Egg Salan/Andey Ke Salan

When mum planned to cook Biryani, I couldn’t stop thinking about baingan ka salan which created a long lasting impression in me. But to my fate mum ran out of baingan and all i had were eggs. So her you go with my take on Andhra’s traditional recipe of salan. I wouldn’t call it an authentic recipe but be sure it’s a tantalizer!

Ingredients:

Eggs-2, hard boiled and peeled

Onions-1/2 cup, sliced

Salt- as needed

Curry leaves-1 sprig

Tamarind-1 gooseberry sized ball, soaked in 1 cup water

Oil-3 tbsp

To Roast & Grind:

Coriander seeds-1 tbsp

Channa Dal/ Bengal Gram -1 tbsp

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Black Peppercorns-5

Peanuts-1 tbsp

Sesame seeds-1 tsp

Dried red chillies-2

Fennel Seeds-1/2 tsp

Cinnamon-1 inch piece

Cloves-2

Stone flower-1/2 tsp

Coconut-2 tbsp, grated

Oil-1 tsp

How It Happened:

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, and add the ingredients given under the ‘to roast and grind’ list one by one and roast till golden brown.

2. Switch off the pan, let it cool, and then grind it with a little water to a smooth paste and set aside.

3. Heat the same pan and add the remaining oil and add the sliced onions and curry leaves.

4. When they turn golden brown, add the ground paste, salt and the tamarind water and mix well.

5. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until it starts bubbling and the raw smell goes off.

6. Then add the boiled eggs and cook in simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the gravy reaches the preferred consistency.

7. Switch off the flame and serve hot with Biryani or rotis.

Notes:

* Hard boil the eggs and make slits on it so that the spices can seep in.

*Adjust the tamarind quantity as per your taste.

* Turmeric powder, ginger and garlic paste can also be added.