Looking for something to do with all those hard cooked eggs? Tired of deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches. Here’s a way to use them for dinner, and no one will complain.

I often make chicken masala, one of my favorite Indian dishes, but you can use other protein sources instead. This recipe uses eggs, but you could substitute tofu for a vegan dish. The recipe was adapted from Classic Indian Cooking, by Julie Sahni. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. Most of them are spices, and combine quickly. The tedious part is browning the onions. It’s vital to arrive at the point where they’re very soft but not burned.

I like to serve it with a vegetable dish such as muttar paneer (peas and fresh cheese), veggie korma, or cauliflower and green onions with turmeric and black mustard seeds. Add a raita (cucumbers in yogurt) and brown basmati rice or chapatis for a complete meal. Then invite me over, please!

Whole Egg Masala (Ande ki Kari)

• 1/2 C canola oil (or as needed)
• 2 C finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
• 8 green cardamom pods, or ½ tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 stick cinnamon (or ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 C water or as needed
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 2 tsp. garam masala*
• 6–8 hard-cooked eggs with shells removed
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add onions and slowly fry over medium heat until soft and brown, stirring often. This takes about 20 minutes. Don’t let them burn! Add ginger and garlic and fry 2 more minutes. Add next six spices and fry another minute or until they puff up and smell great.

Add tomatoes. Cook until mixture is thick, and oil begins to separate from tomato. Add enough water so that the sauce will simmer and not burn. Simmer 30 minutes, or until a thick sauce is formed.

Recipe may be made ahead to this point. Standing improves flavor. Sauce also freezes well. Reheat thoroughly before continuing.)

When ready to serve, add salt and garam masala to taste. Cut eggs in half and gently fold into sauce, keeping the halves intact (with the yolks in the whites). Heat through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

* You can buy garam masala at a spice store, an “upscale” market, or from an Indian grocery store.