Hyderabadi Egg Biryani

When I had just started cooking, there were two dishes that fascinated me the most, one was Biryani and the other, cakes. With time I have grown more and more fond of these 2 preparations. I enjoy not just savouring but also preparing them..

Preparing a Biryani is like an art, its a serious job and when you excel, it gives you great satisfaction.
Try this recipe of Egg Biryani and let me know how did you find it...

Happy cooking!

Ingredients

Spices
Dalchini - 2 pieces each 1 inch
Lavang - 5
Tej patta - 1 large
Chakra phool - 1
Shah jeera - 1 tsp
Jayphal - 1/2
Choti elaichi - 5
Badi elaichi - 1
4-5 tiny saffron strands
[Alternately you can use Badshaah saffron milk masala 1 tsp]
Pinch of haldi
1 tsp tandoori masala

2 cups basmati rice
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 cup carrot chopped into 1 inch long pieces
1 cup french beans cut into long pieces
3 eggs
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized tomatoes pureed
2 onions finely chopped
2 onions cut into rings for making fried onions
1 cup curd (preferably hung curd)
1/2 cup milk

Preparing Rice

Dry roast rice in a hot vessel by stirring constantly to avoid rice from getting burnt. Once rice grains turn brownish in color, empty the vessel into a 

plate. Now pour 6 glasses of water, 1 tsp of ghee in to the vessel and bring to boil. Add 1 tsp of salt,1 inch dalchini,5 cloves(lavang) to boiling water. 

Now add the roasted rice. Boil the rice for 5 minutes.

[Rice should not be completely cooked.Turn off the gas when you find the texture bite like.]

Drain rice using a strainer. Now place the stainer on top of the empty vessel so that excess water will continue to drain off. 

[Remember not to leave the strainer on the kitchen platform or on a plate directly because it will make the bottom rice soggy.]

Rice for biryani is ready.

Preparing fried onions

Add 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp oil to a frying pan. Add the onions (cut in rings) and fry them until they turn completely brown.During the process, add a pinch of 

salt as it fastens the process.

[Ideally, onions have to be deep fried in a pan full of ghee, it adds extra taste!So do that if you wish to.. but at the expense of few extra calories..]

Preparing eggs

Boil eggs for 10 minutes and remove the shell.Make small cuts on all eggs.Heat a pan and add 1/2 tsp ghee. Fry the egg pieces till they turn slightly 

brownish and add some salt, kali mirch, amchur powder, red chilli powder, 1/4th tsp tandoori masala.Cut each egg into 2 halves length wise and keep aside.

Preparing masala

In the same pan in which you fried eggs, saute beans, cauli flower and carrots on high flame by stirring occasionally for 5 mins. Add some salt, kali mirch, 

amchur powder, red chilli powder, 1/2th tsp tandoori masala,pinch of haldi and fry for another min on high flame.

[The vegetables should not be completely cooked, they should just brown on the edges.]

Grind choti elaichi and nutmeg in a mortar.

Take a deep heavy bottom non stick vessel for cooking biryani.Pour 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil in it.Once it is hot,add tej patta,badi elaichi, choti elaichi 

and nutmeg powder,1 inch dalchini,1 tsp shah jeera,1 chakra phool and fry for 2 minutues on low flame.Now add finely chopped onions and fry.

When onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and fry. Add tomato puree and curd and mix well. Cover the lid and let it cook for 10 mins(till oil separates).

Add the vegetables to masala and fry for 5 mins on high flame.Add salt as per taste.

Optional step for those who want some coconut flavour, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the masala and let it simmer for 5 mins.

Dissolve saffron in 1/2 cup of warm milk.

Turn off the stove and move the masala to another vessel. Brush the bottom and sides of biryani vessel with little bit of ghee.

Add half of the semi-boiled rice. Pour 1/4th cup of milk on the rice with a spoon so that it gets equally distributed.

Add half of the masala and spread it evenly over rice. Place all the egg pieces(inner side down) on top of masala. Now add rest of the rice and spread evenly.Pour rest of the milk and masala, spread evenly.

Add fried onions on top, spread evenly.

Cover the lid and put the vessel on low flame (on smallest burner). 

Leave it to took for 25 mins.

Egg Biryani is ready! Will soon be posting the recipe of mirchi ka salan, which is the best accompaniment of Biryani. :-)

Do try out this recipe and leave a comment!