Home-style Egg Curry (or Chicken or Potato or Anything Your Heart Desires in a Curry)

After I started this post, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the dish on a plate. The anticipation of eating this dish made me forget!

This is a quick, home-style curry that can be used with any main ingredient you desire. Krishna does recommend that if you do use a meat like chicken, grind the onion instead of chop to create a thicker "gravy" or sauce.

Egg curry has a significance in our home. When either Alan or I is not able to be home for lunch (not often believe it or not, another wonderful aspect of serving in Kolkata) the remaining usually has egg curry, or in our house "the only me curry."

Home-style Egg Curry

6 small boiled (but still firm) and peeled potatoes
3 boiled and shelled eggs
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 small onions chopped (or ground for chicken or other meats)
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric power
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp water
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp cilantro leaf powder or ground dry cilantro leaves (called coriander leaves in India)
1/2 tsp ground red chili pepper powder
1/4 to 1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you want the final curry sauce)

1. Heat the 2 tbs vegetable oil on medium high heat, and in a pot with high sides like a dutch oven or larger sauce pan.

2. Turn heat to medium once the oil is hot.

3. Add onions and fry until soften, or if using paste fry for about 3 minutes.

4. Add the 3 eggs and fry with onion until both are browned.

5. Once browned, take eggs out of pan and set aside.

6. Krishna likes to layer her spices.  Add 1 tsp garlic paste and stir. Then 1 tsp ginger paste and stir, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and stir, 1 tsp water and stir. Let cook for about 2 minutes.

7. Add the boiled and peeled potatoes and mix.

8. Next is the second set of spice layering. Add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and stir, 1/2 tsp salt and stir, 1 tsp water and stir, pinch of ground clove and stir, 1/2 tsp cilantro leaf powder (coriander leaves) and stir, 1/2 tsp red chili pepper powder and stir. Let cook for about 3 minutes.

9. Add the eggs that were set aside earlier, turn down the heat to a low simmer and then add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water depending on how thick or thin you would like the curry sauce to be.

10. Cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes for the potatoes and eggs to absorb the spices.

The ginger paste, garlic paste and onion (in different forms) seem to be the sofrito of Indian cooking. And ginger, garlic, onion, cumin (or jeera), turmeric, clove and chili have appeared in every main dish we have made so far just in different quantities, although you can adjust these spices to your taste.

The above recipe should serve two people with rice and you can double it to make more. Enjoy!