Egg kuruma Udaithu ooriya muttai kulambu

உடைத்து ஊற்றிய முட்டைக்குழம்பு  Udaithu ooriya muttai kulambu. My amma used to prepare egg curry almost always like this. I used to love this hot curry over rice very much, as amma would make it piping hot for lunch. 

This recipe can be cooked very easily and quickly. So I prepare this for lunch on many Sundays. This curry comes handy,  when we reach home from church.  I start cooking the rice and this curry alongside. I make this curry within 15-30 mins. If we have some leftover veggies from previous day we would cherish this as a quick lunch. Or, I will make a raitha or some simple stirfry too. 

I always try my best to cook all meals at home, as it is healthy, but most of all this is far more 'less expensive' than going out to a restaurant for lunch. So after we started living in USA (since 2007), I almost reserve those restaurant foods for special occasions only. Not only myself, most of my neighbors too cook their foods. But my hubby always asks me, if I need to buy any lunch from nearby restaurant after church. But my answer is always ,'no , I will make a simple meal in 15 mins'.   Thanks be to God and amma, I learned some cooking even when I was in my teens.

Learning such simple and quick recipes definitely comes handy !

Ingredients:

Egg - 3

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Curry leaf - a sprig

Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

Fennel  - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut milk powder - 3 tbsp

Water - 4 cups

Method:
Slice the onion into small pieces. Chop the tomato finely keep aside.

Heat a tsp oil in a wok.

Add 1 tsp fennel.

When it gets red,add chopped onion.

Fry it till golden.

Then add the ginger garlic paste.

Mix well and add tomato.

Fry till tomato mashes.

Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder,coriander powder, garam masala powder and saute till raw smell vanishes (1 min).

Mix 1 cup lukewarm water with 3 tbsp coconut milk powder. 

Add this to wok. Add 2 more cups of water. Bring it to boil.

If needed add 1 more cup of water.

When the curry is boiling, crack open the eggs one by one and pour them with some space between. 

The eggs should not touch one another. Do not stir after this stage , till eggs are cooked.

Now close the vessel and reduce flame to minimum.

Let it remain there for 5 minutes. Switch off after the egg gets completely cooked.

Muttai kuzhambu is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with rice / roti / idli / dosai.

Note:
we can add hard boiled eggs or omelet also instead of poaching.

Muttai kuzhambu (poached)

Muttai kulambu is again a simple curry prepared in Indian households.
(Muttai means Egg and Kuzhambu or kulambu means gravy).

A touching novel (I can't remember the title) explains like this while describing a lower middle class Indian family...In India Sundays are the family days and we can smell great flavors in air through almost all the chimneys in the street. A poor mother in that novel tries to make something special for their Sunday lunch and finally fixed a tasty meal within their budget. She tells like this....'Dry fish curry can be equated to the real fish curry and muttai kuzhambu for chicken curry' what a lovely thought ..right! Happiness is purely a choice and we get what we choose !!!! Some stories like this leave a permanent mark in our hearts .....

Muttai kuzhambu is always my first choice whenever I run out of ideas or time or chicken:)

Egg curry can be prepared in numerous ways. I know many who prefer hard boiled egg curry along with biryani. That would be very attractive and easy to serve as well. I will post mine soon.

But here is another method called the Poached egg curry or 'udachi oothina muttai kulambu' (Tamil).The raw eggs are simply poured into the boiling curry and cooked in that flavorful masala . This will arouse more flavor because of the great combination of egg and masala.

This is my mom's favorite version.



Ingredients:
Egg - 3
Onion - 1
tomato - 2
oil - 2 tbsp
fennel (sombu) - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch

To fry and grind:
channa dhal - 1 tbsp
coriander seed - 2 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
cashews - 5 (optional)
dry red chilly - 6
black pepper - 10 numbers
cinnamon - 1 inch
cloves (kirambu) - 4
cardamom - 2
fennel seed (sombu) - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

To grind:
cilantro - 3 stems
mint leaf - a handful
ginger - 1 inch
garlic - 3 pearls


Method:
Slice the onion into small pieces. Chop the tomato finely keep aside.

Grind the ginger, garlic , cilantro and mint together.

Heat a tsp oil in a wok and fry all the items given above except coconut.
Grind them to a fine paste.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and add the fennel seed.
Now goes the chopped onion. Fry till it becomes tender.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell vanishes.
Then add the chopped tomato and fry till oil oozes out.

Grind the items given and add it to the fried items in wok.
Add salt and let it boil for five minutes.

Then reduce flame. Carefully break and pour the eggs one by one without overlapping one another into the hot curry.
The eggs should not touch one another. Do not stir after this stage , till eggs are cooked.

Now close the vessel and reduce flame to minimum.

Let it remain there for 10 minutes. Switch off after the egg gets completely cooked.

Muttai kuzhambu is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with rice / roti.
Today I prepared cabbage peas poriyal as side dish along with hot rice to go with this spicy egg curry.

Note:
we can add hard boiled eggs or omelet also instead of poaching.