Mareena's Recipe Collections

I have made no bones about my fondness for Biryani. Today, I was in the mood to make Biryani but wanted to try something different and that’s when I spotted the eggs. So Egg Biryani it is… Didn’t take me long to find the apt recipe from Sailu’s Kitchen. It is definitely a recipe for keeps…

Egg Biryani 
Source: Sailu’s Kitchen

Ingredients

Hard boiled eggs- 4-5 (peeled and with slit lengthwise along each egg)
Finely sliced onions- 2
Finely chopped tomato- 1
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tablespoon
Chopped pudina leaves- 1 tablespoon
Ghee- 2 tablespoons
Oil- 1-1/2 tablespoons
Curd- 3/4 cup
Slit green chillies- 5
Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tablespoon
Chilli powder- 1/4 tablespoon
Coriander pwd- 1/2 tablespoon
Lemon juice- 2 tablespoons
Salt as required
Pinch of saffron soaked in 5 tablespoons of luke warm milk for 10 mts

For the Biryani Masala (grind to a powder)

Cloves- 4
Cinnamon stick- 1/2 “
Elaichi/cardamom- 2
Star anise- 1/4
Shah jeera- 1/4 teaspoon
Pepper corns- 4-5

For Cooking Rice

Basmati rice- 2 1/2 cups
Cloves- 3
Cardamoms- 5
Cinnamon stick-1/2 “
Marathi mogga- 1 (optional)
Bay leaves- 2
Mint leaves- 5-6
Oil- 1/2 tablespoons
Salt as required
Water as required

Method

Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, mint leaves, oil and salt till it is half cooked. Drain and keep aside.
Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons oil + 1-1/2 tablespoons ghee in a pan. Add sliced onions and saute till golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and keep aside for garnish.
Add green chillies to the remaining onions along with mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and biryani masala powder and salt and combine well. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Add the eggs and saute till well coated with the masala. Add curd and cook till oil separates. Add lemon juice and combine. Turn off heat and keep aside.
Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Drizzle some oil all over and tip in half the rice as a first layer followed by the egg masala, spread evenly. Spread the remaining rice over the egg masala layer, pour 1/2 tablespoon of ghee all over the rice and sprinkle the fried onions. Next sprinkle coriander leaves and pour the saffron milk over the rice.
Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight. Cook on medium high flame for 5 minutes. Remove the vessel from fire and place a iron tawa over low flame. Place back the vessel on the iron tawa and cook on low flame and cook biryani for 15 minutes. Turn off heat but do not remove the lid for 5 minutes.
Remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with Raita or Mirchi Ka Salan.

For those who prefer to bake in an oven, you can do as follows:

Layer the rice and egg masala as mentioned above in an oven proof dish. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven (175C) for 20 minutes.