I was a congressional staffer living in the nation's capital - poor but having the time of my life writing speeches and legislation by day and hanging out in D.C. by night. We would scrape together our loose change on the weekends to head to Connecticut Ave. to indulge in The Bombay Club's weekend champagne brunch. It offered crispy fresh-from-the-tandoor naan and bubbly, and a front-row seat to the political action - we even spotted political heavyweights like Janet Reno, Attorney General at the time.
Set under the distinctive decor of the British Raj era, brunch included a delicious egg curry. I eat mostly plant-based, but I cannot resist this dish every once in a while - if it's made well. While most North Indian egg curries, including the one featured in my third book Indian For Everyone, are made with a tomato base, this one uses coconut milk. I was enticed by the photo in one of my favorite Indian cookbooks, A little taste of India.
I did modify the recipe and skipped deep frying the egg, added Thai chiles, subbed tomato paste for fresh tomato, and made a few other minor changes, including the order in which I added the ingredients. In the original recipe, the curry leaves are added towards the end, but I like them fried in the ghee lightly to really pull out the flavor. I also reduced the amount of coconut milk used. The original recipe calls for another 2/3 of a cup, but I think 1 cup was perfect. Add more if you would prefer more of a base.
Overall, I think you are going to love this recipe. If you don't eat eggs, no worries, use any baked tofu or other vegetarian substitute. You could even use the baked cauliflower recipe from my Gobi Manchurian recipe featured previously in the same base curry featured below. Or, boil up some tiny potatoes, peel them, and sub for the eggs.
It's obvious this dish does not have its roots in North India because of the absence of garam masala and the inclusion of coconut milk and curry leaves. It actually transports me back to the West coast of India, the Malabar coast and Kerala where spices are grown, and where coconut trees are common. There, coconut milk finds its way into many curries and it's common to hear local chefs referring to coconut milk as 'first press' and 'second press' - referring to the fattiness of the milk that comes from pressing the white grated coconut meat with hot water until the 'milk' is separated. The first press is thick and fatty - used for a heavier curry, while the second press is lighter and less fatty and used in other types of dishes.
In order to give the boiled eggs a warm hue, gently saute them in ghee and turmeric powder. This is common in Kashmiri cooking and a great way to give the eggs a bit of a flavor start. Many recipes call to deep fry the eggs, but I think this is sufficient.
I typically prefer coconut milk from the Asian grocery stores. I really like a brand called Chef's Choice that comes in a blue can. I like the taste and fragrance from the full fat - and always opt for good fats in my diet. If you don't have access to this brand, no worries. So many grocers sell coconut milk these days. But, once you start purchasing the non-mainstream brands you'll start to experience the quality difference and likely will never go back.
YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS RECIPE. If you don't eat eggs, no worries, use any baked tofu or other vegetarian substitute.
Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie
Servings:
Keywords: Curry, Coconut, Egg
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Laura H.
March 14, 2025
Thank you for this recipe, it looks good even as I too like to stick to vegan. I never heard of sauteeing or deep-frying a boiled egg! On another note, I was shopping at my local Patel Bros. Indian grocery and as I was putting myself together to leave, I noticed an older woman looking at me, and finally she approached me to ask what I (white blond older woman) could be buying at this grocery? So I started gushing about your books “have you heard of Anupy Singla…” and how you make Indian cuisine so approachable. So she was impressed and said she would check you out. Also have you ever addressed the subject of curry leaves? I used to stop in at a small Indian grocery that had a few leaves hand-bagged from bulk sitting in the fridge. Now at Patel, they are pre-packaged and sitting unrefrigerated in the produce dept. The pre-packaged ones seem smaller and thinner, and both kinds go black on me quite fast (I have recipe plans but they don’t always happen as soon as I hope.) Also I’m curious about kaffir lime leaves, harder to find. Thank you!