Boiled eggs halved and tossed through a dark, peppery onion masala until the edges catch. A ten-ingredient vegetarian dinner that comes together in 30 minutes.
Prep
10 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£0.85
Difficulty
easy
A dry fry rather than a curry, this leans hard on black pepper and curry leaves and clings to the eggs instead of pooling around them. Scoring the boiled eggs before they go in lets the masala get inside rather than sliding off the smooth surface.
Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for 9 minutes, then transfer straight into cold water. Peel once cool and cut each in half lengthways.
Score the cut face of each egg half twice with a sharp knife, then dust lightly with a pinch of the turmeric and chilli powder.
Those shallow cuts are what stop the masala sliding off. It is a 30 second job that changes the whole dish.
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the crushed peppercorns and cumin seeds and toast for 30 seconds until the pepper smells sharp.
Add the curry leaves, let them crackle, then add the onions with a pinch of salt. Fry for 12 minutes until genuinely browned, not just softened.
Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, the remaining turmeric and chilli powder and the rest of the salt.
Cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes have completely broken down and the mixture is thick and dry, pulling away from the pan.
Add the egg halves cut side down and leave undisturbed for 2 minutes so the surface catches, then turn carefully and coat in the masala.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, fold once more and finish with coriander. Serve hot with rice or as part of a larger spread.