I call it newbie’s egg biryani. It cannot get easier than this and even the people who have never cooked biryani can get it right. So if you want a first step in biryani making, you can very well try this.
This was created out of necessity. We both are great fans of Mishmash’s Egg biryani . It must be one of the best egg biryanis I have ever tasted. Ever since I found it, I cooked it very regularly. V started asking for this in his lunchbox. Though, according to me, Mishmash’s recipe is quite simple and can easily be cooked on a working day, just out of laziness, I started simplifying it.
I have to leave for office at 8 in the morning and I can’t wake up before 6, no matter how much I try. So in 2 hrs, I cook lunch for both of us and breakfast, eat breakfast, get ready and run. I love it when I get some 15mins to sit and eat breakfast, instead of rushing through it. But then, I want to cook the biryani atleast once a week. So I started changing the recipe, so that I could get the prep work done in 15-20mins, remaining is just cooking time where I don’t need to pay attention to it.
The biryani purists may say it is not even a biryani – because of all my shortcuts. But I am okay with it. This tastes great :D. I am writing it down exactly in the order I make it, so it would be easier for newbies to follow it.
Ingredients: 1 cup basmati rice 3 eggs 3 tbl spn chopped coriander leaves 1/2 cup onion 1/2 cup tomato 2 green chillies 2-3 strands saffron 1 tbl spn yogurt 1 tea spn ginger paste 1 tea spn garlic paste 2 cloves 1 cardamom 1 tea spn biryani masala (use this or this or store bought) or goda masala Ghee Salt
Method: Take water in a vessel, slide in eggs and let them cook. Wash rice and add 1 and 1/2 cup water, cloves, cardamom, salt. Cook till water is absorbed, I cook it in cooker. Here rice gets undercooked because we are using only 1 and 1/2 cups water. While that is cooking, Chop onions, tomatoes. Chop green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves as finely as possible (do not make a paste of coriander leaves, just chop them). In a thick bottomed pan, add ghee and add onions. Fry for few minutes. Then add tomatoes, salt(be careful as rice has salt too) and the coriander-ginger-garlic-green chillies. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Keep the flame on medium. Run cold water on eggs and peel them. Cut them into 1/2″ X 1/2″ pieces. I discard the egg yolks and use only the white portion. You can even use whole egg, I like to cut them to make it easier to eat from lunchbox. Add the egg pieces to the cooking onion-tomato mixture. Add the spice powder. Tomato and onions leave lots of water, which helps in cooking rice, so do not fry for long. By this time, rice would have been done. Add the rice on top and spread yogurt on top. Spread saffron on top. Cover the lid. Keep the heat on medium-low. (cooking on low flame is very important, don’t rush this). You can keep a heavy object on top of the lid to avoid any fumes escaping (not very necessary). Cook for about 15-20mins. Switch off the heat and leave it as it is on the warm stove for another 10mins. Mix everything very carefully before serving.
Serves : 2 Preparation time : 45mins.
At our part of the world, there seems to be no person who does not know about bamboo.They grow extensively in thick forests. In Uttar kannad district we find them on the side of NH 17 while going to Yellapur . Tender bambooshoots are really tasty. But not everyone usually acquires taste for it.
Ever since I tasted this, I liked the taste and started to prepare many mouthwatering dishes – some traditional, some my own, using the same. Some people who taste them for the first time may feel some unpleasant taste/smell. But proper handling before use, removes the so called unpleasant taste.
Like many other vegetables, bamboo shoots should not be used directly. Outer layers are peeled and thrown out till we get the inner white portion. Then it should be cut into pieces.These pieces should be kept under water for atleast three days.The water should be changed daily. After the third day these pieces can be taken out of the water and can be used in various dishes. Some people keep these pieces in salt (no water added). Thus they can be preserved for months together.Fresh bambooshoots are available only in early rainy season. Amongst various preparations of bamboo shoots,we like keerla(bamboo shoots in Konkani) sukke very much.
Ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped bamboo shoot pieces 3/4 cup grated coconut 4 – 5 red chillies 1 tea spn coriander seeds 1 tea spn urad dal 1/2 tea spn tamarind 2 tea spn jaggery Oil 1/2 tea spn mustard 4 – 5 curry leaves Salt
Method: Cook bamboo pieces in cooker with a little of water. Heat 1/2 tea spn oil and fry coriander seeds and urad dal.Grind them with coconut,jaggery,red chillies and tamarind by adding just sufficient quantity of water. (Do not make the masala too watery). Heat remaining oil and fry mustard and curry leaves.Add cooked bamboo pieces and ground masala. Add salt and cook till masala is done and the dish becomes almost dry. Serve as a side dish with rice or with chapatis.
