Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Eggs - 4 + 3
(4 Hard Boiled eggs + 3 eggs scrambled)
Saffron - a pinch (soaked in 2 tblsp of milk)
Whole Garam Masala - (2" cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 3 cardomom, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf)
Shahi Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tblsp
Salt - as needed
Water - about 10 cups
Mint Leaves - handful
For Masala
Onion - 2 medium (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tblsp
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) - handful (finely chopped)
Mint Leaves - handful (chopped)
Green Chillies - 3 or 4 (chopped/slit)
Yogurt - 4 tblsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tblsp
Ghee and/or Oil - 2 tblsp
Biryani Masala - 1.5 tblsp
(You can also substitute with 1 tsp chili powder, 4-5 peppercorns, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder)
Salt - as needed
Preparation Steps
1. Hard boil 4 eggs, peel it and cut it into half lengthwise.
2. Sprinkle a pinch of biryani masala, little salt and little corn flour on the eggs and shallow fry. Keep it aside.
3. Scramble the remaining 3 eggs with little salt and black pepper powder and keep aside.
4. Cook the rice in plenty of water (about 10 cups) along with 1 tblsp oil, shahi jeera, whole garam masala, salt and some mint leaves. (You can add a pinch of turmeric powder too if you want a bright yellow colour).
5. When the rice is 3/4 th cooked, drain the water and spread it on a tray to cool.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
Method
For making masala
1. Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add the onions and green chillies. Sauté till the onions turns brown.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the chopped mint leaves and cilantro.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook till it gets mashed up.
4. Add the yoghurt, biryani masala and salt. Cook this till you get a nice masala and the oil separates from the masala.
5. Add lemon juice to the masala just before switching off.
Layering the Biryani
The dum process can be done in a conventional oven or stove top. Take a tray or a big heavy bottomed vessel and do the layering as follows.
1. Grease the bottom of the vessel/tray with some ghee or oil.
2. Spread half of the cooked rice at the bottom. This will be the first layer.
3. Pour the egg masala over the rice as the 2nd layer.
4. Put the scrambled layer over the masala followed by the remaining rice.
5. Top this with the saffron flavoured milk, some ghee, some fried onions, finely chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
6. Arrange the hard boiled eggs on the top.
7. Cover with an aluminium foil and seal all sides so that the steam wont be able to escape.
8. Leave it in a 350 degree oven for half an hour. By this time the aroma of the biryani will fill the house.
(If you are doing the dum on stove top, reduce the flame to the lowest setting and cook for about 20 minutes.)
9. Gently fluff up and mix the rice before serving. This way the masala and scrambled egg will be evenly distributed in the rice.
Serving suggestion
- Serve this biryani with some raita and any non-veg side-dish.
- This tastes delicious with some pickle and potato chips too.
Serves : 4-5
