The smell of cooking masala is as close to paradise as it comes. It’s also like the perfect party guest: bright, earthy, and somehow makes everything better when it’s around. Here it takes puff pastry into new eggy depths.

Ingredients  

• 4 eggs + 1 egg yolk for brushing on the pastry

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp white vinegar

• 1 puff pastry sheet

• 2 tbsp oil

• ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced and cut into thirds

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced and cut into thirds

• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic

• 2 tsp grated ginger

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 ½ tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder

• ¼ tsp garam masala

• ½ cup canned diced tomatoes

• 1 tsp dark brown sugar

• Juice of ½ lime

• Salt to taste

• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

• Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

• For the eggs, first place enough water to cover 4 eggs in a pot and add the salt and vinegar. Bring this to a boil. Then place the eggs carefully into the water. Stir the eggs clockwise a few times to help the yolks stay in the center. Boil for exactly 7 minutes.

• While the water is boiling, prepare an ice bath by placing several ice cubes in a bowl of cold water. Immediately after the eggs are finished boiling, place them in the ice bath. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes before peeling. Slice the peeled eggs in half and reserve to use later.

• To make the masala, heat a skillet and add the oil. Once heated, place in the onions, garlic, and ginger with a little sprinkle of salt. Sauté until onions become translucent. Then sprinkle in the turmeric, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

• Then, place in the diced tomatoes with the brown sugar and a little more salt. Stir and let cook until tomatoes become incorporated with the spiced onions and darken in color. Add more oil if necessary.

• When the masala mixture is ready to take off the heat, squeeze a little lime juice to finish.

• To make the puffs, follow the directions on your puff pastry on when to remove from the freezer to thaw. Place the thawed puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet. Carefully cut into 8 squares and use a small glass to make an indentation in the center of each square.

• Beat 1 egg yolk and brush each square with it before placing a small scoop of the masala in the center. Bake for about 15-18 minutes in a 400-degree preheated oven. Once golden, remove and carefully place a sliced egg on top of the masala. Garnish with a sprinkle of garam masala, chopped cilantro, and black sesame seeds. Serve immediately with a cup of hot chai or coffee.

 Note: This is a common bakery item found throughout India. The puff pastry is more traditionally folded over the egg when cooking. You can make it either way: open-faced like this recipe or covered like a hand pie.

Recipe and Styling by Veda Sankaran / Photography by Dave Bryce