Chettinad eggs in spice sauce (Muttai masala)

This is a classic recipe in Chettinad. Eggs are a staple, easy to get, cheap and an excellent alternate source of protein.

This is a simple and quick recipe. The eggs are boiled, then doused with a dry, peppery, aromatic sauce. The combination is perfect; tangy tomatoes form the base of the curry, and the spices infuse it beautifully. This dish is usually served as an appetiser, especially with drinks, but you can also serve it as a side dish.

This South Indian cookbook brings to my shelf the unique cuisine of the Chettinad Tamils. This now-popular cuisine is known to be extremely spicy, complex, and distinct. This book is a wonderful collection of recipes that make this cuisine accessible to us at home.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half longitudinally

2 tablespoons oil

1-inch cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

10 black peppercorns

3/4 teaspoon whole anise seed (saunf)

1 onion, finely diced

2 toamtoes, finely diced

1/2 cup water

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Cilantro, to garnish

Heat the oil in a wide frying pan on low heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and anise seeds, and fry to temper the oil. Add the onion and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, until soft but not coloured.

Add the tomatoes, water, and salt, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the tomatoes break down into a sauce. The oil should have released from the sauce and pooled in small bubbles. Add the chilli and coriander and stir in—taste for salt and spice.

There are two ways to serve the dish. You can add the eggs to the dish and toss in the masala, coating them well. Plate on a dish. Alternatively, heat the sauce, spoon it onto the plate, and nestle the eggs in it. Save a small portion of the sauce to top the eggs. Garnish with cilantro.

I love serving this with a rich, greasy paratha.