Aish Cooks

How often have you made a nice simple dish, that did not take very long, but it just wasn’t good enough to complete your meal? I often find myself in that position, especially when I make my favorite butter milk curry mor kuzhambu – I could eat portion after portion of the curry with rice and not want anything else… but poor D does not quite share the same tastes and would really be glad if I made a side to go with it. So even though the main dish typically fits into the quickie category, the time to make a good enough side was not exactly helping the cause to make a quick meal for the day. This recipe has been a life saver ever since I saw my mother-in-law make it the first time… it is the perfect side to mild curries / kadhis or even sambar and dals. It is also extra-perfect, cause it takes care of adding precious protein to carb-only meals. Even if you are not a big fan of boiled eggs or yellow yolks, this recipe does a pretty good job of camouflaging the egginess, so think no more: you have a sure-fire dish here!

Spicy Hard Boiled Egg Fry

Cooking Time: 15-25 mins | Makes: 8 eggs

Ingredients:

1. 8 eggs
2. 1 tbsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
3. 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
4. salt to taste
5. 3-4 tbsp. oil for sautéing
6. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)

Method:

Prep-Prep: Boil the eggs

1. Boil and peel the eggs (submerge eggs in water in a single layer, bring to a rolling boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let cool and then peel the shell.)
2. Once fully cool, cut the eggs into halves (vertically or horizontally per preference).

Marinate boiled eggs:

1. While the eggs are boiling, prepare the spice paste by combining the salt, turmeric and chili powders along with some water. The paste should be a little thick and not too runny to allow coating to hold on to the eggs.
2. Rub the spice paste all over the cut boiled egg halves and set aside.

Shallow-fry / Sauteing of Marinated Eggs:

1. Heat some oil in a shallow frying pan, add the mustard seeds and allow to crackle (can skip step and simply season frying pan for shallow frying with a little oil spray all over).
2. On med-high heat, place the egg halves with the flat sides in contact with the pan and let it cook for a couple of minutes. The oil will froth
    a little due to all the wet masalas cooking in it.
3. Flip the eggs and allow the outer flesh to cook and get fried by tossing gently for a couple more minutes.
4. Repeat if desired to get a crispier texture, and remove from heat onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak excess oil.
5. Serve hot with your favorite rice and curry!