EGG MASALA

Serves : 3 with roti/bread

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes -2 large ones, lightly score the skin
• Garlic Flakes – 5
• Cardamom – 3
• Ginger 1″
• Cloves – 4
• Cashew nuts – 10 to 12
• Poppy seeds or khus khus -1 teaspoon
• Water – 4 – 6 cups (just enough to cover the tomatoes)
• Hard boiled Eggs – 5, cut into halves
• Bay leaves – 2
• Onions – 2, chopped small
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
• Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Salt to taste
• Chopped Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

• Bring the water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and add in Tomatoes, Garlic Flakes, Cardamom, Ginger, Cloves, Cashew nuts, Poppy seeds to the boiling hot water. Cover and set aside for an hour.
• After an hour strain the soaked tomatoes, garlic flakes etc. reserving the strained water for later.
• Peel, deseed and roughly chop the tomatoes.
• Grind the strained ingredients into a fine paste and set aside.
• To a flat bottomed casserole on medium heat, add oil followed by chopped onion, bay leaves and fry until the onions turn a light brown.
• Next add in Coriander, Cumin, Red chilli powder and Turmeric powder. Fry well for a couple of minutes and then add in the ground cashew tomato paste along with salt.
• Fry stirring every once in a while for about 5 minutes.
• Push the masala to the sides of the casserole and add in the egg halves yolk side down. Push all the masala from the sides back on to the egg halves and continue cooking for another 10 – 15 minutes, moving the egg and masala around every once in a while.
• Add just enough of the reserved water to get a gravy of desired consistency.
• Cook the gravy with the eggs for another 10 -12 minutes until thick.
• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with rotis or poi.

Notes:

• The gravy will keep thickening as you cook. Use the reserved liquid from boiling tomatoes etc to achieve the desired consistency. A thicker gravy is tastier.