Kerala egg roast (Mutta roast)

This is a very traditional recipe that highlights the essence of Keralite cooking. Unlike most recipes from the region, it is simple but banging with flavours. The soul of this dish is in the spice mix.

The eggs are smothered in a lovely tomato-based curry that is subtle yet flavourful. The contrast in colour, white eggs and red curry is eye-catching on the table. The soft notes of the mild spices make this dish addictive and one that you will go back to again. You can serve this dish in two styles. Traditionally, the eggs are kept whole and mixed into the curry and cooked. However, I like to thicken the curry a bit to concentrate the flavours and add the eggs as a topping.

This cookbook specializes in the cuisine of Syrian Christians in Kerala. This community traces its ancestry back to the supposed arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle to Kerala in the 1st century. The cuisine has a distinct Anglo-Indian influence from the Portuguese influence and cooking techniques. It is very meat-heavy with duck, beef and mutton taking centre stage. The cuisine is loaded with heavy spices and is rich and bursts with flavours. This book is packed with traditional recipes that define this cuisine. This is a cookbook for those of us who want to experience this fabulous cuisine at home.

For more recipes from this cookbook click here.

2-3 tablespoons ghee

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste

12 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1-2 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

2 -3 tomatoes, finely chopped or tomato purèe

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved longitudinally

Heat the ghee in a pot and fry the onions on medium-low heat till lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and fry till the ginger no longer smells raw about 1 minute.

Add the curry leaves, turmeric, and chilli powder and give the ingredients a quick toss. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the whole eggs. Simmer for 10-12 minutes till the sauce has thickened and coats the eggs well.

Spoon the sauce into a shallow platter. Cut the eggs in half longitudinally and place them on the sauce. Serve immediately.