Egg Biryani - Easy & Flavorful

They say biryani is only chicken or meat and egg biryani is never a biryani - I have made biryanis with dry fish and baby potatoes besides eggs. Does that classify as food blasphemy? Even if it does it is "delicious and who cares" in taste! 😊😊

Biryani for me is never a festive dish while it still is for others! (early morning words of wisdom 😉) I can make biryani in no time with no planning required. As long as I have the basic ingredients around.

After spending the whole day doing stuff, I was feeling hungry and was in mood to make a simple spaghetti aglio e olio but then tastebuds wanted something more flavorful. Eggs 🥚 were in abundance at home and instant thought of making a Biryani crossed my mind. It was 1530hrs and by 1700hrs I was ready with all. Did my clicking , editing and by 1800hrs enjoyed the most flavorful egg biryani I have made so far :)

The whole story is to emphasize on how easy cooking is. All it takes a clear mind, determination and focus. Even after spending the day doing other stuff, it is still possible to cook up a simple dish and make it look 'princely'. :)

Without much more tossing of words, let me quickly take you through the recipe I developed. It's my idea of egg biryani

Ingredients:

• 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and marinated with very little salt and turmeric powder

• 2 thinly sliced onions and made into birista

• 3 heaped TB ginger garlic green chilies paste (chilies as per preference)

• Two tomatoes quartered

• One large potato cut into 6 pieces

• Half cup fresh mint leaves

• Half cup freshly chopped cilantro

• 1TB caraway seeds

• Half TB turmeric power

• 1 1/2 TB Sindhi Biryani Masala (Everest) or any Biryani Masala

• 4 pieces of prunes or alubhukhara or 2 round pieces of pineapple quartered

• Salt as per taste

• 4 TB canola oil

• 1 Tb ghee

• One and half cup sella rice, washed and soaked for an hour. You may use any other basmati rice

Method:

1. Bring 2 liters of water to a rolling boil with salt. Add washed rice and cook 80% or al a dente. Drain off and keep aside in a colander. Drizzle some Rose water on it (optional)

2. In a heavy bottom pot, add the cooking oil. Once heated add ginger garlic green chilies paste and sauté until the raw smell goes off but not started to caramelize

3. Add the diced potatoes and fry for 5-7 mins on high

4. Add birista and reserve one TB for garnishing

5. Continue frying for couple of minutes. Keep mixing

6. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for another 2 mins

7. Add turmeric powder and the biryani masala and fry for a minute. Make sure Masala doesn't burn.

8. Now add the boiled eggs, fry for a minute by stirring. Add salt if needed. Sindhi Biryani masala has salt so I didn’t add.

9. Add half cup water and bring to a boil Make sure some liquid is till remaining for the dum.

10. *LOWER THE FLAME OF THE BIRYANI POT AND HEAT A TAWA OR GRIDDLE SEPARATELY*

11. Arrange the eggs and potatoes as base. Place prunes or pineapple in between if using

12. Sprinkle half of the mint leaves and cilantro on the top of eggs potatoes

13. Layer the rice and make the surface even.

14. Garnish with caraway seeds, mint leaves, cilantro and the birista

15. Drizzle ghee on the top. Using back of a ladle make holes for the steam to escape

16. Place the hot tawa or griddle between the flame and the layered biryani pot

17. Seal the pot with a kitchen towel or aluminum foil to lock the steam inside. Cover with the lid

18. Make the flame high for 5mins and then lower the flame to cook on Dum for 10-15mins

19. Once done. Let it sit for 15mins off the tawa. Garnish with birista and herbs and serve hot.

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