My Egg & Dal Curry is a great weeknight meal that goes great with chapatis and/or rice. It’s super simple to make and packed with protein to boot. No muss, no fuss – a healthy dinner on the table within minutes!

I have used toor dal (split/skinned yellow pigeon peas), for this recipe but you could most certainly use chana dal (split Bengal gram dal) split/skinned yellow moong dal or even split/skinned masoor dal for this dish. You could also use a combination of different dals if you wish ☺.


EGG & DAL CURRY

Ingredients:

2 cups toor dal (split/skinned yellow pigeon peas)
3-4 large eggs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced
½ tsp black mustard seeds
4-6 fresh curry leaves
3-4 dried red chilies, to taste
½ tsp fenugreek powder (methi powder)
pinch of asafetida (hing)
½-1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp kala or goda masala (you may use garam masala as a substitute)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
¼ tsp red chili powder, to taste
½ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp ground cumin powder
½ tsp ground coriander powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp oil, vegetable or canola
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD:

If you using a pressure cooker, cook the dal until the dal is tender but not mushy. Alternatively, you can also cook the dal on the stove top, just add enough water to cover and let the dal cook for about 15-20 minutes on low heat or until the dal is tender but not mushy. Then, using the back of a large spoon or ladle, slightly mash the dal against the sides of the pot. This will give you a nice creamy consistency. Set aside and let cool until needed.

Boil the eggs until they are cooked through, then peel & slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Set aside until needed.

Meanwhile in a saucepan on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, carefully add the mustard seeds. When the splattering stops, reduce the heat and add the curry leaves, dried red chilies, fenugreek powder and the asafetida. Now add the onions & sauté until lightly browned. Then add the tomato, ginger, garlic and the spices (kala masala, turmeric, red chili powder, paprika, ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder, salt & pepper). Mix well to combine & let the spices cook for a few minutes before adding in the cooked dal along with any cooking water. You can also add in the tamarind at this point. Stir well & then gently add in the eggs. Now reduce the heat to low, bring to a gentle boil and let simmer for 5-6 minutes until all the flavors have mingled. If the curry is a bit too thick, add a little water as needed. The consistency should not be too thick or too watery. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve with fresh chapatis and Basmati rice.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add some vegetables to the dish such as some chopped baby spinach, green peas, grated carrots, baby corn or even some zucchini pieces.


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