Double Bell Pepper Egg Curry

The later part of the gardening season is when the weather begins to flirt with frost. This is often when we have a lot of bell peppers in the garden. Using the prolific amount of bell peppers both in forming the base as well as the sauce of this egg curry, I used up a considerable amount of these peppers. This curry offers you some discretion in terms of the colors of the bell peppers used. So, the actual appearance of the curry ranges from orange to darker reddish golden.  Using a combination of bell peppers and fenugreek is something that I have done before such as in this recipe for what I call my passionate tofu. The use of bell peppers also guaranteed a gentle sweetness, which varies ever so slightly depending on the color of the bell peppers used.

Separately, on my mind has been lines from one of my favorite song.  Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven, would you feel the same if I saw you in heaven?” Eric Clapton

Today would have been my father’s birthday, a day he missed by less than a month. In fact, it felt strange not to put in the usual order of flowers to Kolkata. A simple gesture that did bring him a lot of happiness. Actually, almost any act of affection was always much appreciated by him, it did not matter how small. One of his favorite things to do with me was to make egg curry, I always think of him when I make egg curry.

Difference Between Building the Curry Base and the Curry Sauce in a Curry

Most curries are built by starting a base of spices. This is not unlike building a sofrito in Spanish or Italian cooking. In Indian cooking this is usually a combination of aromatics and spices. A liquid or sauce comes next. In this recipe, bell peppers are used for both the base, and for the pureed tomatoes which form a sauce.

This results in my calling it a Double Bell Pepper Egg Curry.

Print
Double Bell Pepper Egg Curry

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

A flavorful and comforting recipe for eggs that puts seasonal bell peppers to good use.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium sized (red and yellow varieties)
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes, or 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon panch phoron (Bengali Five Spice Blend)
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 hard boiled eggs, shelled
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Cut the bell peppers in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Coarsely chop 2 and half peppers, and place in a blender.
  2. Finely chop the remaining half pepper and set aside.
  3. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in the blender with the bell peppers. Add in the evaporated milk with 1/2 cup water and blend into a smooth puree.
  4. Heat the oil in a large cooking pan or skillet. Add in the nigella seeds, fennel seeds and the panch phoron and allow the seeds to sizzle for about 30 seconds. The oil should be perceivably fragrant, and you should also hear gentle crackling sounds.
  5. Add in the onions and garlic and the chopped half bell peppers. Cook this mixture, stirring frequently allowing the onions to soften, wilt and turn gently golden.
  6. Add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric powder and the salt and stir lightly for 30 seconds.
  7. Add in the hard-boiled eggs and stir well in this mixture, allowing the mixture to gently coat the eggs. The eggs should start getting gently tinged with the spices.
  8. Stir in the pureed tomato and bell pepper mixture and stir in most of the fenugreek leaves. Reserve about 1 tablespoon for garnish.
  9. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
  10. To finish, check seasonings, sprinkle with the black pepper and the chopped cilantro and serve.
  11. Pour in the pureed tomato
https://spicechronicles.com/double-bell-pepper-egg-curry/

 

3 Comments

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge