Love this dish! Quick to make, beautifully fragrant and flavoursome. Turmeric & ginger amp up the anti-inflammatory powers of this dish. And I add more veggies – cauliflower, green peas & whatever else I have on hand for some extra colour and nutrition. And this sauce is also the perfect base for a seafood or vegetable curry.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Tamarind, walnut sized piece, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
2 Tbsp coconut oil or rice bran oil
2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
2 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed
1 large red onion, sliced into wedges
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cm piece of ginger, finely grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 Tbsp sambal oelek, or to taste
1 x 400 mL tin coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in half (see below for how to make perfect hard-cooked eggs)

To serve
Cooked jasmine rice
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the onion and salt and cook over medium-high heat until the onion is golden.
3. Reduce the heat, add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and sambal oelek and stir for another minute or so.
4.  Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or so until the tomatoes are pulpy, adding a little water if the pan looks dry.
5. While the spices and tomatoes are cooking, massage the tamarind pulp in the bowl with the water and strain through a fine sieve. Add the tamarind water, coconut milk, and sugar to the pan.
6. Use the empty coconut milk tin to measure half a tin of water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5–10 minutes until thick.
7. Add the eggs, turn the heat to low and simmer gently for a few more minutes to heat through. Scatter with the chopped coriander and serve with jasmine rice.

To make perfect hard-cooked eggs:

This method of hard-cooking eggs results in a perfectly set white and a yolk that still has a moist spot in the centre. Cooked this way, eggs never develop that awful grey sulphur ring. Eggs that are at least a few days old are much easier to peel. This method works for any amount of eggs.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Put the lid on the pan and bring to the boil. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat, but leave the lid on the pan. Set your kitchen timer for 7 minutes. Drain the eggs and cover with cold water. Change the water a few more times so they cool quickly. When cool, peel the eggs.

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