Masala Egg Curry

Masala Egg Curry
Photograph by Leticia Alaniz © 2014
All Rights Reserved

Every culture has its comfort foods; those foods that make us feel good and that we can accomplish to cook at home with a few ingredients and repeat the recipe over and over again.  They become staples in the household or maybe even become a tradition on specific days and fill our memories with joy as we look forward to sitting down at home to a nice warm plate of comfort food.  Everything about comfort food is calming and soothing.  

Thinking more of an international palate I started wondering what the comfort foods of other cultures might be.  In my Mexican culture I remember coming home to a bowl of warm and spicy pinole atole or porridge that was made of ground toasted corn, cinnamon, cloves, anise seeds, sugar, and milk.  It was heavenly aromatic goodness.  My mother used to first toast the dry corn in a clay pot called a cazuela, then grind the corn which filled the house with a wonderful aroma.  The next step was to add the milk, the spices and the sugar and stir until it became a creamy, fluffy porridge.  It was especially good on chilly rainy days.  It became a tradition since my father grew a lot of corn and there was always plenty of it.  

Weekend breakfasts have always been a comforting time to spend with the family in our household.  They always seem to be a lot more special, elaborate and laid back.  Since egg dishes form a great part of Mexican breakfasts, I decided to seek out egg dishes of Indian cuisine.  There are so many varieties.  Most dishes include plenty of chile and spice.  They’re a reminder of what I’m already used to in Mexican egg dishes which always feature lots of warm spicy salsa and tortillas.  

There is no doubt that egg is an essential protein and naturally, I found a perfect Indian dish that can be prepared easily which fills the protein requirement in our diets and fits the description of spicy, aromatic, warm, and most of all comforting deliciousness.  It is comparable to the Mexican dish huevos rancheros, except the eggs are hard boiled first.   I like to prepare this dish for anytime of the day, but I especially like it for breakfast served with chapatis or tortillas, roasted potatoes, yoghurt, fruit, and a very hot and fragrant fresh cup of coffee.

Masala Egg Curry

4 large or extra large eggs, hard-boiled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3-inch piece cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons ground coriander or coriander seed, toasted and pounded

1/2 teaspoon ground dried red chile

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

About 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 medium or 1 large ripe tomato chopped in small pieces or pureed (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup water

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

1. Peel the eggs and let them soak in water to cover while you prepare the sauce. 

2. In a medium skillet or wide, shallow pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric powder to the oil and let soak for about 30 seconds.  Add the eggs and swirl around for about a minute until they are fried and coated in the turmeric oil.  Take out the eggs and set aside.  To the same oil, add the cumin seed and cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, until slightly darkened and fragrant.  

Add the onion and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, until the onion has become a golden brown. Add the coriander, red ground chile, garlic, and salt.

Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, until the garlic has lightly fried.

Add the tomato and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it softens and thickens.  Add the water, bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 5 minutes to develop the flavor.
3. When the sauce has finished simmering, uncover and slide the eggs in. Increase the heat to medium-low and simmer the eggs, spooning sauce on the top, until the eggs are hot. Adjust the heat as necessary. The sauce should cook down and thicken a bit during this final stage.

4. Transfer the eggs and sauce to individual serving dishes or a communal dish. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

This recipe serves 2  

( In the photo above I doubled the recipe)