Egg Biriyani

Preparation time :  20 mins

Cooking time         :  30 mins

Serves                        : 3

Ingredients:

• Egg                                    - 4-6
• Basmati rice                    - 1 cup
• Onion                                - 2 medium, chopped lengthwise
• Green chilli                      - 4-5
• Tomato                             - 1 medium, chopped
• Cilantro                            - A fistful, roughly chopped
• Mint leaves                      - A fistful, roughly chopped
• Turmeric powder           - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder           - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder                - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder          - 1 tsp
• Yogurt                               - 3 Tbsp
• Ginger paste                    - 1 tsp
• Garlic paste                     - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick              - 1 inch
• Green Cardamom          - 3
• Black Cardamom           - 1
• Black Pepper corns       - 8-10
• Cloves                              - 6
• Star Anise                       - 1
• Bay leaves                       - 2
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil+Ghee                         - 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
• Salt                                   - to taste

Method:

1. Wash rice thoroughly. Soak in water for 30 mins.
2. Hard boil the eggs. Peel and slit them lengthwise.
3. Smear eggs with little turmeric powder and salt and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan.
5. Add the eggs and fry them till golden brown. Remove from pan and keep aside.

6. In the remaining oil add half of the chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt. Fry onions till they turn brown. Remove from pan and keep aside.

7. Add the remaining oil and ghee in a deep pan/wok. When oil turns hot add all the whole spices(cardamom, cinnamon, start anise, pepper corns, cloves, bay leaves).

8. When whole spices start releasing aroma add chopped onions and saute till translucent.

9. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are cooked.

10. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Saute for a minute.

11. Lower the flame. Add yogurt and stir very well. Cook for a minute or so till masala starts releasing oil.

12. Add the fried eggs and mix well.

12. Add rice, fried onions, coriander and mint leaves. Mix well and cook for few minutes.

13. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Add salt and garam masala. Mix well. 
14. Add green chillies. Cover with a lid and allow the rice to cook completely. It takes around 20-25 mins for the rice to get cooked and all the water to get completely absorbed.

15. The delicious egg biriyani is ready to serve. Serve with raita of your choice.

Egg Masala fry

A friend got this dish at work. During lunch time she offered me to taste and guess what it was. 

Ya people think since I love cooking I must be an expert in identifying foods by flavor and texture! I always thought I am good at it until last week when at a party I realized how bad I am in recognizing flavors. So there was this contest of identifying the flavors of twelve baby foods that were kept. I could just identify three! I could not identify carrot and confused it with mango! Silly! And there was one which was great in taste and I kept on tasting it until the judge warned me. And unfortunately I could not recognize that too! Blame the judge for not allowing me to taste enough! But that was awesome in taste! Later I came too know it was banana and pineapple. I think I will get this baby food at home sometime so that I can have it as much as I want without any warning from anyone.

So here also I could not recognize what dish it was. And then she revealed its egg. I was amazed to see egg in this form and it tasted awesome. It was so delicious that I had to try it at home. Very easy to prepare and a real treat to foodies.

Preparation time :  20 mins

Cooking time         :  30 mins

Serves                      : 4

Ingredients:

• Egg                           - 4
• Onion                       - 1 medium, chopped
• Green chilli             - 2, chopped
• Tomato                    - 1 medium, chopped
• Cilantro                   - A handful, chopped
• Turmeric powder  - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder  - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Chicken masala     - 1/2 tsp (Or chhole masala)
• Salt                           - to taste
• Oil                             - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Hard boil the eggs.

2. Peel them. Grate the eggs using a grater. This is how it look like after grating. 

(I included one yolk too but thats optional)

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and green chilli. Saute till onions are cooked.

4. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy and are cooked.

5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and chicken(or chhole) masala. Mix well. 
6. Add the grated egg.

7. Add salt. Mix well and cook for few minutes till everything blends well.

8. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with roti.

Omelette curry

Ingredients:

For Omelette - 

• Eggs                           - 3
• Onion                        - 1 medium, finely chopped.
• Green chilli              - 1, chopped
• Cilantro                    - 1 Tbsp chopped
• Salt                            - to taste
• Turmeric powder   - 1/3 tsp
• Oil                             - 1 tsp

For gravy - 

• Onion                         - 1 medium, chopped
• Tomato                      - 1 large, chopped
• Potato                        - 1 large, peeled, cut into long pieces
• Green chilli               - 3, chopped
• Turmeric powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder         - 1 tsp
• Garam masala          - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tsp
• Whole cumin           - 1 tsp
• Salt                             - to taste
• Oil                              - 1 Tbsp

Method:
1. First make the omelette. To make it - in a bowl break in the eggs. Add onion, green chilli, cilantro, salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a pan and pour the mixture, spread evenly and cover with a lid.
3. After a few minutes when the bottom side is done flip the omelette and let the other side cook. When done remove from pan and cut into 6 pieces.

4. To proceed with the gravy, add oil in the same pan. Temper with cumin seeds.
5. When cumin starts spluttering add the potato. Cook for 4-5 minutes till potato turns brownish and is half cooked.
6. Add the chopped onion and green chilli. Cook till onion turns translucent.
7. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook for another few minutes till tomato turns mushy and is cooked.
8. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and cook till masala is cooked and oil separates from the masala.

9. Add a cup of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook on high heat till the gravy comes to a boil.

10. Sprinkle garam masala and mix well. Add the omelette pieces.

11. Cover and cook for another few minutes till potato is fully cooked.
12. Let the gravy thicken a bit and then remove from stove.

13. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot omelette curry with plain rice.

