Sri Lankan Egg Curry

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This mildly spiced egg curry is perfect at any meal with some flatbread, be it roti, naan, or even buttered sourdough. Top off your toasted bread and jammy eggs with a dollop of seeni sambol, and you’ve got the perfect bite.

Ingredients:

For the eggs:

  • 6 large ggs
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 4-inch piece pandan leaf (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the temper:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 8 fresh curry leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 green chili, sliced
  1. Soft boil your eggs: fill a medium saucepan with water bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully lower the eggs into the water and cook for 6 1/2 minutes, maintaining a gentle boil. Get a bowl filled with ice water ready, and when the eggs are cooked, transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the bowl of ice water. Once the eggs have cooled, peel the eggs and set aside.
  2. Make the curry: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium frying pan and add the onions. Fry for 4 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and pandan leaf, if using. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the onion begins to brown, then add the water, curry powder, and turmeric. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and glossy. Season with salt and remove from heat.
  3. Make the temper: Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and green chili. Fry for 1-2 minutes until everything is fragrant. Remove from heat.
  4. Before serving, gently reheat the curry and add the eggs, stirring carefully to coat them in the curry for about 2 minutes. Pour the temper on top of the curry and serve.

Dukkah-ish and Chocolate Ice Cream Topping

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This is the easiest and most delicious topping to take your vanilla ice cream to the next level. I hesitate to call this sprinkle dukkah (dukkah adjacent, maybe?), since dukkah is an Egyptian blend of seeds, nuts, and spices and this sprinkle is a blend of seeds, nuts, and chocolate. Two out of three ain’t bad I guess.

This topping would be just as satisfying on yogurt too, if you want to keep things healthier.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 3 tablespoons tahini, warmed
  1. Lightly toast peanuts and, sesame seeds in a small skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small plate; let cool, about 5 minutes. Stir together cooled peanut mixture, chocolate, and salt in a small bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream into each of 6 bowls. Drizzle each with 1/2 tablespoon tahini. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons dukkah.

Coconut Curry Beef Meatballs

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Here’s your new favorite curry recipe. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these curried meatballs can be made well ahead of time and reheated and served with rice, yogurt, and pickles for a perfect meal. Don’t want to use beef? Substitute with lamb. Just don’t skimp on the alliums and spices.

Ingredients:
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek, Indian, or Iranian yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 13-ounce can coconut milk
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice and lime wedges, for serving
  1. Puree onion, garlic, ginger, chile, and yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup onion puree to a large bowl. Add curry powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to remaining puree in blender and blend to combine; set aside. Add ground beef, panko, pepper, baking soda, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 water to 1/4 cup puree in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs (you should have about 20).
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs and oil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion puree to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until puree thickens and beads of oil form on the surface, about 6 minutes. Add coconut milk and ½ cup water; stir to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through about 10 minutes.
  4. Transfer curry to a serving bowl; top with green onions. Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Sweet Potato “Toast” with Bananas and Almond Butter

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These “toasts” may not be beautiful but they’re the perfect breakfast: both dense in nutrients and sweetly satisfying. Bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time and this dish comes together in minutes. This recipe makes enough for four people but feel free to scale up or down depending on your preference.

Ingredients:
  • 2 large sweet potatoes (skin on), cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch-thick slices
  • 1 teaspoon avocado or coconut oil
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 teaspoons almond butter
  • 1 banana, sliced into rounds
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the sweet potato slices on the baking sheet and toss with the oil and salt. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip over the slices and cook for 15 more minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Top each slice of sweet potato with a heaping teaspoon of almond butter, banana slices, and a pinch of sea salt and cinnamon.

Chicken Keema

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Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list for this super flavorful and aromatic ground chicken curry. You can make it ahead of time and the flavor only gets better in the fridge overnight. Serve it with rice, yogurt, and some fresh herbs on the side for the perfect meal.

Ingredients:
  • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder (depending on how spicy you want your keema to be)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pinch asafetida powder
  • 2 serrano or bird’s eye chiles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plain Indian or Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 6 teaspoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the asafetida power, serrano chiles, bay leaf, curry leaves, dried fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the onion. Stir everything together and saute until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot. Saute until they begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. Transfer the onion and spice mixture to a food processor. Reserve the pot. Add the yogurt to the food processor and pulse until a paste is formed, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  4. Place the peas in the reserved pot over medium heat. Cook the peas until they are thawed, about 1 minute. Add the ground chicken and 1 cup of water, stirring well, then add the butter and cook until it is melted, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric and the Kashmiri chili powder to the chicken. Stir everything together, cover the pot, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in the black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in the yogurt paste. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes more.
  7. Stir in the garam masala and remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve.