Golden egg curry (ou hin)

The eggs in this Burmese recipe are hard-boiled, deep fried until golden and served in a spiced tomato sauce. I think this makes a fantastic lunchtime curry served with some rice.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 3 large Asian red eschalots (see Note)
• peanut oil, to deep-fry
• 1 pinch ground turmeric
• 4 extra-large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp coarsely ground chilli (see Note)
• 4 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 long green chillies, seeded, thickly sliced lengthwise
• coriander leaves and steamed white rice, to serve

Instructions

Process eschalots in a food processor to a fine paste. Set aside.

Fill a deep-fryer or large pan one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Add turmeric and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Lower eggs into the oil and cook, turning, for 2 minutes or until golden and a little blistered. Remove and drain on paper towel. Cut eggs in half.

Discard oil, reserving 60ml in the pan. Heat reserved oil over medium heat. Add eschalot paste, garlic and ground chilli, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 60ml water, and cook, stirring continuously, for 8 minutes or until tomatoes are softened. Stir in fish sauce and chillies. Season with salt.

Place eggs, cut-side down, in the sauce and cook for 3 minutes or until heated through. Scatter with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Note

• Available from Asian food shops and selected greengrocers.
• Coarsely ground chilli is from Asian food shops.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 8, pg145.

Photography by John Laurie.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.