Pondicherry Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry ( step by step )

                           This is a coconut based egg curry. Madam Lourdes uses freshly extracted milk from the coconut. Here is how I do it. Take half a coconut and grind it with 1.5 cups of water in a blender to a smooth paste. Pass the ground coconut through a colander/strainer and squeeze all the liquid. The liquid you get is the first thick milk. Set aside separately.
Add another 1.5 cups of water to the coconut dregs and run it again in the blender. Pass the ground mixture again through a colander/strainer and squeeze all the liquid. The liquid you get is the the second light milk. Set aside separately. Repeat the process one more time adding 1 cup water this time and you will have the third milk. Discard the coconut dregs after extracting the third milk.

Here it is. First milk , second and third milk.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cinnamon, and onions. Fry till the onions are lightly golden brown.

In the mean time crush the garlic and ginger. Set aside.

Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry till golden brown.

Now, make a paste of coriander seeds, green chillies, poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Add up-to 3/4 cup water while grinding.

Add the ground paste to the pan along with a teaspoon of turmeric. Fry till the spices are cooked and brown.

Add the tomatoes and the salt and fry till the tomatoes are soft.

Add the second and third coconut milk. Add in the potatoes. Let it simmer in low flame for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Switch off the flame. Remove the pan from heat. Add the thick coconut milk, hard boiled eggs, lemon juice and coriander leaves. You really want to add these ingredients after removing from heat else the coconut milk will curdle and the lemon juice turning bitter. So no more fire guys..

Serve hot with rice.

Pondicherry Egg Curry - Muthaiy curry

 

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

Recipe for South Indian Pondicherry style Egg Curry - Muthaiy curry. Adapted from the Pondicherry Kitchen. Measurements Used - 1 cup = 250 ml

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Gravy

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Paste

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 4 green chillies
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 3 teaspoon fennel seeds

Other Ingredients

• ½ - ¾ of a big coconut
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 3 onions, sliced fine
• 1 inch ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 big tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• 3 potatoes cubed, optional
• 5-6 hard boiled eggs
• Juice of one lemon
• 3-4 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Extract the thick and thin coconut milk from the coconut. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cinnamon, and onions. Fry till the onions are lightly golden brown.
3. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
4. Now, make a paste of coriander seeds, green chillies, poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Add up-to ¾ cup water while grinding.
5. Add the ground paste to the pan along with a teaspoon of turmeric. Fry till the spices are cooked and brown.
6. Add the tomatoes and the salt and fry till the tomatoes are soft.
7. Add the second and third coconut milk. Add in the potatoes. Let it simmer in low flame for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
8. Switch off the flame. Remove the pan from heat. Add the thick coconut milk, hard boiled eggs, lemon juice and coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

The original recipe has prawns and cashew-nuts added to the gravy. You might include prawns while boiling potatoes if you wish.
You can substitute fresh pressed coconut milk for store bought coconut milk. Just use a can - 250 ml. Adjust the water while cooking. Add half for cooking and half at the end.
Add more green chillies if you like a spicy gravy.
Pierce the hard boiled eggs with a fork so the gravy gets marinated into the eggs.