Egg Curry / Poached Eggs in Spicy Coconut Gravy

If you haven't tried cooking eggs directly in the curry, then you should. It's easy, saves time and also turns out quite tasty since the eggs absorb the spices in the gravy. Here's another poached egg curry recipe which is much easier. This one, (similar to this recipe) takes a bit of time because of the roasting and grinding of spices, but tastes fantastic! I have used a couple of spices here which may not be available in your pantry. One is star anise and the other is khus khus. If you don't have these, don't worry, just add an extra clove or a bigger piece of cinnamon. But I would urge you to buy these. Star anise lends a great flavour to your pulao or biryanis, so you can always use them there. Khus khus (poppy seeds) give a unique flavour to this dish. I will soon post another recipe using this spice.

Ingredients:
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp khus khus
3 to 4 cloves
2 cardamom
1" cinammon stick
1 star anise
6 to 7 red chillies (I used byadgi / kumte mirsang)
3 to 4 curry leaves
2 medium onions
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
About 1 cup thick coconut milk
6 to 8 eggs
Salt
Oil
Water

Method:
In a small pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Roast corainder seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, khus khus, red chilies and curry leaves on a low flame. Transfer to a blender.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil. Sauté onions till brownish. Transfer half the roasted onions into the blender. Blend with roasted spices, 1/4 cup coconut milk and some water. Grind into a smooth paste, adding more water if required.

In the deep bottomed pan with the rest of the roasted onions, add ginger garlic paste and roast. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder and roast for a couple of minutes. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut milk and bring to a light boil. Add the ground paste, 1 cup water and salt and bring to a boil. The gravy should be slightly salty.

Now it's time to add the eggs. Break eggs one by one and pour into the gravy. The eggs should be placed beside each other like you see in the picture. Don't mix. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Check once in between to make sure there is enough gravy, but don't mix. Flip the eggs and cook for a couple more minutes. Adjust salt and mix gently.

Make sure the eggs are completely cooked. You can cut the cooked eggs into half if you wish. Also, for a richer colour you can mix 1/2 tsp kasmiri chilly powder with some water and drizzle on the dish.

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