This is a delicious South Indian Khorma or Stew made with vegetables and boiled eggs in an aromatic yogurt based curry which combined with the cashew poppy paste gives it a unique taste that is very satiating. Those who do not eat meat can find it very appealing.
How to boil eggs:
I add the eggs from the fridge to the pan filled with cold water which covers them completely and I bring it to a rolling boil then switch off the stove. Leave it for 2-10 minutes depending on how soft or hard you want them. Then I run cold water over them and start peeling immediately which makes it easier to remove the shell. One more trick for an easy peel is to break the egg by tapping at the larger side of the egg to release the air as it has a pocket there. Leave them for 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
4 Eggs
2 potatoes
1 carrot
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup green beans
1 cup cauliflower florets
Fresh mint leaves
1/2 a bunch cilantro chopped
For the khorma
10 cashew nuts
1 tsp roasted channa dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbs fennel seeds
1/2 tbs poppy seeds
4 cloves garlic
2 tsps whole peppercorns
4 cloves
4 cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
1 x 2” cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
1-2 green chillies (optional)
2 tbs ginger garlic paste
1/2 inch ginger chopped
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
4 tbs vegetable oil
Instructions:
1. Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into wedges. Peel, wash the carrots and cut them into dices. Rinse and cut the other vegetables and keep them ready.
2. Grind together the cashews, roasted channa dal, cumin, fennel, 1 tsp black pepper corns, poppy seeds to a fine powder then add the garlic and green chillies with a tbs of water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
3. Meanwhile boil the eggs. For this Khorma I left them for 5 minutes and they were soft but not runny, nor hard too. Peel the shell, . then put small slits on the eggs with a knife. Sprinkle salt, turmeric and rub well. Lightly fry them in a nonstick pan with a tsp of oil till golden. Leave to cool.
4. Also steam the vegetables with a little water till al dente or almost done and set aside.
5. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the whole spices( cloves, green and black cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf and 1tsp black pepper corns).
6. Toss in the sliced onions and fry till translucent and golden.
7. Add the ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, coriander powder and sauté with the onions till it lets out an aroma. Now add the ground cashew poppy paste and sauté well.
8. Whisk the yogurt to remove any lumps and quickly mix it in with the onion masala along with the green chillies, a few mint leaves and chopped coriander.
9. Sprinkle 1/4 cup water from the sides so that any masala sticking to the sides is washed off.
10. Now add the steamed vegetables and boiled fried eggs to the khorma. Add some water if too thick, cook on low heat till the oil rises to the top and the khorma smells aromatic.
11. Garnish with chopped ginger, cilantro and a few mint leaves and serve hot with rice paashtis or layered (warqhi) parotas or ghee rice. Enjoy!
Recipe
Vegetable Egg Khorma
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 2 potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup green beans
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 a bunch cilantro chopped
For the Khorma
- 10 cashew nuts
- 1 tsp roasted channa dal
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbs fennel seeds
- 1/2 tbs poppy seeds
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsps whole peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamoms
- 2 black cardamoms
- 1 x 2” cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 1-2 green chillies optional
- 2 tbs ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 inch ginger chopped
- 1/2 cup thick yogurt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 4 tbs vegetable oil
Instructions
- Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into wedges. Peel, wash the carrots and cut them into dices. Rinse and cut the other vegetables and keep them ready.
- Grind together the cashews, roasted channa dal, cumin, fennel, 1 tsp black pepper corns, poppy seeds to a fine powder then add the garlic and green chillies with a tbs of water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
- Meanwhile boil the eggs. For this Khorma I left them for 5 minutes and they were soft but not runny, nor hard too. Peel the shell, . then put small slits on the eggs with a knife. Sprinkle salt, turmeric and rub well. Lightly fry them in a nonstick pan with a tsp of oil till golden. Leave to cool.
- Also steam the vegetables with a little water till al dente or almost done and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pot. Add the whole spices( cloves, green and black cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf and 1tsp black pepper corns).
- Toss in the sliced onions and fry till translucent and golden.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, coriander powder and sauté with the onions till it lets out an aroma. Now add the ground cashew poppy paste and sauté well.
- Whisk the yogurt to remove any lumps and quickly mix it in with the onion masala along with the green chillies, a few mint leaves and chopped coriander.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup water from the sides so that any masala sticking to the sides is washed off.
- Now add the steamed vegetables and boiled fried eggs to the khorma. Add some water if too thick, cook on low heat till the oil rises to the top and the khorma smells aromatic.
- Garnish with chopped ginger, cilantro and a few mint leaves and serve hot with rice paashtis or layered (warqhi) parotas or ghee rice. Enjoy!
Marie-Pierre Breton
I need to fill up on all those lovely spices you use! I only got half of them home. This recipe sounds delish!