Hyderabadi egg curry (Ande ka salan)

My obsession with egg curries continues with this luxurious dish from Nizami Hyderabad. Eggs were a favoured food of the Nizams and were used abundantly in both savoury and sweet dishes. This highlight the diversity of the cuisine and the creativity of the chefs of the period.

This dish is cooked in the traditional spiced gravy with tomatoes and scattered with fried onions for sweetness. The eggs are cooked in the sauce to allow the whites to get some colour and absorb the spices. The fried onions, birista, on top add a lovely caramelised sweetness to the spicy dish. This is quite a simple dish to make, but the flavours are guaranteed to please any crowd.

This is a very specialized cookbook written by the doyen of Hyderabadi cooking, Mrs Mumtaz Khan. She grew up in an aristocratic family and was interested in cooking at an early stage, from about 6 years old. She is widely regarded as the Queen of Hyderabadi spices and has taught legions of chefs and brides the delicate art of Hyderabadi cuisine. This cookbook has been put together by her daughter to preserve her mother's memory and recipes.

More recipes from this book are here.

Ingredients:

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

4-5 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons oil

1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick

2 cloves

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 tomatoes, minced finely

1/2 cup water

Salt, to taste

Salt, to taste

4 eggs, boiled and peeled

3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced

1-2 green chillies, sliced

Cilantro, minced, for garnish

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onions and sauté on medium heat till they are dark golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Lightly toast the desiccated coconut on a small frying pan for 2-3 minutes till lightly browned. Remove from the pan to stop the cooking. Add to a small blender with the water and purée to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pot. Add the cinnamon stick and cloves and fry for 30 seconds. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt and give a quick stir. Add the tomatoes and fry for 5-6 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and have broken down into a sauce.

Add the coconut paste, water and salt and mix in. Bring to a simmer. Add the eggs, cilantro and green chillies. Simmer gently closed for 10 minutes.

Serve hot garnished with fried onions and cilantro and a side of naan or rice.