Picnic Egg Curry/Picnic Dimer Jhol

Picnic Dimer Jhol/Picnic Egg Curry

With the winters approaching, picnics are also round the corner.Previously,when cities were less crowded,and greeneries were abundant the small playing ground of ours used to be the picnic spot, where, over wooden logs, we used to prepare Rice,dal and either chicken curry or egg curry. The curry used to be very watery with pieces of crushed ginger and garlic and the smell of wood used to be get diffused into the soup.The serving used to be in paper plates and the light soupy curry used to fall down from one side of the plate.Most winter picnics, we had were at night. The winters are a lovely time, with dew drops on the blades of grasses and a lovely chill. We used to have a halogen lamp at one corner of the playground and all of us used to get down to cutting,cleaning and cooking jobs. It was a great feeling and I am sure most will recognize their younger days with small but happy moments such as these. We still have an annual picnic every year, but unlike on playgrounds,nowadays we have it on the terraces.

Here is a "Picnic Egg Curry" recipe, which distinguishes itself with the smoky flavour of wooden logs and crushes pieces of ginger and garlic and it outright tasty.It is quite watery and goes great with rice.For the kitchen, we need the oven instead of wooden logs.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time:10 mins
Cooking Time:30 mins

Ingredients:

• Eggs: 4.Hardboiled and slit into halves.
• Potato: 1 medium sized(50 gms).Cut longituinally.
• Tomato:1 medium sized(50 gms).Cut into small pieces.
• Onion: 1 large(75-80 gms).Cut into longitudinal slices.
• Garlic: 5-6 cloves.Crushed.
• Ginger: One 1 inch slice.Crushed.
• Green Chillies: 2.Slit
• Coriander Leaves: 3 tbsp
• Mustard Oil:2 tb sp for frying the potatoes and egg halves.2 tb sp for the curry.
• Sugar: 1/2 tsp
• Salt:As per taste.

Powdered Spices:
Turmeric Powder:

•  1.5 tsp for coating the egg halves before frying.
•  1 tsp for coating the potato slices before frying.
•  1 tsp for the curry.

Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp

Whole Spices:

• 1 Bay leaf

Procedure:

• Heat the mustard oil meant for frying in a kadai
• Coat the egg halves with turmeric powder and some salt to taste.Fry to 2 mins under low fire.Ensure that the yolk doesnot come out.Keep aside once done.
• In the left over oil, under the low fire, fry the potato slices after coating with turmeric powder and salt to taste.Keep aside once done.
• Then add the mustard oil meant for the curry.Wait for it to get hot.
• Turn the heat to low and add the bay leaf.
• After about one minute, add the crushed ginger and garlic.
• Let the smell evolve, then add the onion slices and sprinkle some sugar
• stir for 6-8 mins,until the onion slices turn brown. In it, add the tomato slices and powdered spices.
• The addition of tomato slices introduces moisture to the mixture.So,increase the heat to medium.Stir for 3-4 mins until the moisture has vapourized.
• Then add water, depending upon the amount of soup required.Add salt to taste.
• Upon stirring for 2-3 mins, add the coriander leaves and slit green chillies. In it, add the fried egg halves and potatoes.
• Cover the kadai with a lid.
• Reduce the oven to low.
• Let the mixture simmer for 15 mins, at the end of which the curry should be ready.

Serve with steamed rice.