Egg Curry with Cherry Tomatoes
This recipe was originally shared on https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-egg-curry-with-cherry-tomatoes-223149
I love summer and early autumn. Even though school has started and my life has been steadily getting packed with all the activities that come along with having a child, there is something about harvest time that makes me want to cook and preserve. My tomato plants have been producing a lot of fruit; I am overloaded with cherry tomatoes. Any that don’t make it into sauce get cooked in creative ways — like this simple weeknight curry.
This recipe started off as a pasta sauce. One of my favorite ways of using up cherry tomatoes is to cut them in half and sauté them up with good olive oil until the juices run and form a delicious emulsion with the oil. A few flakes of sea salt, a good grind of pepper, a few basil leaves torn in, and you have the perfect summer sauce.
As delicious as this simple sauce is, I also like getting creative. First, I started adding a few spices to this sauce, then eggs got added, and before I knew it, we had a new favorite meal, all balanced perfectly and making full use of beautiful harvest-time cherry tomatoes. To me, this recipe is similar to a shakshuka, but with boiled eggs and Indian spices. The spicing in this dish is very mild, making it perfect for small children. The spices are also a gorgeous counterpoint to the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes.
I usually serve this dish with plain rice and perhaps a steamed vegetable on the side. Double the quantity of rice, and put half in the fridge to make fried rice with Thai basil and tofu for dinner the next day. You can also serve this with steamed quinoa or couscous for an even quicker dinner.
Egg Curry with Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4
- 8 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- Salt, to taste
- Small handful fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish
- Rice, to serve
Place the eggs in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes to hard-boil. Transfer to a bowl of cold ice water to cool, then peel the eggs and slice them in half.
Warm the oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and add the onion. Fry gently for 5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir together for 2 minutes, then tip in the halved cherry tomatoes. Cook together, for about 7 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to wilt and release their juices. Season with salt to taste.
Gently lower the eggs into the cherry tomato sauce, and stir carefully. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve with rice.