Tadka Deviled Eggs or vagharela deviled eggs is my take on a deviled with a Indian masala twist! I love the classic deviled eggs, so creamy and rich! But I also love a nice spicy egg curry or masala eggs. So I decided to combine the two and see what happened! Well, its pretty amazing!
What is a tadka?
Tadka can be considered both an infused oil and a technique of infusing oil with the flavor of dried spices. Its way of infusing spices into an oil.
All you need is hot oil and some spices! You can used whole spices and seeds or ground/powdered spices. It just depends on the flavors and textures you’re looking for. For example, mustard seeds and cumin seeds are classic tadka ingredients that are best left whole. They impart beautiful subtle flavors to your oil and a great texture to your dishes. You can also add garam masala or curry powder spice mixtures to your tadka. Adding these ground spice mixtures to a tadka bring out another level of flavor from the spices and elevate your dish with fragrance and color that is unbeatable.
Don’t forget to add some fresh ingredients to your tadka! Its a great way to change up the flavor! My favorite fresh ingredients are curry leaves, chili peppers, ginger or garlic. When it comes to frying fresh ingredients you really have to be very careful, too long on the heat and they will burn quickly. A couple seconds is all it takes to get that hit of flavor for them!
Indian Spiced Vagharela Deviled Eggs
I love egg curry and egg salad both are creamy, hearty and spicy! There’s something so fun about these tadka (or vagharela) deviled eggs because its almost like a handheld egg curry bite without the carbs!
The Perfect Hardboiled Eggs
The eggs are simple: just hardboiled. My easy method for the perfect hardboiled egg is almost too easy!
- Add water to your pot and get it boiling.
- Slowly, carefully lower your eggs into the water.
- Boil for 13 minutes.
- Remove from heat immediately. Carefully pour out as much of the hot water as you can. Add cold water to shock the egg shells.
- Peel the eggs and set aside
Tadka (or Vaghar) Seasoning
For these tadka deviled eggs, I try to keep it simple but super flavorful. And not really spicy at all. So I start with my basic starter pack for vaghar which is:
- cumin seeds
- mustard seeds
- curry leaves
- asafoetida
For these eggs, I’m looking for additional flavor and texture so I also add in finely diced onions, grated ginger and a touch of garam masala and turmeric. Mixed together with a spoonful of mayo and that’s all!
Don’t forget to check out other easy Indian fusion appetizer recipes like: Chaat-cuterie Board, Tandoori Tater Tots, Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Naan Pizza
Tadka Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs hard boiled
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves chopped
- pinch asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup onion diced
- ½ teaspoon ginger freshly grated
Instructions
- Peel and slice the eggs in half lengthwise, remove the egg yolks into a medium bowl, place the egg whites on a platter. Mash the egg yolks and set aside.
- Heat a small saucepan to a medium high heat, add oil. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow the seeds to start popping.
- Add the asafoetida, curry leaves and onions. Stir and let cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the garam masala and turmeric, cook for another 30 seconds. Add the grated ginger, cook for 10 seconds and remove from heat. Immediately pour the tadka (seasoned oil or vaghar) over the mashed egg yolks and mix together. Stir in the mayonnaise until creamy.
- Scoop the egg yolk mixture back into the egg whites. Garnish with toasted cumin seeds and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
What a unique twist!! I love the idea of adding some more interesting spices to the eggs. It will be a welcome change. I look forward to trying it out this summer.
Thanks Kim! I hope you like them!
Oh my! I have never thought of adding curry leaves to deviled eggs! What a brilliant idea this was. I will make these again for sure.