EGG MASALA
Hard boiled eggs cooked in a piquant onion and tomato gravy with aromatic Indian spices.
When it comes to choosing what to have for breakfast, the first thing that comes to our mind is the egg. We like it boiled, fried, poached, on a toast, or in a burger. Thanks to its binding and emulsifying properties, the egg is a necessary component for making pancakes, cakes, bread, crepes; the list is endless. Thus, the ubiquitous egg is pretty much an unmissable part of humdrum breakfasts in every form, across the world. Interestingly, in India and some other middle eastern countries, the egg is recognized as much more than just a breakfast or baking component. It enjoys almost the same status of fish or meat, featuring in curries, stews, pilafs, and even biryanis!
There are a plethora of ways in which eggs are cooked in India. They are cooked in anything from rich yogurt gravy to fresh coconut milk or even poppy seeds. The Egg Masala is one such popular Indian dish in which hard-boiled eggs are cooked in a rich onion and tomato gravy with typical Indian spices. The Egg Masala has many versions, you can add yogurt or cashew nut paste or cream to increase the richness. This is the most basic version that you will find and can be easily made with whatever you have at home, but trust me this is equally good.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
Egg Masala is a flavorful, rich, and crowd-pleasing recipe of hard-boiled eggs cooked in a delectable gravy of onions and tomatoes together with aromatic Indian spices. This can be easily prepared without any fancy ingredients and is considered a great accompaniment with rice, roti, or naan. Not just a common household recipe, this is also a favorite at the Indian roadside eateries called dhabas.
India is a land of diversity, so like every other recipe, this one too has multiple variations. This is my version of the popular dish, the way my family likes it. Simple and delicious, this recipe of eggs will soon become your favorite.
India is a land of diversity, so like every other recipe, this one too has multiple variations. This is my version of the popular dish, the way my family likes it. Simple and delicious, this recipe of eggs will soon become your favorite.
HOW TO MAKE EGG MASALA?
Masala means spices, so naturally, the recipe of Egg Masala uses quite a few Indian spices. The central character of this super delicious recipe is eggs. You will need perfectly boiled eggs for the outcome to be awesome. No sticking shells or broken eggs, perfectly peeled hard-boiled eggs!How to make the perfect hard-boiled eggs?
Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover completely with water.Add a teaspoon of salt or vinegar to prevent the eggs from cracking and facilitate easy peeling.
Cook on high heat and let the water come to a roaring boil.
Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Strain the hot water and transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with ice water. Let them sit for an hour for maximum ease of peeling.
Once the eggs are boiled and peeled, prepare the eggs for further cooking. For the best egg masala, the rich gravy should seep through the eggs and flavor them. To make this happen, poke the eggs all over with a fork. Smear the eggs with a little salt and turmeric and shallow fry them till they have a beautiful golden orange hue.
Now let's prepare the gravy. The gravy is a beautiful melange of onions, ripe tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and spices cooked to perfection.
Once the gravy is well cooked and ready, dunk in the eggs and allow them to simmer in the gravy.
Season with a dash of the exotic Indian garam masala and garnish as you like.
VARIATIONS
- Add potatoes to add body to the recipe. Also Egg Masala with potatoes make really good meals with rice. If adding potatoes, peel them and smear them with a little turmeric and salt before frying them and adding to the curry.
- Most recipes from the Mughal era use cashew nut paste for a richer consistency. Add cashew nut paste to this recipe and finish off with fried onions as a garnish for a royal touch.
- It is common in Southern part of India to use coconut milk in their recipes. To give this recipe a spin, add coconut milk instead of water.
- You can add full cream and butter in the simmering sauce and finish off with some kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for a North Indian touch to this recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are some eggs difficult to peel?
Fresher eggs have low albumen pH, which causes the albumen to stick to the inner membrane more strongly making peeling difficult.
What is the difference between Egg Masala and Egg Korma?
Egg Korma is a recipe of hard-boiled eggs cooked in a gravy of yogurt and nuts. The gravy looks whitish unlike Egg Masala where the eggs are cooked in a gravy of onions and tomatoes lending it a reddish hue.
Can I use store-bought tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes?
Fresh tomatoes and tomato paste do not have the same texture and taste because the store-bought tomato paste almost always has added vinegar giving it a slightly pungent taste. But if you are in a hurry you can definitely use the tomato paste. The taste will be similar if not same.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS
Hard-boiled eggs do not taste as good when thawed after being frozen for a while. The best idea would be to store the prepared gravy and whenever you are ready to serve, simply add some hard-boiled eggs into the gravy and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Finish off with garam masala.
You can store the leftovers in a airtight container in a refrigerator and consume within 3 days. Make sure not to heat in a microwave. Heat in a skillet for 6-8 minutes. Splash some water if the gravy seems too dry. You can add some ghee for freshness.
EGG MASALA
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MCook time: 20 MTotal time: 35 M
Hard boiled eggs cooked in a piquant onion and tomato gravy with aromatic Indian spices.
Ingredients:
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 big red onion finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick about 2" long
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
- sugar to taste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2-3 green/red chilies
Instructions:
- Poke the eggs all over with a fork and then smear the eggs with 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chili powder, and salt. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Lightly fry the eggs until the skin looks a nice golden orange.
- In the same oil add the whole spices (bay leaf, peppercorn, cardamom, and cloves) and wait for them to splutter.
- Add sugar and allow it to caramelize. Dunk in the finely chopped onions and fry till translucent.
- Add the garlic paste and continue cooking for about 2 mins.
- Add the tomatoes, green chilies and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.
- Add the remaining turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin powder. and salt. Splash some water so that the spices do not stick to the pan.
- Add the ginger paste and keep cooking until the oil comes to the surface and the mix leaves the sides of the pan.
- Add warm water depending on your desired level of consistency. Check for salt and let it simmer.
- Add the eggs, give everything a good mix, and put the lid. Let it simmer for 2 mins.
- Sprinkle the garam masala. Add some slit green chilies.
- Serve with basmati rice/pilaf/roti/naan.
Notes:
- Potatoes can also be added to this curry. If adding potatoes, peel them and smear them with a little turmeric and salt before frying them and adding to the curry.
- This recipe does not require much water, the final gravy will have a rich and dense consistency. If you prefer a thinner gravy, add some water.
- You may add cashew paste for a richer consistency.
- You may garnish with chopped cilantro.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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