EGG KURMA-HEALTHIER VERSION

EGG KURMA-HEALTHIER VERSION
Egg kurma with idlis and dosas is a favorite weekend breakfast for us. I have already posted the original egg kurma recipe MIL used to make in my initial post. Sometimes when I am with my in-laws, my MIL used to make this dish for my husband on Sundays since he is a vegetarian, while there will be some non-vegetarian dish as a side dish for the rest of us carnivores. I rarely make egg kurma these days since we started cutting down on carbs and fat in our diet. Recently I tried substituting the coconut with walnuts and used egg whites instead of whole eggs and the taste and color of this kurma was similar to the original full-fat recipe. In fact, this version was also very creamy. This is a very heart-healthy dish too. Even my mom started making chicken kurma this way. For my vegetarian friends, the same method can be used for vegetable kurma.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Onion, medium-sized, 1.
2. Tomato, 1.
3. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
4. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
5. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
6. Bay leaf, 1.
7. Egg Beaters or egg whites, 1 cup.
8. Walnuts, ¼ cup.
9. Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
10. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
11. Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
12. Salt, as per taste.
13. Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
Beat the egg whites with a fork and keep aside. Grind the walnuts into a smooth paste. A teaspoon of poppy seeds can also be added along with the walnuts while grinding. Dice the onion and tomato finely. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and fry them for 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and tomato and sauté for few minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until everything is well blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fry for a minute until the raw smell of the spices goes. Add walnut paste with 1-1/2 cup of water with salt and cook over a medium flame for 10 minutes. When the kurma starts to thicken, pour spoonfuls of the egg whites into the kurma. Don’t mix the gravy after the egg whites are poured into the gravy. They will start to float on the top as they cook. Cook them closed for 5 more minutes. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with idlis or dosas.

Variation: A spoonful of garam masala powder can also be used in place of the whole spices.