Poached Eggs and Curry

My sister, S, the health freak I mentioned earlier here, is always looking for ideas to make vegetables with gravy. Apparently her boys (my 2 nephews and BIL) don’t eat rotis with dry side dishes and at the same time, are insistent that she bring variety to the table. Not that they get very far with their tantrums. She has them all on a tight leash, and could get them to eat rocks if need be. But unbeknownst to them, her stern exterior is just a facade. She tries hard behind the scenes to appease them and has successfully managed to get  them to enthusiastically eat every vegetable on the planet. Anything edible qualifies for the boys as long as those things float in some gravy. Personally I feel, it is not too much to ask, considering, that they ate bitter melons and broccoli from the tender ages of 2 or 3, things that I refused to touch well into my adult hood.

So, in an effort to entice my sister who so far has been unimpressed with my food blog, except for an occasional vegetable dish here and there, I decided to make this poached egg curry. Though I’ve used poached eggs here, the recipe can be used for vegetables like potatoes, cauliflowers, brocoli, peas, mushrooms and meats like, chicken or lamb, marinated in lemon juice. This simple and delicious dish is influenced by the Coorg style of cooking, my second favorite cuisine.  You must have by now guessed the number one already ;).

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 onion chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
1  tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
3/4  tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp cinnamon clove spice mix
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chilies
2 tbsp refined vegetable oil
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Soak poppy seeds for 10 mins in water and grind it with the coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste. 

Heat oil in a pan and sauté onions till brown, add ginger garlic and sauté for a few minutes.

Add tomatoes, spice mix, coriander, turmeric, chili, salt and green chilies and sauté till it forms a mush.

Mix ground mixture and sauté until oil separates from it.

Add lime juice and pour water to get the desired consistency.

Reduce flame, break eggs into a bowl and slide it one at a time  into the gravy.

Allow it to set.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rotis or rice.