Egg Biryani

Egg Biryani

My husband has been behind me to make Egg biryani since the last few weeks. Somehow it just was not happening. Something or the other would crop up and we would get busy over the weekend, thus postponing making this recipe. This weekend, with a puppy face he made me to swear that I would make it for him. I couldn't refuse him so I planned to make this a Sunday meal.

In my growing years, my neighbors who were Maharastrians made the most amazing Egg biryani I had ever had. They would either always invite me and my brother over to enjoy it or send us a generous serving at home. This was a Sunday event mostly. 

My mom was a pure vegetarian, she never touched an egg all her life, however we and our dad would enjoy this yummy dish together. It was in fact our dad who first introduced the egg to us. Like some Tam Brahm homes, we had separate utensils to cook egg which my mom ensured remained so. Fun days!

Today while making this dish, it bought back many happy childhood memories of those hot afternoons where as a family we would enjoy a meal. It surely was an eerie coincidence that it is Father's Day today, hence I dedicate this dish to my Hero - My dad. Although I made this today for my other Hero - My Husband! :)

This dish today was even more special because I used some home grown cilantro for garnishing. I know it may sound silly, but I thought this cilantro was more flavorful than the ones from the store. :)

Ingredients

To fry the Eggs

6-8 boiled eggs

1 tsp chilly powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

For the Biryani

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

3-4 green chillies, slit or finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Mustard and cumin seeds for tempering

1 tsp each - chilly powder, turmeric powder, dhania jeera powder, garam masala and biryani masala

1/2 cup curd

Cilantro for garnish

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Other items

2-3 cups of basmati rice

Whole garam masala - 1 bay leaf, 2-3 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick

1 large onion, deep fried

Kesar/Saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method

First to fry the boiled eggs. In a flat bottomed pan, add oil, once it is just warm, add the chilly powder and turmeric powder with little salt. Mix it and then add the eggs cut in half. Mix lightly ensuring the eggs don't break. Fry on both the sides till the eggs are coated well. Once done, keep aside. 

Soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes and then cook it in a rice cooker. Add bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon before cooking. Once the rice is cooked, separate the grains by spreading it on a plate. Keep it aside.

In another thick bottomed pan, add oil, temper the mustard and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Fry them for a minute till the onions become translucent. Now add the tomatoes with little salt. Cook till tomatoes become pulpy. Add all the dry powders - chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, garam masala, biryani masala, dhania jeera powder. Mix and fry for a minute. Add the curd and salt. Cook for another minute till the oil begins to leave the sides. Curd is added so that the masala does not stick to the pan. Once done, add the fried eggs. Toss them in lightly so that they don't break. Now add the rice. Do not mix it with the gravy yet. Sprinkle the fried onion over the rice. Then sprinkle the saffron flavored milk over it. Cover the pan with a tight lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Once done, mix it well, sprinkle cilantro and lemon juice. 

Refer the picture below to get an idea as to how it would look.

Your Egg Biryani is ready to be served. You can enjoy this with a raita and papad.