Muttai Kuzhambu/Egg Gravy

Once in a while my mother-in-law makes this amazing muttai kuzhambu or egg gravy for rice. The gravy that is spicy and tangy, would be perfect with hot rice and when there are a couple of appalams (papads), there is nothing like that combo. She would add as many number of eggs as the number of people at home and after we all have savored the kuzhambu, the remaining gravy would be preserved for dinner. On a low flame, when the kuzhambu is heated constantly for more than 15mins, it turns thick and forms an awesome side-dish for idli/dosa. There are times she would break open an egg on the boiling kuzhambu and for egg fanatics, it’s a treat. I am not very fond of it, actually. I can have eggs only in certain forms and this is not one of them. I am yet to acquire a taste for it.

Last weekend, I made this simple muttai kuzhambu along with rice and appalams – it was a huge hit. There was neither a single morsel of rice left nor a drop of kuzhambu. We literally licked the bowl clean. I have not followed the exact recipe of my MIL but this is a slight variation. She adds tamarind as well to the gravy which I have avoided this time. For the vegetarians, the same gravy can be made with any other vegetable - potato, eggplant, drumstick, yam or broad beans. No need to separately boil the vegetables - can be fried along with the onions.

To make Muttai Kuzhambu/Egg Gravy

Serves – 2

Time to prepare – 30mins

What I used –

• Eggs, 2
• Onion, 1 + 1 medium
• Tomato, 2 medium
• Garlic Pods, 10
• Curry leaves, a few
• Coriander stalks, a few
• Oil, 1.5 tablespoon + 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Jeera, 1 tsp
• Dried Red Chilli, 1
• Red Chilli Powder, 1.5 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, as required
• Water, as required

How I made –

1. In a pot, pour enough water to boil the eggs. On a medium flame, let the eggs boil for atleast 12mins. Remove from heat. Keep aside.
2. In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil. Add roughly chopped onion (only one) and two tomatoes. Fry until cooked. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. Grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat 1.5 tablespoon of oil. Add mustard and jeera along with the dried red chilli. When the mustard seeds splutter, add peeled and roughly crushed garlic. When the garlic is half fried, add curry leaves and fry.
4. Add finely chopped onion (the remaining one) and fry until translucent.
5. Add the ground onion-tomato paste. Along with that, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook until the raw smell of the masala powders is gone.
6. Add required amount of water to make it into gravy consistency. Add salt.
7. Meanwhile, peel the eggshells from the boiled/cooled down eggs. Make atleast four slits around the boiled egg – to ensure all the spices go in well.
8. Add the eggs to the gravy. Reduce the flame to low and boil the gravy covered for atleast 15mins or until its thick. Just before removing it off the heat, add finely chopped coriander.
9. Serve hot with rice and appalams/fryums.