Muttai Kulambu Recipe

A bowl of Muttai Kulambu, featuring two halved boiled eggs atop a rich, reddish-brown gravy, garnished with herbs and served with flatbread and green chilies on a rustic surface.

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Muttai Kulambu (Egg Kuzhambu) is a Tamil Nadu-style curry where boiled eggs are added to a spicy, coconut-based gravy. Prepare this South Indian-style egg curry using my easy recipe and serve it with steamed rice or roti for a hearty meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For The Masala Paste

2 tablespoons sesame oil or any neutral oil
2-3 whole cloves (laung)
4-5 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
2 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
1 whole star anise (chakri phool)
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
1 whole bay leaf (tejpatta)
½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (posta dana)
1 cup chopped red onions
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
5-6 cloves garlic peeled
2-3 green chilies
5-6 cashew nuts
½ cup grated fresh coconut

For The Curry

2 tablespoons sesame oil or any neutral oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
1 cup pureed tomatoes
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make The Masala Paste

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add cloves, peppercorns, black cardamoms, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and poppy seeds, and saute for 4-5 seconds.
Add onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add cashew nuts and cook for 2 minutes.
Now add coconut and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Roasting the onions, coconut, cashews, whole spices, and chilies in little oil releases the oils and removes the raw coconut flavor. Skip this step, and the gravy tastes flat.

Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the ingredients to a blender along with ½ cup of water and blend to make a fine paste. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.
Keep the paste aside.

Make The Curry

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Add fennel seeds and saute for 4-5 seconds.
Add the masala paste and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Now add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of water and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring 2-3 times in between.

Cook the masala until the oil floats. Once you see a thin layer of oil on the surface, the masala is properly cooked. Rush this step, and the curry tastes raw.

Make 3-4 slits in boiled eggs using a knife. Add the eggs and salt to the pan, then cook for 4-5 minutes.

Boiling the eggs hard in the gravy turns the yolks rubbery. Five to seven minutes on a low simmer is plenty.

Add more water if the curry is too thick for your liking.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Check for the tang; if it’s not up to the mark, add some tamarind paste.
Garnish the muttai kulambu curry with chopped cilantro. Serve hot

Video

Notes

Skip adding poppy seeds if they are not available where you live.

Adjust the green chilies depending on how spicy you want the curry to be.

This muttai kulambu recipe uses fresh coconut, but you can use dry coconut as well.

Nutrition