Can we make eggs taste eggs-o-tic? out of the world? …Why not??

Eggs are one of the wonderful ingredients in the culinary world which had been utilized in myriad ways since ancient times to become an integral part of cooking as a part of different food habits around the world across cultures & civilizations, to enhance the gastronomic experiences, to enhance taste, textures & nutrition, to supplement diets for health and lot more. Mostly for the people who are not pure vegetarians, eggs fulfill multiple purposes in their diet. In addition, they are also easy to cook, handle, eat, digest and assimilate by us. Eggs are consumed with love and liked by most of the people including the children and elderly alike albeit some people may have restrictions on their consumption. This delicious and healthy food item can be had with minimum preparations, i.e. boiled, half-boiled, quarter-boiled, omelette, poached or fried with sunny side up, or can be added into salads & soups, or made into pancakes, or as you like it and everything tastes just marvelous and it is also one of the important ingredients in bakeries. Indians in major numbers would like their eggs to be curried or in the form of omelettes with seasonings, spices and condiments. These protein rich power packs are also rich in many vitamins & minerals and can serve as a quick, compact source of nutrients in times of hurry. They can be prepared very simply if you want, with bare minimum ingredients yet they taste just divine. They are easy to get and store which make them available even during hard times as for example, during the COVID pandemic, when lockdown was on and we were all stranded in our homes with minimum groceries and ingredients and yet we wanted a healthy meal for every family member, at that time eggs had played an important role in nourishing us and keeping us healthy & immune. One of the preparations that had served & pleased our taste buds during that time in our household was this Doi Dim, as both eggs & dairy were comparatively easily available then and this dish was a perfect fit for the summer months.

Doi Dim or Doi Maach are some of the similar, popular authentic bengali recipes prepared in the households with slight variations in their style of cooking & the ingredients used yet unified with a common underlying aspect of yumminess & a pleasant feel. This authentic bengali homely recipe of Doi Dim, which is nothing but eggs cooked in a mildly spiced yogurt based curry with minimal ingredients, is loved by all, both kids & elderly alike. Now since the summer heat is burning us and we need something flavourful and that too soothing to our senses & light to our tummy, this recipe of eggs is a great option to try. I am sharing this recipe of my aunt which she fondly prepares for us often during any hot & humid summer day. Try out this special dish for your sunday lunch which can also serve to please your guests with minimum effort. Then what are you waiting for, why not try this? right?

Now, let’s jump to the recipe below👇

RECIPE :

Ingredients :-
1) Hen’s eggs (whole, boiled) – 3-4.
2) Plain curd – 1 cup.
3) Onion (chopped) – 1 medium
4) Ginger (finely chopped or grated) – 1/2 tsp
5) Green chillies – 2 (chopped), 2-3 (whole)
6) Dry red chilli – 1
7) Bay leaf – 1
8) Cinnamon (slightly crushed) – 1 or 2 small piece
9) Green Cardamom (slightly crushed) – 2 or 3
10) Roasted peanut (coarsely ground) – 1 or 2 tsp 11) Raisins – 5-6
12) Bengali garam masala powder (cinnamon and cardamom ground together) – 1/2 tsp
13) Refined oil – 1 tbs
14) Roasted spice mix powder (1 red chilli, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1/2 large cardamom, 2 green cardamom, 1/4th tsp sauf/fennel) – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Note:- This spice mix is optional to make your curry little more spicy and aromatic and can be prepared in advance & stored in air tight container & that can also be used to make other curries.
15) Refined flour (Maida) – 1/4th tsp.
16) Salt – As per taste
17) Sugar – 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Preparation :-

1. Peel your eggs and keep aside.
2. Beat the curd in a bowl with little salt and refined flour and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add dry red chilli and saute till it turns dark.
4. Add bay leaf and saute.
5. Add cinnamon and cardamom to it and let it splatter.
6. Add the grated ginger and saute.
7. Add chopped onion and green chillies and saute.
8. Add roasted peanut powder to it and saute till the onion turns golden.
9. Add the beaten curd and the bengali garam masala powder and roasted spice mix powder to it.
10. Add salt and sugar to taste and mix them nicely together over a low flame.
11. Add the boiled eggs and little more water if the consistency of the gravy turns too thick.
12. Bring the mixture to boil over a low flame.
13. Simmer for 1 minute more and switch off the flame and bring it down.
14. Let it cool down completely.
15. Serve with plain rice or jeera rice for a pleasant experience.

Happy Summer !😋