KULIA with EGGS

Ingredients

• 8 whole eggs (Hard-boiled and shelled. To hard-boil: place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to cold water to cool before shelling.)
• 500 g potatoes (Approximately ½ seer. Peeled and cut into large chunks.)
• 125 g onions (Approximately 1 powa. Peeled and finely chopped.)
• 60 g peas, green or dried (soaked overnight) (Approximately ½ powa. Use fresh or frozen green peas, or dried peas soaked in water overnight until softened.)
• 125 g ghee or neutral cooking oil (Approximately ½ powa. Ghee gives a richer, more traditional flavour; a neutral oil such as sunflower also works.)
• 12 g ground coriander (Approximately 1 tola. To be made into a paste with the other spices.)
• 12 g fresh ginger (Approximately 1 tola. Peeled and grated or finely minced, to be combined into the spice paste.)
• 12 g salt (Approximately 1 tola. Adjust to taste.)
• 6 g ground turmeric (Approximately ½ tola. To be included in the spice paste.)
• 6 g ground black pepper (Approximately ½ tola. To be included in the spice paste.)
• 6 g ground cumin (Approximately ½ tola. To be included in the spice paste.)
• 3 g garam masala (Approximately ¼ tola. Use powdered garam masala. Added at the very end of cooking.)
• 4 leaves cassia leaves (A few leaves. Cassia leaves (also called Indian bay leaves or tej patta) are used for tempering. Dried bay leaves can be used as a substitute though the flavour differs.)
• 4 whole dried red chillies (Used in two places: some go into the spice paste, and some are fried whole in the tempering. Adjust quantity to your heat preference.)
• 4 whole whole cloves (Used in the final tempering (tarka). A few whole cloves are sufficient.)
• 250 ml water (Used to loosen the spice paste and form the curry sauce. Add more as needed to achieve a loose, brothy consistency.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the 8 eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water and transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water. Leave them to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel away the shells and discard them. Cut each egg in half lengthways and set aside on a plate.
2. 2While the eggs are cooling, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, roughly 4–5 cm pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into small pieces. If using dried peas, ensure they have been soaked overnight and drained. Set all the prepared vegetables aside separately.
3. 3In a small bowl, combine the ground coriander, grated ginger, salt, ground turmeric, ground black pepper, ground cumin, and a couple of the dried red chillies (crumbled or left whole). Add just enough water — roughly 2–3 tablespoons — to bring everything together into a thick, smooth paste. Mix well until fully combined and set aside.
4. 4Heat a generous portion of the ghee or oil in a large, heavy-based pan or karahi over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the halved eggs cut-side down and fry for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped onions and fry, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove the onions and set aside separately from the eggs.
5. 5In the same pan over medium-high heat, add the potato chunks and peas. Fry them together, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until the potatoes begin to colour and develop some golden patches on the outside. Add the prepared spice paste to the pan along with approximately 200 ml of water. Stir well to coat the potatoes and peas thoroughly in the spiced sauce. The mixture should have enough liquid to bubble gently — add a splash more water if it looks too dry.
6. 6Bring the curry to a gentle boil over medium heat, then partially cover with a lid and cook for about 8–10 minutes, until the potatoes are roughly halfway cooked — they should still have some resistance when pressed with a spoon but no longer be completely raw inside. At this point, gently stir in the browned eggs and the browned onions. Continue to cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring gently occasionally, until the potatoes are fully tender and the curry has a loose, brothy consistency. This should take another 8–10 minutes.
7. 7In a small separate pan or ladle, heat the remaining ghee or oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cassia leaves, the remaining whole dried red chillies, and the whole cloves. Fry for 30–60 seconds, stirring, until the leaves sizzle and become fragrant and the chillies darken slightly — be careful not to burn them. Immediately pour this entire tempering — including all the infused oil and fried spices — over the curry in the main pan. Stir gently to combine.
8. 8Sprinkle the powdered garam masala evenly over the curry and stir gently to incorporate. Check that a small amount of brothy sauce (soup) remains in the pan — this dish should not be dry. If it has reduced too much, add a small splash of water and stir. Remove the pan from the heat while a little liquid remains in the bottom. Serve immediately while hot.