South Indian Egg Curry

Andy | Dinner | Indian

Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 40 min Servings: 4

This is a Keralan-style egg curry built on coconut, curry leaves and warm spice. The hero in this dish is the eggs, which we'll hard boil and quickly fry in coconut oil to give them a golden skin. Then, they'll sit in a tomato and coconut milk masala tempered with mustard seeds, garlic, ginger and Kashmiri chilli. It feeds four people with rice and comes together in around 50 minutes.

Indian Egg Curry Explained

The eggs

We hard boil the eggs for 6 minutes from a cold start, then plunge them straight into iced water to stop the carryover cooking. That gives a yolk that’s set but still soft in the middle. Then we brown the peeled eggs in hot coconut oil until they’re golden all over. The thin skin that forms holds the egg together in the curry and gives it a much better texture than dropping a plain boiled egg into sauce.

The masala base

Tempering is what defines this curry. We add mustard seeds and curry leaves to the hot oil first so they crackle and release their oils, then build the base of the curry from there. Onions go in next and cook for a full 10 minutes until properly golden brown, followed by the garlic, ginger and Thai green chilli. The dry spices are toasted in the fat for a minute before the tomatoes go in, which is what stops them tasting raw in the finished curry.

The coconut finish

Coconut milk goes in last and only needs a gentle simmer. If it boils hard it’ll split and the sauce ends up oily. The browned eggs go back in to warm through for 10 minutes so they take on the colour and flavour of the masala. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifts everything and stops the coconut feeling heavy.

Ingredient Notes

Curry leaves: Fresh curry leaves are essential here. They’re sold in bunches at Indian grocers and in some supermarkets in the herb section. Don’t use dried, they’ve lost almost all of their aromatic oil. Wrap fresh leaves in damp paper towel and freeze in a zip-lock bag, they’ll keep for months.

Coconut milk: Use full-fat tinned coconut milk, not the watery refrigerated drinking kind. The fat is what gives the sauce its richness and stops it splitting. I shake the can hard before opening so the cream and water are properly combined.

Kashmiri chilli powder: This is what gives the curry its deep red colour without adding much heat. If you can’t find it, swap in regular chilli powder but use half the amount and add a teaspoon of paprika to get the colour back.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Tongs
Large saucepan
Large bowl
Slotted spoon
Heavy-based saucepan
Microplane or fine grater
Wooden spoon

Ingredients

12 eggs
2 red onions
2 tomatoes
1 small green chili
6 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
sea salt, to season
400ml coconut milk
juice of ½ lemon
fried curried leaves, to garnish

Directions

Prep the eggs
Place the eggs in a large saucepan of cold water. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil, then cook for 6 minutes. Immediately plunge the eggs into iced water to stop them cooking. Peel the eggs.
Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, turning gently, until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Make the curry
Finely slice the red onions, chop the tomatoes, finely slice the chilli and finely grate the garlic and ginger.
Place the saucepan back over medium heat and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for 30 seconds to temper.
Add the onions and saute for 10 minutes, until they turn golden brown.
Stir in the chilli, garlic and ginger, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and black pepper. Cook for a further minute.
Stir in the tomatoes and season with some salt. Cook for a further 5-6 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Return the eggs to the pan and cook, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finish and serve
Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt. Serve the curry over steamed rice and garnish with some fried curry leaves.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Fry the curry leaf garnish

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Once it's shimmering, drop in a handful of fresh curry leaves and stand back, they'll spit. Fry for 10 to 15 seconds until they turn a darker green and go crisp, then lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towel. They'll keep crisping as they cool. Scatter over the curry just before serving.

Cook the onions until golden

10 minutes feels long when you’re staring at the pan, but undercooked onions will leave the curry tasting raw and harsh. Stir every minute or so and let them go a deep golden brown before the garlic and ginger join the pan.

Don’t boil the coconut milk

Once the coconut milk goes in, drop the heat to low and keep the curry at a gentle simmer. A hard boil will split the milk and leave you with an oily sauce instead of a creamy one.

Storage

The curry keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The eggs will firm up overnight, which I actually like for leftovers. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The curry base on its own (without the eggs) freezes for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and add freshly boiled and browned eggs when you reheat.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. The flavour deepens overnight, so making it the day before is a good move. If you’re prepping a few days out, make the curry base without the eggs and add freshly boiled and browned eggs when you reheat.

How spicy is it? It’s got a warm heat from the Kashmiri chilli and the green chilli, but it’s not aggressive. To dial it down, leave out the green chilli and halve the Kashmiri. To push it harder, add a second green chilli or a pinch of cayenne.

Can I use a different cooking fat? Coconut oil is what makes this taste like a Keralan curry, so I’d stick with it where you can. Ghee is a fine substitute if it’s what you have. Avoid neutral oils like vegetable or canola, they won’t give you the same coconut backbone.