Astho Dim-er Malai Curry - Whole Eggs in Coconut Sauce

Astho Dim-er Malai Curry

Fried Whole Eggs

Fried Eggs

Malai Curry is a favourite sauce made with coconut milk that is most commonly combined with shrimp, fish or chicken. Today I decided to cook eggs in coconut milk. I've made this before with eggs cut in half, but today they were left whole. The hard-boiled eggs and chunks of potatoes are fried (separately) to a golden-brown colour, then simmered in the coconut sauce. The eggs are shelled and scored across the circumference 4-5 times through the egg white to the egg yolk, so that the sauce can penetrate them to the core.

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and scored

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks

1 (14 oz.) can thick coconut milk

4+2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. shah jeera/cumin seeds

2 cinnamon sticks

2 black cardamoms/badi elaich

1 large onion, quartered

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

2 Tbsp. garlic paste

1/2 tsp. garam masala

salt & sugar to taste

Green chilies, to taste

Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Fry eggs in 1 Tbsp. oil until golden brown, remove and set aside.
2. Fry potatoes in 1 Tbsp. oil until golden brown, remove and set aside.
3. Slice remaining green chilies, fry in the same oil until skin turns grey, remove and set aside.
4. Blanch onions, remove from water (set liquid aside for sauce) and blend along with a green chili until smooth.
5. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sputter cumin seeds, cinnamon and black cardamoms.
6. Add onion, ginger and garlic paste and simmer over medium heat until oil resurfaces.
7. Add potatoes along with reserved liquid from poaching onions and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Pour in coconut milk, bring to a boil, add fried eggs and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked.
9. Adjust salt and sugar to taste and stir in garam masala.
10. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with fried chilies and cilantro.

Serve with hot rice or Indian bread.