Author Notes
Inspired by Chef Floyd Cardoz, who serves a version at his restaurant Paowalla in New York, the recipe is proof that time and care given to eggs is worthwhile. And that scrambled eggs can be real life, non-sloth-person, company-worthy, proud-of-yourself dinner. No defense case necessary.
The eggs take an hour or so, start to finish; they require some ingredients you may not have on hand (tamarind, a hot chile, a slew of spices, cilantro); and I wouldn't recommend them as late-night, I'm-sorta-drunk food. And then there's the real hiccup: That you'll have to stir these in a hypnotic figure-eight motion for 15 minutes (maybe more).
But don't run away: These are worth it! —Sarah Jampel
Ingredients
- For the spice paste:
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1
jalapeño (less spicy) or serrano (more spicy), stem and seeds removed
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2
garlic cloves
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1-inch
piece peeled ginger
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1 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon
turmeric
-
1/2 teaspoon
ground chile powder
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1/4 teaspoon
cayenne
- For the finished dish:
-
1
small onion, diced
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1/4 cup
canola or other neutral oil, divided
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one
15-ounce canned diced tomatoes, drained
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1 teaspoon
salt
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1 tablespoon
tamarind paste
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1 1/2 tablespoons
vinegar
-
1 teaspoon
brown sugar or jaggery
-
12
eggs
-
Black pepper
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1 cup
roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing
Directions
-
Combine all ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor or mini blender with 1/4 cup water.
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In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the onions. Cook until deeply golden but not yet brown, about 10 to 12 minutes, then add the spices and the rest of the oil and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for another 8 minutes, until the tomatoes juices are a bit reduced and thickened. Then add the tamarind paste, vinegar, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl just to break up the whites and yolks.
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Reduce the heat to the lowest possible sitting, add the eggs, salt, and pepper, and cilantro, and cook gently, stirring constantly with a Silicone spatula in a figure-8 motion, until the eggs thicken and are soft and silky, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with more cilantro.
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