Global Dinners: Sri Lankan Egg Curry

Sri Lankan Egg Curry
Originally uploaded by one hot stove.

Dinner today was a tried and tested favorite: this is a curry which works every time. I have made it for everyone I know and they all love it. When my dear friend Megha tasted it, her first remark was that it tasted like the beach, which just about nails it.

Sri Lankan cuisine is all about fragrant spices blended with frothy coconut milk. Some day soon I will try my hand at making a full Sri Lankan supper, with appams and all, but for now, let's stick with the egg curry; miraculously, it is made from simple pantry ingredients.

I got the recipe for the Sri lankan curry powder from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, a fat and lovely tome full of unusual regional recipes.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder

To make this curry powder, toast the following spices ever so slightly and then grind them to a fine powder:

• 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. mustard seeds
• 3 sprigs curry leaves (dried on a low heat)
• 1 tbsp. dry coconut flakes
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. raw rice

Egg Curry with a Sri Lankan Spice Mix

1. Saute 2 medium sliced onions and 1 sprig of curry leaves in 2 tsp. oil. 
2. Add salt, pepper, Sri Lankan curry powder (recipe above), turmeric, red chilli powder (all to taste) and stir fry for a minute.
3. Add a can of tomato puree, a can of coconut milk and a handful of minced cilantro. 
4. Simmer for a few minutes, then add 4 or 5 quartered boiled eggs and serve on a bed of freshly steamed rice.

Variations:

• To make regular egg curry, add ginger, garlic and garam masala instead of the Sri Lankan curry powder.
• You could use vegetables like peas, carrots, cauliflower and potato instead of eggs to make an equally delicious vegan curry.

Here's to Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean!