EGG STEW ; MY STYLE

This "My Style" also is a hired idea, it perhaps was hired some 16-17 years back from some magazine or a TV show in Kolkata. I was in a dire need of cooking an all in one healthy dish that could be mashed with freshly made rice or chapati and feed the son. I consider this curry a Bengali Stew thinking who else on earth adds turmeric, a bit of everything from ginger to garlic to a stew? I used to do the same curry in turns using fresh Bengal Carp, Chicken, Egg. I prefer the chicken & fish version of it, whilst the then toddler preferred the chicken version more, then the fish & egg. We would cook it less when the father would be at home after long sails. All of us three enjoyed it with toasted bread or chapati, not really does this non-vegetarian side; a light egg curry EGG STEW ; MY STYLE go with plain rice, you can try it with masala bhaat / spiced up rice.

I learnt this stew like curry from a need to feed our toddler healthy food as a substitution to cerelac, with gluten allergy he could not have milk powders except Pediasure. Think of a Kolkata around 2004-2005; how many knew about the variety of millets available except for samo rice which the Bengalis eat? At least, I did not! I was not among those learned few who have finished all the chapters in food anatomy and earned a distinction to downplay others. So, it was mostly rice meal for the mother and son, three times a day until one day I felt I may burst any day. I had no time to look after myself, my child's upbringing  was of utmost importance to me. I just lessened the rice intake, started doing some breathing exercises. Because I love food too much, cannot eat bland all the time; have a very Indian taste bud; being slim is not my cuppa.

I think Southern India does it's stews using coconut milk, curry leaves, etc. At times, I do their way too, I am just not fond of using too much of coconut milk in cooking. I simply love narkol kora / shredded coconut. But our everyday cooking does not require coconut as such. I do not know much about history of food of any community; in my family coconut is pious and is a major ingredient in homestyle sweets. Oh! how I love the shredded coconut and black mustard, green chilli combination! But we need to cleanse our system at intervals. So, I cook this kind of stew like non-vegetarian curries using minimal amount of ginger-garlic pastes, whole garam masalas to flavour, onion, a little of milk towards the end. I do the same curry with chicken, Bengal Carps and with eggs like this one; EGG STEW ; MY STYLE.

INGREDIENTS :

EGG : 8-10
CARROT : 2
FRENCH BEAN : 5-6
POTATO : 1BIG SIZED
GREEN PEA : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
ONION : 2-3 MEDIUM SIZED
TOMATO : 2 MEDIUM SIZED
GARLIC PASTE : 1TSP
GINGER PASTE : 2TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
CINNAMON STICK : 2-4 HALF FINGER LENGTH
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CLOVE : 2-3
TURMERIC POWDER : 2 PINCH
CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP
MILK : 1SMALL TEA CUP AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1/3 TSP
BUTTER : 1TBSP
OIL : 3TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash and boil the eggs in enough water for 6-7 minutes and let it cool.

Meanwhile, discard the ends, peel and cube the carrots. Discard the two ends of the beans and  cut them lengthwise; discard the two ends, peel and slice the onions, peel the potato and make 8 pieces, cut the tomatoes. Take each in separate bowls and wash. Add little salt and rub well. [use cauliflower, I did not have].

Rub some salt in the egg pieces too after peeling. Heat the oil in a wok and temper it with the whole cinnamon, green cardamom, clove, bay leaf.

Add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic pastes and stir fry for a minute.

Add the carrot & potato pieces and stir at low heat for 2 minutes. Add the French beans and stir for 1/2 a minute. 

Now add the boiled and salt marinated eggs & tomatoes, turmeric, crushed black pepper and stir for few minutes. Lower the heat to minimal and cover cook for 5 minutes. 

Open the cover and add 1 coffee mug of hot water, green peas. Bring it to boil and let it boil at minimal heat for 5-6 minutes.

Now add the milk & sugar, adjust the salt; give a stir and cook not more than 1-2 minutes. 

Switch off the gas and add the butter, give a stir. Try to have it fresh.

[you can add a bit of cornflour to the milk before adding it to the wok, I did not].