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Telur balado
Fried eggs in chilli sambal
Padang-style boiled eggs, fried until blistered and coated in a fresh red chilli and tomato sambal
Telur balado is a fixture of the nasi Padang counter and of West Sumatran home cooking: hard-boiled eggs fried until their whites blister and turn golden, then smothered in balado, the coarse red sambal of chilli, shallot and tomato that the Minangkabau cook with almost everything. The fried skin of the eggs grips the sauce, and the sambal is bright and fresh rather than long-cooked. It's a cheap, quick weekday lunch with rice and greens, and it travels well in lunch boxes. Chef's tip: grind the balado coarse, not smooth — the Padang version should look rough and glossy, with visible flecks of chilli skin.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor frying
For the balado
- 8 large red chilliesdeseeded if you like
- 3 red bird's eye chillies (optional)
- 6 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 2 makrut lime leavesshredded
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ limejuiced
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Lower 8 eggs into boiling water and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Cool in cold water and peel.
12 minStep 2: Pat the eggs very dry. Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat and fry the eggs, turning, for 3–4 minutes until the whites are golden and blistered. Stand back: wet eggs spit. Drain.
4 minStep 3: Pulse 8 large red chillies, 3 red bird's eye chillies, 6 shallots, 2 cloves garlic and 2 tomatoes in a food processor, or pound them, to a coarse, wet mixture with visible flecks.
3 minStep 4: Pour off all but 3 tbsp oil and fry the balado with 2 makrut lime leaves over a medium heat for 6–7 minutes, stirring, until the tomato breaks down, the colour deepens to glossy red and the oil separates. Season with 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and ½ lime. Blending the balado to a smooth purée is a common slip; it turns pasty and loses the fresh, rough texture.
7 minStep 5: Return the eggs and turn them in the sambal for 1 minute until coated. Halve a couple to show the yolks and serve with rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does telur balado take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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