Egg Lonvaas Recipe: An East Indian Curry To Enjoy For Dinner

The East Indian lonvaas is a quintessential regional curry recipe that is a staple in the community’s homes. What makes the curry so distinctively East Indian, is the addition of bottle masala – a cocktail of 30 spices that are laboriously sun-dried, roasted and pounded. This bottle masala is the East Indian equivalent to garam masala and is used liberally across many recipes in the community; the lonvaas being one of them.

The lonvaas is a spicy, slightly sweet curry, typically eaten with East Indian breads like fugiyas, varias and chitaps. Usually, the lonvaas is associated with being a meat-based curry that is made with mutton, chicken, pork, duck and seafood. Although making lonvaas can be an arduous process, it is the perfect recipe to make when you’re looking to spend some time pottering about in the kitchen on a Sunday. The lonvaas curry tastes equally delicious when paired with rice or flatbreads and even gluten-free rice bhakris. Here’s how you can recreate the recipe at home

Image Credits: Steffi's Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, boiled
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
• 2 tablespoons bottle masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Method

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East Indian Mutton Curry: A Flavourful Choice For Dinner

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Sauté until they turn golden brown before adding the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies to the pan. Cook for a minute until the raw smell of the paste disappears.
• Add the bottle masala to the mixture and toss around before tipping in the chopped tomatoes and cooking until they become soft and mushy. Add the turmeric, red chilli, cumin and coriander powders before seasoning with salt. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the spices to blend together.
• Deglaze the pan with a bit of water before pouring in the coconut milk and combining with the spice mixture. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes until the flavours combine and the sauce thickens slightly.
• Gently add the hard-boiled eggs to the sauce, ensuring they are coated evenly. Cover the pan and let it cook on low heat for about 5-7 minutes, allowing the flavours to permeate the eggs. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, roti, or bread.