Beyond Curry
2013.03.01-kerala-style egg roast:gravy.jpg

[Photograph: Prasanna Sankhe]

Note: To make ginger garlic paste, grate equal parts garlic and peeled ginger on a micro plane crater. You can also use boiled eggs in this recipe. Either put them in directly after de-shelling them or de-shell and shallow fry them till they get a crisp golden brown coating and then add them to the gravy.

About the author: Denise Dsilva Sankhe is a writer & creative director by profession. But that's only when she isn't eating her way across India. She recreates this delicious cuisine in her Mumbai home, which she shares with her husband, who has long since given up his determination to have salads for dinner.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 2
Active time: 5 minutes prep. 15 mins cooking
Total time: 20 minutes
Special equipment: Non-stick lidded saucepan
This recipe appears in: Beyond Curry: Kerala Style Egg Gravy

Ingredients

  • 11/2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (see note)
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 teaspoons toasted and powdered fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons toasted and powdered cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 2 green bird chilis split lengthwise
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves (divided)
  • 4 eggs

Procedures

  1. Heat oil in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions. Cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and stir until mixed through with the onions, about 1 minute.

  2. Increase heat to high. Add curry leaves, fennel, cumin, chilli, turmeric, and coriander powder and stir vigorously until amalgamated and fragrant and the oil separates from the mixture and mixture dries up a bit, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add water and one tablespoon cuilantro. Stir through to mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce and reserve. Gently break eggs into the pan and spoon the reserved sauce partly over the eggs. Cover with lid and allow the eggs to cook until cooked to desired level of doneness. Serve with any soft bread of your liking or as a side to any Indian meal with rice or roti.