My husband is sooooo annoying.... yes, he is! Lately he's been asking me about the spices I use in my cooking because his new thing is, "spices are bad for you." Uhmm... say what? I have a completely different theory on that and I will prove him wrong sooner or later. I believe a lot of spices have healing properties, such as, turmeric powder is known to heal infections and wounds, it also contains anti-cancerous properties. Cinnamon is known to control blood sugar and is an excellent spice for diabetics. His main issue is my use of Garam Masala which is a hot & smoky Indian spice made with cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, cumin, and peppercorns. There are different variations to making Garam Masala. I usually argue that each ingredient that makes up Garam Masala is essentially good for you, on the other hand he believes Garam Masala causes heartburn and it can lead to other issues. Perhaps it causes heartburn if you use too much of it, I'll give him that. He cooks all of 20 times the whole year and he's telling me what spices to use. Well, anyway, rather than being defensive about it, as usual I'll do my research. 🙂
Today I made Punjabi Egg Curry which uses a whole lot of spices... oh yeah, well that's what makes it so good. I basically used the same process that I use for making Punjabi Chole (Chickpeas). This dish turned out amazing. There isn't a lot of prep work since everything is blended into a paste, however the cooking time is more than an hour. If you are patient though, the end result will truly be a delectable dish. In addition, you can replace the eggs with chicken and you'll end up with Punjabi Style Chicken Curry, just make sure the chicken is cooked all the way.
My husband who usually questions me on my spices didn't question me today because he devoured this dish. You can't make Punjabi-style Egg Curry without spices, c'mon, its Indian food man! Give it a try and you'll pleasantly surprised.
TELL ME: Are spices really bad for you? What are your thoughts on this?
NUTRITION: Eggs are a good source of Protein and Vitamin D. The yolks do contain a lot of cholesterol, however the yolk contains tons of nutrients that are good for you. To lower the fat, go ahead and remove the yolk from some of the eggs. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A and C.
INGREDIENTS:
- Eggs - 8 (boiled & peeled)
- Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Cinnamon Stick - ½ a stick
- Green Cardamom - 2
- Cloves - 3
- Cumin Seeds - 1 ½ tsp
- Garlic - 3 cloves (chopped)
- Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)
- Green Chilies - 2 (chopped)
- Onions - 2 big (blended into paste)
- Plum Tomatoes - 4 (blended into paste)
- Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
- Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
- Water - 2 ½ cups
- Garam Masala - 1 tsp
- Fresh Coriander - 1 handful (chopped)
- salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Take a pot on medium heat and boil the eggs for 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, chop the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. I just used my Magic Bullet. Set aside.
3. Quarter the onions and blend into a paste. You may need a little water to get the onions blended. Again, used my Magic Bullet.
4. Check on the eggs, once boiled, turn off the stove. Set aside.
5. Set your spices aside... bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cloves.
6. In a deeper pot on medium heat, add oil, once hot, add the spices from step #5.
7. Once they sizzle, add cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds or once you smell the aroma.
8. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for 20 seconds or so.
9. Now add the onion paste and salt. Combine.
10. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat and keep stirring in between. Leave lid ajar. You are looking for a greenish-brown color.
11. In the meantime, quarter and blend the tomatoes. Again, used my Magic Bullet.
12. This is how the onion paste should look after 20 minutes. The water should be evaporated leaving behind just a paste.
13. Now add the tomato puree to the onion paste.
14. Add salt, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
15. Allow the onion-tomato paste to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Leave the lid ajar. The water should be evaporated leaving behind just a paste.
16. In the meantime peel the eggs and make 5 to 6 slits in each egg. This will allow the egg to absorb the gravy.
Another option: At this point you can half the eggs and remove the yolk from like 3 to 4 eggs. You do need the yolk for some eggs in order to thicken the gravy.
17. This is how the onion-tomato paste should look after 20 minutes. Note the water has been evaporated.
18. Now add water. Combine.
19. Add eggs and combine.
20. Cover slightly and cook on low heat (dial #3) for 10 minutes.
21. If you haven't done so already, go ahead and half 4 of the eggs, the yolk will help thicken the gravy and leave a yellowish-brown color. Smash the yolk and incorporate it into the gravy. Cook another 5 minutes without a lid.
22. Add garam masala and turn off the stove. Check for salt.
23. Add chopped coriander.
TELL ME: Are spices really bad for you? What are your thoughts on this?
Angie's Recipes says
I have never had egg curry, not to mention to make it my own. Looks really saucy and delicious!
somk says
Marvellous recipe, many thanks 😀 !
Adventuress says
This is a keeper.
Regarding spice maybe your husband is sensitive to it, a lot of people are, my grandma being german refuses to touch a spice and it makes her burp non stop for hours, she eats plain bread at her south east asian friend's weddings and any gathering or picnic. Like you, I believe they have healing properties, some are roots, some seeds, some leaves, can't see what's bad about it or how your husband's theory could even generalize in such a way to say "spices are bad" when they are flavouring agents that come from a wide variety of sources.
honeywhatscooking says
Thank you all... this dish is really good! Let me know if you decide to make it and how it turns out.
Aarthi says
Looks Amazing.. !!
Elizabette says
My husband is Punjabi and I have never had egg curry. He has never even mentioned it nor has my mother in law. Interesting! I'll have to see if he's willing to try some.
honeywhatscooking says
@Elizabette - Yes, this is one of my creations, perhaps that's why no one mentioned the name. Try it, it's wonderful. 🙂
Anonymous says
i made this dish and its delicious...smashing the yolk was the right thing to do..:)
aspiringtobesomeone says
I've heard that spicy foods can speed your metabolism, but they also create more acid... So heartburn makes sense.
I think they're mostly good for you.
If your husband's actually starting to feel pain from spices you should visit a doctor or load him up on some tums before spicy meals.
Love your blog! Have an awesome day and good luck!
-Aspiringtobesomeone
Priyanka says
I love how you have a picture for every step. I made this recipe and the pictures helped me a lot. And smashing the yolk is a GREAT idea.
chaitanya says
your blog is awesome. I love to see the recipe step by step with pictures.
honeywhatscooking says
@chaitanya - You're so kind, thank you! Glad you like it.
Wed says
So I just made it and it took quite a bit of time, but well worth it. We had Easter eggs we needed eaten up! I added 1/4 tsp turmeric too, and it took quite a bit of salt. My Garam Masala was homemade, and I added a little more garlic, cardamon, and cloves. Super tasty with a little toasted butter on top! Since I was feeding children too, I only used Ancho peppers which are very mild, to replace the green chilies and red peppers.
Sunita Miranda says
i just loved your recipe thanks a lot!!!!!!:-*
honeywhatscooking says
@Sunita - Thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated. 🙂
Claire says
This recipe looks amazing and I'm pinning it to try out later. As to your question about whether spices are bad for you, I've never heard anything of the sort (and I'm a doctor, just FYI). Spicy food can aggravate acid reflux, but that's the only thing I can think of. Many spices are actually being studied for their potential roles in reducing the risk for cancer. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and when taken in high enough doses, can help ease arthritis pain. I found a rather technical article, but it summarizes what is known about the potential benefits of some herbs and spices, and might be a good resource to show your husband so he can start to see how healthy all these spices can actually be!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2771684/
RB says
Made this for my pregnant wife. And, she loved it. Thanks a ton! (Note: I have never cooked before in my life).
P.S - Most important ingredient that made it perfect is "LOVE"
Anonymous says
Tried this tdy. .and it was vry delicious.. my husband loved it.. thanku so much for sharing this yummy recipe .. 🙂