Recipe Source: Panjabi, Camellia. 50 Great Curries of India. Kyle Books, London, 2005 p. 150.
I'm looking at the original recipe from this dish, which I cooked almost two months ago. (This backlog is not the result of poor organizational skills on my part. It's part of the backlog that resulted when my computer broke and was away for repairs, but that's neither here nor there.) I remember distinctly that I did not follow this recipe particularly exactly. I remember that I simplified it quite a lot. I just don't remember why for the life of me. I do remember why I made this dish, though. I was trying to think of ways that I could trim our food budget a bit (and save space in our refrigerator) without compromising on quality. Meat is expensive, and decent-quality meat is more expensive. We're not going vegetarian but I'd like to be able to pare down a bit. Eggs take up a lot less space in the refrigerator and cost quite a bit less than meat. Furthermore, they are a favorite food of Fearless Baby. They are a favorite food of mine.
They are not a favorite food of my husband's.
I figured that I might be able to get around my husband's general displeasure with eggs by using flavorings that he likes. We're both very fond of Indian foods and flavorings, so that was probably a good place to start.
Hmm.... maybe I made fewer changes than I thought. Going through the ingredients list I'm actually remembering following some of the steps. Actually what I'm remembering is washing out the blender and cursing, which is helping me to remember why I washed out the blender. Okay. Let me try this. Remember that my changes are approximate. My notes have disappeared, but I had them at one point because I managed to figure out the cost per serving. They tell me that I used a commercial curry paste in place of some of the spices, et cetera. Okay, that explains why I remember "simplifying." I try not to use that sort of thing very often these days but I still have some left over, and I apparently used it here. All right, I think I can more or less remember what I did here... What I do remember is that we all enjoyed this dish, even the husband who doesn't like eggs.
Egg Curry (serves 4; approx. $0.67/serving)
6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons commercial curry paste
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 cup warm water
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Equipment:
- Large saute pan
- Blender
- Strainer
- Combine the coconut and the water in the blender.
- Liquidize, then strain and set aside. This is why a blender is a better tool than an immersion blender or food processor, although you could use either in a pinch - the blender has different settings and it is definitely that "liquidize" setting that you want here.
- Heat the oil in the saute pan.
- Add the onions. Saute until browned.
- Add the curry paste. Saute about 30 seconds to one minute, or until it is well loosened and mixed in with the onions. It should be very fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk you just made and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add the egg halves and reheat slowly.
- Serve hot, squirting the lime juice over the whole.
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