Egg Biryani

The Egg biryani turned out to be a good lunch . Egg biryani is my elder daughters and hubbies very favourite, they both enjoy it a lot. The biryani here is a simplified version of the great dish, as a true biryani is really an elaborate affair, but trust me when you make this and eat it no one would know that we skipped a few steps ( I totally approve of cheating ) it looks as elaborate as a true biryani should is so packed with flavour and is a looker, if you want more oomph fry some almonds and scatter them on your biryani before serving it. Everyone will fall in love with your delicious, nutritious and very filling dish.

INGREDIENTS

300gm basmati rice, rinsed well and soaked for 30 minutes

4 tablespoons of clarified butter

2 medium-large onions, peeled and sliced very thinly

2 more medium size onions, peeled and cut into large chunks

10gm fresh ginger, peeled

10 large cloves of garlic,peeled

2 medium tomatoes, quartered

2 bay leaves

a piece of cinnamon stick

5 green cardamom pods

5 cloves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

red chilli powder, to taste

2-3 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 rounded tablespoon natural yoghurt

15gm butter, cut into small cubes

6 large eggs, hard boiled and shallow fried, cooled and halved lengthways ( in a small sauce pan heat some vegetable oil add one fat pinch of red chilli powder and 1 fat pinch of turmeric powder now add your eggs and just shallow fry them this will impart them a nice colour and add more flavour

4 green chillies chopped very finely

a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves

salt, to taste

For the rice

1 tablespoon clarified butter

2-3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

small piece cinnamon

big fat pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 2 tablespoon hot milk

1 teaspoon salt, be careful here as your biryani masala will also be having salt

To cook the rice

Heat the clarified butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the whole spices and the bay leaf and cook over low heat for a couple of seconds once they splutter add your drained rice to the pan. Stir it in the spiced oil for a minute and add water accordingly, the saffron milk and salt bring to the boil and boil for couple of minutes, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover and cook for 8-9 minutes. Taste, the grains should be cooked if not cover for another minute or so.Fluff up with a fork and set aside.

Now heat your 4 tablespoons of clarified butter in a large non-stick saucepan and stir in the finely sliced onions and cook until nice and brown and crispy on the edges. Drain the onions and set aside, meanwhile using a blender, make fine paste of the ginger, garlic and other 2 onions that were cut in large chunks and tomatoes.

Reheat the clarified butter in the pan add the whole spices and the bay leaves and fry them for a couple of seconds, as soon as they crackle pour in your paste and stir well to mix add the finely chopped green chillies and some fresh coriander leaves, let the paste cook for a few minutes before you add all the powdered spices and salt  reduce the heat and fry the paste until nice and golden brown and cooked through around 10-13 minutes, it should have no harsh elements. Add the yoghurt and stir in to incorporate fully add around 100 ml of water and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Remove the curry mixture from the pan and give the sauce pan a quick rinse. Add half the rice, layer it with the curry mixture and place the eggs on top, cut side up. Spoon over the remaining curry and scatter over the fried onions and finish with the remaining rice dot the butter evenly over the surface of the rice, cover well with foil then tightly place the lid and place the pan back on heat for 5-7 minutes until everything is cooked through and the flavours deepen.

Scatter with remaining fried onions and chopped coriander and serve piping hot.

ENJOY…………………

Adapted from Anjum Anand