This rich, creamy, flavor-packed Kerala egg curry from South India can be eaten with rice, naan, crusty bread, or the Kerala staples of lacy rice pancakes (appam) or fresh rice noodles (idiyappam) – anything that can soak up the bright flavors of the curry in every bite! [Instant Pot and Stovetop instructions included.]
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.
Table of Contents
Introduction
This Kerala Egg Curry recipe has been adapted from the stovetop recipe that I grew up with. My mom makes this recipe for breakfast or lunch. Kerala is a state in South India and where my family lives.
In most Kerala kitchens, breakfast is a substantial meal, and my parents’ home is no exception. One popular breakfast is appam, a pancake with a thick sponge-like center and crisp, lacy edges.
Another one of my favorites is idiyappam which is freshly steamed rice noodles with grated coconut. Either of these is served with a curry such as coconut-milk beef curry or this egg curry with coconut milk.
Alas, breakfast for me here in the United States generally consists of toast or oatmeal, so I make this simple egg curry for dinner and serve it with rice. Not as exotic, but just as delicious!
➡ Looking for Kerala recipes? Try my Instant Pot chicken korma, Instant Pot chicken curry, or Instant Pot beef curry. Instant Pot sambar is a great vegetarian option, and if fish is what you’re looking for, try Instant Pot Fish Molly. You’ll love them as much as I do!
Tips and Substitutions
Mustard Seeds
Mustard seeds are used to season the oil and are a staple in Indian cooking. In order to get them to pop, the oil needs to be quite hot. So it’s important to preheat the oil before adding the mustard seeds.
Once you add the mustard seeds, cover the Instant Pot with a glass lid or a splatter screen. The mustard seeds will start making popping sounds. Once the popping tapers off, remove the lid and add the curry leaves.
Curry Leaves
If you are able to find fresh curry leaves, heat the oil and add about 10 to 12 leaves to the oil first, before sauteing other ingredients.
You should be able to find curry leaves at Indian grocery stores or online. And no, lime leaves, bay leaves, basil leaves are not even close – just omit curry leaves if you can’t get hold of them.
Note: Curry leaves have no relationship to curry powder! If you’ve never used curry leaves, you really should try them out; the aroma and flavor are heavenly!
Coconut Milk
I use full-fat coconut milk. I find some coconut milk brands don’t do well during pressure cooking, including some brands that are widely available at grocery stores. My two favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Some readers recommend Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
Coconut milk, when homemade from scratch, has a first press (thick coconut milk) and second press (thin coconut milk). You squeeze the grated coconut to get the thick first press and then add water to the squeezed grated coconut to get the second press.
The original recipe for egg curry with coconut milk calls for thin coconut milk to be added first. Since we’re using canned coconut milk, I add water to thin out the coconut milk and add the full coconut milk to finish off the dish at the end.
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili powder is a special kind of Indian chili powder that has a bright red color without being too spicy. I actually use more than is called for in the recipe, so if you like your curries on the spicy side, you can add more.
It can be found at Indian grocery stores or on amazon. If you can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, go ahead and substitute a smaller quantity of cayenne pepper.
The great thing about Indian dishes is that you can make them as mild as you like by adjusting the quantity of chili powder or substituting paprika for the chili powder. The recipe, as written, is not very spicy (by my Indian standards!)
If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, substitute the chili powder with paprika.
Tomato
My recipe, which comes from my mom, does not have tomatoes. Some recipes for Kerala egg curry do contain tomatoes. Feel free to add tomatoes. Add about 1 cup diced tomatoes or one tablespoon tomato paste after sauteing the onion mixture, and cook the tomatoes till the oil starts to separate.
Fennel
Fennel is commonly used in South Indian (Kerala) recipes. I prefer to use whole fennel seeds and grind them using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder that I keep especially for grinding spices. If you buy ground fennel, you probably won’t use it up before it loses its freshness.
Potatoes
I use Yukon gold potatoes for most of my recipes including this one. The potatoes should be quite well done for this recipe, but not overcooked. I cut the potatoes into 1 ½ to 2-inch pieces so they cook just right.
Eggs
To streamline the recipe, I’ve given instructions on cooking the eggs at the same time as the potatoes. I normally make Instant Pot eggs using the 2-minute method but in order to cook everything together, I use the 5-minute method and plunge the eggs in an ice bath.
The recipe calls for 6 eggs (12 halves) but you can increase the number of eggs as needed. If you have a large number of eggs, place a collapsible steam rack on the trivet so you can stack the eggs.
You can cook the eggs separately if you wish, in which case you can cut the potatoes into smaller pieces and pressure cook them for 2 minutes instead of 5 minutes.
The eggs don’t have to be cut in half. They can be put into the curry whole.
Thickness of the Curry
You can adjust the quantity of liquid based on how thick you’d like the curry to be. To make it thicker, reduce the water by ¼ cup. To make it thinner add an extra ¼ cup of water or add extra coconut milk at the last step.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- General Instant Pot Instructions for Beginners
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Egg Curry – Ingredients
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Eggs
- Curry leaves
- Coconut milk
- Water
- Cilantro
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Green chili
- Coriander
- Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Turmeric
- Fennel
- Salt
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Egg Curry in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Saute onions and add spices.
- Saute spices and add potatoes.
- Stir in broth, coconut milk, and eggs.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Remove eggs.
- Stir in coconut milk.
- Sprinkle with cilantro.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Fry Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves
- Select Saute and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Once the inner pot has heated up, add oil.
