Chicken biryani served with soft boiled eggs and raita recipe

How to make chicken biryani served with soft boiled eggs and raita To make the biryani spice powder 1. Dry roast all spices for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Crush in a spice grinder and pass through a sieve.

For the egg 3. Place the eggs in boiling water and cook for 5½ minutes. Plunge into ice cold water to stop them cooking.

Peel off the shells then grate 2 eggs and mix with the chiffonade of mint. Check for seasoning and keep aside.

For the masala 5. Add the butter to a hot pan and crackle the cumin seeds and black cardamom seeds.

Add the shallots and cook gently for 10 minutes. When soft, add the fresh tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the chopped tinned tomatoes. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the ginger & garlic paste and chilli paste and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the boneless chicken thighs to this mix and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Now add the turmeric, ground coriander and cumin powder.

Taste for seasoning; it may require 2 tsp of biryani powder For the biryani rice 9. Add all the spices and salt to the chicken stock and bring to the boil.

. Wash the rice under hot running tap water for 2 minutes.

. Add the washed rice to the stock and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and keep the stock aside. Keep the rice in a warm place.

For the pancake 12. Heat the butter in a wide frying pan.

. Whisk the eggs together and season with salt and pepper.

. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and spread them out to form a thin pancake.

For the raita 15. Dry roast the cumin seeds and blitz in a spice grinder.

. Make a mayonnaise by whisking the egg yolk until smooth. Then drizzle in the oil very slowly, whisking all the time. When emulsified, add the vinegar and then mix with the rest of the ingredients, season with salt.

To assemble 17. Preheat oven to 200C. Brush a copper pot with butter and add a layer of chicken; then add a layer of rice, sprinkle each layer with rose water. Next will be the two soft boiled eggs, then repeat process again, again with a sprinkling of rosewater. Finally cover everything with the egg pancake and crack 1 egg on top. Cook in the oven until the egg is set and serve at the table in the pot with the raita alongside in a small bowl.