SOYA-EGG BIRYANI

Ingredients

• Biryani rice (basmati rice), soaked in water – 700 gms
• Egg, boiled and slightly fried – 3 to 4
• Mini soya chunks, boiled and squeeze off the water– 1 cup
• Onion chopped – 1 large size
• Onion beresta (fried sliced onion) – 2 medium size
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Tomato puree – ½ cup
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Cumin & coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
• Biryani masala – 2 tsp (described below)
• Bay leaves – 2 to 3
• Cashew nut, fried – 2 tsp
• Raisins, fried – 2 tsp
• Lemon juice – 2 tsp
• Saffron, soaked in warm milk – 2 pinch of
• Rose water – 2 tsp
• Meetha attar – 2 drops (optional)
• Ghee – as required
• Oil – as required
• Salt – to taste
• Sugar – to taste

Biryani masala -

• Green cardamom – 8 to 10
• Cinnamon stick – 2 to 3, inch long
• Cloves – 5 to 6
• Peppercorn – 8 to 10
• Nutmeg – 1
• Mace – 2 pcs
• Shajeera (caraway seeds) – 1 tsp
• Shamorich – 1 tsp
• Kabab chini – ½ tsp

Method

To make the biryani masala, dry roast of each ingredients of the biryani masala and make a fine powder of it (leave a small portion of green cardamom, cinnamon stick & cloves)

To cook the rice, boiled water along with 2 tsp salt, green cardamom, cinnamon stick & cloves. Make the rice half cooked. Spread the rice and let it dry.

To make the mini soya chunks curry, heat oil in pan/ kadai. Add chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry it for another 2 mins. Add the boiled mini soya chunks. Add tomato puree. Cook it for 3 to 4 mins. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin & coriander powder, salt, sugar and little amount of water to it. Add garam masala powder and cook it till it becomes dry. Keep it aside.

Take a deep bottom-bottomed pan. Heat ghee and spread it throughout the pan. First take half portion of rice and spread it inside the pan. Put the boiled n fried eggs, premade soya chunks and fried cashew nuts & raisins over it. Sprinkle biryani masala, beresta, saffron milk, lemon juice. Now spread the remaining rice over it. Sprinkle 1 tsp ghee, biryani masala, saffron milk, rose water & 2 drops of meetha attar. Cover the lid. Make the cover air tight as much as possible. You can put the pan direct to the oven in low medium flame for 10 mins. But my suggestion is heat a tawa. Put the flame in medium low. Now put the pan onto it and let simmer for about 10 mins. Put it off and let the biryani stay covered for another 10 mins. Serve hot along with raita.