Cheap Eats – Hard Boiled Egg Curry

LS;NT (Long Story; No Time) – I needed an impressive dish that was fast, good, and cheap. So I waylaid three of my favorite cuisines in a dark kitchen cabinet, and came up with this little dish.

Picture this: silky eggs kissed with aromatic spices, then bathed in luscious green curry. This isn’t just fusion cooking – it’s proof that amazing flavor doesn’t need expensive ingredients. At roughly $4-5 per serving, you get restaurant-quality taste at home prices. Plus you’ll have bonus eggs for snacks all week.

Fire up that Instapot because we’re heading straight into flavor town, and your budget is totally invited.

The Foundation: Perfect Eggs Every Time

Here’s the smart move – steam a full dozen eggs because why not maximize that Instapot? At $7 per dozen, you’re making the full investment. But here’s the genius part: eight eggs go into this amazing curry, and four get saved for quick snacks throughout the week.

Your meal prep game just levels up.

Toss all twelve eggs into your pressure cooker with a cup of water. Set it for 5 minutes on high pressure. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then hit quick release.

The moment that steam stops hissing, get those eggs straight into an ice bath. This cold shock stops the cooking and prevents those gray rings around the yolks. Let them chill for about 5 minutes until you can handle them without swearing.

Now for the satisfying part: peel away those shells to reveal perfect, creamy eggs. Pick your eight best-looking eggs for the curry. Save the other four for later – they’ll keep perfectly in the fridge for up to a week.

Slice those eight eggs cleanly in half lengthwise. Look at those golden yolks! They’re practically begging for spices.

The Spice Magic Begins

Heat up your cast iron skillet until it’s properly hot. We’re talking desert-rock temperature here. Drop in a generous knob of butter and let it foam and sizzle.

While that butter gets happy, mix your spice blend. Combine garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, and just a whisper of cayenne pepper. This becomes your flavor foundation – the Indian soul of this fusion masterpiece.

Dust those eight halved eggs generously with this aromatic blend. Make sure every surface gets love.

Place those spiced beauties cut-side down in that sizzling butter. Listen to that satisfying sizzle. Don’t move them! Let them develop a gorgeous golden crust. Give them about 3-4 minutes to work their magic, then flip gently for just another minute.

Enter the Green Curry

Now you’re ready for the Thai transformation. Pour in that coconut-rich green curry sauce. You want the real deal with lemongrass, galangal, Thai basil, and all those complex aromatics that make Thai cuisine incredible. You can use a prepared paste or make your own.

The sauce should come about halfway up the eggs. This creates the perfect simmering environment.

Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let those spiced eggs take a luxurious bath, toss to coat and heat through. This is where the magic happens. Indian spices mellow and meld with the Thai curry base. The Chinese-inspired braising technique brings it all together.

Watch the sauce reduce slightly as flavors concentrate. The eggs absorb all those incredible aromatics while staying perfectly tender.

The Perfect Sidekick: Boom Boom Sauce

Every great dish needs its wingman. This boom boom sauce aioli bridges all three cuisines while adding its own personality.

Start with half a cup of good mayo. Add two tablespoons of sriracha for heat. One tablespoon of sweet chili sauce for that sweet-spicy balance. A generous squeeze of fresh lime juice for brightness. Two cloves of minced garlic because garlic makes everything better.

Whisk it all together until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust – more heat? Add sriracha. Need sweetness? Up the sweet chili sauce. This sauce is totally forgiving.

Let it sit for at least 15 minutes so all those flavors can get acquainted. The result is simultaneously familiar and exotic, comforting and exciting.

Bringing It All Together

Serve this masterpiece over fluffy jasmine rice that’ll soak up every drop of that incredible curry sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, thin red chili slices for heat lovers, and lime wedges for customization.

Drizzle that boom boom sauce around the plate or serve it on the side for dipping. Each bite delivers something different – creamy egg richness, warm spice complexity, aromatic curry depth, and cool spicy contrast from that killer aioli.

This is fusion cooking that actually works. It respects each tradition while creating something entirely new and surprisingly affordable. Most ingredients are pantry staples – eggs, common spices, coconut milk, basic condiment stuff. The most expensive part is probably the green curry paste, and that goes a long way.

You’re looking at restaurant-quality food for a fraction of takeout prices. It’s comfort food that surprises, familiar ingredients in an unexpected way that feels completely natural.

Prepare for the kind of satisfied food coma that comes with zero regrets, zero guilt about the cost, and the immediate desire to make this again tomorrow.