Turmeric fried eggs with tamarind dressing

These are fried eggs but with a very eccentric wardrobe, thanks to the turmeric and chilli, which make them as good to eat as they are to look at. You can serve this easy, vibrant breakfast as it is, or alongside the potato rosti (p. 120 of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things), as part of a brunch spread.

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 miutes

Turmeric fried eggs

• 1 shallot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 3 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 200g baby spinach
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 4 large eggs
• 1 green chilli, finely sliced into rounds, seeds and all
• salt

Tamarind dressing

• 30g tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp light soft brown sugar
• 5g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Put the shallot, lime juice and a pinch of salt into a small bowl and use your fingers to gently massage everything together. Set aside to pickle lightly while you continue with the rest.

Make the tamarind dressing by putting all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking to combine and dissolve the sugar. Add between 2–4 teaspoons of water, to loosen the mixture (this will vary according to different makes of tamarind paste).

Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 90 seconds, stirring, until fragrant and lightly coloured, then stir in the spinach and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and wipe out the pan.

Add the remaining 2 ½ tablespoons of oil plus the turmeric to the same pan, stirring to combine, and return it to a medium-high heat. Once hot but not smoking, crack in the eggs and quickly sprinkle the whites with the chilli slices. Season the eggs all over with a good pinch of salt and use a spatula to separate the whites so that the eggs are not joined together. Fry for 3–4 minutes, spooning some of the oil over the whites. You want the whites to be crispy around the edges and the yolk to be runny (fry them for longer if you like your eggs more cooked).

When ready, use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the plate of spinach, drizzling with any extra turmeric oil in the pan. Top with the pickled shallots and then drizzle with some of the tamarind dressing, serving any remaining alongside.

Notes

Tamarind dressing

• Make the dressing, minus the coriander, and keeprefrigerated for up to 5 days.
• A little goes a long way with this dressing: drizzle on toroasted potatoes with plenty of fresh herbs, or spoonover grilled steak for a tangy addition.