Egg Curry Version 2

Egg curry is 'go to' dish - simple enough when you want it to be simple. Anagha this one is for you. Make it a dry version and you have a fancy egg masala dish. The onion puree in the recipe is made in a blender using a tiny bit of water. See the Learn the Basics section of my blog for perfect boiled eggs! Never compromise on...cooking the onions, they have to be brown..

6 eggs hardboiled and peeled
1 1/2 cup onion puree
3/4 cup fresh tomato puree
2 TBS tomato paste
3 TBS ginger-garlic paste
5-6 cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato cut into big pieces
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
4 TBS oil
2 TBS chopped mint leaves
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the onion puree, cover and let cook till the water evaporates. Then saute on medium heat till brown. Really caramel brown. This step will take at least 15 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste and the ginger garlic paste. Cook on medium heat till the oil separates from the masala. This step takes another 10-12 minutes. Add the chili powder, salt, tomatoes and the mint leaves. Add water to the prepared masala, to desired consistency. Add the garam masala and mix.
Make a slit in the eggs - lengthwise and place them carefully , cut side down - in the gravy. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes only.

Serve hot with parathas or rice.
You can adjust the thickness of the gravy as per your liking. Instead of boiled eggs, add steamed and fried whole little potatoes or fried chunks of paneer for a change.

Learn the Basics - How to boil an egg

Sounds so simple right? Boil an egg, what could be simpler? It's as simple as boiling water.
But things can go wrong- especially for a new cook.
The perfect boiled egg is with the white done well, the yolk just done- and still bright yellow - no greenish edges - and perfectly peeled.

Always use the freshest eggs you can find. Start with cold tap water. The eggs should be immersed in the water. Add a teaspoon of salt or a splash of vinegar, so if an egg accidentally cracks in the water, the white does not spread. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and cover and keep the eggs in the water for 10-12 minutes. Then, run cold water in the pot. Take out the eggs and lightly roll them on the counter till the entire shell is cracked, then carefully peel them- under water. Peeling them under water helps to separate the thin membrane that holds the shell to the egg.

Voila! you will have the perfect boiled egg...every single time.

Egg Curry Version 1

By special request from Amruta. Here is egg curry. A simple enough dish - which if done right can be the star.
There are many recipes for this - over the years I tried many of them and discarded some. Took a bit from here..a bit from there and came up with my own version.
Heads up here - this recipe takes time. The onion and tomatoes have to be sauteed just right or the formula fails!

4 eggs hard-boiled
1 cup yellow onion chopped
1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 TBS ginger garlic paste
1 TBS poppy seeds (soaked for about 30 minutes)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 TBS oil
1-2 cups of water
salt to taste

Prep:
Blend onion and ginger-garlic paste together to form a smooth puree.
Blend tomatoes and poppy seeds together to a smooth consistency.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed saucepan. Add the onion puree and saute on a low flame, stirring frequently. You need to cook the onion till it turns golden brown and  all the raw smell is gone. This takes over 10 minutes.
Add the tomato and poppy seed puree, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric to the pan and saute till all the liquid evaporates and you see oil bubbles around the mixture in the pan. This takes another 10 minutes.
Once the purees are cooked, lower the heat and stir in a cup of water. You can make this as a thick sauce or a thinner curry, as per your preference. Ensure the base is a smooth consistency and add salt to taste. Slice the eggs length-wise but do not cut them through, just to about 3/4ths of the way. Slide the eggs into the curry, cut side down and gently agitate the pan to coat the eggs.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves just before serving.

Note:
You can add boiled potatoes with the eggs too. Just make sure you salt the potatoes while boiling.
The poppy seeds add creaminess and thickness to the curry. Remember they will keep absorbing water so please adjust the consistency of the curry accordingly.