Eggs Vindaloo

Just like paneer cheese, eggs are a perfect medium for Indian curry sauces like the shahi egg dish I made back in August. This time the eggs are fried in olive oil after being hard-boiled and then simmered in a fragrant and very spicy vindaloo gravy for a delicious lunch or dinner served on a bed of white basmati rice.

I always have a jar of Patak's vindaloo paste on hand, but if you don't have a vindaloo paste, you can make your own by soaking 6 dried red chillies in warm water until soft. Toast 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and black peppercorns in an unoiled frying pan until the seeds are fragrant. Drain the chillies and grind with the toasted seeds and 1 teaspoon each of ground turmeric and sugar in a food processor. Stir in ¼ cup of white vinegar. This paste will keep for a week in the refrigerator, and makes for a wonderful spread on samosas by the way.

Eggs vindaloo

8 large eggs
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½" fresh ginger, grated
handful of small green chillies to taste, minced
3 tablespoons vindaloo paste
3 tablespoons coconut cream
olive oil for shallow frying
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

Boil the eggs in water with the vinegar for 8-9 minutes. Remove to a bowl of cold water and peel when the eggs are cool. Prick the eggs evenly all over with a fork and dry well.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili and cook for 10 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the vindaloo paste and cook briefly, coating the vegetables with the paste. Pour in the coconut cream and a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick. Turn down the heat to low.

Meanwhile, heat 1" of olive oil in another frying pan and shallow-fry the eggs, turning frequently, until they're golden on the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon to the vindaloo sauce. Add the mint and lemon juice and simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes.