Egg Dum Biryani.

“Egg Dum Biryani” with Raita (Salad) … biryani is one of my most favorite dishes and it was one dish that I always ordered in restaurants … tastes best served with simple raita/ salad and there is really no need for side dish as such … Yummilicious …

** Biryani be it Veggie or Non.Veg. is one of my most favorite dishes and 2 decades back I must say I have had my fill on almost weekly basis by placing an order to my nearby restaurant which prepares one of the best Hyderabadi Biryani to date. I can really polish of the full plate with just salad for accompaniment and do not have the desire for any curry dishes.

** But somehow, I have never tried preparing the Dum Biryani at home as those days there was hardly any network facility and being very busy in my business which is my first priority, I never bothered to learn it and always found it easier to place an order. But then in the recent years I prepared a lot of spicy pulav both veg and non veg and they turned out great.

** The desire to prepare Dum Biryani began to surface and when I saw them in others blogs or when friends shared them in my food group Konkani Delicacies I always craved to have them. Then came Covid, the most feared dreaded disease of all time that almost crippled the world and all restaurants where shut down for over 6 months.

** The scar and scare both have left a deep mark in our minds and heart and now we fear to order anything from outside. So, I began missing the biryani and yes, I was not comfortable to try. I just looked at the beautiful pictures with desire in heart to relish them. A few days back I thought enough is enough, I will now give a try for it and here it is.

** I messaged my friend Raj Nair whose biryani posts have always made me crave for them. He has so many excellent recipes in his blog "Good Food Guy" and is a wonderful person. Within minutes he messaged back the whole recipe and gave me valuable tips too. Well, now, no more excuses but to go ahead with it, and I thankfully did so.

** The Biryani tastes excellent and this one is just a first try, sure to try more. The only drawback is I should have used sella basmati rice as per his suggestion for perfection but as I had this Jeera Rice stock which I wanted to finish off before I bought new stock, I used it. Turned out great, only the rice turned out smaller in size and less aromatic.

** Jeera rice is small grained rice available in Mumbai and is usually used for fried rice of pulav. Both turn out excellent with this quality of rice, but as Raj suggested the looks and aroma of a biryani lies when the out put of the biryani has large sized fluffed rice grains full of aroma. So try that rice and you will have a perfect delicious aromatic dum briyani.

** The Recipe credit goes to Raj Nair, Thanks Raj, we loved it. I have made just a few changes, ones being rice, then inclusion of a few bay leaves, saffron infused in milk, I did not add rose water as I did not have any, I used wanage biryani masala powder which is famous in Thane, the place I live, while the rest of the method and ingredients remain same.

** Here is the recipe for “Egg Dum Biryani” … do try out this delicious biryani and relish with simple raita/ salad with curds … it tastes awesome ….

** Ingredients needed to be kept ready :

** 5 hard boiled eggs (motto/ andey), peeled and marinated with very little salt (namak/ meeta) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) powder and keep it aside ready.

** 2 thinly sliced onions (piyavu/ pyaaz/ kanda) and made into birista. Birista is crispy fried onions used for biryani. Hyderabadi biryani or a dum biryani is incomplete without these. They are used for garnishing as well for cooking too especially for dum biryanis, these can also be used to make baked curries like baked chicken curry or potato curry.

** 3 heaped tablespoons ginger garlic green chilies (adrak losun hari mirchi paste/ alle’ losun tarni mirsange paste) (chilies as per individual preference)

** Two medium sized tomatoes quartered.

** One large potato (batato/ aloo), peeled and cut into 6 pieces.

** ½ cup of fresh chopped mint (pudina) leaves.

** ½ cup of freshly chopped cliantro (dhania/ coriander/ kothambari pallo) leaves.

** 1 tblsp caraway (shah jeera) seeds.

** ½ tblsp turmeric (haldi) powder

** 1- ½ tblsp Sindhi Biryani Masala (Everest) or any Biryani Masala. I used wanage biryani masala powder, famous in Mumbai.

** 4 pieces of prunes or alubhukhara or 2 round pieces of pineapple quartered. I used fresh pineapple (ananas/ avnas) pieces, you may use any or leave out too.

** Salt (namak/ meeta) to taste.

** Heat 2 tblsp of milk (doodh) and add a few stands of saffron/ keshar and let stand (Optional the original recipe it is not included).

** 4 tblsp canola oil/tel ( I used saffola heart oil)

** 1 tblsp ghee (toop), I used homemade cow’s ghee.

** 1- ½ cups sella rice, washed and soaked for an hour. You may use any other basmati rice, I used jeera rice, but definitely suggest sella basmati rice.

** Method of preparing the Dum Biryani :

** Bring 2 liters of water (uddaka) 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). I have not used rose water as I did not have any, but will next time.

** In a heavy bottom pot, add cooking oil. Once heated add ginger garlic green chilies paste and sauté until the raw smell goes off, but not started to caramelize. Add the diced potatoes and fry for 5-7 mins on high, add birista and reserve one tblsp for garnishing

** Note : I have added a 2 bay leaves/ tej patta once the ginger garlic green chilly paste was done, while the original recipe does not include it, it’s individual choice.

** Continue frying for couple of minutes. Keep mixing, add in chopped tomatoes and fry for another 2 mins. Add turmeric powder, biryani masala and fry for a minute. Make sure Masala doesn't burn. Now add the boiled eggs, fry for a minute by stirring.

** Add salt to taste, checking out only if needed, as Sindhi Biryani masala has salt content in it while the one I used does not have, so add accordingly. Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Make sure some liquid still remains for the dum.

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

** Arrange the eggs and prepared masala potatoes as base. Place prunes or pineapple in between if using, I used a few pineapple pieces. Sprinkle half of the mint leaves and coriander leaves on the top of eggs potatoes. Layer the rice and make the surface even.

** Garnish with caraway seeds, mint leaves, cilantro and the birista. Drizzle ghee on the top and the saffron infused milk haphazardly. Using back of a ladle make holes for the steam to escape Place the hot tawa or griddle between the flame and the layered biryani pot

** Seal the pot with a kitchen towel/ aluminum foil to lock steam within. Cover with lid Make the flame high for 5 mins and then lower the flame to cook on Dum for 10-15 mins. Once done, let it sit for 15-20 mins off the tawa. Garnish with birista and herbs and serve hot.

** “Egg Dum Biryani” is done and ready to be served. Spicy Biryani always tastes best with simple salad or raita as is the case in my home, though you can serve it with any side dish like gravy dishes of your choice. But give it a try you must, there is nothing more heartwarming than a piping hot biryani served for lunch during weekends.