Dim posto - Egg cooked with poppy seeds

Dim posto - eggs cooked in poppy seeds paste. Although the name has only posto in it but I like my posto to have the company of mustard also. That really boosts the overall flavor of the dish by adding a tangy taste. Also I made the gravy little dry because I like it that way but you can adjust the consistency of the gravy based on your liking.

Ingredients:

• Eggs                               - 3
• Onion                            - 1 small, chopped
• Green chilli                  - 3, sliced
• Ginger                           - 1/3 inch, chopped
• Poppy seeds(Posto)   - 2 Tbsp
• Black mustard seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Kalonji(Kolojira)        - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Corn flour                    - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil                  - 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
• Salt                                 - to taste

Method:

1. Hard boil the eggs. Peel. Cut into halves.

2. Soak posto and mustard seeds in half cup warm water for 30 mins. Then make a smooth paste of it.
3. Smear the eggs with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
4. Dust them with corn flour.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp mustard oil. When hot add the eggs and fry them till brownish.

6. Remove from oil and keep aside.

7. Add the remaining oil in the same pan. When hot temper with kalojira.
8. Add chopped ginger and saute for 30 seconds. 
9. Add chopped onions and green chilli. Cook till onions turns translucent.

10. Add turmeric powder and saute for a minute.
11. Add the posto paste and mix well.

12. Saute for another minute.

13. Add half cup water and mix well. Cover and let the the gravy come to boil.

14. Add the fried eggs and mix well but gently.
15. Cook till gravy thickens.

16. Serve hot with rice.

Dimer Devil - Egg Devil

Dimer Devil or Egg Devil. A very popular snack from Bengal. Well I am not sure why such an angel dish is given the name "devil". Is it because of its alluring nature? Or is it because you can hog umpteen number of them and still crave for more? Or is it because your taste buds get so high on them that nothing else really appears as good as them? I really don't know the answer. All I know is I enjoyed preparing them as much as I enjoyed devouring them. 

There could a variety of this dish. It can be made using chicken keema or fish or potato. My version is done using potato. So this is an Eggetarian friendly recipe. :)

Ingredients:

• Eggs                            - 4
• Potato                         - 3 large
• Onions                       - 1 large, chopped
• Green Chilli               - 3, finely chopped
• Ginger                        - 1/2 inch, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves      - 1 Tbsp, chopped
• Turmeric powder     - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder     - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder          - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala           - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                              - to taste
• Oil                                - For deep frying

For coating:

• All purpose flour        - 3 Tbsp
• Eggs                              - 2
• Bread crumbs             - 3/4 cup

Method:
1. Boil the eggs. Remove shell. Cut into halves, sprinkle a bit salt and keep aside.
2. Boil the potatoes. Peel them and keep aside.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. 
4. Add the chopped ginger and saute for a minute. 
5. Add chopped onion and green chilli and saute till onions turn translucent.

6. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and cumin powder. 
7. Mash the boiled potato till smooth and add.
8. Add salt, chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Sprinkle garam masala. Cook for another minute. Remove from pan and allow it to cool.

9. Take an egg half and wrap it up with the potato mix evenly and give it a shape of egg. Do the same for all the egg halves.

10. In a bowl break in the two eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp water and mix well.

11. Roll the egg devil in all purpose flour. Then dip in egg mix. Then roll in bread crumb. Shake off the excess and keep the devils in a plate. Do the same for all the pieces.

12. Refrigerate the egg devils for 30 minutes.

13. Heat oil for deep frying. 

14. Fry the devils one by one in medium heat until golden brown.

15. Remove from oil and place in paper towel.

16. Serve hot Egg Devil with chopped onions, ketch up and kasundi.

Eggcellent Egg curry - Dimer jhol - Either my way or Highway

Egg is called "Dim" in Bengali. And jhol is curry. Well no, I am not taking Bengali speaking crash course here, the translation is for all my friends who do not understand Bengali. This is NOT a traditional Bengali recipe. This is my recipe of egg curry. Not that I always make it this way, but this might turn out that you always do it this way, provided you try it once.

The expression of the egg in the pic is a testimony of the fact that this is an awesome recipe. He looks sad for not being a part of the dish. :)

Ingredients:

• Eggs                          - 5 boiled, peeled
• Potato                       – 2 medium sized, diced in big cubes
• Onions                       - 2 medium sized, chopped
• Tomato                     - 1 large, chopped
• Ginger                      - ½ inch, grated/chopped
• Garlic                        - 4/5 pods, grated/chopped
• Green chili                - 4 chopped
• Bay leaf/Tej pata      - 1
• Green Cardamom      - 2
• Cinnamon stick         - 1 inch
• Cloves                      - 4-6
• Black pepper corn     - 6-8
• Jeera powder            - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder      - ½ tsp
• Chili powder             - ½ tsp(adjust as per your level)
• Corainder powder     - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala           - ½ tsp
• Oil                            - 2 Tbsp
• Salt                          - per taste

Method:

1. Put straight slit lines on the eggs just touching the yolk. Rub them with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When hot fry the eggs till they become reddish in color. Take them out of oil and keep aside.

3. In the same oil fry the potato with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Drain them from oil and keep aside.

4. In the same oil(or add some more if needed) put the onion and green chili and saute till onions are done.

5. Add tomatoes. Saute till onions are cooked.



6. Once onions are cooked allow the mixture to cool. Put the mixture in blender. Add ginger, garlic and make a paste of it.

7. Heat oil in pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper and allow the aroma to come.

8. Add the paste and saute for few minutes.

9. Add jeera powder, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder and fry the masalas till oil releases from mixture.
10. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Add salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the gravy comes to a boil.
11. Add eggs and potatoes and cook till the gravy thickens. Another 7-8 minutes.

12. Sprinkle garam masala and remove from stove.


And the egg curry is ready to serve with rice or roti.