Baida Biryani - Spicy Egg Pilaf

I am not the kind of girl who will make biryani from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel when someone has already done the work for you. There are so many different Biryani masalas available out there - just buy a packet and do rest of the work and each time you will have a different flavored biryani. I love Shaan Masalas for my biryanis. And Bombay Biryani Masala is my absolute favorite, closely followed by Sindhi Biryani Masala. I am indifferent towards Malay Biryani Masala but does work when none of the other contenders are available. Do you have a favorite Biryani masala or a brand that you would recommend?

Ingredients and method:

1.5 cup white rice, cooked in microwave
6 to 8 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and cut into half
Cilantro and Mint leaves for layering

Spices:
1 bay leaf
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
1 badi velchi (big cardammom)
2 cardammoms, opened
1 star anise
4 cloves

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 green chilli
3 heaping tbsp of Tomato paste (not tomatoes, not tomato pulp, not tomato puree!)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
Shaan Bombay Biryani Masala
Orange food color (literally two grains!)

1. Heat ghee in a pan
2. Add the spices and gently roast till aromatic
3. Add the onions and green chillies and sautee till browned.
4. Add the tomato paste and a little water and mix. Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder and sautee until the ginger garlic are well roasted. Keep sauteeing and cooking the onions and tomato paste together until the paste leaves oil on the side.
5. Add 2 heaping tbsp of Bombay Biryani Masala and mix well. Paste should be thick and wet but not too watery. Season with salt.
6. Layering and Dum* time:  First put masala on the bottom of a small narrow pan. I used a kadai. Then layer half the eggs opened face down on the masala.  Now add half the rice. Layer chopped cilantro and mint leaves.   Add remainder of the masala followed by remainder of the rice. Reserve maybe 1/4 cup rice to side. Mix orange food color and toss. Layer on top. Put foil on the top.  Apply dum on low flame for half hour making sure its not burning at the bottom. I kept the kadai/pot on a thick tava/skillet  See pic below!!

 

Note: Dum is the process slow cooking by generating steam in the pot to cook the biryani.