Egg Biryani is a flavorful and colorful rice dish loaded with fragrant spices and tender, boiled eggs. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or weekend potluck and easy to make at home. With this tried-and-tested recipe, learn how to make the most flavorful egg biryani.
Who doesn’t love a good biryani? I love to make chicken biryani, mutton biryani, and shrimp biryani but my husband is vegetarian, so we also love to frequently make egg biryani and vegetable biryani for family dinners.
Trust me, this egg biryani is just as flavorful as the meat biryanis. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked in a spicy masala gravy, then layered with rice and cooked to perfection. Enjoy it with a cooling raita and mirchi ka salan.
If you are like me and love eggs, check out more wonderful egg recipes – egg bhurji, egg salad sandwich, and egg curry.
Table of Contents
Watch How to Make Egg Biryani
About Egg Biryani
Egg Biryani, also called anda biryani or mutta biryani, is a popular Indian dish that combines fluffy rice, fragrant spices, and tender boiled eggs. Its vibrant colors make it a feast for the eyes and taste buds.
Egg Biryani will become a favorite in your recipe rotation. Plus, you can customize it with your favorite veggies or meats, adding a new twist to this classic dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: It is perfect for busy weeknights because it cooks quickly.
- Great for Parties: It’s a hit at potlucks and gatherings.
- Simple to Make: You don’t need fancy stuff to cook this delicious meal.
- So Flavorful: The spices make the rice taste unique, and the eggs add a yummy protein punch.
So next time you’re looking for a tasty and easy meal, try Egg Biryani! You won’t regret it!
Ingredients
- Eggs: Boiled and sliced.
- Saffron: A pinch of saffron for that beautiful color.
- Rice: Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked.
- Whole Spices: You’ll need bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
- Frying the Eggs: Oil, turmeric, red chili powder, salt.
- Biryani Masala Gravy: You’ll need ghee/oil, cumin seeds, onions, ginger, garlic, green chili peppers, yogurt, turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, salt, tomatoes, water, mint, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Layering and Garnishes: Fried onions, chopped mint, and cilantro leaves.
How to Make Egg Biryani?
Boil the Eggs
You can use a stovetop or an Instant Pot to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. After boiling, peel them and make shallow slits on the surface.
Parboil the Rice
Cook the rinsed basmati rice with water, whole spices, and salt in a large pot for about 6 minutes. Drain the water and spread the rice on a plate. It should be about 70% cooked.
Fry Onions
You can make fried onions at home or use store-bought fried onions, also called birista.
- Thinly slice the onions. In a pan or kadhai, bring the oil to medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they reach a deep golden brown color.
- Don’t rush! Look for a slow caramelization to develop sweetness without burning. If you have more onions, fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Soak the Saffron
Steep saffron strands in warm milk for 10 minutes to release their color and aroma.
Fry the Eggs
- Heat oil in a pan, add the eggs, and cook with spices until slightly blistered. Set them aside.
Make the Biryani Gravy
- In a large pan, saute onions until golden brown. You can use the same pan to layer the biryani, so make sure to use a large pan.
- Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cook for a minute. Then, add tomatoes, spices, yogurt, and water. Cook until the gravy thickens slightly.
Layer the Biryani
- We will now layer the biryani in the same pan we made the gravy.
- Arrange the fried eggs around the edges and at the center of the pan.
- Spread half the crispy fried onions evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle half the chopped mint and cilantro leaves over them.
- Add cooked rice into an even layer on top. Drizzle melted ghee and saffron milk all over the rice.
- Top with the remaining fried onions, mint, and cilantro.
Cook the Biryani
- Cover the pot or pan tightly with a lid. For extra steam, wrap a kitchen towel around the rim of the lid.
- Cook on the low heat for 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and let the biryani sit for 5-10 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld.
- When serving, scoop up all the layers – yellow rice, white rice, and spiced eggs. Garnish with extra fried onions and cilantro for a pop of color. Enjoy with raita and salad on the side!
Recipe Tips
Fried Onions: These take the most time, so make them ahead! Fry them up, store them in a sealed container in the fridge, and use them later for extra flavor. You can substitute with store-bought onions or shallots if you like. Ensure that gluten-free ones are obtained and are not mixed with other ingredients before frying.
Rice Matters: Basmati rice is best for biryani because it’s extra long and fragrant. But any long-grain rice will work. Just don’t overcook it! You want it about ¾ done before layering.
