On our last night in Kerala, we slept on a houseboat stationed near a rice paddy. When we awoke, our personal chef had prepared a rich egg masala and fluffy upma for breakfast. We floated along the backwaters, stuffing ourselves with spicy eggs, and we were in heaven.
Somehow, our homemade re-creation, while delicious, doesn't conjure the same kind of bliss. Maybe we missed some key ingredient that unlocks the secret of the masala. More likely? Nothing else tastes as good as what you eat while lounging in wicker furniture. Maybe you can convince someone else to make this and bring it out to you on the porch with a nice gin and tonic.
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
4 sprigs curry leaves
2 cups of shallots, sliced into rings
1 green chile, sliced in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned okay)
1/2 cup coconut milk
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
cayenne to taste
Heat the coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, add the mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds have popped, add the curry leaves and fry for about 30 seconds. Add the shallots and keep stirring continuously until they are nicely browned. Add the garlic, chili, coriander, cumin and tumeric and stir to coat. When the garlic and spices have lost their raw smell, add the tomatoes.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down considerably, then add the coconut milk, eggs and 3/4 cup water. Continue simmering for another 15 minutes, then taste for spiciness. Add as much cayenne as you can handle, and serve over rice, upma or bread.
4 comments:
This looks interesting!! :)
No idea where to get some of the ingredients, though!! :)
You can also egg masala the following way too.
Egg Masala
Pre-preparation
Hard boil 4-6 eggs and remove the shell
3 tbls oil
450g onions
1/3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala-------equal amounts of cinnamon ,clove.cardamom and a dash of fenner -- all powdered .
150g sliced tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Process
1. Heat the pan then the oil
2. Sauté the onions
3. Add the turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala and temper
4. Add the tomatoes and cook until it creates a smooth paste
5. Add the sugar
6. Add salt to taste
7. Either add eggs and serve, or serve separately
Layla, you can totally leave out the curry leaves and urad dal if you can't find them. They're optional but delicious.
Jacob, thanks for stopping by and thanks for your egg masala recipe!
Thanks for the Egg masala recipe. My hubby loves egg curry. I am going to make it this weekend when my hubby will be at home. I know it is spice as like your picture. Let's see how things turn out.
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