Egg Curry with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes

Cooking is more than a hobby for me; it's a way of life. This blog started out as my portable cookbook that contained recipes of dishes that my sister and I grew up eating. I've learned so much over the years, cooking alongside my mother; teaching me the ways of Indian cooking. 

However, as I grew up my tastes changed a bit. I was vegetarian when I first moved here. I slowly started trying new dishes and cuisines and now I'm half vegetarian. I eat eggs, chicken and fish every so often. However, I still stay away from meats like pork and beef. 

One of the dishes I really like is egg curry but my mom doesn't eat eggs so it's up to me to figure it out. I've watched YouTube videos and looked for recipes online. I've tested a few but didn't like the taste so much. A few months, I found a recipe at Archana's Kitchen called Quick and Simple Egg Curry Recipe. I did find her recipe to be simple enough and kind of quick. 

I made a couple changes for my taste, such as adding more vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach to the recipe. Check out the recipe below:

Yields: Serves 6 (2 egg halves and gravy per serving)

Ingredients

- 6 eggs (boiled, peeled, and cut into half vertically)

- 3 vine tomatoes, pureed

- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes

- 12 oz baby Bella mushrooms, chopped into 1/2" pieces (optional)

- 1 tsp Turmeric powder

- 1 tsp coriander powder (or Dhanjeera powder)

- 1 tsp Garam Masala powder

- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp salt (adjust as per your taste)

- a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients to be ground to a paste

- 1 large onion, chopped 

- 1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

- 4 cloves of garlic

- 2 green chilies (or 1/2 tsp of chili paste)

Procedure

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat. Add the paste made with onion, ginger, garlic, and chilies to the pan. Saute for a few minutes or until the onion mixture turns translucent in color. Next add turmeric powder, sugar, garam masala powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Mix until combined well. I added mushrooms next and let them cook a little before I added bell pepper.  Cook for a few minutes while stirring intermittently. Next, add the tomato puree, salt, and eggs. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer the egg and vegetable mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Lift the cover and check the salt and spice levels; adjust them to your taste. If you want the gravy to be a bit thinner, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Turn off the stove and sprinkle fresh coriander on the curry and serve with your meal. 

This curry goes well with plain white or brown rice, jeera rice, quinoa, or your favorite flatbread. Whenever I make this curry, I make two halves and some gravy and a couple of roti for lunch. It's healthy and filling. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who likes eating eggs and wants to try something different. 

Quick Tips

- If wine or plum tomatoes are not readily available, you can buy a crushed tomatoes can. 

- Other vegetables you can add are yellow or orange bell peppers

- You can add evaporated milk for a creamier taste. 

Go Green Part 2

With the overwhelming storms we had over the last few weeks, it seemed like weren't going to the sun for a while. Knock on wood. However, the rainwater replenished and rejuvenated all our plants and trees making our backyard look like a mini rain forest. The trees spread their branches such that they formed a canopy around our deck. We can now enjoy cool nights and breezy days.

Whenever I settle down on our swing, I feel like I'm relaxing on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala or on a hammock in between two palm trees on a tropical island. With weather like this, it's only natural to prepare dishes that add a little beat to your step. I packed this curry and half a cup of brown rice for lunch the other day. It was so good that I couldn't stop eating until I spooned the bowl clean. At that moment, I wished I was eating my lunch on the swing while enjoying the cool breeze passing over me. This "curry" is such a simple and flavorful dish, but don't take my word for it. Go green and make it for yourself and enjoy it.

Here's the ingredients' list and procedure for this dish called Indo-Thai Green Curry:
- 1 lb Green Bell Peppers, chopped into 1" cubes
-  ½ cup Frozen Peas                                   
- 3 Green chilies, finely chopped             
- 1" piece Ginger, grated                                         
- ¾ cup Grated coconut                                             
- ½ cup Evaporated Milk                           
- ¼ cup Fresh Coriander, chopped
- 1 tsp Whole Cumin or Mustard seeds
- 1½ tbsp Vegetable oil     
- 1 tsp Salt (or as needed)

Procedure:
1) In a blender, blend coconut, green chilies and ginger to a smooth paste.
2) Heat oil in a saucepan and add whole cumin, when they splutter add bell pepper and salt. Mix well and cook under covered lid for about 5-7 minutes until the bell pepper pieces are soft but firm.
3) Now add the coconut paste you made in Step 1 as well as evaporated milk and cook uncovered for about 3-4 minutes or until you notice a gravy consistency.

Remove from stove and mix in the frozen peas. Garnish with coriander & serve hot with your favorite flatbreads: roti, naan or pooris. The curry is also good with rice.

Quick Tips: 
1) For a richer consistency, replace evaporated milk with coconut milk or half & half.
2) You can substitute potatoes for bell peppers (just boil the potatoes in microwave for 5-6 minutes, peel & cube them and follow the directions.
3) Also, coconut can be replaced with 1/3 cup poppy seeds (powder the dry seeds and then add water to make a smooth paste). You can also replace it with coconut milk and dry coconut if fresh coconut is not available with the same measurements.