Kerala Style Egg Roast is one of the simplest yet deeply flavorful egg dishes in Kerala cuisine. Locally known as Mutta Roast, this classic features hard-boiled eggs simmered in a peppery onion-tomato masala.
Though traditionally a breakfast staple with appam, it pairs wonderfully with porotta, chapathi, nool puttu, and even rice for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Scroll down for the authentic recipe, smart variations, ideal pairings, and expert kitchen tips to recreate this comforting dish at home.
What is Kerala Style Egg Roast?
Kerala Style Egg Roast is a spicy dish of hard-boiled eggs in onion-tomato masala. It’s not a bland egg dish. The eggs, scored or halved, simmer in tangy masala until roasted, absorbing rich flavors for a bold taste unique to Kerala.
The process starts with boiling eggs. Their surfaces are scored or halved before simmering. They’re immersed slowly in a spicy, tangy onion-tomato masala, reaching a roast-like consistency over time.
This method infuses deep flavor into the eggs. The thick and aromatic masala clings to them, transforming a simple ingredient into something vibrant and satisfying.Kerala-style Prawn Roast uses the same technique. Prawns soak in a flavorful masala, absorbing its richness. Like the egg roast, it’s a dish where spices shine through every bite.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
Ease: Simple and easy-to-follow steps with common household ingredients.
Flavor over Blandness: The bland taste of the egg is converted into a flavorful burst.
Versatile Side Dish: Complements any accompaniment due to its rich flavor profile.If you enjoy Kerala-style roasts, don't miss our Kerala Style Chicken Roast, which offers another exciting flavor experience!
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs – Hard-boiled, either in a pot (10-12 minutes) or pressure-cooked for 2 whistles. Score or halve them.
- Spices – Turmeric powder, chili powder, fennel seeds, pepper powder, garam masala, and coriander powder infuse the eggs with rich flavor and other ingredients.
Check out the Recipe Card below for the complete ingredient list along with their nutritional details.
Variations to Try
When it comes to variations of Mutta Roast, there are many options to explore. One of Kerala's favorites is the Kerala Style Beef Roast, often paired with Kerala porotta.
For seafood lovers, the roast can be made with prawns, crabs, mussels (kallumakaya), squid (koothal), and clams (elambakka).
It can also be made in a vegetarian version. You can replace the eggs with paneer, soya beans, green peas, chickpeas, or potatoes.
The rich masala taste remains uncompromised whether you substitute the egg with vegetables or seafood.
If you’re looking for a creamier version, you can add coconut milk to the egg roast. This will thicken the gravy to a roast consistency. Another dish you can try in the roast category is the Chicken Ghee Roast Recipe, which is a flavorful bomb.
How To Make Kerala Style Egg Roast? (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Hard-boil the eggs - Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to a boil. Remove from the burner. Cover the pan. Let eggs stand in hot water about 9 minutes for medium eggs, 12 minutes for large eggs, and 15 minutes for extra-large ones.
- Drain immediately and cool completely under cold running water. De-shell the eggs and cut into half. Slit the eggs.
- Prepare masala - Chop onion into small pieces. Crush or grind ginger and garlic.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and fennel seeds and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add sliced onion and some salt. Salt absorbs moisture from the onion and helps the onion to cook faster.
- Once the onion turns brown, add ginger and garlic paste and saute them well.
- Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Add oil as required. Saute it well for 3 - 4 minutes. ** Masala is a bit spicy. If you want to reduce the spice level, reduce pepper powder or chilli powder.
- For a milder, creamy alternative, try our Kerala Style Egg Curry. It offers a rich, smooth texture without the intense spice.
- Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Add chopped tomatoes to the masala and saute well.
- Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add 1 cup of water. Add chopped coriander leaves if you like the flavor. Mix it and adjust the salt in the gravy.
- Masala should be slightly watery at this moment. Add eggs to the masala and let it boil for another 10 minutes for the masala to coat with the egg. ** If you like more egg flavor in the gravy, mash one of the egg yolks into the gravy. Once the gravy has the desired consistency, switch off the flame.
