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Egg Biryani

Ready in 45 mins

Recipe by Mamtha Sunil Kumar 

Egg Biryani is one of the many Biryani dishes, traditional in northern India. Though the roots of Biryani dishes date back to 16th century Persia, the dish has now transformed into various local versions. The original Biryanis contained an array of up to 20 different spices and could take anywhere between 2 hours to 24 hours to cook. Obviously, with the pace of modern living, Biryani has adapted into simpler and quicker versions. This recipe for Egg Biryani is one such adaptation. It has all the soul of a Biryani with a modern outlook.

Preparation Time

15 Minutes

Cooking Time

30 Minutes

Ingredients for Egg Biryani

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.
If you want to know more about Indian ingredients, check our Indian Spices and our Indian Pulses, Rice and Seeds pages.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

8 oz long-grain rice (like Basmati)
4 eggs
7-8 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 pint warm water
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  salt
2 stems coriander
3 tomatoes

How to Cook Egg Biryani

  1. Soak the rice for 30 minutes in cold water, to remove some of the starch. Hard boil the eggs, let them cool a little, then remove the shells and set aside. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.
  2. Place a deep pan over a medium-high heat and pour in 7-8 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, drop in the spices - bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamoms - wait for couple of seconds and then add the chopped onions and garlic. As soon as the onions turn golden brown, prick the eggs with a fork and add them to the pan.
  3. Add the turmeric and chili powders and fry for about 5 minutes stirring from time to time. Drain the water from the soaking rice and, once the pungent aroma of the spices diminishes, add the rice to the pan and stir slowly and carefully for 2 minutes to coat in the oil and spices. Pour in the warm water and add salt to taste. Bring to the boil then reduce to a moderate heat until the water is at a rolling boil and cook until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed.
  4. Once the rice becomes tender, sprinkle garam masala powder over the top and keep it on low heat for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the coriander leaves from the stems and chop them finely. Thickly slice the tomatoes. Transfer the Egg Biryani to a serving dish and use the chopped coriander and tomato slices to garnish. Serve hot with a cup of tasty curds or fresh yogurt.
MAMTHA SUNIL KUMAR'S HOT TIP:
If you are serving Egg Biryani for a vegan, add cooked or boiled vegetables to the dish instead of eggs to make a perfect vegetable Biryani.