Some of my best recipes come from epic brainstorming sessions with friends. We usually start with one meal that one of us had and riff from there. A recent conversation left me with curried eggs that were poached in tomato sauce. This recipe is a variation on that idea and a mix with the North African dish, shakshuka. I keep the ingredients simple, using a mild curry paste and diced tomatoes as the base and add a handful or two of chopped spinach. It’s the perfect way to smother toast for breakfast or pile on cooked grains for dinner. Best part, it’s ready in under 30 minutes.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced red onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoon mild curry paste (homemade or store bought- see note)
- 2 cups diced tomatoes, roughly 1, 14 oz can (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded spinach
- 3 to 4 large eggs
- Salt, for serving
- Cilantro, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Heat a 10″ skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, followed by onion. Sauté until onions are translucent and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, cooking for a minute more. Stir in curry paste followed by diced tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and add spinach, a small handful at a time. Fold in spinach and let wilt. Once spinach has wilted and tomatoes have thickened slightly, carefully crack 4 eggs on top of the tomato mixture. I make shallow wells, working fast, to slightly hold the eggs. Cover and cook until the egg whites are set, 10 to 15 minutes (depends on the amount of heat in the pan). Start checking around 5 minutes to measure progress.
- Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve with toast, pita, or your favorite cooked grains.
+ I prefer these diced tomatoes, which are a bit saucier than some other diced tomatoes. If your diced tomatoes have more liquid, puree 1/2 cup or so of the liquid/diced tomatoes and mix back in to the tomatoes.
