Janto Dimer Dalna / Bengali Poached Egg Curry

Janto Dimer Dalna is a simple Bengali style poached egg curry where the curry is cooked first and eggs are poached into it. A little different from the usual...but I can assure, it tastes million bucks!!

My mother learnt this recipe from my aunt and my aunt learnt it from her mother – in – law. Ma first described me it as a dish where she breaks an egg and drops it into the curry. Then she simmers it for some time and it’s done. I can remember the first time she made it, some yolks got missing and we had to eat only the egg whites. After that, Ma seldom made this curry.

Fry the potatoes until golden.

In the same oil add the minced garlic and saute for 15 secconds.

Add the chopped onions then and cook until golden brown.

After that add the chopped tomatoes and ginger and cook until mushy.

She was not happy. Of course...missing yolks could never make her happy. Then recently in a foodie group someone posted the recipe and I made up my mind to cook that. Now the problem I faced while I made the curry is same as my mother. My yolks got missing and then some got messed up really really bad. I tried the same recipe and then I realized that it’s due to the cooking vessel. So now I just cook the curry and then pour them in a skillet or flat pan and then break the eggs into them. Then I cover them and simmer on low flame until the egg whites firm up. And finally I wrap it up with coriander leaves and just a touch of garam masala powder.

Add potatoes, spices and water. Cook till the potatoes are cooked.

Transfer the egg curry to a skillet and break eggs into it. Cover and simmer till the egg whites firm up.

Do you know that the same poached egg curry or as we say it, Janto Dimer Dalna...is also known as Saksuka in Arabic Cuisine and it’s a breakfast dish?? I came to know about it just recently surprisingly!!

 This recipe is just the same as the basic egg curry I have shared before, but poaching the eggs in that curry gives the eggs a very nice feel and flavour and it looks surreal beautiful!! The contrasting reds and whites and greens make it irresitively tempting. And since poached eggs have always been my favourite, I am in love with Janto Dimer Dalna. It’s full of various yum factors!! J

Janto Dimer Dalna / Bengali Poached Egg Curry

Serves 3-6

Ingredients:

6 large fresh eggs

1 medium onion – chopped

1 tomato – chopped

5 cloves of garlic – minced

1 inch stick of ginger – minced / paste

2 potatoes – halved

1 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

2-3 whole green chillies – slitted

2 tbsp oil (preferably mustard)

½ tsp sugar 

Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a pan / kadai and fry the potatoes until they become nicely golden from the sides. Do not fry too much or else they will turn brown. Once done, keep aside.

In the same kadai / pan add the minced garlic and sauté for 10-15 seconds or until you get a nice garlicky aroma.

Immediately add the chopped onions to them and sauté until they become translucent.

Now add the sugar to them and cook till the onions become golden brown.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and minced ginger to them.

Mix and cook till they become mushy and oil start to ooze out from them.

Now add the spices, i,e. Cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.

Mix and pour in ¼ th cup of water to them. Also throw in the halved potatoes and mix in so that all the potatoes are nicely coated with them.

Put cover and simmer on medium flame for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes open the cover and stir again. If the water is evaporated by now then add some more water to them. However do not add too much water or else the onions will never melt and create a smooth and thick gravy.

Put cover again and cook for 2 more minutes. Again stir and add water if required. Cook in this way until the potatoes are soft and cooked from inside.

Once the potatoes are done, simmer until the desired consistency of the gravy is reached and then put off the flame.

Next pour the entire curry in a skillet or flat cooking pan. Put it on the lowest flame.

Take one egg and crack it in a cup.  With a spoon make 6 spaces in the curry. Slowly and carefully pour the raw egg into one of the spaced. Follow the same with the rest of the eggs.

When all the eggs are into the curry, put cover again and simmer on medium flame for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes, put off the flame but let the curry stay covered like that for another 2 minutes.

After that, open the cover and sprinkle garam masala, slitted green chillies and chopped coriander leaves over them.

Serve hot with some roti / paratha / chapatti / steamed hot rice.