Name: Egg Curry: My Nana’s Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 Portions
Ingredients: 2 Onions (cut into chunks); 1 teaspoon Garlic (chopped, or 3 cloves); 1 teaspoon Ginger (chopped, or 1/2 inch piece); 2 Green Chillies (finely chopped); 1/4 Cup Coriander leaves (15 grams); 2 tablespoons Ghee (or Butter); 1 tablespoon Oil; 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds; 2 Cloves; 1 Bay Leaf; 1 Cinnamon (small Stick); 2 Pods Cardamom (Green); 3 Tomatoes (finely chopped); 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder; 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (heaping); 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (Powder); 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (Powder); 1 teaspoon Tomato Ketchup; 1 teaspoon Salt (to taste); 2 teaspoons Coriander Leaves (Chopped); 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 5 Eggs (Hard boiled and peeled); 1 Teaspoon Oil

Egg Curry: My Nana’s Recipe

Easy recipe for an Indian favourite where boiled eggs are simmered in a spicy onion and tomato gravy. Makes for an easy weeknight dinner or a great Sunday lunch

Serves 4 Portions

Cook 45 minutes

Total 45 minutes

Jump to the recipe

This easy and delicious Indian Egg Curry is one of the many recipes up my Nana’s sleeve! The spicy onion and tomato gravy packs the curry with irresistible flavors and makes it perfect for a weekday dinner or weekend lunch. This full-on punjabi style heart throbber is best enjoyed with family around!

I don’t think it comes as a surprise that a lot of stories in my life revolve around food. I think it’s beautiful how a meal has the power to take us back to a certain time. And this one is special and is really close to my heart. This egg curry is sort of my nana’s recipe. I didn’t actually ask him for one, but I’ve tried hard to mimic the taste.

So the story goes like this. As kids, we would love visiting nana’s place for the mango tree in the backyard, the inevitable pampering and the food that was made specially for us. While nana loves feeding people, he only steps in the kitchen on special occasions, and I would like to believe that our visit warranted it. And on days that he did, he would whip up something magical. Like this egg curry, that was inspired by a visit to a dhaba on one of our many road trips.

egg curry served in a small black kadhai with a plate of rice on the side

Nani would have a field day, running around at his beck and call, chopping up this, mincing up that, reaching out for ingredients and cleaning up the hurricane that he left behind. But she knew the result would be worth it and never complained.

His preparation was intense, and I’ve as usual taken an easier route, but the flavour reminds me of those days when we would wait patiently at the table for his epic Egg Curry which made for a brilliant lunch and tasted amazing with rice. For me, it tastes like heaven and the spicy gravy goes really well with the boiled eggs. To top that off, it tastes like nostalgia.

More Egg Dishes You’ll Like:

South Indian Egg Curry
Street Style Egg Bhurji (Anda Bhurji)

The recipe

Egg Curry: My Nana’s Recipe

Easy recipe for someone who loves Indian food. For this curry, boiled eggs are simmered in a spicy onion and tomato gravy. It makes for an easy weeknight dinner or a great Sunday lunch.

Serves 4 Portions
Cook 45 minutes
Total 45 minutes

Ingredients

Paste

2 Onions (cut into chunks)
1 teaspoon Garlic (chopped, or 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon Ginger (chopped, or 1/2 inch piece)
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1/4 Cup Coriander leaves (15 grams)

Curry

2 tablespoons Ghee (or Butter)
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cinnamon (small Stick)
2 Pods Cardamom (Green)
3 Tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (Powder)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (Powder)
1 teaspoon Tomato Ketchup
1 teaspoon Salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons Coriander Leaves (Chopped)

Tempering

1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
5 Eggs (Hard boiled and peeled)
1 Teaspoon Oil

Method

Paste

1
Grind onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies and coriander leaves to a fine paste. Keep aside.

Curry

2
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or Kadhai. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to it.
3
Once they start to splutter, add the onion paste and cook till the oil starts to separate and colour changes to golden brown.
4
Add tomatoes, chili, coriander, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till the tomatoes look like they’ve melted into the gravy. Add half a cup of water and simmer for 10 minutes.
5
Add garam masala powder, ketchup and coriander leaves and cook for another 2 minutes.
6
At this stage, you can add the tempered eggs and serve the gravy as is. But I like to fish out the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves) and pulse the gravy in a mixer grinder 4-5 times so that the gravy becomes slightly smooth. This step is completely optional and depends on whether you like your gravy chunky or smooth.
7
Garnish with some more chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Egg Tempering

8
Make a slit along the length of the egg as shown in the video. Toss it with salt and turmeric powder. Set aside.
9
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and add eggs. Saute for 2 minutes and turn off the flame and add to gravy.

Notes

If you wish, you can pan fry the egg before adding it to the curry. This adds a nice crispy layer to the egg. Garam Masala flavour varies from household to household, so please adjust the quantity accordingly. You can use the curry as a base and substitute boiled eggs for boiled veggies like potatoes, beans and carrot or even add chicken while cooking the curry.