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Khatteh Ande (Eggs in Tamarind Gravy)

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED May 3, 2022

Eggs are monsoon food! When the rainy season began in Calcutta, we waited for the days of relentless rain, because what came after that was waterlogged streets. No school. No electricity for days as the power stations were underwater. Food rationing because the bazaars were closed. But eggs were delivered to us by the anda wallah (the egg man), who would cycle through streets that were knee-deep in water and bring us 24 eggs every other day.

At first, everyone got a whole egg, but if the rains continued, we would get only half an egg a day. The eggs were always prepared with great care and mealtimes were something of an occasion, with a lantern at the edge of the table, followed by a long night of storytelling by my father. — Asma Khan

 

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Khatteh Ande (Eggs in Tamarind Gravy)

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Makes 6 servings 1x

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 6–8 large hard-boiled eggs
  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed (or 3/4 tsp garlic paste)
  • 3/4 in (2cm) piece of fresh ginger, grated (or 1 tsp ginger paste)
  • 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chile powder
  • 3 tbsp tamarind extract
  • 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) water
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, plus a handful to garnish
  • pinch of sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Shell the hard-boiled eggs and make three shallow slits on the surface of each one. This will help the eggs absorb the tamarind gravy. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir until they start to lightly caramelize. Add the garlic and ginger, then the turmeric and chile powder, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for a further 4–5 minutes until the raw smell of the garlic and ginger has gone. Add the tamarind extract, water, and a good pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chopped cilantro and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
  3. Add the hard-boiled eggs and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes. If you would like the dish to have a sweet and sour taste, you can add a good pinch of sugar at this point.
  4. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve warm.

— Recipe from Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul

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