- Serve it with Appam or Noolappam or Puttu or Roti 🙂
Tips And Tricks
- To speed up the boiling process, you can use a pressure cooker. Simply cook the eggs for 2 whistles.
- Instead of halving the hard-boiled eggs, score them lightly. This helps the masala to infuse better.
- Avoid cooking the egg roast on high flame. Simmer it on low heat instead. Slow simmering helps blend the flavors. It also allows the masala to infuse into the hard-boiled eggs gradually.
Serving Suggestions
Nadan Mutta Roast is best paired with appam, nool puttu, puttu, pathiri, chapathi, or naan. However, the hero of Kerala roast accompaniments is the Kerala porotta. It also pairs wonderfully with white rice and some raita to balance the heat from the spices.
This dish goes well with bread and a cup of Kerala tea (adi chai). You can even use it as a filling inside Kerala egg puffs. Just make a slight adjustment to the water content and spice.
Egg Roast always complements any dish due to its rich flavor profile, whether as a side or an accompaniment.Find more dishes like this in our Kerala Non-Veg Recipes collection.
Storage Instructions
Kerala Style Egg Roast can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. It is not recommended to freeze the whole dish.
However, you can freeze the masala in a freezer-friendly bag without any water content for around 2-3 months.
When ready to use it, take it out and let it come to room temperature. Reheat the gravy, then add the boiled eggs.
Simmer for a bit to allow the masalas to infuse into the eggs. Don’t forget to score or halve the boiled eggs.If you love Kerala-style egg dishes, try the Kerala Style Egg Bhurji. It’s a quick and flavorful twist on traditional egg recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The masala should be slightly watery but not too thin. It should be thick enough to coat the eggs, but still have some moisture for the eggs to absorb the flavors.
Once the eggs are added, let them simmer for only 5-10 minutes. This allows the masala to coat the eggs and heat them through without making them rubbery.
More Kerala Style Roast Recipes To Try
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below. Don’t forget to share your photos on Instagram and tag @a_little_bit_of_spice
Kerala Egg Roast (Nadan mutta roast)
Ingredients
- 4 numbers egg
Masala
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 numbers onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (crushed)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 number tomato (large)
- 1 cup water
- coriander leaves (optional)
- salt
- coconut oil / vegetable oil
Instructions
- Hard boil the eggs - Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from the burner. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water about 9 minutes for medium eggs, 12 minutes for large eggs and 15 minutes for extra large ones.
- Drain immediately and cool completely under cold running water. De-shell the eggs and cut into half. Slit the eggs.
- Prepare masala - Chop onion into small pieces. Crush or grind ginger and garlic.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves and fennel seeds and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add sliced onion and some salt. Salt absorbs moisture from onion and helps onion to get cooked fast.
- Once onion turns brown, add ginger and garlic paste and saute it well.
- Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Add oil as required. Saute it well for 3 - 4 minutes. ** Masala is bit spicy. If you want to reduce the spice level, reduce pepper powder or chilli powder.
- Chop tomatoes into small pieces. Add chopped tomatoes to the masala and saute well.
- Once tomatoes are cooked well, add 1 cup water. Add chopped coriander leaves, if you like the flavor. Mix it and adjust salt in the gravy.
- Masala should be slightly watery at this moment. Add eggs to the masala and let it boil for another 10 minutes for the masala to coat in the egg. ** If you like more egg flavor in the gravy, mash one of the egg yolks into the gravy. Once gravy has desired consistency, switch off the flame.
- Serve it with Appam or Noolappam or Puttu or Roti 🙂
Notes
It came out very well.
Thanks a lot for trying it out!
Hi Jane Chechi… tried out another authentic Kerala dish egg roast with appam … it came out really well … keep posting more of dishes!!
Thanks a lot Aparna
Thanks for posting the picture! It made my day 
Thank you for this wonderful recipe…me and my friends enjoyed it with chapathi…thank you once again …
Great to hear that! Thanks a lot for trying it out
By far the best egg roast recipe i have come across. My husband totally loved it and so did I. I m so looking forward to trying your other delicacies.