Egg Pulao

After yesterday’s shrimp pulao, I have another one pot meal. Last Friday when I made the shrimp pulao, Mr.U liked it a lot and wanted me to cook it again. Since I did not have any shrimp in the freezer, he wanted me to make it with eggs.

I was a bit lazy to do the little prep work that the shrimp pulao requires; frying the onions and then grinding it paste. Instead, I used sliced onions and also tweaked the recipe a bit. I ground all the green chilies with mint and cilantro to enhance the flavor of the rice. I also added some coconut to garam masala for added flavor.

I usually do not grind the herbs for pulaos. Ground herbs and green chilies paste gave this pulao a unique flavor and a nice green color to rice. I love cooking biryani but am not every enthusiastic cooking egg biryani. From now on, whenever I consider rice variety with boiled eggs, this is going to be my go to recipe.

I used 5 eggs for this recipe but more eggs can be used depending on who it is being served. My eggs loving husband thought I should have added at least one more egg as this was our lunch and dinner that day.

Serves: 3-4

Measuring cup used here is the one that comes with the rice cooker.

Ingredients:

5-8 Eggs (I used 5)
3 cups Basmati Rice
Masala Powder (¼ teaspoon Cardamom Seeds, 3-5 Cloves, ½ teaspoon Shah jeera, 4-6 peppercorns, ¼ – ½” Cinnamon Stick, 2 tablespoon Coconut flakes; ground into powder)
12 - 15 small Green Chilies (adjust to taste)
¾ - 1 cup Mint chopped and firmly packed
¾ - 1 cup coriander leaves chopped and firmly packed
¾ cup Oil
1 small - medium sized Onion sliced
3 Cloves
6-8 Cardamoms
¼ tsp. Shah Jeera ~ Black Cumin
½” Cinnamon Stick
2 Bay Leaves
1 Biryani Flower
6-8 Curry Leaves
2 tbsp. Ginger Garlic paste
1½ - 2 tsp. Salt (adjust to taste)
3 - 4 tbsp. Butter /Ghee
2 cup Milk
2 cup Water

Preparation:

Boil eggs, peel, make 4-6 slits around it and keep aside.
Wash rice and soak in water.
Grind green chilies, mint and cilantro to paste.
Grind together all the spices listed listed under masala powder to a fine powder.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. You will need at least a 4 liter pressure cooker.
Add whole garam masala (cardamom, cloves & shah jeera) ingredients, bay leaves, biryani powder.
When the spices are lightly roasted, add curry leaves.
Add sliced onions and saute until onions are translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute until rawness of the ginger is gone.
Add chili herbs paste and saute for a minute.
Add eggs and continue sauteing until oil begins to separate from the masala.
Add masala powder, salt and give a good stir. Saute until masala coats the egg and eggs are roasted.
Add butter or ghee and give a good stir.
Reduce the flame, add milk & water, stir, increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
Add rice and mix.
Close the pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 whistles.
Turn off the heat and let the pressure dissipate naturally. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the cooker lid, fluff up the rice serve with raita or salan. I served with both.

Note:

Rice water ratio – I used 1:1⅓ rice to liquid (water+milk) ratio.
In a pot - If cooking pulao in a sauce pan, add more water. Use 1: 1¾ rice to water ratio or as required to cook the rice.

This day in 2010: Paneer Tikka Kebab