Lucknowi Egg Biryani
IndianIndian RecipesDesi eggsHard
A Lucknowi-style egg biryani with fragrant basmati, boiled eggs, fried onion, saffron and kewra. Delicate, aromatic and fit for a daawat.
Prep time25 min
Cook time40 min
Total time65 min
Servings4
Ingredients
- 6 Desi eggs, boiled and peeled
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked 20 minutes
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp biryani masala
- 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
- A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
- 1 tsp kewra water
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander and mint
- Lemon wedges and raita to serve
Method
- Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool and peel. Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
- Boil the rice in salted water until 70 percent cooked; drain.
- Heat oil, fry the onions until golden and crisp; remove half for garnish.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, biryani masala and haldi to the pan; fry for 2 minutes.
- Layer half the rice, then the masala and boiled eggs, then the remaining rice.
- Drizzle saffron milk and kewra water; top with fried onions, coriander and mint.
- Cover tightly and cook on very low heat (dum) for 15 minutes. Serve hot with lemon and raita.
Nutrition — estimated per serving
Calories (estimate)360 kcal
Protein (estimate)14 g
Fat (estimate)14 g
Carbs (estimate)40 g
Nutrition values are estimates based on standard per-egg values (about 72 kcal, 6.3 g protein, 4.8 g fat, 0.4 g carbs per large egg).
Tips, food safety & substitutions
Food safety: cook the rice fully and serve hot; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Allergens: contains egg and milk (saffron milk, raita). Substitution: use yellow food colour instead of saffron. Nutrition figures are estimates only, based on standard per-egg values. Pakistani alternative: add a few boiled potatoes to the layers.