This is my mothers signature dish. She would make this for Sunday lunch when we were young. It has also featured on all our birthdays. I like it so much that I ask her to do this for me whenever she visits Bangalore. Egg curry and rice is all you need after a long day. Boiled fried eggs are added to a coconut pepper masala. This particular recipe is very famous in Coimbatore – kongunad region which is where I am from. There is no ginger or garlic in this curry and that makes this unique.
Get the eggs boiled and peeled. If you want to know more about boiling eggs, Read Here. In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil and when the oil is hot, add in the curry leaves and boiled eggs. Fry till the eggs get browned a little. The curry leaves will become crisp and will scream south india. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Heat oil in a saute pan and add the spices (cumin, lots of pepper, cinnamon, coriander seeds, khus-khus (white poppy seeds) and curry leaves). In this recipe we do not dry roast the spices. We temper it in oil on a very low flame. Once the spices are roasted, add in the onions and saute until brown. Add the shredded coconut and tamarind and fry briefly for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same pan fry the tomatoes with salt and a cup of water until soft. Combine the tomatoes with the onion-coconut mixture and grind to a smooth paste. You can add up to 2 cups of water while grinding. The roasted spices in the masala might take some time to become a smooth paste. About 3-4 minutes in a mixie/food processor. Make sure to grind till its a very smooth paste.
Now lets temper the curry. Heat oil in a kadai/pan. When its shimmering, add in the curry leaves and onion and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the turmeric and saute for 15 seconds. Add the ground masala. Add in about a cup of water and let it simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add in the fried eggs with curry leaf crisps and serve hot with rice.
- 2 teaspoon peanut oil
- 4 eggs, boiled and peeled
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorn
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon khuskhus-white poppy seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 onions sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
- a small 1 inch round tamarind
- 2 tomatoes rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- For fried eggs: Boil and peel the eggs. Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and the eggs. Fry till the eggs get browned a little. The curry leaves will become crisp. Set aside.
- For the masala: Heat oil in a saute pan and add the spices all at once. (cumin, pepper, cinnamon, coriander seeds, poppy seeds and curry leaves). Roast on a very very low flame.
- Once the spices are roasted, add in the onions and saute until brown. Add the shredded coconut and tamarind and fry briefly for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan fry the tomatoes with salt and a cup of water until soft.
- Combine the tomatoes with the onion-coconut mixture and grind to a smooth paste.Add upto 2 cups of water while grinding.
- For the tempering: Heat oil in a kadai/pan. When its shimmering, add in the curry leaves and onion and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the turmeric and saute for 15 seconds. Add the ground masala. Add in about a cup of water and let it simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add in the fried eggs with curry leaf crisps and serve hot with rice.