123) BOILED EGG CURRY

BOILED EGG CURRY

A PRECIOUS MANY IN ONE RECIPE (SEE NOTE)

Boiled egg curry with pathals

Ingredients:

     1)    Coconut – ½

     2)    Dry hot red chilies – 7 Nos.

     3)    Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon

     4)    Shallots – 100 gm.

     5)    Onion – 50 gm.

     6)    Ginger – 1 inch piece

     7)    Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

     8)    Tender curry leaves – 4 sprigs

     9)    Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece

     10)    Cloves – 5 Nos.

     11)    Star anise – 1

     12)    Tamarind bit – the size of half an olive

     13)    Tomato – 1

     14)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

     15)    Black pepper corns – ½ teaspoon

     16)    Fennel – 1 teaspoon

     17)    Coconut oil – 1½ tablespoons

     18)    Eggs – 12 Nos.

     19)    Salt – 1½ teaspoons

To Cook:

          Grate the coconut. Peel the shallots and the ginger. Finely chop the ginger. Peel the onion and chop to fine pieces. Finely chop the tomato. Hard boil the eggs.

I usually boil them like this:

          Put 10 eggs in a pan or vessel together with a teaspoon of salt. Pour in enough water to immerse the eggs. Set on the stove. As soon as the water is just starting to boil, turn down the heat and cook for exactly 10 minutes on a simmering flame. Turn off the heat and drain off the hot water. Pour in cold water to keep the eggs from cooking further and to loosen up the shells. Change the water after a minute. Repeat once more. Now the eggs are cool enough to be shelled. The salt we added at the beginning helps to remove the shells causing no damage to the egg whites. Taking out of the water one by one, shell all the eggs and set aside.

          Put the grated coconut, the red chilies, the coriander seeds, half of the peeled shallots, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, all the cloves, the cinnamon, the black pepper corns, and the fennel seeds into a cast iron wok. Set the wok on low heat. Roast slowly; stirring occasionally till the grated coconut turns golden brown without burning. Switch off the heat and let cool naturally. 

          Transfer to a food processor. Add a little water and grind to super fine paste.

Set a flat vessel or pan on high heat. Pour in the coconut oil. Throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as they are about to finish popping, put in the rest of the shallots. Lower the heat and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion stir till the onion gets nicely caramelized.

          Now pour in the curry paste. Pour in 500 ml. of water. Tip in the salt, the turmeric powder and the chopped ginger. Break in the remaining raw eggs and stir till it comes to a boil. If you feel the curry is too thick for you, add a little water. Taste and add more salt if required. Chuck in the chopped tomato pieces. When it starts boiling, slip in the 10 hardboiled eggs. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot with pathals, ghee rice, vellappams, chappatis, putte, pathiris, porottas, rice noodles or with freshly baked bread.

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          You can also substitute the eggs with clams, mussels, crabs, mushrooms, shark meat, potatoes, mixed vegetables, green peas, meat or soaked chickpeas to make many wonderful curries. As the flavor of this curry wafts out of your kitchen, do not be surprised if your neighbours come running to you with mouths wide open. Do cook and see for yourself.