Traditional Egg Curry

Egg curry is the comfort food for every Indian, well, obviously, except vegetarians. Whenever mom asked what we would like to eat, with that look on her face that she was not interested in cooking yet she had to cook for that such situations, egg curry always was the solution. Egg curry was also on the menu of our tight-budget picnic when even egg curry tasted like biriyani just because of the company and hard work we put in to prepare that. Well, in short, egg curry comes with a lot of memories. So, here is the recipe for our dearest egg curry.

What is Egg Curry?

Egg curry is a hearty Indian dish of curried eggs. It is made traditionally with hard-boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes, whole and ground spices, and herbs. Egg curry is a popular dish in Indian cuisine. Egg curry can be made in a variety of ways. However, this is my mother’s recipe, and it is very close to my heart because even on her most tired days, she could make us smile with this egg curry.

This gluten-free and dairy-free curry comes together quickly with simple ingredients. This recipe for egg curry can easily be doubled or tripled. You can enjoy this curry with rice or flatbreads. 

Ingredients At A Glance 

Eggs – For the best flavor, use organic free-range eggs. Having said that, any white eggs, brown eggs, or country eggs will do in this recipe. You will need hard-boiled eggs for this recipe.

Onion – Like any other Indian curry, onion is a very important ingredient in this curry too. You can use white, red, or yellow onions, whichever is available near you. 

Ginger & Garlic – These are the main aromatic ingredients and balance the flavors of the curry. 

Spices – This curry needs basic Indian spices like cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, and Bengali garam masala. I have added allspice too, but it is optional. 

Tomato Puree – Canned tomato puree has a more concentrated flavor than fresh pureed tomatoes. Tomato paste can also be used in place of tomato puree.

Potato – You can add quartered potatoes to the curry too, but it is optional. 

Oil – I have used olive oil in this recipe. But my mother used mustard oil traditionally; you can use that too. 

Coriander Leaves – Garnish the curry with lots of coriander leaves. 

How To Prepare Egg Curry?

First, hard boil the eggs.

Then, apply turmeric and salt to the eggs and shallow fry the eggs till it turns red. Keep the fried eggs aside while preparing the curry.

If using potatoes, shallow fry them in the same pan and set them aside.

Heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes or till it turns slightly brown.

Add the turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, allspice, cumin, and coriander powders, if using. Cook for a minute. If you need to add a little more oil, do so; otherwise, the spices will stick. You could also try sprinkling a little water to add moisture.

Add the tomatoes within a minute so that the spices don’t burn. 

Mix in the sautéed potatoes thoroughly. To prevent spices from burning, reduce the heat from medium to medium-low. Some pots cook quickly, so keep the heat on medium-low in those cases.

Bring the water and the sautéed eggs to a boil. Prick the eggs all over with a fork. Then, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender. 

You’ll have to check, but I’d guess it takes about 10 minutes. 5 minutes without potatoes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with garam masala. Garnish with coriander leaves. Cover for 3 minutes to allow the garam masala to absorb. 

Serve with rice or flatbreads, and enjoy.

Some Expert Tips For Preparing Egg Curry

• You can skip frying the eggs and just add them to the curry.
• You can make the gravy thin, semi-thick, or dry.
• Add cashew, almond, or poppy seed paste to the curry to make it richer. Heavy cream can be added at the end of the cooking process.