Egg biryani is a flavourful dish made with fragrant basmati rice and layered with spicy egg masala. I love making biryani even though its a lengthy process. The aroma of the biryani fills the entire home and everyone in my house becomes hungry even before the dish is ready. Usually, biryanis are done on special occasions, but nowadays who needs to wait for one. Just make biryani and that day becomes special by itself.

This Egg Biryani is easy to prepare and is done by the dum method. Firstly you need to boil the eggs and then fry them in a pan. Then a gravy is prepared and layered on top of the basmati rice. It is then steamed or dum cooked in low flame for 20 minutes.

I served Egg biryani with cucumber raita and biryani gravy.

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Egg Biryani

Preparation time:15 min

Cooking time:45min

Total Time:1 hour 20min

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

For barista

• 1 onion, sliced

For rice

• 2 cups Basmati Rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 2 green cardamoms
• 3-4 cloves
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 7-8 cups water
• salt to taste
• few coriander leaves, chopped
• few pudina leaves, chopped

For Biryani Masala

• 6 boiled eggs
• 2 green cardamoms
• 3-4 cloves
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-5 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp caraway seeds or cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 and 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1 cup of water
• few coriander leaves, chopped
• few pudina leaves, chopped
• salt to taste

Instructions

For barista and biryani masala

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the sliced onions. Saute till the onions turn brown. Keep it aside.
2. To the same pan, add a pinch of turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Swirl the pan so that the masala is distributed equally. Add the sliced eggs or whole boiled eggs. Fry the eggs till it turns brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.
3. To the same pan, add cardamoms, cloves, star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Once it becomes fragrant, add sliced onions. Saute till the onions turn brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, saute till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Saute till the tomatoes are fully cooked and become mushy.
5. Add yoghurt, water, garam masala and salt. Stir everything and cook the gravy till it comes to a boil.
6. Once it boils, add chopped coriander and pudina leaves. Simmer the gravy for 5-10 minutes. Reserve a cup of biryani masala in a bowl. (This can be later served as a gravy along with the egg biryani)
7. For the rice– Take a pot, add water and let it come to a boil. Once it starts to boil add cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, whole peppercorns, salt and oil.
8. Add the soaked rice, few chopped coriander and pudina leaves. Cook the rice till it is half done. ( You will know the rice is half done when you see the rice floating on the top)
9. Strain the rice.
10. Dum Preparation– take another deep bottomed vessel, add a layer of biryani masala, add a single layer of rice. Then add a layer of biryani masala, add the fried eggs, barista and chopped coriander and pudina leaves. Add another layer of rice and add barista, chopped coriander and pudina leaves and a few drops of kewra water.
11. Close the lid, Dum cook the biryani in low flame for 20 minutes. After 20 min keep the biryani undisturbed for 10 minutes.
12. After 10 min, serve the biryani with raita and the reserved biryani masala.