Hyderabadi egg biryani recipe | easy egg dum biryani (restaurant-style)

Hyderabadi egg biryani with step by step photos & a recipe video. Hyderabadi biryani needs no introduction to any biryani lover.

If you ask me my favorite biryani...no doubt it is Hyderabadi biryani. The color, texture, aroma & overall the flavors are delectable.

In this recipe post, I am sharing the egg biryani recipe made in the Hyderabadi style.

What is Hyderabadi biryani?

Hyderabadi biryani is one of the most popular from Hyderabad, India. Originated from the kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad, (India), it has become popular worldwide.

It is made with basmati rice, meat, yogurt, herbs & spices. Variations are prepared with vegetables, eggs, fish & prawns.

Two popular varieties of this biryani are Kacchi gosht Ki biryani & Pakki biryani.

About this Hyderabadi egg dum biryani recipe

In this recipe, egg biryani is cooked on dum. This process makes biryani more flavorful.

The dum cooking method gives this egg biryani a unique aroma & flavorful.

In dum cooking, partially cooked rice & eggs are layered & cooked together in a sealed pot (heavy bottom pan) over a low flame.

The steam formed inside the pan helps the biryani to cook & retain its aroma & flavor.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other amazing biryani recipes:

• Hyderabadi veg biryani
• Mutton biryani
• Lucknowi biryani
• Hyderabadi kacchi biryani
• Hyderabadi pakki biryani
• Quick egg biryani (within 30 minutes)
• Chicken biryani in pressure cooker

Here's why this recipe works:

• The recipe includes step by step process shots & a video to help the beginners.
• The timing of cooking rice & dum cooking the biryani is mentioned.
• The recipe includes all the cooking tips that I learned all these years to make a perfect biryani.

How to make Hyderabadi egg biryani (step by step)

Preparations:

• Boil 6 eggs. Peel it & make long incisions on it. Keep it aside.
• Rinse the rice 2-3 times until the water is clear. It helps to remove surface starches & impurities from it.
• Soak Basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.  Drain off the water from the rice & keep it aside. Soaking helps the rice to expand and makes the rice grains fluffier.

Cooking the rice

1. Heat 6 cups of water in a vessel over a high flame. Add salt, whole spices & ghee. Stir everything together & bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the basmati rice to the boiling water.
3. After 5 minutes, check the rice grains. It will be long, soft but firm. If it split when you press it between your thumb & index finger, it is ready.
4. Drain off the water. Keep it aside.

Making fried onions (birista)

1. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add sliced onions.
2. Fry the onion slices until golden.
3. Remove & spread it on a kitchen tissue. Keep it aside. You can skip this step if using store-bought fried onions or birista.
4. Take out the excess oil.

Roasting the eggs in spices

1. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over low flame.
2. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt & biryani masala powder. Saute for 30 seconds.
3. Add eggs & coat it in the spices.
4. Fry it for 2 minutes. Remove & keep it aside.

Making the Hyderabadi egg biryani

1. In the same pan heat 2 teaspoons of oil. Add whole spices & saute for a minute.
2. Next, add onion & sauté until translucent.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste & fry until raw smell from ginger & garlic leaves.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder & biryani masala powder. Saute for a minute.
5. Add curd/yogurt & cook stirring it continuously until it comes to a boil.
6. Next, add salt. Be careful, we have already added salt while cooking rice & roasting eggs.
7. Add eggs & mix it with the masala.
8. Cover & cook for 2-3 minutes until oil starts to leave from the masala.

Layering the Hyderabadi egg dum biryani

1. Add green chilies, half of the fried onions, coriander leaves & mint leaves. Mix it.
2. Add the cooked basmati rice. Layer it evenly.
3. Sprinkle the rest of the fried onions, biryani masala powder, cardamom powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves, kewra essence, rose water, saffron milk & ghee/clarified butter over the basmati rice.
4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. If you do not have a tight-fitting lid then seal the biryani pan with dough.
5. 

Cooking the egg biryani on dum

1. Heat a Tawa (iron griddle) over the flame. (pic. 5)
2. Place the biryani pan over the tawa. It is an important step because it will prevent the biryani from getting contact with direct heat. (pic. 6)
3. Cook on high flame for 3-4 minutes. Lower the flame & cook for 15 minutes. (pic. 7)
4. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
5. Open the seal. (pic. 8)
6. Hyderabadi egg dum biryani is ready to serve.
7. Check at the bottom of biryani whether there is any gravy left. If yes then cook it on a low flame uncovered until the gravy is dried.
8. Serve biryani hot with raita or salan.

Cooking Tips

1. Do not overcook the eggs. If overcooked then it may turn hard (chewy or rubbery).
2. Always use a heavy bottom utensil/pan to make biryani. Also, it should have a tight-fitting lid to ensure that it traps 90% of the steam inside.
3. Use fresh curd/yogurt to make it. Avoid using lemon juice if using sour curd.
4. The addition of green chilies is optional. But if you prefer less spicy then avoid adding it.
5. Use long-grain aged basmati rice to make biryani.
6. If you do not have the entire list of whole spices then add a few that are available in your kitchen pantry.
7. Also, if you do not have kewra & rose essence then skip adding it. You can make this recipe without it.
8. Ghee/clarified butter is an important ingredient that keeps the biryani soft & moist. It also adds richness to the biryani.

Recipe card for Hyderabadi egg biryani