Muttai Kulambu (Sri Lankan Egg Curry)
A recipe for Muttai Kulambu (Sri Lankan Egg Curry) from the cookbook, Sri Lanka: The Cookbook.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1+1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 6 fresh curry leaves
- 6 garlic cloves (cut into quarters)
- 2 green chillies (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 200 ml (7 fl oz, generous 3/4 cup) coconut milk
- 400 ml (14 fl oz, 1 2/3 cups) water
- 1 tbsp Thool (curry powder: see recipe below)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 20 fresh curry leaves
- 250 g (9 ounces, 2 1/2 cups) ground coriander
- 50 g (1 3/4 ounces, 1/2 cup) ground cumin
- 75 g (2 3/4 ounces, 3/4 cup) fennel powder
- 20 g (3/4 ounce, 3 tablespoons) ground fenugreek
- 250 g (9 ounces, 2 1/2 cups) chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 50 g (1 3/4 ounces, 1/2 cup) ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Shell the boiled eggs, cut them in half lengthways and set aside.
- 2
Heat oil in a medium, lidded saucepan over low heat, then add the mustard seeds. Let them cook for a few seconds until they pop, then add the onion and curry leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the garlic, chillies, fenugreek and cumin seeds, and sauté until the onions are soft and turning golden.
- 3
Add the turmeric and give it a stir. Add the coconut milk, water, curry powder and salt, and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, half-cover the pan with the lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- 4
Gently slide in the halved eggs, then half cover with the lid again and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Taste for salt, then remove from heat and serve.
- 5
Dry roast the curry leaves in a dry frying pan (skillet) over a low heat until beginning to colour. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- 6
Mix all the other ingredients together to form a blended powder.
- 7
Dry-roast this powder very lightly in a dry frying pan over a very low heat, for about a minute until the colour darkens slightly. Remove from heat, stir and let it cool. Mix in the whole roasted curry leaves before storing.
- 8
Be warned that there will be a very strong smell of chillies around the house and the mixture can burn very quickly.