Sana Siddiqui of Curating the Table shares a cherished family recipe, passed down orally through many generations. Nourish beloveds with rich eggs and creamy-tangy yoghurt. Grandly spiced, with a flourish of fresh lime for zing. Best served with steamed basmati or warm flatbreads, for mopping.
Ingredients
4 servings
6 large eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt
2 tbsp ghee
15 g fresh root ginger, pounded to a paste
8 medium garlic cloves, pounded to a paste
200 g plain yoghurt
300 g baby new potatoes, quartered
METHOD
STEP 1
Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil, gently lower in the eggs and cook for 8 minutes for a jammy centre. Remove the eggs to a bowl of iced water, then peel and set aside.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to turn lightly brown. Remove from the pan and blend into a smooth purée.
STEP 3
Add the ghee into the now-empty pan, stir through the fenugreek seeds and let them toast for a couple of minutes over a medium heat, until starting to darken. Remove and discard (they can become bitter, so it’s usually best to use them just to flavour the oil) – if keeping them in, take care they don’t catch. Add the remaining whole spices and cook for a few minutes, until lovely and fragrant.
STEP 4
Stir the onion purée through the whole spices. Add the ginger, garlic, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and ground coriander. Season generously with salt and cook over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly until the masala thickens and the oil begins to separate.
STEP 5
Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the yoghurt – it’s important to do this off the heat to prevent curdling. Return the pan to a low heat and cook gently for 5 minutes, until well incorporated.
STEP 6
Mix in the potatoes, then cover and cook over a medium-low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender.
STEP 7
Loosen the curry to your preferred consistency with a little hot water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the boiled eggs and let them sit in the bubbling curry for a few minutes to warm through and absorb the sauce.
STEP 8
Halve three of the eggs to present proudly in your bowls, or keep them whole if you prefer. Garnish the curry with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime. Serve hot with basmati rice or flatbreads.
Notes:
➻ Frying the eggs lightly before adding them is optional but adds a delicate crispness if you prefer. Pierce the peeled eggs gently with a fork, then fry one at a time in 3–4 tbsp hot olive oil for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly until lightly crisp and golden.
➻ Olive oil and ghee are used for depth and richness – but please feel free to use your preferred fats. The spirit of the dish will remain the same.
➻ The curry tastes even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to settle.
