Telur Pindang
Telur Pindang, meaning 'braised eggs', is a popular Indonesian and Malaysian dish featuring hard-boiled eggs slow-cooked in a flavorful broth infused with spices, herbs, and black tea. This process imparts a distinctive dark brown color and a unique, savory taste to the eggs. They can be prepared with marbled shells for a beautiful visual effect or peeled for a uniform dark hue. Telur Pindang is often served as a side dish with rice meals.
🧂 Ingredients
- 12 peeled Hard-boiled eggs
- 600 ml Water
- 2 Black tea bags
- 50 g, sliced Shallots
- 2 minced Garlic cloves
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)
- 4 Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 stalk, bruised Lemongrass
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
- 2 tsp Palm sugar (gula Jawa)
- 1 inch, sliced (optional) Galangal
- 1 tsp (optional) Coriander powder
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the hard-boiled eggs. You can boil them on the stovetop or use a pressure cooker. For stovetop, place eggs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then cover, turn off heat, and let sit for 7 minutes. For pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 3-5 minutes. Peel the eggs once cool enough to handle.
💡 Tip: For marbled Telur Pindang, do not peel the eggs after boiling. Instead, gently tap the shells all over with the back of a spoon to create fine cracks, then proceed to the next step. - 2
In a saucepan, combine the peeled hard-boiled eggs (or cracked, unpeeled eggs for marbled effect) with water, black tea bags, sliced shallots, minced garlic, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, bruised lemongrass, salt, sweet soy sauce, palm sugar, and optional galangal and coriander powder.
💡 Tip: Ensure the water level is sufficient to cover the eggs completely. - 3
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the eggs have absorbed the dark color from the broth.
💡 Tip: Turning the eggs occasionally during simmering helps them brown evenly. - 4
If the sauce reduces too much before the eggs are dark enough, add a little more water and continue simmering. The goal is for the eggs to achieve a deep brown color.
💡 Tip: The longer the eggs simmer in the spiced broth, the darker and more flavorful they will become. - 5
Once the eggs have reached the desired color, remove the saucepan from the heat. For the best flavor, allow the eggs to cool down in the braising liquid for at least another 30 minutes to an hour, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
💡 Tip: Cooling in the liquid allows the flavors to penetrate the eggs further. - 6
If you prepared marbled eggs, carefully peel off the cracked shells to reveal the beautiful marbled pattern. If you prepared peeled eggs, they will have a uniform dark brown color.
💡 Tip: Handle the eggs gently to avoid breaking them, especially the marbled ones. - 7
Serve Telur Pindang warm or at room temperature as a side dish with steamed rice and other Malaysian or Indonesian dishes.
💡 Tip: Telur Pindang can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The color of the eggs depends on the simmering time and the ingredients used. Red onion peels can also be added for a reddish hue.
- ✓For a richer flavor, you can strain the braising liquid, reduce it further, and then return the eggs to it.
- ✓Some variations include additional spices like cardamom, cloves, or star anise.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Marbled Telur Pindang: Do not peel the eggs after boiling; instead, crack the shells gently to create a web-like pattern before braising.
- Spicier version: Add a few slices of chili or a pinch of chili flakes to the braising liquid.