Bengali Dimer Dalna

 Egg and potato curry with tomato, cumin, chilli & turmeric

Ingredients

• 6 boiled eggs shelled
• 200gms potato boiled, peeled and cut to chunks
• 5 tbsp mustard or vegetable oil
• 2 dried kashmiri chillies
• 1” cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 180gms white onion blended to a paste
• 2” ginger roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 150gms tomato finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or mild paprika)
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 300mls water
• Handful of coriander to garnish

Method

Add the ginger and garlic to a blender with a splash of water and blend to a smooth fine paste. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsps of oil over a medium heat in a frying pan. Add ½ tsp turmeric powder and cook for a couple of seconds followed by the boiled eggs. As the eggs fry the skin will crisp up slightly so shake the pan and until then for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside until you make the curry.

Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottom medium sauce pan. Add the dried chilli, cinnamon, bay leaf and cumin seeds frying for a few seconds

Now add the onion paste and fry over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes stirring frequentlyBengali Dimer Dalna (3)

Add the ginger garlic paste and cook out the raw flavours for 2 minutes

Now add the tomatoes along with the tomato puree and fry for 5 minutes. Using the back of the spoon and mash the tomatoes slightly

Add the turmeric, chilli and coriander powder and cook for 2 minutes as the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Add the sugar and season to taste. Add 100mls of water and simmer over a low heat

Add the boiled potatoes and stir well. Add the remaining water along with the eggs and stir. Simmer with the lid on for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve warm with rice.

Source: Maunika Gowardhan