Egg Curry is a simple yet flavourful Indian classic that deserves more attention than it gets! The mild spice and beautiful fragrance will make this a frequent addition to your dinner table!
India has a long tradition of stunning curry recipes. Fortunately we have plenty more for you to try!
Egg curry isn’t that well known, but it really should be. Eggs are a brilliant way to add protein to a curry!
The base to this curry is an absolute classic, and it is easy to create all sorts of variations by building off of it. Potatoes and peas are very traditional curry ingredients and always a bit hit, but no reason to stop there!
The real change here is adding the hardboiled eggs. The eggs add a creaminess to the curry to this warming and aromatic curry while bringing a nutritious source of protein.
It really is a vegetarian curry that is worth coming back to time and again!
Vegetarian curries
The way many people outside of India eat curries is to build them around meat like chicken or lamb. But within India, vegetarian curries are common and really, really good.
Meat is common globally for a range of reasons including how effectively it brings flavour to a dish. But where cooks are familiar with meatless cooking, they are able to bring out pretty stunning flavours through all sorts of other methods and ingredients.
A diverse set of spices is certainly essential to this. Unfortunately, not many of us are going to want to invest in a cupboard of spices we may only use occasionally.
Fortunately, curry pastes are easy to find and have a complex set of fragrant spices built right in. It’s a shortcut, but a good one, especially if you find a good brand (I use Patak’s). It’s also an easy way to change a recipe. The same recipe made with a different paste will result in a whole new dish!
The other way to build great flavour into a curry is even simpler, and involves the frying of onion, garlic and ginger together in oil. As basic as this sounds, it adds a deep umami taste that is vital to a good curry.
I’ve recommended frying the onion for 5-7 minutes so the meal doesn’t take too long, but giving it 10 minutes on low heat will be even better. If the onions look like they are starting to burn, add a splash of water to the pan.
Egg curry made easy
This curry starts by preparing the eggs and potatoes. Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and dunk them in cold water. This not only stops them from cooking more, but cools them quicker so that they are easier to peel. The potatoes can be browned in oil at the same time, then set aside.
As mentioned previously, the basic method behind this curry is fairly standard and good one to learn for any home cook. This involves building a good foundation of flavour.
It’s also best to use a pre-made curry paste to avoid having to purchase endless spices. I used tikka masala paste as it is adaptable to a lot of recipes and one I use quite often in other curry recipes.
But before you use the paste you’ll need to sauté the onions and then add garlic and ginger. Take time with the onions in particular to build lovely flavour and fragrance, and definitely be careful not to burn!
Now it’s time to add the curry paste, canned tomatoes and then coconut milk slightly later. After it has all simmered, add in the peeled eggs, potatoes and frozen peas.
It’s possible the curry sauce will be bit too thick at this point. A splash of water may be needed. Let it all simmer, but make sure that the potatoes don’t cook so much that they fall apart.
Recipe tips and notes
- I used tikka masala paste as it is flexible and come with the right flavours for this recipe. Other pastes can be used, although this will result in different flavours.
- The longer you let the onions fry in oil, the more flavour they will add to the dish. If you have the time, turn the heat down to low and let them fry for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water to the fry pan if the onions look like they are burning.
- The boiled eggs are easier to work with if they have cooled. Boil them in advance if you have the time.
- Serve this curry over basmati rice or with naan or chapatis. Mango chutney and a spicy pickle also go very well.
- I used tikka masala curry paste from Patak’s for this recipe. Using a curry paste is a convenient way to bring a large number of Indian spices to a recipe without having to buy a lot of separate ingredients. Other curry pastes could be used instead of tikka masala, although this will result in a different final dish.
Serving suggestions
A heap of basmati rice is all you really need to enjoy this fragrant curry, and to turn it into a hearty meal. But I like adding a bit of variety to my curry dinners with a few things served on the side.
That’s when I turn to fragrant coconut rice, red lentil dal and warm naan bread. I usually add a dollop of chutney or a spicy pickle as well.
A sprinkling of cilantro/coriander will also add a bit of freshness as well as enhance the beauty of this dish!
Storage and leftovers
Leaving these leftovers for a few days will only do good things for the flavour as it will have more time to meld and intensify. It can keep for 3-4 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
It can also be frozen for up to three months, although the potatoes won’t be quite the same afterwards.
Reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat. If using a saucepan, add a splash of water to keep it loose.
More vegetarian curry recipes
- Potato and Cauliflower Curry ‘Aloo Gobi’
- Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
- Paneer Tikka Masala
- Coconut Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash
Egg Curry with Peas and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 tbsp curry paste I used tikka masala
- 200g/7oz This is an affiliate link.canned chopped tomatoes
- 250ml/1 cup This is an affiliate link.coconut milk
- 150g/½ cup frozen peas
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot cook the egg for 10 minutes, plunge in cold water and let them cool, then peel.
- Peel and cube the potatoes, then brown them in vegetable oil until golden on the outside but not cooked all the way through. Remove to a separate plate.
- Add chopped onion and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the Indian curry paste and stir fry for a few seconds. Then add the canned tomatoes and let the curry simmer for 5 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, add the eggs, potatoes and peas to the pan with a splash of water if the sauce is already thick, and let it simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
- Top with fresh cilantro/coriander and serve with rice, naan and mango chutney or a spicy pickle.
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