South Indian egg curry recipe
By Swasthi on August 10, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe
South Indian egg curry made with boiled eggs, curry leaves & spices. This simple curry can be made easily even by beginners and pairs so well with rice, biryani, pulao, roti, butter naan, chapathi or plain paratha. Eggs are one of the most versatile & healthy foods that can be put to use in numerous ways. Making a egg curry is the simplest and most loved by many.

The recipe shared here uses basic ingredients and are mostly pantry staples. It is simple, quick to make, tastes hot, spicy and delicious. Each region has their own way of making egg curry.
Potatoes, drumsticks, coconut milk, fresh coconut and yogurt are some of the taste enhancers to make curries used based on the region. In most recipes, the basic ingredients like onions, tomatoes and spices remain the same.
The key ingredients used in a South Indian curry are curry leaves, garlic and some times coconut milk or coconut. Since I did not have coconut I used cashews here. If you have fresh coconut you can use it or add some coconut milk.
Preparation
1. If you are a new cook and don’t know how to boil eggs, here are the steps. Wash and place the eggs in a pot, half filled with water. The water should be little more than to cover them.
Boil the eggs on a medium heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 mins until you see cracks over the shells. Turn off the stove. Allow the water to cool down. Drain and add fresh water to the pot. Peel the boiled eggs and make few gashes over each egg. Keep these aside.
2. While the eggs boil, chop onions very finely. Set aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil.

4. When the oil is hot enough, add cumin. Allow it to splutter and add curry leaves or mint.

5. Add onions and chilies. Saute well till they turn golden.

6. This step is optional. If you are okay with chunky masala then just use chopped tomatoes. While the onions fry, add tomatoes and cashews to a blender jar. You can also substitute cashews with fresh coconut or just skip them. Make a smooth puree. Keep this aside.

7. When the onions turn golden, add ginger garlic paste.

8. Saute well till the raw smell goes away.

9. Add the tomato cashew puree.

10. Saute well for about 3 to 4 mins. The onion tomato mixture blends well.

How to make South Indian egg curry
11. Add chili powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder.

12. Fry all these till the raw smell goes away. The mixture comes together as well at this stage.

13. Add eggs and saute for 2 mins. Be gentle and don’t break the eggs. You can also move the masala aside and add little oil to the pan. Fry the eggs until golden.

14. Pour water just enough to make a gravy. I used about 3/4 to 1 cup.

15. Do not add too much water as the gravy can turn runny.

16. Cover and cook until the gravy turns thick. Check salt and add more if needed.

17. When the curry is done, you will see the gravy turns thick with traces of oil over it. If you wish to add coconut milk, pour it now. Give a quick stir and turn off.

Do not over cook as eggs turn hard. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve egg curry with rice, roti or chapathi.


South Indian egg curry
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 4 eggs boiled
- 2 tbsps oil
- ½ to ¾ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 to 2 sprigs curry leaves or kadi patta or mint or pudina
- 1 cup onions finely chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1 ¼ tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped or pureed
- 8 cashews or 4 tbsps of coconut (optional)
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- ¾ tsp red chili powder or lal mirch powder
- ¾ to 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder or daniya powder
- Salt as needed (I used more than ½ tsp)
- ¾ to 1 cup Water or as needed
- 3 tbsp Coriander leaves or cilantro chopped
- 3 tbsp coconut milk (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel the boiled eggs and make few gashes over each egg. Keep these aside.
- You can use chopped tomatoes in the recipe. Or make a smooth puree of tomatoes and cashews (or coconut). Set this aside.
How to make South Indian egg curry
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and allow to splutter.
- Then add curry leaves. When they begin to splutter, add onions and green chilies.
- Keep stirring and fry until the onions turn golden to light brown.
- When the onions turn golden, add ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell of the garlic has gone.
- Pour the tomato puree. Saute for a while until the tomatoes and onions blend well.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric, salt, garam masala and coriander powder.
- Mix well. Cook for a few minutes till the mixture begins to smell good. The raw smell must go away.
- Add the eggs and fry for 2 minutes stirring gently.
- Pour water just enough to make a gravy.
- Cover the pan and Cook on a medium heat.
- Within minutes the gravy turns thick and traces of oil appear over the curry.
- If needed add more salt.
- This step is optional. If using coconut milk, pour it and stir in. Do not cook for long after adding coconut milk.
- Sprinkle some coriander leaves. Turn off the stove.
- Serve egg curry with plain rice or chapathi.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
Video of egg curry recipe
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes

About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Thank you for the recipe.
Welcome!
WOW absolutely delicious……..I’m just enjoying it whilst I write.
I added spinach and having it with couscous instead of rice.
Beautiful….dish.
Thank you x
Hi Theresa
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. Love that you served it with couscous.
Thank you!
Tried this recipe and liked it a lot. Thanks.
Welcome Lobo
too much vinegar for eggs! may be it is okay for pork but not for eggs and chicken…….
What can i add as substitute for coconut milk?
Hi Hana,
Just skip the coconut milk. It is an optional ingredient.
Thank You for the recipe. Sounds yummy. I will try it for lunch today 🙂
Welcome Sarala
Yes do try it!
Egg biryani turned yum.potatoes made a big difference.All the recipes I have tried turned out well.thanks for sharing.
Hi Imogen
Thank you so much for trying. Happy to know it came out good.
Nice recipe
Thank you
Respected sir…hame apki recipe acchi lagi ….mene kuch experiments kiye he vo me apke shath share karna chahti hu …mene onions or lahsun adrak ko oil me rost kiya or onions thode brown hone k baad usme kisa hua narial rost kiya or slow flam PR pakane k baad uski pest banai or tomato or kaju Ki alag pest banai …baad me fir se oil me onions Ki pest ko fry Krke usme lal mirch power or Everest k chicken or meat or thoda garam masala dal k pakaya fir tomato Ki pest or pani dal k pakaya …test different ayi thoda smoki flavour add hua.
Thank u
Hi Shilpa
Thanks for sharing your method.
I have just made this x fabulous I shall be following your excellent page and trying more recipes x
Thanks for trying Sharon
Glad to know you liked it. Yes do try more recipes and enjoy the food!!
🙂
Swati mam thank you so much for sharing simple recipe
Welcome Shivanand Burge
Hi mam receipe is too good
Thanks
Swasthi, I also appreciated your very useful directions – regarding “cooking till the raw smell of ingredients goes away” etc. Thank you for these important tips!
Welcome Shilpa
Thanks for trying and sharing the outcome
Swasthi – your egg curry, chunky style, came out delicious! Thank you! Love the mint in it!
The steps are simple and wonderful. Today I also prepared the egg curry following your useful tips. It’s really amazing.
Thank you.
Welcome Sonam
Very tasty and easy to cook thanks for u r recipe
Welcome Aiswarya
thank u for the simple egg curry recipe!!
Welcome
I tried your recipe tonight, and it turned out very good! A big thank you from Italy!
Welcome Paola
Glad to know you liked it
thanks
Loved your recepie delectable and easy to cook .Thanks
Welcome Ajay
Thanks..steps made very simple
welcome Willie
Thanks for the simple egg curry receipe. I made it today, kids found it tasty. It is easy to cook in short period of time.
Welcome Shasi
Thanks for trying