion. Work it until smooth. Take it aside in a bowl. In the same food processor, without washing, add ginger pieces and garlic. Work it until smooth. Take it aside in another bowl.
2. In a non-stick medium size pan, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add egg pieces, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt. Fry them until they are golden-red and slightly brown. Take it aside with a slotted spoon.
3.In the same pan, without washing, over medium-low(lower it) heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add potato pieces, salt and 1/2 teaspoons turmeric. Cover the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the potatoes are little soft. Take it aside with a slotted spoon.
4. In the same pan, without washing, over medium-high(increase it) heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add whole dried red chile, bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes until they sizzle.
5. Add onion slices. Over medium-high heat, cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they are golden brown around the edges. Lower the temperature to medium heat and add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are no longer raw.
6. Add onion paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric and chile powder and cook for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat by stirring often until onion is cooked through.
7. Add 1 cup water, potato and eggs. Increase the heat, and bring it to boil. Lower the temperature to medium-low and cook for 4 to 5 minutes covered.
8. Add coconut milk and garam-masala. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes more uncovered by stirring well. Take it aside. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with hot rice.
I too love eggs and in any form. Egg curry looks lip smacking goood! It reminded me of the egg curry I make for appams and idiyappam.
Love your clicks Dol, the first one is just awesome.
Thanks dear 🙂
Hi dear. For me egg curry is comfort food and I like to try various versions of it. Yours sound easy and delectable. I love the brown colour of the gravy and I loved the top shot too on the white board.
Thank you so much Pari. I love egg curry, if you have any recipe, please do share with me.