Chettinad Egg Curry Recipe (Spicy Tamil Nadu Egg Masala)
Chettinad Egg Curry is a robust curry made using boiled eggs and freshly ground masala paste. Make it using my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To Make The Masala Paste
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut
- 4-5 Kashmiri dry red chilies stalks removed
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
To Fry The Eggs
- 6-8 large hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil
For The Curry
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1 cup chopped red onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup tomato puree canned
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
Instructions
Make The Masala Paste
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and fennel seeds and fry for 4-5 seconds.
- Add coconut, Kashmiri dry red chilies, and black peppercorns, and roast until the coconut is slightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down.
- Add the roasted ingredients to a blender along with ¼ cup of water.
- Blend to make a fine paste. Scrape the sides of the jar a few times when blending.
Fry The Eggs
- Wipe eggs with paper towels, then poke them with a fork.
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the eggs and fry until they are browned on all sides, stirring frequently.
- Remove them from the pan and keep aside.
Wiping the eggs until they are completely dry is important, otherwise the water will splatter a lot when you fry them, making it dangerous. Poking them is also important to prevent the eggs from bursting when frying and to let the masala seep inside them.
Make The Curry
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the leftover oil from frying the eggs to this pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add red onions and cook until slightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Add ginger garlic paste and cook until onion turns golden brown.
- Now add tomato puree and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook until oil starts to separate from the sides.
- Add the masala paste and ¼ cup water and mix well.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir a few times. The masala will deepen in color, and the oil will rise to the surface.
- Add 1 cup of water and fried eggs and cook for 3-4 minutes so the masala seeps into the poked eggs.
- Adjust the gravy by adding more water. Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Add lime juice and mix well.
- Rest the curry for 15-20 minutes before serving. This rest is what separates a good Chettinad curry from a great one. The flavors marry, and the eggs soak up the masala. Reheat again and serve hot.
Proper browning of onions is important for flavor development. Don’t rush this step.
Video
Notes
Dry roasting the masala on medium flame makes them release all their flavors and makes this curry delicious.
The masala should be ground into a fine paste. Do not add too much water while making the paste; otherwise, it will not become smooth.
This recipe yields a good amount of gravy, so you can increase the number of eggs according to your requirements.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1202mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1017IU | Vitamin C: 123mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg
