FRIED SPICED SOFT-BOILED EGGS

TELUR BUMBU MERAH My grandmother Popo cooked these soft-boiled eggs for my mother whenever she came to visit and my aunty Tje Ie in Kupang has since taught me the recipe. The soft-boiled eggs are peeled and then deep-fried in hot oil, giving the exterior a wrinkled, pock-marked appearance that is textured and crispy. If you start with a soft-boiled egg you will get a custardy yolk in the centre which, together with the fragrant spice of the sauce, makes for a delicious meal. Serve with a side of vegetables and Coconut rice, if you like. Origin Kupang, Timor Chilli heat Mild

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

To make the spice paste, place the nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander seeds and reduce the heat to low, then toast until fragrant. Place the toasted nuts and coriander seeds with the chillies, garlic and shallots in a small food processor and blend to a semi-coarse texture.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry for 10–15 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in the sugar, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water.

Step 3

Fill a deep saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 160°C. (If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check the oil is at temperature by adding a cube of bread; it should turn golden in 25–30 seconds.) Deep-fry the peeled, soft-boiled eggs until golden on the outside, then transfer to a tray lined with paper towels and season with salt. (Alternatively, if you do not want to deep-fry the eggs, you can pan-fry them with oil. They won’t crisp up like the deep-fried version, but will still be delicious and warmed through.)

Step 4

In a clean frying pan or wok, warm the deep-fried eggs and spice paste together. Serve immediately.