Madras Eggs and Spinach with Tomato Cachumber
– How to Cheat

Given the speediness of boiling eggs and a five-star Madras curry sauce (without doubt the best we’ve tasted), where all the roasting, grinding of spices and long slow cooking have been prepared in advance, this cheat's version of egg curry can not only be made in moments but summoned forth at will whenever the mood takes you. The spinach is a great addition but other vegetables could be substituted. I think chopped leeks or fresh shelled peas would both make good alternatives. Cachumber is the correct name for the tomato and onion accompaniment, which I always make when I serve curry.

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 oz (175 g) baby spinach leaves
4 large eggs
1 x 405 g jar Marks & Spencer Madras curry sauce
1 dessertspoon groundnut or other flavourless oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

For the chutney:

2 medium firm tomatoes, seeds removed, flesh cut into thin strips
½ small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
cayenne pepper, for sprinkling
salt

For the curry, take a large saucepan, place it over a highish heat, adding the oil, and as soon as it is hot, pop in the onion. Then stirring from time to time, let it soften and turn quite dark and caramelised at the edges. Now turn the heat to medium, and after about 8 minutes pour in the contents of the jar of sauce then, as soon as it comes up to simmering point turn the heat down to low and let it cook gently for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the chutney, combine the tomatoes, red onion and lemon juice in a small serving bowl, season with a little salt and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Now boil the eggs – place them in a saucepan of cold water, bring them up to a gently simmer and time them for 6-7 minutes, depending on how you like them. When they’re ready, let the cold tap run over them until they’re cool enough to handle, and then peel off the shells.

After that when the curry sauce is ready, stir in the spinach leaves into the sauce, and put a lid on, giving them about 2 minutes to wilt and soften. Meanwhile halve the eggs, then lay them on top of the sauce. Pop the lid back on and give it all about 1 more minute. Serve the curry with basmati rice, if you like, and have the tomato and red onion chutney on the table. Some mango chutney and lime pickle would also be a good accompaniment.

Cheats' Food File
Bearing in mind that cheats sometimes don’t want to cook at all, when appropriate I’m going to point you in that particular direction. For Easter I’m recommending an extremely good Simnel cake delivered to your door by Meg Rivers (www.megrivers.com; tel: 01608 682858, last orders 5 April) and Marks & Spencer Luxury Hot Cross Buns. The buns have the right amount of sticky, squidgyness and masses of fruit and peel but not quite enough spice so just add half a level teaspoon of mixed spice and a little sugar to 4 oz (110 g) butter – also brilliant toasted a few days on.

How to Cheat Hero Ingredient: