Kashmiri Egg Curry

There are egg curries in every cuisine...respecting their own flavours and spices. The Bengali egg curry is spicy and smells heavily of the whole garam masalas. The South Indian versions differ from state to state, with curry leaves in it. Today I am sharing the Kashmiri Egg Curry, which is famous for its use of sundried tomatoes, and ginger and fennel seeds powder.

Kashmiris used to sundry vegetables during their short summer months to support their families during the winter. These sundried vegetables give their curries a unique feel. I have made oven roasted tomatoes to replace the sundried tomatoes (a cheat learned from the saveur magazine), and true to the facts....the curry had a very distinct feel and taste this time. I just loved it.

Poke the eggs with a skewer or fork and shallow fry them in oil until they become crispy golden from outside.

Temper the remaining oil with cumin seeds and add the chopped onions to them. If you don't have ginger powder then add ginger-garlic paste while frying the onions.

Fry the onions until golden brown and then add the oven roasted tomato paste. Cook them until the oil separates.

Add green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger powder and fennel seeds powder.

Mix all the spices and fry them for a minute.

Add the eggs, water and salt. Simmer until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to float on top of the curry.

Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Kashmiri Egg Curry

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 medium onion – finely chopped

4 tomatoes

2 green chillies – slit

¼ tsp ginger powder (if you don’t have ginger powder, add the ginger-garlic paste the frying onions)

½ tsp fennel seeds powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

2 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt

2 – 3 tbsp oil

Method:

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them face down on a baking tray. Drizzle some oil and sprinkle some sea salt over them and pop them inside the oven at 450F for 30-45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are nicely charred from outside. Peel off their skin and blend the tomatoes until smooth. Keep then aside in a bowl.

Hard boil the eggs and keep them in a bowl cold water for some time.

When they become cool enough to handle peel off their skin and keep them aside in a separate bowl.

Poke the boiled eggs with a fork or skewer and then shallow fry them in oil until they become crispy golden from the outside.

Once done take them out of the pan and keep aside.

Temper the remaining oil with cumin seeds.

Add onions to them and shallow fry until golden brown.

Then add the slit green chillies and oven roasted tomato paste.

Mix them well and cook until the oil separates.

Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger powder and fennel seeds powder.

Mix them and fry for a minute.

Add the fried eggs to the curry and coat them well with the gravy.

Add 1 and ½ cups of water and salt.

Simmer until the gravy thickens and the oil starts to float on top of it.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with chapatti or rice.