Anda curry (hard-boiled eggs in gravy) recipe

Asma Khan
·2 min read
Anda Curry (hard-boiled eggs in gravy) recipe  - Kim Lightbody
Anda Curry (hard-boiled eggs in gravy) recipe - Kim Lightbody

You can use any type of egg here, even quail eggs. In India we leave the eggs whole, but you can halve them before returning to the pan. Just be careful not to lose the yolks in the gravy.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

SERVES

two

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 medium eggs

  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 green cardamom pod

  • 1 clove

  • 1 Indian bay leaf (or regular bay leaves)

  • ½ tsp cumin seeds

  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped

  • 1 tsp garlic paste

  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste

  • ½ tsp ground turmeric

  • 1 tbsp ground coriander

  • ½ tsp chilli powder

  • 6 tbsp natural (plain) yogurt

  • 1 tsp salt

  • Handful fresh herbs, to garnish

METHOD

  1. If you keep your eggs in the refrigerator, take them out 30 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, then place the eggs in the water and cook for 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the pan and place in cold running water to prevent further cooking. When cool enough to handle, shell the eggs.

  2. In a shallow saucepan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the hard-boiled eggs and cook until they are speckled all over with brown patches. Remove eggs from pan and set aside.

  3. To the remaining oil, add the cardamom, clove and bay leaf. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until the seeds darken. Add the chopped onions, garlic and ginger to the pan, cook for a further five minutes until the onion mixture has softened and coloured to a light brown. Continue to stir while cooking to prevent the onions from burning and sticking to the base of the pan. If the onion mixture does stick to the base of the pan, sprinkle over some water.

  4. Add the ground turmeric, coriander and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 10-20 seconds or until the raw smell of turmeric has disappeared, taking care not to let the ground spices burn. Pour over 200ml cold water and raise the heat to high.

  5. Once any excess water has evaporated, lower the heat. To avoid lumps in the sauce, stir the yogurt before adding it to the pan. Stir to mix evenly and season with salt. Add the hard-boiled eggs to the pan and allow to heat through before serving.

  6. Before serving, scatter over plenty of fresh herbs.

Recipe from Asma's Indian Kitchen by Asma Khan (Pavilion, £20)