Boiled Eggs in Spiced Onion, Tomato and Coconut Curry
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Halved hard-boiled eggs simmered in a deeply browned onion, tomato and coconut curry with ginger, garlic and warm spices. A comforting, budget-friendly dinner served with fluffy basmati rice.
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Method
- 1
Boil and peel. Lower the eggs into a saucepan of boiling water, bring back to a gentle boil and cook for 11 minutes so the whites and yolks are fully set and firm, well above 71 °C. Chill in the iced water for 5 minutes, tap all over, peel under the water, pat dry and halve lengthways. If you boiled the eggs earlier and kept them chilled, simply peel and halve them.
- 2
Start the rice. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions while you make the curry, so both are ready together.
- 3
Brown the onions. Heat the ghee in the deep pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden brown; add a splash of water if they start to catch. Slow browning caramelises their natural sugars and builds the sweet, savoury base of the sauce.
- 4
Add aromatics and spices. Stir in the garlic, ginger, green chilli and cardamom and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds. Briefly frying ground spices in fat releases their aroma, but any longer and they can scorch and turn bitter.
- 5
Simmer the sauce. Add the tomatoes and salt, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and the oil starts to pool at the edges. That separating oil is the sign the tomatoes have cooked out their raw tang. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- 6
Warm the eggs. Stir in the garam masala, then lay the egg halves in the sauce cut-side up and spoon sauce over them. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes until the eggs are hot right through (74 °C). Keeping the yolks facing up stops them crumbling into the sauce.
- 7
Finish and serve. Remove the cardamom pods and chilli if you like. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with the rice.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 2 days. Reheat gently, covered, until piping hot (74 °C); the eggs become rubbery if frozen, so freezing is not recommended. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- slotted spoon
- bowl of iced water
- large deep frying pan or sauté pan with a lid
- wooden spoon
- sharp knife
- saucepan for the rice
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 577 kcal |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbohydrate | 63.2 g |
| of which sugars | 6.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 27.7 g |
| of which saturates | 16.8 g |
| Fibre | 4.7 g |
| Salt | 1.77 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
