North Indian Baked Eggs are easy, fast and comforting; it is the kind of dish you turn to when you cannot think of what to make for dinner, and then end up thrilled with your meal! I received a copy of Seven Spoons from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
Closely adapted from Tara O’Brady. If you have whole cumin seeds, add about a teaspoon with the ghee–I did not because I was out.
Ingredients
- 2 T ghee
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch of cilantro, tender stems finely chopped and separated and leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 t ground turmeric
- 1/4 t paprika (or cayenne if you can take the heat)
- 1 t ground cumin
- 1 1/2 t ground coriander
- 2 t garam masala, plus some to sprinkle
- 4 lbs tomatoes, either fresh in summer or frozen off-season, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, whole fat or 2%
- 4-8 eggs, depending on appetites (I always ask how many each person wants)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked Basmati rice for serving, optional
- lime or lemon wedges
- chopped nuts of choice (almonds or cashews would be nice I think)
- chopped fresh dill
- baby greens (I would love to try arugula)
Instructions
- Using a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet (I think enameled cast iron is perfect here), heat the ghee over medium heat. When it is melted and shimmering, add the onions with a pinch of salt.
- While they cook, preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Cook the onions, stirring occasionally until they are caramelizing, about 10-15 minutes. You can add a splash of water if they start to scorch or stick. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Add the finely chopped tender cilantro stems with another pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
- Add the turmeric and paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then add the cumin, coriander and garam masala and stir, cooking, for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes with all of their juices, as well as a pinch of salt and the bay leaves. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, and when it does boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, being certain to scrape at the bottom of the pan.
- The tomatoes will reduce and thicken, and become more of a sauce. The oil will rise to the top of the sauce, kind of splitting from the sauce (it might look broken, but that is what you want).
- Dollop the yogurt into the sauce in several spoonfuls. Then lightly marble the yogurt into the tomatoes (this is O’Brady’s technique and I thought it was brilliant).
- Use the wooden end of a spoon to create “holes” and crack each egg into a hole. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Bake in the oven to your preferred doneness; O’Brady recommends 12 minutes for oozing yolks but set whites.
- Sprinkle very lightly (the barest pinch) with garam masala when it comes out of the oven, and a handful of the chopped cilantro leaves. We enjoyed it with Basmati rice; if I had had any of them on hand, I am sure the garnishes listed above would also be delicious.
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