Egg Biryani

A lot of what I cook evokes memories, of course, good ones. Egg biryani is one such delicious recipe that has rice and boiled eggs flavored with aromatic spices. I love this egg biryani which is easy to make. it makes a very good one pot meal and so a simple raita will be good enough as sides.  It is the best main course dish to serve at any time. Biryani is one of the most popular Indian rice dishes and just the name of it can make you hungry with the wonderful aroma that comes from this flavored rice. It is said that Biryani has a Persian origin. In India, it takes different looks, forms and taste in every corner of the country.

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking times:

Serves:2

Ingredients:

• 4 nos eggs
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 2 Large Onions
• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 1 green chilli Slit lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Red chilli Powder
• 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Biryani Masala
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander and mint leaves
• 3 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon Desi Ghee 
• Salt
• 1/4 cup Warm milk
• a Pinch of saffron strands
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 teaspoon of Kewda essence

Whole Masala:

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 2 to 3 Green cardamom
• 4 cloves
• 1 blade Javitri
• 1 Star Anise

Let's Learn how to make this recipe:

• Soak the Basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Boil the eggs and peel it's shell.Make a few slit on the egg and marinate it with salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and keep it aside.
• Soak the saffron strands in warm milk.
• Finely chopped one large onion, two medium tomatoes and one green chilli and keep aside.
• Thinly Slice one Large onion and fry in a pan with oil till golden brown and keep aside.
• In the same pan , add the marinated eggs and pan roast them on both sides on low flame till light brown on all sides. Keep aside.
• In the same pan add the finely chopped onions , green chillies and cook till onions are brown in color .
• Add 1 teaspoon of Ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of the paste goes away. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes becomes mushy and start to separate the oil from the masala.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and cook with 1 tablespoon of water so that the masala do not stick to the pan.
• Now add the pan roasted eggs and the Biryani Masala along with the finely chopped Coriander and mint leaves and 1/4 cup water and brings it to a boil. Cook till the gravy thickens . Make sure it is not too dry nor too runny.
• Now in  a large Vessel , Boil water along with the whole spices marked above, 1 tablespoon of oil, juice of one lemon and salt. Strain the water from the rice and add it to the boiling water and cook till the rice is 3/4th done.
• Now grease a heavy Bottomed Pan,  add a layer of rice, sprinkle some fried onions, coriander and mint leaves, a teaspoon of saffron soaked milk and top it with a layer of egg masala. Repeat with one more layer  of fried onions,chopped coriander and mint leaves . Sprinkle the top with saffron soaked milk and a teaspoon of kewda essence and a tablesppon of desi ghee on top. 
• Cover the pan with Silver foil and keep on  a pre heated tawa and cook on slow flame for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn off the gas and let it cool .
• Serve it with a cool Onion and cucumber raita along with some Papads for a blissful meal in the afternoon.

Shakshuka- Poached Eggs in spicy Tomato Sauce

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." -John Gunther

             In Israel the word shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast. It's best served with a slice or two of challah bread to sop up the juices. shakshuka is a dish of  poached eggs  in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. It is believed to have a Tunisian origin. Shakshuka is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines, traditionally served in a cast iron pan  with bread to mop up the sauce. It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews and Maghrebi Jews, hundreds of thousands of whom immigrated to Israel during the 1950s.

            Because eggs are the main ingredient, it is often on breakfast menus, but in Israel, it is also a popular evening meal. According to some food historians, the dish was invented in the Ottoman Empire, spreading throughout the Middle East and Spain, where it is often served with spicy sausage. It’s a one-skillet recipe of eggs baked in a tomato-red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika.

         When I say the word shakshuka, I get excited when I see the look on the face of people – it means they don’t know what the heck shakshuka is, which means they have no idea what they’re missing out on. If you aren’t familiar with shakshuka, I’m thrilled to introduce the concept to you! It’s one of my favorite dishes—a simple, go-to meal that works as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner .

Nutritionally, shakshuka is just about as lean and svelte as it gets. You’re effectively eating spiced up tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions—a well of vitamins (A/C), antioxidants, and other anti-inflammatory compounds—with little bombs of protein floating on top.

 Eggs are slowly cooked in a cumin flavored tomato sauce and it all becomes a sweet, spicy and protein packed one-pot-dinner that you eat with a piece of bread on the side. It’s a great and simple budget recipe that easily takes care of any leftover vegetables you might have lying around. All you need are a few very basic ingredients; onion, garlic, canned tomatoes and eggs. If you got that, you are good to go. Now if you can find some fresh fresh spinach, bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, cauliflower or any other type of vegetable, they can be added as well. Be inventive. Try new variations.

Shakshuka

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

2  medium onions, chopped finely

1 cup of bell pepper( green, red and yellow) chopped finely

6 to 7 cloves of garlic, chopped

4 tomatoes, chopped finely

3 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon or more chilli powder

1 tbsp ground cumin powder

1 tbsp sugar

Salt to taste

11/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

5 eggs

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Heat the oil in a shallow, medium skillet. Add the onion and Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the bell pepper and cook till softened.

2. Add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

3. Now add the chopped tomatoes, chili powder, cumin powder, salt, sugar  and pepper. Stir until everything is well combined. Add tomato puree and stir. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the tomatoes cook on medium heat until they are soft and mushy, about 10 minutes. You should now have a sauce that is a gravy like consistency. If the sauce is too thick, add water and stir.

4. Layer the coriander leaves on top.

5.Now carefully crack the eggs. Place a small sieve over a cup or small bowl. Crack the egg into the sieve, swirl a bit, allowing the runny watery whites of the egg to drain through. Place the egg that's left in the sieve into individual little bowls or ramekins.

6.Gently pour the  egg into the surface of the tomato sauce. Repeat with all remaining eggs so that the surface of the tomato sauce is covered in eggs. Take care not to disturb the egg yolks, they need to be intact.

5. Cover the skillet and let the sauce gently simmer until the egg whites are set, about 2 minutes. If you like your eggs firm, cook the shakshuka covered for another 2 minutes or until the egg whites and yellows are fully cooked and set.

6. Sprinkle some ground pepper and Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with bread.

Some additional Tips:

Remove eggs from refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.  

Place a small sieve over a cup or small bowl. Crack the egg into the sieve, swirl a bit, allowing the runny watery whites of the egg to drain through. Place the egg that's left in the sieve into individual little bowls or ramekins.

If making the shakshuka, most recipes say to crack the eggs directly into an indentation in the sauce and cover the pan to finish cooking. DON'T if you want the pretty sunny side up eggs for presentation. Instead, crack the eggs as described above through a sieve and then into their own small ramekins as so that all the eggs are ready to go into the pan one after the other. When they're in the pan, allow them to simmer undisturbed until the whites are set up to your liking. Preferably, just until the whites set up, ensuring the yolks have thickened but are still runny.