- Once the oil has heated up, add mustard seeds and cover with a glass lid or splatter screen. The mustard seeds will pop.
- Add the curry leaves and saute for 5 to 10 seconds.
Saute Onions and Add Spices
- Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilis, and saute the onion mixture until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
- Stir in coriander, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt.
Saute Spices and Add Potatoes
- Deglaze with a small amount of broth if you find that the spices are burning.
- Stir the spices with the onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Deglaze as needed.
- Stir in potatoes and coat with spice mixture.
- If there’s anything stuck to the bottom of the inner pot, deglaze and scrape up all the brown bits.
Stir in Broth, Coconut Milk, and Eggs
- Stir in ¼ cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water.
- Place a tall trivet in the inner pot and carefully place the eggs on the trivet.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘5′ (5 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Remove Eggs
- Remove the eggs using a silicone glove or large spoon and plunge them into water bath (a bowl filled with ice and water).
- Remove the trivet using a silicone glove.
Stir in Coconut Milk
- Stir in the remaining coconut milk.
Stir in Eggs and Cilantro
- Peel the eggs once they are cool. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.
- Use a large spoon to carefully transfer the eggs into the curry.
- Gently ladle the curry over the eggs, trying to keep the eggs intact.
- Turn on Saute mode and heat through, but don’t boil. Press Cancel.
- Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Stovetop Directions for Indian Egg Curry
To make this recipe on the stovetop:
- Boil the eggs and peel them.
- Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilis.
- Saute the spices.
- Add the potatoes and stir to coat.
- Stir in water and some coconut milk.
- Cover and cook until potatoes are well done.
- Add remaining coconut milk, heat through.
- Add eggs and spoon the curry over the eggs.
- Garnish with cilantro.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Kerala Egg Curry – Instant Pot and Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 12 curry leaves (optional)
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper or serrano pepper, sliced lengthwise (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste!
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes) cut into 1 ½ to 2 inch cubes
- ¾ cup coconut milk divided (preferably Chaokoh or Aroy-D brand)
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 6 uncooked eggs
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Select Saute and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Once the inner pot has heated up, add oil.
- Once the oil has heated up, add mustard seeds and cover with a glass lid or splatter screen. The mustard seeds will pop.
- Add the curry leaves and saute for 10 seconds.
- Stir in onion, garlic, ginger and green chilis, and saute the onion mixture until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
- Stir in coriander, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Deglaze with a small amount of broth if you find that the spices are burning.
- Stir the spices with the onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Deglaze as needed.
- Stir in potatoes and coat with spice mixture.
- Stir in ¼ cup of coconut milk and 1 ¼ cups of water.
- Place a tall trivet in the inner pot and carefully place the eggs on the trivet.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure (QR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the lid and carefully remove the eggs from the inner pot using tongs or silicone gloves. Plunge the eggs into an ice bath and allow them to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise (optional).
- Select Saute mode and add remaining coconut milk to the curry. Heat through , but don't allow to boil. Press Cancel. Carefully add eggs to the curry and spoon curry over the eggs. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve over basmati rice, with naan or roti, or crusty bread.
Stovetop Instructions
- Bring the eggs to a boil in 1 ½ quarts of water in a medium saucepan. Once the water starts to boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Peel the eggs once they are cool enough to handle and cut them lengthwise, if desired.
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, heat the oil till very hot. Add the mustard seeds and cover with a lid. When the mustard seeds have popped, add the curry leaves and stir for 5 seconds.
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chilis and saute till the onions turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add in coriander, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Stir frequently, for about 2 minutes. Deglaze with a small amount of water if you find that the spices are burning.
- Add the potatoes and stir to coat them with the spices. Add a teaspoon or two of water, if needed, to prevent the spices from burning or sticking.
- Stir in ¼ cup coconut milk and 1 ¼ cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the remaining coconut milk. Gently place the eggs into the curry. Heat through, but don't boil. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
- Serve over basmati rice, with naan or roti, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. cubed potatoes, chopped onion, etc.
- * If the onion starts to stick to the bottom or burn, add a tablespoon of broth to deglaze and continue sauteing. Do this as often as needed until the onions are cooked properly.
- If you want to vary the thickness of the curry, add ¼ cup more water or ¼ cup less water.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips. You don’t want to miss any!
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
Did you know that the best way to support your favorite bloggers is to comment and rate recipes, and share on social media? If you loved this recipe, please comment and give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below. If you’re a pinner, pin this post using the Pin buttons at the top and bottom of this post and in the recipe card above. Thank you for your support!
Recipes You Might Also Like
Marne says
Thank you for a great recipe! I Made this but had to leave out the peppers, black pepper, chili powder and even went light on the ginger (my daughter can’t eat any kind of spice and is super sensitive even to spice from things like ginger unfortunately) but she loved this with those left out. I’m sure it’s much better with them in it but just not for her. Have you ever froze it? Or do you think it would freeze well??
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Marne, boiled eggs tend to become tough when frozen. I would suggest freezing the curry without the eggs and adding them in when you’re ready to eat. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Jessie says
I added chicken cubed with the potatoes and left out the eggs. Spot on!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Jessie, thank you for commenting. That’s a great idea – I have a similar recipe for chicken so I can totally see how that would work for you!
lisa says
Excellent! We made this tonight to eat with some chapati and it was so good!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Lisa! I’m so glad you liked it and thank you for your review!