This egg curry is a cheap, filling vegetarian dinner for Diwali weekend or any night the fridge holds a box of eggs. Onions cook slowly until deep brown, tomatoes and spices cook down into a thick masala, and boiled eggs fried golden with turmeric go in at the end to soak up the gravy. The eggs boil while the onions brown, so it is on the table in 30 minutes.
Why this works
The dark, rich gravy comes from browning. The onions cook for 10 minutes until deep golden, then the tomatoes cook down with the spices until oil starts to shine at the edges of the paste. Rushed, pale onions give a thin, sharp sauce.
Frying the peeled eggs in a spoonful of oil with turmeric and chilli blisters the whites and turns them golden, as in the photo. Shallow cuts in each egg let the gravy into the white as it simmers.
Key ingredients
- Eggs. Large eggs, two per person. Eggs a few days old peel more cleanly than the freshest ones.
- Onions. Two, finely chopped and cooked until deep brown. They give the gravy its colour and body.
- Kashmiri chilli powder. A deep red colour with gentle heat. Mild chilli powder mixed with paprika works the same way.
- Garam masala. Stirred in at the end, so its warm aroma stays fresh.
Amounts for 2 to 12 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Boil the eggs
Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water from the kettle and simmer for 9 minutes. Lift them into a bowl of cold water and leave for a few minutes.
- 02
Brown the onions
Meanwhile, heat most of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until deep golden brown.
- 03
Chop the garlic
While the onions cook, peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it on the worktop until fine.
Rolling Garlic Chopper - 04
Peel the eggs
Put one cooled egg in the peeler with a splash of water, close the cap and shake hard for a few seconds. Slip off the cracked shell and repeat with the rest. Cut a few shallow slits in each egg.
Shake Egg Peeler - 05
Cook the masala
Add the garlic and chilli to the onions and grate in the ginger with the rasp. Stir for 1 minute, then add half the turmeric, half the chilli powder, the ground coriander and the cumin for 30 seconds. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil starts to shine at the edges.
Rasp Zester and Fine Grater - 06
Fry the eggs
Tip the water out of the egg pan and dry it. Heat the rest of the oil with the rest of the turmeric and chilli powder, add the eggs and roll them around for 2 to 3 minutes until blistered and golden.
- 07
Simmer and serve
Stir half a tin of water into the masala and bring to a simmer. Add the eggs and the garam masala, spoon the gravy over and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice or chapatis.
What to serve it with
With basmati rice, chapatis or naan, and a spoonful of mango chutney. For a Diwali spread, serve it beside the coconut red lentil dhal.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Cool quickly, cover and eat within 2 days. Eat leftover rice within 1 day.
- Freezer
- Freeze the gravy only, for up to 3 months. Boiled eggs turn rubbery once frozen.
- Reheat
- In a pan over a low heat, stirring gently, until piping hot. Reheat rice once only.
Questions
9 minutes once the water is back at the boil gives a fully set yolk that holds together in the curry. Cool them in cold water straight away.
No, but it is worth the 3 minutes. Frying in oil with turmeric and chilli blisters the whites and gives them colour and flavour. Skip it and the eggs can go straight into the gravy.
Yes. Swap the ground spices for a couple of spoonfuls of curry paste and fry it for a minute with the garlic and ginger.
Make the gravy up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Boil and fry the eggs when you reheat it, since reheated eggs turn rubbery.
Recipe
Egg curry in 30 minutes
Boiled eggs fried golden with turmeric, then simmered in a dark, rich onion and tomato masala. Vegetarian, 30 minutes. By Maya Brooks.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
- 01Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water from the kettle and simmer for 9 minutes. Lift them into a bowl of cold water and leave for a few minutes.
- 02Meanwhile, heat most of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until deep golden brown.
- 03While the onions cook, peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it on the worktop until fine.
- 04Put one cooled egg in the peeler with a splash of water, close the cap and shake hard for a few seconds. Slip off the cracked shell and repeat with the rest. Cut a few shallow slits in each egg.
- 05Add the garlic and chilli to the onions and grate in the ginger with the rasp. Stir for 1 minute, then add half the turmeric, half the chilli powder, the ground coriander and the cumin for 30 seconds. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil starts to shine at the edges.
- 06Tip the water out of the egg pan and dry it. Heat the rest of the oil with the rest of the turmeric and chilli powder, add the eggs and roll them around for 2 to 3 minutes until blistered and golden.
- 07Stir half a tin of water into the masala and bring to a simmer. Add the eggs and the garam masala, spoon the gravy over and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice or chapatis.
