Quick Hyderabadi Egg Biriyani

As I had already disclaimed (is that a right word?), I am not very used to elaborate cooking and I don't try out recipes that require a lot of time and effort. I do accept that some of the authentic recipes taste best when slow-cooked with the correct ingredients. But I always find out a short-cut or a easy method to bring out the near-best of the same recipe. And that's how I discovered how to make quick, easy yet a ROYAL HYDERABADI BIRIYANI.

Being a hard-core EGG-ITARIAN (Oh, thats the term we have coined for egg-eating vegetarians! Funny, uh?) I just drool at the idea of a lip-smacking Hyderabadi biriyani! I resolved to find out a home-cooked method for this elaborate biriyani. I went over a few methods of cooking egg biriyani, and then tested out some of them, with a few additions here, and some subtractions there, and adding some extra ingredients and lo!!! The end-result was a lip-smacking, delicious biriyani fit for the king! And my king, V happily relished his share!

So here I am, sharing the easy way of doing the same!

Hyderabadi Egg Biriyani

Basmati Rice and eggs cooked and flavoured with authentic Garam masala

Serves 2

What we need:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Eggs - 2 to 3

Onion, big sized - 1, thinly sliced

Green chillies - 3, vertically slit

Whole garam masala - a handful

(Cloves - 3, Tej patta - 1 piece, Cardamom, broken - 3 to 4, Bay leaf - 1, Fennel seeds/Saunf/Sombu - 1 tbsp.)

Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 2 tbsp.

Pepper corn - 5 to 6

Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp. Optional

Salt - as needed

Water - 3 cups

Mint/Pudina leaves - few

Corainder leaves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp.

Oil/Ghee - 5 to 6 tbsp.

How to do:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 30 minutes.

2. Boil the eggs separately, peel and make some slits in them.

3. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel (preferably non-stick) and heat oil/ghee.

4. Add the whole garam masala, cumin and pepper-corns.

5. When they start to sizzle out, add the slit green chillies and onion.

6. Fry till the onions become translucent, soft and starts to brown.

7. Throw in the mint leaves and half of the corainder leaves, a pinch of garam masala and stir well.

8. Now drain and add the rice. Mix well until the water is absorbed and the rice turns a little hard.

9. Add the water (1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice), eggs, salt. Close the vessel/pan with a lid and cook on medium flame for about 20 minutes.

10. When all the water is absorbed and holes start to appear on the surface, reduce the flame, open the lid and mix well with a wooden spatula. Take care not to break the rice. Let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

11. Remove from flame and garnish with the remaining corainder.

Serve hot with onion, cucumber or plain spiced raitha.