Buttery Egg Curry
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
To make a good curry, any curry, the most important ingredients are the spices. Dried turmeric and red chile powder being non-aromatic and earthy, can be purchased ground and will last for years in your kitchen cabinet. Cardamom, cumin, and coriander seeds are best purchased whole, will also last for years in your cabinet, and should be toasted and ground in small batches. A small coffee grinder works best. Here the cardamom pods and coriander seeds are simply crushed on your kitchen counter. The cumin seeds can be toasted over a dry skillet or in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until they change color slightly and an aroma emerges. Grind in a coffee grinder and store for no more than 3 months. Garam masala, an aromatic finishing spice blend usually composed of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, mace, cloves, nutmeg, and star anise is also best purchased or prepared and used up within 3 months. The fresher and more aromatic your spices are, the better the curry will taste. And remember, you don’t need to peel the ginger, which delivers the final punch to the curry.
Here is an indulgent buttery curry that can be made with just vegetables like squash, fennel, peppers, or potatoes. Or with boiled eggs, seafood, or chicken. If making it with chicken, add the chicken pieces once the onions are ready. I added the fennel to give it a balance of texture but feel free to substitute with other vegetables like green beans or asparagus or leave it out entirely. The curry is best served 2 to 3 hours after it is prepared and is even better the next day, when the spices have had some time to meld. Serve the curry with warm rice, flatbreads, or thick crusty bread.