Here is my mom's much-talked-about Kerala-style poached egg curry in rich turmeric coconut sauce. She always adds moringa leaves that make it super nutritious but that is optional. Served best with Malabar flatbread like Orotti, ari dosha, idiyappam etc. Equally great with chapathi and arepas!
Today, I am sharing a very old recipe handed down from mom! This Poached Egg Curry is what I always ask my mom to make when I am home. She makes this to pair with rice flour flatbreads (orottis and idiyappam) or sometimes even with chapatis. Some days she also adds Moringa leaves to this curry and that is the perfect meatless combination with Orotti.
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I have made this Poached Egg Curry quite a few times before getting that perfect measurement that mimics my mom's bowl of mutta chaaru. It is a universal mom thing that they don’t share exact measurements and we have to figure it out in due course, right?
How to make it?
Firstly, you will grind all the coconut curry paste ingredients into a smooth paste with a dash of water and keep it aside for later.
Heat oil in a saucepan or a wide curry pot. Add the curry leaves, chopped onions, green chillies and ginger with a dash of salt.
Saute until onions turn translucent. You can saute further to get the onions at the sweet spot of golden but not browned.
Add the chopped tomato and cover and cook until the tomatoes are all cooked down.
If using spinach or moringa, you will add it now. Tip in the chopped spinach and let it cook until wilted.
Stir in the prepared coconut curry paste along with some water and let it boil.
Add some water to the mixie jar and swirl to get all of the paste out. Pour it to the sauce pot.
Stir and bring this a boil. Reduce the flame to low and taste test and adjust the spices.
Crack open each egg and drop it into the boiling curry. Cover and cook until the egg yolks are firm.
Serve hot with ari dosha, chapatis, idiyappam, pathiris, or Malabar orottis!
Tip
As a good practice, crack open one egg at a time into a small bowl and then tip it into the simmering curry. This will ensure you are adding good eggs and also prevents any tiny shells from falling into the curry pot.
📖 Recipe
Poached Egg Curry in Coconut Sauce
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 food processor chutney maker, mixie grinder, etc.
Ingredients
For the coconut curry paste
- ¾ cup grated coconut
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- curry leaves
- ½ cup water more or less to make fine paste
For the curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- curry leaves
- 1 large onion sliced finely
- ¼ inch ginger crushed (optional)
- 2 to 3 green chillies slit
- 1 large tomato chopped roughly
- 2 cups moringa leaves optional
- Salt to taste
- ¾ cup water
- 3 to 4 eggs
Instructions
Prepare the coconut curry paste
- Add all the coconut curry paste ingredients into a food processor or mixie and grind to a fine smooth paste with water. Stop and scrape the sides down and add water little by little until the mixture blends together and becomes a smoothpastet.¾ cup grated coconut, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 2 teaspoons red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, curry leaves, ½ cup water
Prepare the curry
- Heat coconut oil in a saucepan or a wide curry pot on medium heat.1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Add the curry leaves, chopped onions and green chillies, and ginger with a dash of salt and saute until translucent.curry leaves, 1 large onion, ¼ inch ginger, 2 to 3 green chillies
- Add the chopped tomato and sprinkle salt. Saute and cook until the tomatoes are all cooked down to a mush.1 large tomato, Salt to taste
- If using spinach or moringa, add in the chopped spinach and let it cook until wilted.2 cups moringa leaves
- Stir in the prepared coconut paste along with some water from cleaning the mixie jar and let it boil.¾ cup water
- Reduce the flame to low and taste test to adjust the spices. Crack open each egg and drop it into the boiling curry.3 to 4 eggs
- Cover and cook until the egg yolks are almost firm. Switch off and keep covered for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Open and stir in a few fresh curry leaves and serve hot with ari dosha, idiyappam, pathiris, orottis etc.curry leaves
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!