Egg Pepper Fry | Egg Masala Fry Recipe

Egg Pepper Fry or Egg Onion Fry is a quick egg dish made with hard-boiled eggs and tossed with caramelized onions, fragrant curry leaves, and a bold kick of black pepper. This simple, spicy dish is the perfect companion to any lunch, and your whole family will love it!

When I'm in a hurry, I turn to quick side dishes such as Gobi 65, paneer jalfrezi, and this egg pepper fry. 

Quick and easy egg recipes are my thing. Eggs being an easy protein source, I make them every day for breakfast or lunch; be it a side dish or a South Indian Egg Curry.

This egg pepper fry is the perfect dish that pairs well with simple dishes like curd rice to elaborate Vegetable biryani. 

This spicy egg fry is a chettinad-based egg masala fry recipe that incorporates strong spices.

This egg pepper fry recipe may also be called egg onion fry or egg pepper roast, or muttai milagu varuval. 

Make a complete south indian lunch meal with this Instant Pot white rice or Instant Pot Millets, Pavakka Puli Kulambu, and this egg onion fry. 

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Quick - This is a quick side dish that comes together in under 10 minutes, provided you have hard-boiled eggs ready for you. When you hard-boil eggs in an Instant Pot, the total time is even less. This recipe is a keeper for people with a busy schedule. 
• Healthy - An Easy source of protein and healthy fat. 
• Flavour - A spicy blend of flavourful spices, fresh curry leaves, and abundant red onions creates the perfect combination of flavor and texture. Your family will thank you for not serving plain hard-boiled eggs.

INGREDIENTS FOR EGG PEPPER FRY

Hard-boiled eggs: I use free-range eggs; I find that they have better flavor than caged/battery eggs. I like to boil the eggs in my Instant Pot.

But you can boil them in a saucepan and follow the steps in my instant pot method to get a clean and easy peel of the shells. 

Spices: Cumin seeds, peppercorns, and fennel seeds are the only spices you'll need for this egg pepper fry, but if you have spice powders from the store of these spices you can use the same.

Otherwise, you just have to use a spice grinder jar to make an coarse powder out of these spices. A little bit of coarseness will add texture to the egg pepper fry dish.

The aroma of pepper especially removes the raw smell of eggs that might put some people off. 

Other ingredients: A large onion is fried, and it gives a wonderful sweetness to this egg pepper fry. I've used red onion here; however, you can also use pearl onions or Indian Shallots for this.

And also, curry leaves are the other ingredient that goes hand in hand with Chettinad cuisine. It adds a nice flavor when combined with the spice powders.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Remove the sauté pan from the stove and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Serve it as part of meals.
• Once it is boiled, make slits all over so that the spice and flavor gets through a bit into the egg whites.
• If you have an Instant Pot, boil the eggs in it using this Hard-boiled Eggs in Instant Pot recipe. If not, boil them in a bowl and follow the instructions in the Instant Pot method for EASY peel. Set the peeled eggs aside.
• Place the spices in a spice grinder and process them to a coarse-to-fine consistency. 
• Set a saucepan on the stove. Pour the peanut oil; once it is hot, add the onions and curry leaves. Sauté on high flame until the onions begin to brown. Add the spice powder and salt; sauté for a minute. 
• Make slits all around the hard boiled eggs. Finally, add the eggs to the pan and fry them for 5-10 minutes, until the masalas are absorbed by the eggs and the hard-boiled egg's surface becomes slightly crisp and roasted.
• Remove the sauté pan from the stove and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Serve it as part of meals.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• If you do not have whole spices, use spice powders as a substitute. (see ingredients)
• Use white eggs or any eggs that you prefer for this recipe. Ensure that you alter the cooking time to boil eggs.

VARIATIONS

• You can switch this recipe by using dried red chilies instead of black pepper. 
• Add chopped coriander to infuse a herby flavor into this egg onion fry.
• Alternatively, use two chopped green chillies, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tomato, and ½ teaspoon coriander powder to enhance the egg masala fry. 
• Another great variation is to use chopped fried eggs or omelette, or steamed cubed eggs instead of hard-boiled eggs.

EQUIPMENT

You need a spice grinder or a mixer grinder to powder the spices. And, you need a heavy-bottomed pan, such as a cast-iron skillet. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This chettinad egg pepper fry is an easy side dish that pairs well with any South Indian lunch, such as rasam rice, curd rice, or any curry.

STORAGE FOR EGG PEPPER FRY

If you're going to fry the eggs later, store the hard-boiled eggs with their shells in the refrigerator for up to a day.

On the other hand, cooked egg pepper fry can be left out at room temperature for an hour.

Post that, store the dish in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for a maximum of a day.

TOP TIP

• If you don't have whole spices, you can use black pepper powder, cumin powder, and fennel seed powder to make the egg pepper masala.
• Grinding the spice powder fresh will add extra flavor, and the spices will be a bit coarse, which will add a nice texture and bite to this egg pepper fry. 
• You can also slice the egg into two halves. I like to keep the yolks intact so I make slits all over.
• Always use fresh eggs. 

GOT MORE QUESTIONS?