Ingredients for the rice:
Basmathi Rice -2 cups(India Gate)
Water – 4 cups
Cardamom -5-6
Cloves -3-4
Star anise -1
Ghee -3 tbsp approx
Saffron – few strands diluted in 3 tbsp milk
Salt – to taste
Ingredients for the curry:
Eggs -12,boiled,peeled,put some gashes
Ghee -3- 4 tbsp
Cashewnuts or almonds-10-12
Raisins -5-6
Green chillies -6 (I added 10 )
Coriander seeds -2 tbsp
Tamarind – marble sized
Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
Mint leaves -10 stalks
Garlic -10
Ginger 1″
Khus khus – 1 tbsp(dry roast or microwave for a minute)
Cardamom – 3
Cloves – 3
Pepper – few
Fennel – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp (I forgot to add)
For the garnish:
Fried onions -1 cup or more(slice and deep fry in oil until red in colour and crisp)
Dry fruits – cashewnuts and raisin handful ,roasted in ghee
Chopped coriander leaves -3 tbsp,chopped finely
Mint leaves – few,chopped finely
Biryani essence or kewra essence or rose water – few drops (Optional)
Ghee -2 tbsp(optional)
Method for the rice:
- Take an electric rice cooker,grease the plate and the base of the vessel with a tbsp of ghee,add washed and soaked rice.
- Add 4 cups of water,salt to taste,2 -3 tbsp ghee and whole spices.
- Dilute saffron in milk and keep it ready.
- Once the rice is 3/4 cooked spread half of saffron milk over the rice but don’t mix it.
- You may also prepare the rice in a normal way on the flame until the rice gets just cooked.
- Once the rice is done use a fork and separate the grains delicately and cool it.
- Keep it aside.
- Grind the ingredients mentioned under the ‘green masala’ list to a fine paste.
- Marinate few tbsp of the masala to the eggs for few minutes adding little salt.
- Meanwhile slice the onions and chop the tomatoes.
- Heat a tbsp of ghee in a pan and roast the marinated eggs for 7-8 minutes.
- Keep it aside.
- Do the paste of cashewnuts and raisins adding little water.
- Heat the remaining ghee and saute onions until light brown in colour.
- Add the green masala paste and saute until the raw smell disappears and the oil leaves the sides.
- Add the tomatoes and saute further.
- Add the roasted eggs,salt to taste and little water.
- Cook it for sometime until the gravy turns thick.
- Finally add the paste of cashewnuts and raisins,mix it well.
- Add dry fruit paste is optional.
- Keep the gravy ready.
- I gave dum in 2 batches,one batch in microwave and 1 batch in o.t.g (normal oven).
- Take a borosil bowl for microwave / baking tin for o.t.g.
- Grease it with a tbsp of ghee if required.
- Add a layer of rice or gravy first.
- Repeat the process alternatively .
- Final layer must be of rice.
- Garnish with fried onions,dry fruits,coriander and mint leaves.
- Drizzle some essence.
- You may also add a tbsp of ghee again.
- Cover it with cling film for microwave /aluminium foil for o.t.g method.
- Give it dum for 7-8 minutes.
very tempting and tasty biryani..