Eggs in Coconut Sauce

Deem-er Malai Curry

Bengalis make Malai Curry with fish and shrimp, so why not with eggs? It's basically an Egg Curry, which most Bengalis love, with coconut milk added to it. I've gven it a South Indian flavor with the use of curry leaves. 

I'm fortunate enough to have a curry leaf tree growing in a little container in the house, so it's readily available. Curry leaves may be replaced with cilantro.

Ingredients

6 eggs

1 large Russet  potato, cut in bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Tempering:
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise

1 stalk curry leaves, stripped (optional)

Sauce:
2 medium onions, diced

1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp. tomato paste (I used Hunt’s) or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. Kashmiri Mirch or chili powder to taste

1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder

¼ tsp. turmeric

Salt to taste

2 cups chicken broth or water, set to simmer

1 (8 oz.) can coconut milk

Garnish:

1 stalk curry leaves, left on stalk or chopped cilantro

Method:

1.          Add ½ cup chicken broth to sauce ingredients, stir into a paste and set aside.

2.        Boil eggs for 5 minutes, set aside for 20 minutes, drain, peel and cut in half.

3.         Fry eggs in 1 Tbsp. oil, cut side down, until golden brown and set aside.

4.         In a skillet, heat 4 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat.

5.         Sputter tempering ingredients, add diced onions & some salt.

6.         Simmer on medium heat until onions turn translucent.

7.         Stir in sauce ingredients & simmer on low heat until oil resurfaces.

8.         Add potatoes and remaining heated chicken broth.

9.        Cover & simmer until potatoes are cooked. 

10.   Add coconut milk, adjust salt, bring to a boil and add eggs, yolk side up.

11.   Spoon sauce over eggs & simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Garnish with curry leaves on stem and serve over hot Basmati rice or with chapatis.