Jammy Egg Curry

Photo by:

Melati Citrawireja

Excerpted from The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook. These are just a few of the deeply personal recipes that tell the story of our farm partners, their kitchens, and the spices they grow. Order your copy here!

In my own family, egg curry was the greatest gift that my Nani would serve to a non-vegetarian guest. As a Jain, she grew up strictly vegetarian, not even eating eggs or root vegetables. Her time in medical school eating in university canteens made her a lot more progressive about diet. My father (her son-in-law) was amongst her favorite people in the world and she was always worried that eating at her home was unsatisfactory for him as a non-vegetarian. Her upbringing and values didn’t allow her to ever cook meat in her own home but her compromise was that she would make him an egg curry. For a practicing Jain to bring and cook eggs in their home simply out of good hospitality and love is a way bigger deal than I feel like I can culturally articulate. So my entire family has come to cherish egg curry as an enduring symbol of my parents’ intercultural love match and my nani’s deep adoration for her son in law.

Sheila Aunty’s egg curry is on a whole other level. The browned shallots and spices cooked in coconut milk become so silky and rich it’s hard to believe how simple the ingredients list is.

My one request to Asha when we were developing this recipe was that the eggs be jammy and yet as saturated with the curry and as much flavor as possible. Scoring the sides of a jammy 7-minute egg so that you’re effectively braising it in the curry is a game changer. This recipe has joined my personal weeknight dinner hall of fame because it’s so quick and comes together with pantry staples.

Ingredients

8 large eggs
3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons Nandini Coriander, lightly crushed
4 large shallots, finely diced (about ⅔ pound, 300 grams)
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more
1 tablespoon Byadgi Chilli
1 teaspoon Pragati Turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground Aranya Black Pepper
One 14-ounce can (398 milliliters) full-fat coconut milk
Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Methods

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Gently add 8 large eggs and boil for 7 minutes, then transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool while you make the sauce.
To prepare the sauce, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons lightly crushed coriander seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn light golden, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 4 finely diced large shallots and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and turn light golden, 7 to 11 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon Byadgi chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ½ cup water, and cook until the water evaporates, 4 to 7 minutes.
Stir in one 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and gently simmer until the sauce is reduced by a quarter and the oil is starting to separate from the coconut milk, 9 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, carefully peel the eggs and score the whites of the eggs lengthwise about 5 times around each egg, being careful not to cut too deep and hit the yolk. (This will help the sauce permeate the egg.)
Gently add the scored eggs to the skillet and continue to cook, gently basting and turning the eggs over in the curry until the outside of the eggs start to take on the color of the sauce and are heated through, 4 to 6 minutes.
To finish, stir in the juice of ½ lemon. Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Serve immediately with steamed short-grain rice or appam.