Egg and lentil curry with coconut and lime pickle

First, prepare all the ingredients. Peel the onion, cut it in half and chop it into thin half-rings. Then peel and finely chop the chili. Mince the garlic and finely chop the pickled lime. Squeeze the juice from half a fresh lime and grate the zest. Peel and grate a piece of ginger (about 2.5 cm) — you will need a heaping teaspoon of pulp. Chop the coconut milk with a sharp knife (if it's pressed) and transfer it to a heatproof dish. Put water to boil in a kettle.

Then place the pan over medium heat, heat well, and add the spices (cardamom, cumin, fennel, and coriander). Toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they start to pop and jump. Remove from heat and transfer to a mortar.

Return the pan to the stove, turn up the heat and pour in oil. When it's well heated, add onion and fry until golden edges form, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chili, ginger, garlic and chopped lime. Sprinkle with turmeric and fenugreek. Grind the spices in a mortar and add to the pan.

Add boiling water to the coconut milk in a bowl to make about 570 ml. Mix well.

Add lentils to the skillet with the sautéed ingredients, add lime zest and coconut milk. Stir, bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover the skillet and let it simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times (do not add salt yet!).

10 minutes before the end of cooking time, place the eggs in a saucepan with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 6-7 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. Then transfer the eggs under cold water and cool to a warm state.

When the sauce is ready, salt it and drizzle with lime juice.

Wash the eggs under cold running water, cut them in half, and place them on top of the sauce. Let them sit for a minute under a lid.