How to make curry with gravy?  Egg Curry Recipe

Curry gravy is made with ground onions tomatoes and spices. We will make egg curry to illustrate the concept.

In Chinese cooking a slurry of corn starch and water is used as a thickener. In American cooking, the flour is the most common ingredients used to make gravy.
In Indian Cuisine the secret of smooth curry gravy is ground onions, ground coriander seeds, and tomatoes. Coriander powder acts like an emulsifier keeping the onion and tomato particles suspended in gravy. The distinct color of curry is a result of Turmeric and Degi Mirch. Choose Tomatoes that are sweet and ripe. Also see How to control  tomato acid taste in Curry Gravy?

To illustrate the technique I will use only essential curry spices. I will make basic Egg Curry.

Ingredients

1. Hard Boiled Eggs Large: 6

2. Yellow cooking onion medium: 1

3. Fresh Garlic Cloves: 2

4. Fresh ginger: ¼"

5. Tomato Large: 1

5. Canola oil: 2 Tablespoons

6. Cumin Powder: ½ teaspoon

7. Salt: ¼ teaspoon

8. Cayenne pepper ground: ¼ teaspoon

9. Turmeric Powder: ¼ teaspoon

10. Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

11. Bay leaf: 2

12. Clove (Spice): 4

13. Whole Black Cardamoms: 2

14. Degi Mirch (Paprika): 1 teaspoon

15.Water: ½ Cup

16. Fresh Cilantro: ¼ Cup

Method

Step 1. Food Preparation

Peel and grind onions with minimum water. You can do that in an electric blender.

Peel garlic cloves, Peel and slice ginger, wash tomatoes and puree these three ingredients together in the electric blender

Wash and remove large stems from Cilantro. Coarsely chop Cilantro.

Peel eggs

Step 2.

Choose a heavy bottom pan with a lid. This pan should NOT be bare Aluminum or Iron.

Add oil. Heat oil to medium

Always add cooking oil to cold pan and then heat.

Step 3

Add ground onions, salt and cayenne pepper.

Sauté till almost all the water is gone, the oil starts to exude. Don't let the onions burn or too brown. Caramelized or brown onions will take away from the flavor of curry.

Always add onions to hot oil.

Always add salt with onions, when the onions are to be sautéed.

Step 4

Add cumin powder, coriander powder, Turmeric and Hard Boiled Eggs. Sauté for about 3 or 4 minutes. The eggs will be covered with spices, the exterior may start to turn brown.

Step 5

Add pureed tomatoes. Continue to cook on medium heat till almost all the water is gone. Now you should have chicken in a thick shiny (from the oil exuding) tomato sauce

Step 6

Add water, Degi Mirch, Bay leaf, Cardamom, Spice Cloves, and Cinnamon. Bring it o a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Never Fry Degi Mirch in oil. Degi Mirch is delicate and will burn easily on high heat

Step 7 Garnish

Cilantro is the most common garnish fro the curries. Stir in Cilantro.

Notes

After Step 2, you may choose to brown eggs in cooking oil, remove eggs, and the proceed to Step 3.

Now try the same recipe with Marinated Chicken .