Sri Lankan Egg Curry
Around the World in 80 Eggs: day 34
Sri Lanka's vibrant cuisine stole my heart on trip there in 2021. Unlike some fiery South Asian neighbours, Sri Lankan food leans towards gentler spices and a generous amount of coconut milk. As a coconut enthusiast, I was in foodie heaven and I loved everything I had there.
One dish that perfectly embodied this balance was the Sri Lankan Egg Curry. Imagine this - perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs nestled in a rich and velvety spiced coconut sauce. The aroma of the turmeric and garam masala, as well as the chillies gives it a warming and comforting feel. It's an incredibly delicious dish that is also super easy to make. With a few simple ingredients and a bit of simmering, you can enjoy this taste of Sri Lanka in your own kitchen in no time!
I think it's one of the best egg dishes I've made for this series so far.
Ingredients
For the eggs:
- 7-8 eggs
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
For the curry sauce
- 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 5-6 cardamom pods
- 4-5 curry Leaves
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Sri Lankan masala (I substituted with garam masala here as I didn't have the Sri Lankan version!)
- 1 tsp chilli powder (or adjust to your spice preference)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 can full fat coconut Milk
- Salt to taste
For garnish and serving
- Handful of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chilli oil, optional
- Cooked basmati rice
Pair it with
Instructions
- Start by bringing a saucepan of water to a boil with some vinegar. This helps with peeling later. Gently add eggs and cook for 6-7 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs. Drain the hot water and immediately dunk the eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cool enough to handle, peel them carefully.
- Heat coconut oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Toss in the cinnamon, cardamom, and curry leaves. Let them sizzle and release their fragrance for about 30 seconds.
- Now, add the garlic and ginger to the fragrant pan and cook for another minute until softened. Add the chopped onions and cook until they become soft and translucent, roughly 3-4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften and become slightly mushy. Add the the ground coriander, masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Give it a good mix and let the spices temper to release more fragrance.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring the curry to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 5 minutes before gently add the peeled eggs to the simmering curry, making sure they're well coated in the fragrant sauce. Let them simmer for another 2-3 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish your curry with chopped fresh cilantro and a drizzle of chilli oil (optional) for an extra kick. Serve this hot over fluffy cooked rice and enjoy!
Tips:
- The curry reheats really well and the flavours develop even further the next day.
- You can also serve this with some naan to mop up all the sauces.
- If you have fennel seeds and mustard seeds, add them to the pan at the start to temper along with the cinnamon stick and cardamon for even more flavour.
Video demonstration
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