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This Might Be The Most Flavorful Way To Cook Eggs (It's An Indian Classic)
Looking for a different take on eggs for breakfast this weekend? Consider an Indian spin, like this version of anda curry—which uses your Instant Pot to make cooking it a breeze.
"Anda curry is a classic Indian dish, and while there are a couple of different versions, the eggs are usually hardboiled and then added to the curry," writes Vasanti Bhadkamkar-Balan in Authentic Indian Cooking With Your Instant Pot, which is available for pre-order now. "However, my husband makes his by cracking the eggs directly into the pot of curry. Doing so is a time-saver, and the eggs are more flavorful when they're poached in the curried broth."
Want to add some extra veggies? "We also like to add okra for some contrasting color and a delicious crunch," she writes. This dish relies heavily on a bevy of super-flavorful spices and spice blends. Many of them are spices with benefits, even ones that would be harnessed for Ayurveda like cumin and turmeric, and a few of our go-to's like garlic and ginger.
Anda Curry (Poached Eggs in Curry)
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil of choice
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida
- 1 large onion, minced
- Salt, as needed
- ½-inch (1.3-cm) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp egg curry masala (see Note)
- 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
- 3 medium tomatoes, pureed
- 12 to 15 pods okra, ends trimmed and cut in 3-inch (8-cm)-long sticks (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 6 large eggs
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves roughly chopped, for garnishing
- 1 medium green onion, thinly sliced, for garnishing
- Steamed brown or white basmati rice, for serving
Method
- To make the curry, place the inner pot in the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. When the display reads "Hot," add the oil, cumin seeds, and asafetida. When the cumin seeds sizzle and the asafetida froths, add the onion. Season the onion with salt to help it soften. Sauté the onion for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring it frequently, until it is translucent.
- Stir in the ginger and garlic and sauté the ingredients for 1 minute. Stir in the turmeric, ground cumin, coriander and egg curry masala. Sauté the mixture for about 30 seconds to let the spices bloom, and then add the tomato paste and the pureed tomatoes.
- Season the mixture with additional salt, and stir the ingredients to combine them well. Deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping it with a wooden spoon. This is an important step; if the bottom of the pot is not deglazed well, the "burn" error might appear during the pressure-cooking stage.
- Cook the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes lose almost all of their moisture. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot. Add the okra (if using). Pour in the water, stirring gently to combine everything. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Crack the eggs, one at a time, and gently drop them directly into the curry in separate spots. To make it easier, you can crack the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and gently slide each egg into the curry. Once all the eggs are in the curry, do not touch or move them in the pot.
- Close the Instant Pot's lid and turn the steam-release valve to the sealing position.
- Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and set the timer for 1 minute at high pressure. For soft-boiled eggs, when the cooking is complete, open the lid using the quick pressure release to depressurize the Instant Pot. For hard-boiled eggs, allow the pressure to release naturally—which will take 11 to 13 minutes—and then open the lid.
- Garnish the curry with the cilantro and green onion. Serve the curry over a bed of steamed brown or white basmati rice.
Note: Egg curry masala is available in Indian stores or on Amazon, but you can substitute it with the same amount of garam masala and ½ teaspoon red chili powder.
From Authentic Indian Cooking With Your Instant Pot by Vasanti Bhadkamkar-Balan (Page Street Publishing, 2022). Photos by Vasanti Bhadkamkar-Balan.
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