Egglicious!

Within a few days of shifting to DC, I realized that hosting elaborate dinners was going to be a part of my existence. I did not mind. I even looked forward to it as it was an opportunity to make new friends and meet interesting people. So what if it meant, poor me slogging for hours in the kitchen with no help?

But to be honest, cooking was hardly the problem. The bigger issue was thinking of a different menu each time. Not really the main dish but thinking of the perfect sides to go with my Indian curries. I couldn't think beyond Pilau and store bought Naan. I could try pooris, bhatura but that would mean getting grease all over me while the others drank wine and made small talk in the other room. And there was no way I was going to ruin my pretty dress and mess up my painted nails. 

Now back to the issue...what to serve on the side? The saddest part of every dinner, was seeing the big bowl of expensive basmati remaining untouched amidst a bunch of empty dishes. Nobody really seem to want it, let alone notice it. My husband suggested I completely do away with it the next time. But what does he know about the pressures of being an Indian housewife. That not serving at least two sides for a dinner, is almost a crime by our desi standards. 

I could do a Biryani...maybe chicken. But two chicken dishes mean double the marinating, double the cleaning and double the work and what would happen to all the poor vegetarians? A veggie biryani then? But to be honest....apart from my infamous cauliflower manchurian and a few cliched paneer dishes, I didn't have many options when it came to vegetarian. 

So finally I decided to go for a Egg biryani. But I am a malayali at heart and for me, no dish is complete without adding a few of my mallu elements. So here goes...my version of what happens when the famous mutta (egg ) roast is incorporated into a North Indian Biryani dish. 

Recipe

Eggs-4 (boiled)

Onions 2-3 sliced finely

Ginger garlic paste (1tbsp)

Green chillies-3

Jeera-1/2 tsp

Yogurt-1tbsp beaten

Ghee

Fresh mint and coriander leaves chopped

Whole spices- 2-3 cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves 3-4

Spices- red chilli powder, pepper, turmeric, garam masala ( a pinch), coriander powder and jeera powder

Basmati rice- 2 cups

In a wok, add 1 tbsp ghee and add the whole spices including jeera and sauté till they begin to splutter.

Now add the rice and fry for a few seconds. Add water and cook the rice. Add salt and don't over cook.

In another pan, add ghee ( 1 tbsp) and sauté onions. Add ginger garlic paste, sliced green chillies and salt. Fry till it begins to change color.

Now add the spices- red chilli, turmeric, pepper, coriander powder and cumin powder. Roast them well for atleast 5 mts ( on low flame)

Once the onions are nicely browned...remove from flame. Take out a few and keep aside for garnishing, remaining goes into a blender to make a paste. ( Please wait for the mixture to cool. I was impatient once and blended them immediately and trust me the scene wasn't pretty)

Now on the boiled eggs, make a few slashes with a knife and sprinkle red chilli, pepper. In the same wok, in the remaining oil, splutter some curry leaves and sliced green chillies and cook it with the eggs. Let the egg roast and brown slightly on all sides.

Now add the blended onion mixture, yogurt, mint and dhaniya and let it cook to form a think gravy.

Once the gravy is thick, cook on low flame for 5 mts.

In a big wok, start layering the rice and the egg curry ( Meaning- first add ghee, then little bit of the rice, a few strands of saffron, color, the egg mixture, topped with fried onions, then again rice-fried onions, egg mixture and so on)

Close with a lid and cook on very very very low flame ( almost non existent) for 20 mts.

Squeeze lemon on top and garnish with sliced lime, green chillies, fried onions and fried cashews (sorry I was out of them and hence missing from the picture)