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Egg & Lentil Curry

Adapted from Egg by Blanche Vaughan (Weidenfield & Nicolson)
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2

  • brown/green not French lentils 200g
  • frozen garlic/ginger mix 3 cubes (available at any Indian supermarket but if you prefer fresh - a big chunk of fresh ginger peeled and grated finely and 4 garlic cloves peeled and grated finely)
  • onion 1 roughly chopped
  • sea salt 1 tsp
  • vegetable oil 2 tbsp
  • chopped tomatoes tinned 1
  • hard-boiled eggs 4 peeled
  • fresh coriander 20g roughly chopped (optional)
  • natural yogurt 4 tbsp

For the spice mix

  • cardamom pods 1 tsp
  • cumin seeds 3 tsp
  • ground cloves 1/2 tsp
  • ground turmeric 2 tsp
  • bay leaves 2
  • cinnamon 1tsp
  • cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp feel free to alter heat levels to your personal taste

  1. Put the lentils into a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, topping up the water if needed. (don’t add any salt or the lentils will take ages to cook)
  2. Meanwhile, make the spice mix. Place a large, deep frying pan, without any oil, over a medium heat and add the cardamom pods and cumin seeds. After about 30 seconds they should start to give off a toasted, fragrant aroma. Shake the pan gently and cook for another 30 seconds then immediately remove from the heat and grind in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Add bay leaves and other ground spices and continue grinding until you have a coarse powder.
  3. Return the frying pan to the heat and add the oil. When it is hot, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic and ginger cubes and cook until they defrost and any liquid evaporated. Then add the spice mix and the tomatoes and cook on a low heat for another 5 minutes or so.
  4. When the lentils are tender, strain them to remove any excess liquid (reserving the liquid) and return the lentils to the pan. Add the boiled eggs to the pan and stir well. If the mixture looks too dry add some of the reserved liquid to make a loose sauce.
  5. Cook the lentils for another 5 minutes so they become infused with the spice flavours. (Up to this point, everything can be done in advance and reheated when needed.)

  6. When you’re ready to serve, stir in the yogurt to make a creamy sauce and sprinkle with the chopped coriander (skip the coriander if you’re not keen). 

This is great with rice or vegetables (particularly spinach) or even both. Serves 2 very generously.