Pondicherry Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry.
Recipe for South Indian Pondicherry style Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry. Adpated from the Pondicherry Kitchen. With step by step pictures.
Pondicherry Style Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry. The coastal city of Pondicherry has been greatly influenced by the French as it was a French colony for a long time before independence. Pondicherry cuisine is primarily based on Tamil cuisine but with a lot of influence from the french. I first saw Pondicherry’s food chronicler Lourdes Tirouvanziam-Louis in a Rick Stein’s show. She was so passionate about the food of Pondicherry. Very few people have that passion and she sits right on top of that list. Immediately after the show, I placed an order in amazon for her book titled The Pondicherry Kitchen. I am glad I did. The recipes are clear and detailed with a lot of history and authenticity behind. The book is a genius for she has superbly documented the recipes that have been passed on orally through generations.
This Egg Curry recipe has been adapted from Madam Lourdes book.
This egg curry is so flavorful and mild that we make it so regularly. Here it is. Pondicherry Style Egg Curry.
This is a coconut based egg curry. Madam Lourdes uses freshly extracted milk from the coconut for Egg Curry. Here is how I do this Egg Curry. Take half a coconut and grind it with 1.5 cups of water in a blender to a smooth paste. Pass the ground coconut through a colander/strainer and squeeze all the liquid. The liquid you get is the first thick milk. Set aside separately.
Add another 1.5 cups of water to the coconut dregs and run it again in the blender. Pass the ground mixture again through a colander/strainer and squeeze all the liquid. The liquid you get is the second light milk. Set aside separately. Repeat the process one more time adding 1 cup water this time and you will have the third milk. Discard the coconut dregs after extracting the third milk.
Here it is. First milk , second and third milk.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cinnamon, and onions. Fry till the onions are lightly golden brown.
In the mean time crush the garlic and ginger. Set aside.
Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
Now, make a paste of coriander seeds, green chillies, poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Add up-to 3/4 cup water while grinding.
Add the ground paste for Egg Curry to the pan along with a teaspoon of turmeric. Fry till the spices are cooked and brown.
Add the tomatoes and the salt and fry till the tomatoes are soft.
Add the second and third coconut milk. Add in the potatoes. Let it simmer in low flame for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
Switch off the flame. Remove the pan from heat. Add the thick coconut milk, hard boiled eggs, lemon juice and coriander leaves. You really want to add these ingredients after removing from heat else the coconut milk will curdle and the lemon juice turning bitter. So no more fire guys.. Egg Curry is ready.
Serve Egg Curry hot with rice.
Here is a printable Egg Curry recipe.
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Pondicherry Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry
Recipe for South Indian Pondicherry style Egg Curry – Muthaiy curry. Adapted from the Pondicherry Kitchen. Measurements Used – 1 cup = 250 ml
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 4 green chillies
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 3 teaspoon fennel seeds
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 – 3/4 of a big coconut
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 3 onions, sliced fine
- 1 inch ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 big tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 potatoes cubed, optional
- 5–6 hard boiled eggs
- Juice of one lemon
- 3–4 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Extract the thick and thin coconut milk from the coconut. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cinnamon, and onions. Fry till the onions are lightly golden brown.
- Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
- Now, make a paste of coriander seeds, green chillies, poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Add up-to 3/4 cup water while grinding.
- Add the ground paste to the pan along with a teaspoon of turmeric. Fry till the spices are cooked and brown.
- Add the tomatoes and the salt and fry till the tomatoes are soft.
- Add the second and third coconut milk. Add in the potatoes. Let it simmer in low flame for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Switch off the flame. Remove the pan from heat. Add the thick coconut milk, hard boiled eggs, lemon juice and coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with rice.
Notes
The original recipe has prawns and cashew-nuts added to the gravy. You might include prawns while boiling potatoes if you wish.
You can substitute fresh pressed coconut milk for store bought coconut milk. Just use a can – 250 ml. Adjust the water while cooking. Add half for cooking and half at the end.
Add more green chillies if you like a spicy gravy.
Pierce the hard boiled eggs with a fork so the gravy gets marinated into the eggs.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Gravy
- Cuisine: South Indian
Hello Suguna! This (Pondicherry egg) curry is omg ! Our favorite now ! It’s out of the ordinary. Just loved the flavor . I kept browsing for different egg curry and this one is the best ! We had it with Kerala parota and my husband praised it at the very first bite .
Loved the sarvana bhavan kurma as well 🙂 made it multiple times !
Well I have advertised your blog to most of my friends here . And I’m sure they will be all praise for your recipes:)
Thank you!
Hi Suguna,
We are big fans of kannammacooks, esp my husband follows many recipes from here. Whatever we try from kannamma cooks, my daughter loves it, esp thalapakattu biriyani. Every week we are making it 🙂
when i was trying this egg curry, my daughter was “amma, yummy smell. super”, It came out good.
Correct me if I am wrong, its 1 *TBSP* of poppy seeds? I followed exact same recipe and it came bit bitter.
Never mind. I added extra lemon, and awesommmmeee!!!
Thanks Roopa. Glad you liked the Egg curry.
Such an amazing recipe…with lovely flavours….made it and was a big hit for both rotis and rice…Giving it 5 stars!!!!
I tried using sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds.. It was super awesome.. loved it.. Thank you so much for all your recipes.. they are just perfect and well explained..
Thank you!
Hi.. Most of your recipes contain poppy seeds, we don’t get it here in UAE so can we just skip it or any suggested alternative to use instead of poppy seeds.. pls help.. thanks..
You can just skip it!
U can use cashew instead of poppy
Hello suguna madam, I am prepared This recipe for morning breakfast with Rice .It was awesome and Simple procedure .Thank you for your recipe added in my favourite list.
Just call me Suguna. Really happy that the pondicherry egg curry came out well. And thanks for adding me to your favourite list. Means a lot to me.
Dear suguna sis, vanakkam.I tried methi thepla,paneer sandwich and muttai curry ,pondi style. Everything came out so so well that my seven year old boy liked it very much. Routine sambar and variety rice are boring for me too. Your blog came to my rescue. I am so happy to share the dishes wit my neighborhood friends also. One of my friends said- KC vaazhga valarga. Me too deary.
Thank You Andal. I am really really glad that your little boy liked the recipes. Thank you so much for sharing the recipes with your friends. It really means a lot to me.
Hi Kannamma, Made this pondicherry egg curry for lunch. Children and hubby loved it. Delicious with potatoes and eggs – favorites of all kids. Tasted even better with chapathis during dinner. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe. I am really happy that your family liked it very much.
Helooo suguna 🙂 your pondicherry egg curry receipe I prepared for dinner… Me & my hubby loved it… It was tasting delicious.. Thank you soo much for this lip smacking receipe 🙂
Thank you Tash. I am really glad you guys had a great dinner. Its a wonderful recipe.