Shahi Egg Curry

As readers here know by now, I love cooking weekend breakfasts almost as much I love ethnic cuisines, especially Indian. After some thought, this shahi egg curry seemed like the perfect recipe to serve up for brunch not only because it is a warming, satisfying and wholesome centerpiece to a weekend breakfast, but also because it's a twist on shahi paneer, the old classic North Indian cheese curry cooked Moghlai-style in a vegetable gravy.

There are dozens if not hundreds of ways to make a thick, delicious and creamy shahi gravy, but this version is simple and fast enough not to daunt a weekend breakfast cook who wants to get food on the table without too much fuss or time but still serve up great flavor. And you can also substitute a cup and a half of cubed paneer cheese to make a delicious side dish to any North Indian meal.

Shahi Egg Curry

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on August 5, 2007 Hard-boiled eggs served with a creamy and delicious thick tomato and chili gravy Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into halves lengthwise 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 or 4 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1/2 cup milk or yogurt 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Instructions: Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions and fry for 2 or 3 minutes until the onions just begin to brown at the edges. Stir in the chilies and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the chili powder, cayenne and turmeric and stir to coat the onions and chilies. Pour in the tomatoes and garlic. Fry for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are very soft and well reduced, stirring frequently and adding a few tablespoons of water periodically to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. When the mixture resembles a thick gravy, stir in the milk or yogurt and cook just briefly enough to incorporate it into the gravy. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the garam masala and salt. Add in the eggs and stir in gently enough to warm them up and coat them in the gravy well. Remove the pan from the heat and ladle the eggs and gravy into a wide shallow bowl for serving. Garnish with the cilantro or parsley. Makes 2 to 4 servings