Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Spices
- 30 ml ghee
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 g fresh ginger, minced
- 3 g cumin seeds
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 g garam masala
- 3 g ground coriander
Sauce & Eggs
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 60 ml water
- 4 g kosher salt
- 4 eggs, room temperature
Finishing
- 10 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 205 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 672 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 186 mg
- Potassium
- 533 mg
- Calcium
- 102 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 39 mg
- Phosphorus
- 152 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 217 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 33 mcg
- Water
- 92 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the ghee and diced yellow onion, sautéing until the onion is softened and translucent.
Stir in the minced fresh ginger, cumin seeds, lightly crushed green cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. Toast the aromatics and spices until highly fragrant, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Add the garam masala and ground coriander, followed immediately by the canned crushed tomatoes, water, and kosher salt. Simmer the mixture until the sauce thickens slightly and the fat begins to separate at the edges.
Using a wooden spoon, create four small wells in the tomato sauce. Crack one egg into each well. Cover the skillet and poach the eggs until the whites are fully set but yolks remain runny. For vulnerable populations, ensure eggs are pasteurized by cooking until both whites and yolks are firm, reaching an internal temperature of 71°C/160°F.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Discard the cinnamon stick. Garnish generously with the chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve immediately straight from the hot skillet, accompanied by warm toast or steamed rice to soak up the spiced tomato sauce and egg yolk.
Chef's Notes
- Blooming the whole spices in hot fat is a fundamental technique known as tadka or chhaunk, which extracts fat-soluble essential oils for maximum depth of flavor.
- Cast iron skillets excel at holding even heat but take a long time to cool down. Pull the dish from the stove slightly before the eggs reach your preferred doneness to avoid overcooking the yolks.
- For meal prep efficiency, the spiced tomato base can be made up to four days in advance. Simply reheat the sauce until bubbling, then drop in fresh eggs to poach just before serving.
- Leaving the cardamom pods slightly crushed but whole allows them to gently infuse the sauce without overpowering it. Warn guests to eat around them, or fish them out before adding the eggs.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store leftover tomato sauce without eggs. Poach fresh eggs in the reheated sauce when ready to eat.
Freezer: 3 months — Tomato sauce base freezes excellently. Do not freeze cooked eggs.
Reheating: Warm the sauce in a skillet over medium heat until gently bubbling, then add fresh eggs and cover until cooked to preference.
Troubleshooting
Eggs are overcooked with powdery, hard yolks
Cause: The cast iron skillet retained too much heat or eggs were left covered for too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the hard eggs can still be chopped up and mixed thoroughly into the spiced sauce
Prevention: Remove the pan from the heat one to two minutes before the eggs look completely done; cast iron holds significant residual heat that continues the cooking process
Tomato sauce tastes overly acidic, metallic, or sharp
Cause: The canned tomatoes lacked natural sugars or were undercooked
Fix: Stir in 2 to 3 grams of granulated sugar or a splash of heavy cream before poaching the eggs
Prevention: Taste the simmering sauce before adding the eggs and simmer longer to reduce acidity
Cultural Context
This recipe draws deep inspiration from both North Indian Anda Masala, a spiced egg curry, and the broader Middle Eastern and North African classic, Shakshuka. By marrying the poaching technique of Shakshuka with the rich, aromatic spice profiles of Indian cuisine, it creates a warming, intensely flavorful hybrid dish that works equally well for a restorative breakfast or a robust dinner.
