Curried Eggs
Al Brown

Makes
24Ingredients
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled | |
3 tablespoons canola oil | |
½ cup (80g) finely diced shallots | |
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger | |
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic | |
1 teaspoon garam masala | |
2 teaspoons ground cumin | |
2 teaspoons curry powder | |
½ teaspoon ground turmeric | |
1½ teaspoons hot sauce, such as Kaitaia Fire | |
1 cup (250g) mayonnaise | |
1 tablespoon lemon juice | |
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL) | |
fried red chillies | |
fried curry leaves | |
dukkah | |
a handful of coriander leaves |
I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for curried eggs. Mum used to make them as a ‘pre’ for dinner parties. They were a bit of a mainstay, along with ‘devils on horseback’, tinned-asparagus rolls and exotic edible works of art such as whole pineapples with a bunch of cheese-and-cherry-loaded toothpicks anchoring the spread.
Traditional curried egg recipes were pretty standard: egg, curry powder, mayo and maybe a bit of curly parsley for colour. As you’ll see below, I’ve attempted to take them up a notch or two on the culinary ladder.
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Instructions
1. | Take a sharp knife and cut the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthways. |
2. | Carefully remove the yolks and place in a small bowl. |
3. | Keep the egg-white halves on a tray in the fridge until required. |
4. | Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. |
5. | Once hot, add the oil, along with the shallots, ginger and garlic. |
6. | Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, sweat the mix for 10–15 minutes until soft and translucent. |
7. | Add the spices, stir through and cook out for a couple of minutes before adding the contents of the pan to the cooked egg yolks. Let cool. |
8. | Add the hot sauce, mayo and lemon juice to the egg yolk and spice mixture. |
9. | Season to taste. Combine with a fork or wooden spoon until soft and creamy. |
10. | Place the curried egg mixture into a piping bag. |
11. | Take the egg-white halves from the fridge and pipe the curried egg mix into the centres. |
12. | Place in the fridge to keep cool prior to serving. |
13. | You’ll see I have put a bunch of ‘to serve’ garnish options, all of which are optional. It’s up to you. I have used all of these and, other than the extra layers of taste that they bring, it’s actually the textural contrast that really adds to the eating enjoyment. |
Recipes extracted from
Eat Up New Zealand: The
Bach Edition by Al Brown,
photography by Josh
Griggs, published by Allen
& Unwin NZ, RRP $49.99.
Tags: Issue 220