Cooking Biryani: Seal that pot tight to trap steam for perfectly fluffy rice (“dum” style). No heavy-bottomed pan? No problem! Place a griddle or pan underneath your pot to spread the heat evenly and prevent burning the bottom. You might need to turn up the heat to medium in this case.
Don’t like finding whole spices in your biryani? Put them in a small cheesecloth bag and add it to the water when you cook the rice.
Leftovers Biryani: Leftovers store great! Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What to Serve with Egg Biryani?
Egg Biryani is already a delicious and filling dish! It pairs well with these Indian sides:
- Cooling Cucumber Raita: This yogurt-based dip with cool cucumber is perfect for balancing the rich and spicy flavors of the biryani.
- Simple Chopped Salad: A light salad adds a nice crunch and freshness to your meal.
More Rice Recipes You’ll Love
Rice & Grains
Pumpkin Rice
Rice & Grains
Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bath
Rice & Grains
Chicken Pulao
Rice & Grains
Chana Pulao (Easy Chickpea Rice)
Egg Biryani
Video
Ingredients
- 6 large Eggs, boiled
Saffron
- 2 tablespoon Warm Milk
- 10-12 strands Saffron (Kesar)
Parboiled Rice
- 1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice , rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
- 6 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
- 1 inch stick Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- 1 Star anaise
Frying Eggs
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Chili powder (Mirchi powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Biryani
- 2 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 2 cup Yellow onion, about 300 grams, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 cloves Garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoon Ginger, freshly grated
- 2 Green Chili Pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, mild, or use 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne , adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Tomato, finely diced or pureed
- 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt, thick full-fat, whisked
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Mint leaves (Pudhina), fresh, chopped
- 1/2 cup Cilantro leaves (Corainder), fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lime or Lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Birista / Fried onions
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
For Serving
Instructions
Boil Eggs
- You can boil eggs in the instant pot or on the stovetop. Here is the recipe for instant pot hard-boiled eggs. To boil on the stovetop, place eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered for 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them cool down for 10 minutes.
- Remove the shell, then make 2-3 shallow slits on the surface of the eggs and set aside.
Parboiled Rice
- Add water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt, whole spices, and basmati rice (after draining the soaking water). Cook for 6 minutes, then drain the water immediately and spread the rice in a large plate or bowl. The rice will be about 70% done at this stage. Don't overcook the rice. Check by taking a grain between your fingers; it should break easily but is still not completely done at the center.
Saffron
- Soak saffron strands in warm milk. Set this aside for 10 minutes.
Frying Eggs
- Heat a large pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in it. Add the eggs to the pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- Stir and saute until the eggs are coated with the spices and slightly blistered on the outside, about 2 minutes. Remove eggs and set aside. This helps the eggs to retain their shape when cooking the biryani.
Make the Biryani Sauce
- In the same pan used for eggs, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and let it heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add sliced onions and saute for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown in color. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Add ginger, garlic, and green chili peppers. Saute for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and dry spices – turmeric, coriander, red chili, garam masala and salt. Stir them well and saute them for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the whisked yogurt and keep stirring for 1-2 minutes until it is well incorporated. You can increase heat to medium-high once the yogurt is incorporated. Cook until the oil starts to separate from the gravy. Now add some water to make a gravy consistency. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add half of the mint and cilantro leaves and lime juice. Stir them into the masala.
- Now add the fried eggs we had kept aside before. Arrange them in the pan around the edges and at the center.
Layer the Biryani and Cook
- Spread half of the fried onions on top of the eggs. Then, spread half of the chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
- Now, layer the parboiled rice evenly on top. Using a spatula, flat the surface. Now, drizzle the ghee over the rice. Then, drizzle the saffron milk all over the rice. Spread the rest of the fried onions, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves on top.
- Cover with a tight lid and cook on the lowest flame for 15 minutes. You can also wrap a kitchen towel on the lid to get that tight-fitting lid to keep the steam inside while cooking the biryani. This process is called "dum" which is basically cooking on low heat. (See notes)
- Remove from heat and let the biryani rest for 5-10 minutes. When serving, dig deep to get all the layers with the yellow rice, white rice, and eggs in one scoop. Garnish with fried onions and cilantro leaves. Serve with raita and salad!
This was amazing. Will definitely be making it again!
Hi Karry – So happy to hear that 🙂