Making the most of egg curry

Nutrient-rich eggs serve as the base for many classic regional dishes in India, and this recipe from Tejal Rao is just one example. It stars boiled eggs gently stirred through an aromatic curry of alliums, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and fresh tomatoes. Tejal prefers halved eight-minute eggs, but in Andhra Pradesh, the eggs in this dish would be cooked firmer and left whole.

Food has always been politicised in India, a person’s diet often reveals the specifics of her cultural identity. And under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the surge of pro-vegetarian Hindu nationalism, even the simple practice of serving eggs at school lunch has become fraught. But eggs have long been an important source of nutrition across the country and form the base of many classic regional dishes. In Andhra Pradesh, this spicy, tomato-rich egg curry would have firmer, more crumbly yolks (boiled for about 11 or 12 minutes), but I like to cook them a little softer (eight minutes, max). © 2022 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY

Ingredients

1/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tbsp)

2 small cinnamon sticks

6 green cardamom pods

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

6 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp garam masala

6 to 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

A handful of small, tender fresh cilantro stems

Preparation

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly caramelised and light brown,

25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and fry, stirring occasionally, for another 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon and cardamom. When the spices start to toast, after about 2 minutes, stir in the coriander, turmeric and peppercorns.

2. Add the tomatoes, salt and 1 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens and the fat rises to the top, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the garam masala and lower the heat. If the sauce isn’t runny, stir in 1/2 cup of water.

3. Add all but 2 of the eggs and stir gently. Halve the remaining eggs lengthwise and arrange them on top, yolk side up. Heat until the eggs are warmed through, then top with cilantro.