Turkish Poached Eggs | Cilbir
Turkish poached eggs, also known as Cilbir in Turkish, is perhaps of the easiest and best breakfast made with eggs. The yogurt makes it healthy and filling while the butter sauce gives it the necessary richness. If you are scared of poaching eggs, then follow the steps in the recipe. You will never go wrong again. You can improvise with the spices as per the availability and it makes for a fantastic brunch as well.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp extra virgirn olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt to taste preferably sea salt
- dill or coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- You need good quality Greek yogurt . In case you cannot find any, use hung curd. Place yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it somewhere. Let the water drip out. Leave it for a couple of hours and then squeeze out any extra water. The remaining is a creamy, almost cheese like, Greek yogurt. About 400 gms of yogurt makes 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt approximately.
- Without fail, keep your eggs in the refrigerator. Preferably over night or even a couple of hours work.
- Grate the garlic cloves in the yogurt and add sea salt generously. Whisk it till the yogurt is smooth and creamy, without any lumps.
- In a frying pan, melt the butter on low heat and let it brown (not too much). Turn off the heat and add red chilli powder and cumin powder. Add olive oil and mix it. Keep it aside.
- Take the yogurt and distribute it in two bowls.
- Put a saucepan full of water for boiling. In the meantime, crack one egg into a strainer kept over a bowl. Let the extra liquid part drip out.
- Gently transfer the egg to a wide mouthed shallow bowl or a tea cup. Add lemon juice to the egg white.
- When the water has boiled, lower the heat and let it simmer. Bring the bowl with the egg as close to the water as possible and drop it into the water.
- Let it sit there for 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg white has set. Strain it out of the water and place on the yogurt.
- Drzzle butter sauce over the egg and the yogurt. Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve immediately with some crusty bread.