Egg Curry in Onion Seeds(Dimer Kalia)

Kalia is a Bengali cooking term which denotes a very rich preparation of fish, meat, egg even vegetables, using a fair amount of oil and ghee with a sauce usually based on ground ginger,garlic and onion paste and finally with a sprinkle of Bengali garam masala (a grounded powder of cinnamon, cardamom).

Today while writing down this recipe i could remember the day i first came to chennai and tried cooking this thinking i could excel this recipe like my dad.Let me take this opportunity to tell that my dad is a fantastic cook and he cooks this recipe like out of this world.I just try each time for nearing to his excellency in cooking this Recipe.

So, Let me share this recipe :

Ingredients : 

Hard Boiled Egg :4

Potato-2 (halves i.e 4 pieces)

Onion : 2(medium)

Ginger : 1"piece

Garlic : 3 Cloves

Green chilli : 1 or 2 ( as per taste)

Tomato : 1(medium)

Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.

Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.

Onion Seeds/Kalo Jeera: Half Spoon

Salt to taste

Sugar : 1 tsp.

Oil (Mustard oil preferably) : 2 tblsp.

Green chilli : 2 or 3 ( as per taste)

Garam Masala powder : 2 tsp.(a grounded powder of cinnamon, cardamom )

Fresh coriander leaves : a little (to garnish)

Method : 

• Boil the egg in enough water for at least 10 minutes. Take them out, take the shells out, smear a pinch of salt and turmeric powder over them and keep aside.
• Cut onions in long, thin slices. Make a smooth paste of onion,ginger, garlic and green chilli. Chop the tomatoes.
• Heat oil in a pan. If using mustard oil, wait until smoke goes off, then add boiled eggs. Fry until light brown from all sides. Keep them aside.
• Now, Fry potatoes till brown in the same oil and keep aside.
• In the same oil, throw all Onion Seeds/Kalo-jeera at one time, when they start to splutter, add onions paste. Lower the heat and fry onions until it turns brown, then add sugar ( adding sugar while frying onions, gives the curry a nice golden color). 
• Fry for another minute, then add ginger-garlic-chilli paste. Stir well to mix the paste with onions, then add chopped tomatoes and turmeric and chilli powder. Add 1 tblsp. of water and mix spices well. Stir well until tomatoes get soft and oil comes out from the spices.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and add salt to taste. Add fried eggs and let them cook. When gravy thickens, sprinkle Garam masala powder over it. Mix well with the gravy and take the pan off the heat.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

NB: It goes well with white rice and home made chapati.
Tips: Slow cooking in simmer or medium heat will enhance the taste of this Recipe.