Bengali Egg Curry - Dimer Dalna

Dimer Dalna

The eggs in this Egg Curry are sometimes halved before simmering in the tomato gravy. It is, however, more conventional to leave them whole when cooking them in the Bengali way. After hard-boiling and peeling, the eggs are slit vertically five to six times around the circumference, so that the gravy penetrates through to the core.

Ingredients

6 eggs, boiled & peeled

2 large Russet potatoes, peeled & cut in bite-size pieces

2 cups chicken broth

2 onions, quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp. tomato paste (I used Hunt’s)

2 tomatoes, diced

2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika

1/2 tsp. garam masala

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. cumin seeds or Shah jeera

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 tsp. ghee

½ tsp. sugar

1-2 green/red fresh chilies, slit

Salt to taste

Method

1.  Boil eggs & potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes & drain.

2   Cover eggs with cold water, set aside for 20 minutes, peel and slit.

3.  Fry eggs & potatoes in 1 Tbsp. oil until golden brown and set aside.

4.  Blanch onions & garlic in a cup of boiling water and drain.

5.  Purée blanched items, tomatoes & tomato paste, ginger paste & garam masala.

6.  Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

7.  Sputter cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and star anise.

8.  Add puréed mixture & salt, cover & simmer over low heat until oil resurfaces.

9.  Heat chicken broth in microwave and pour into skillet.

10. Add potatoes & eggs, cover and cook until gravy is reduced by half. 

11. Adjust salt & garnish with sugar, ghee, & fresh chilies.

12. Serve over hot steamed rice or with chapatis.