Egg roast or mutta roast is quintessential Kerala and a big part of our meals, especially breakfast, in the state. I grew up eating a LOT of it, in many different variations and over the years, have fine-tuned this dish to what it looks like here.
This recipe post has been edited to reflect some tips and techniques, the ingredients are still the same so if you came in search of the recipe you have tried and loved, don’t worry! I hope you try some of the tips and updates here.
What is Kerala Egg Roast?
Egg roast in Kerala is a semi-dry preparation with onion, tomatoes, and spices that is cooked to coat hard-boiled eggs. Typically served as a side to idiyappam, appam, parotta, dosa, or chapati for breakfast or dinner, every home has a method and preference to how they prepare and eat egg roast.
Some prefer to have a slightly runny gravy so that it’s easier to serve with the mains like parotta that tend to be on the dry side. Personally, I love a dry egg roast masala, but that doesn’t mean the actual onion mixture is dry, but rather, it’s thick and moist, coating the eggs once cooked. If we add enough spices and flavour to it, a little goes a long way and you can serve it with anything and make it work.
The below egg roast has a thick, dry gravy, the way I like to make it these days.
Tips for Making Kerala Egg Roast
- Hard-boil the eggs but don’t overcook them. My favourite method is to boil enough water to submerge the eggs you are using, then add the eggs, boil for 1 minute, turn heat off, keep covered for 5 minutes, drain, cool, and then peel. Some people dunk boiled eggs into ice for easier peeling. I have never had the patience to do that extra step because my method has usually worked
- Slice the onions as thin as possible. We are looking to caramelise the onions until soft and it takes on a golden colour
- Use coconut oil. I don’t usually mandate the use of coconut oil in most Kerala recipes although that’s what gives it that authentic flavour. For egg roast, I am going to insist on it, if at all possible, grab a bottle of coconut oil and you won’t regret it
- Use ripe tomatoes and use them sparingly. This is the part where it gets interesting in its nuances. Some versions of egg roast use equal parts onion and tomato. This does give a more tangy, runny gravy but at home, we use very less tomatoes and on occasion, even skip it entirely. I use roma tomatoes (also called Bangalore tomatoes in Kottayam, for some reason) and love their flavour in mutta roast.
- Curry leaves add a ton of flavour but if you really can’t find fresh ones, just omit. Do not use dried curry leaves or *shudder* bay leaves. They are not a good substitute for each other.
- Chillies – for heat, you can add green chillies in addition to red chilli powder but not instead of. Red chilli powder gives it the colour and a good egg roast needs it. Green chillies are a favourite at home and we usually add a couple, slit. Can be easily omitted though.
- An important cooking tip is to caramelise the onions in low heat. Do not be tempted to keep the stove on high and get the job done quickly. This will fry the onions and give a very different flavour to your egg roast masala.
The picture above is of egg roast made with more tomatoes and a more runny gravy, served with idiyappam. this is an option too, just depends on your personal preference. The base ingredients are all still the same you only need to adjust tomatoes or add a bit of water while cooking.
Also check out egg curry in coconut milk.
Kerala Egg Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 5 cups sliced red onions about 3-4 large onions
- 1 cup cubed tomatoes
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for colour and additional heat
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- A few curry leaves
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Hard boil 4 eggs, peel, and set aside
- Slice red onions as thinly as you can. You should have about 5 cups once sliced. I normally use 4 large onions
- Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the 5 cups sliced red onions
- Heap heat low-medium and saute the onions until they turn pink
- Add 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 2 tsp coriander powder.
- Mix everything well and continue to cook on low heat until the onions caramelise and turn a dark golden brown
- Add 1 cup cubed tomatoes along with curry leaves and mix well. You can add water at this stage for a more runny gravy, I usually don't.
- Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mash them into the onion mixture as you go
- Once the onion-tomato mixture has softened and caramelised fully, add salt. The process of cooking the onions should take around 10-12 minutes in total, on low heat
- Finally add the boiled eggs, mix well to coat the eggs with the gravy, and garnish with chopped Coriander leaves
- Set aside for a few minutes before serving
Notes
- Use green chillies and reduce the amount of red chilli powder for an added flavour punch
- Kashmiri chilli powder gives a beautiful red colour to your dishes. You can omit this or only use it if you don’t wish to purchase/use two types of chilli powders
- This recipe gives a fairly generous amount of onion gravy for 4 people. However, remember that onions cook down a lot when they caramelise and lose moisture so always start with more than you think you need
- You can use yellow or brown onions but red (or purple) onions are the best in preparing Kerala egg roast
- If you want a thin more runny gravy, add 1/2 cup water when you add tomatoes and bring to boil, cooking everything together until soft
- Be patient when cooking the onions, do not rush or try to do it with more heat
- You can add some roasted cumin powder or fennel powder for a deeper flavour. Some people also add a pinch of garam masala or store-bought egg masala at the end for more complex flavours. I prefer it simple with the flavour of onions taking front seat
Step by Step Images to Prepare Kerala Egg Roast
Slice onions as thinly as you can
Hard boil 4 eggs, cool, peel and set aside. You can make some slits on the eggs with a sharp knife, if you wish. This allows the gravy to enter the eggs a bit and make it more flavourful.
Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced onions.
Make sure to separate the onions with your fingertips after slicing to ensure they cook evenly in the pan. This step helps a lot and also reduces the need for you to mix too much while they cook in the pan.
You can add some salt at this stage to the onions which helps draw out the moisture and cook it evenly and not get fried but caramelised. Keep heat low.
Cook stirring frequently until the onions turn pink and softer, like below.
Add ginger, garlic, red chilli powders, coriander powder, and turmeric. I forgot to add chilli powder before taking the picture but this is when you add it!
Keep roasting everything on low heat. We need the onions to be a golden brown and completely soft and cooked.
The below picture shows when the onions are done. You can also see how much they cook down and reduce in volume.
Add chopped tomatoes, the riper the better, and curry leaves.
Stir well and cook until the tomatoes turn soft. You can mash them down to make sure they are incorporated into the gravy. It will take about 3-4 minutes for the tomatoes to cook soft.
Add more salt as needed and add the boiled eggs. Give everything a good mix ensuring the gravy coats the eggs well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving and don’t ask me where the fourth egg went!
Thanks, it’s a good recipe. Only thing to keep in mind is to add the tomatoes after the onions and masala is properly cooked so they don’t taste raw.
Thank you …nags….super recipe for egg…now it’s my hus fav dish…????. Thank .. God bless you …
i am really glad you like it
Very tasty and spicy
thanks!
Very tasty & spicy.The smell of egg roast is tell us how much it is tasty.The rainy season we can eat it with hot appam
thank you vaishnavi!