Egg Biryani (Traditional Indian Rice)

 

* Cooking Time = 2 hours

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half
  
• 1.5 large onions, finely sliced
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or powder
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1.5 tbsp oil
  
• 1.5 cup yogurt 
• 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tbsp red chili powder 
• 5 green chillis, make a small slit in them 
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of saffron soaked in 5 tbsp luke warm milk for 10 mins
• Shan / Everest Biryani masala 
• 3 medium potatoes cut into medium round slices
• 1 cinnamon stick

For Cooking Rice

• 2.5 cups Basmati rice
• 4 bay leaves
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 5.5 cup water

Directions

1. Cook basmati rice in water along with bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin, oil and salt till its half cooked. Drain the water and allow to cool.
2. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil + 1.5 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 minutes till they become golden brown. Remove half of the golden brown onions and keep aside.
3. To the remaining half, add green chilis, coriander leaves/powder and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add red chili powder, 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.
4. Add the yogurt and combine. Cook for 5 minutes till oil separates. Add lemon juice and combine. Turn off heat and keep aside.
5. Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Drizzle some oil all over, make a layer of potatoes at the bottom, add half the rice as a first layer followed by the egg masala and spread out in the vessel.
6. Spread the remaining rice over the egg masala layer, pour 1/2 tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add the golden brown onions. Pour the saffron milk over the rice.
7. 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 for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 5 minutes.
8. Remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

This dish has been adapted from the following link
http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/04/19/egg-biryani/