Egg Biryani for Ai Buro Bhaat

This post is dedicated to Devleena, my colleague and office bus mate! She is more a friend of my kids than mine. She is going to get married next month. We had her over for a traditional Bengali pre-wedding lunch during the weekend called Ai buro Bhaat! I like this custom coz it meant feast ;-D Did not know traditional values of it. Googling lead me to this site which says: Ai Buro Bhat is the ritual 'last meal' that is eaten by the bride / the groom before the actual wedding ceremony takes place. For the bride, it was traditionally the last meal she ate as a daughter in her own home. Since food is such a critical part of Bengali culture, the Ai Buro Bhat is nothing short of a feast that takes place seperately at the bride's house and the groom's. It consists of Bengali delicacies such as fish head curry, steamed prawn curry with coconut milk or mustard, shukto (a slightly bitter vegetable stew), five types of fried vegetables, an array of sweets and much much more.

Now she is an eggetarian and hence I got a chance to make this Biryani which was long ago jotted down in my recipe diary. Mostly I make Chicken / Mutton Biryani otherwise. This to-be bride is on a cooking spree and trying to hone all the culinary skills possible to impress her groom. She has been asking for the recipe coz perhaps this would be on the platter on V-day. Well girl, this recipe is dedicated to you! Wish you a great life ahead.

Ingredients:

For Rice:

Rice 3 cups

Tejpatta – 2-3
Cloves – 3-4
Cinnamon – 1”inch piece broken into small pieces
Green Cardamom – 3-4
Black Cardamom - 1
Black pepper – 4-5
Jeera – 1 tsp
Red chilli – 1
Mace - 1
Star anise - 1
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mint leaves - 10
Oil - 1 tsp

For Omelette:
Eggs - 3
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 1 or 2, finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Milk - 1 tbsp
Oil - tbsp

For Masala:
Onion - 3 medium sized, finely chopped
Tomato - 2 small, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Biriyani masala powder - 1 tsp ( I use store bought masala)
Coriander leaves - a handful
Mint leaves - a handful
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

For fried eggs:
Hard boiled eggs - 6, deshelled, slight slits made and havled
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Biriyani masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

For assembly:
Rose water - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - a handful
Kesar – 1 pinch
Milk – 1 tbsp
Soak kesar in lukewarm milk. (If kesar is not available, you may use food color to give the rice yellow colour)

Method:

Prepare the flavourful rice:
1. Soak the rice in double the quantity of water for half an hour.
2. Boil water in a vessel along with the whole garam masalas and mint leaves.
3. When the water starts boiling, add the rice, vinegar, salt and 1 tsp of oil.
4. Keep checking the rice until it is almost done but not fully done.
5. Strain the water away.
6. Immediately spread the rice in 2-3 plates. This prevents the rice from being sticky or stops it from cooking further. Let it come to room temperature.

Prepare the omelette:
1. Beat eggs with all the ingredients except oil.
2. Heat oil in a pan and pour the egg mixture to make a think omelette.
3. Remove the omelette and cut into bite sized pieces.

Prepare fried eggs:
1. Sprinkle pepper powder, biriyani masala powder and salt on halved, boiled eggs and shallow fry in a pan till they turn golden brown.


Prepare the masala:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add handful of sliced onions. Fry them till golden brown. Remove from oil and keep aside for garnishing.
2. In the same oil add rest of the sliced onions.
3. When the onion turn transparent, add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till the mixture turns mushy and oil starts oozing from sides.
5. Now add finely chopped coriander and mint leaves and the bite sized omelette pieces.
6. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, Biryani Masala powder, salt to it and cook for 2 mins. Keep aside.

Assembly
1. Take a wide bottomed pan in which you would arrange the Biriyani in layers. (I used two different servivng bowls)
2. Grease the utensil with a little oil. (This may be omitted if you are using a microwave safe vessel)
3. Divide the rice into 3 parts and the masala into 2.
4. Arrange the first part of rice in the utensil first. Next put half of the masala. Repaeat the rice – masala – rice layer again.
5. Arrange fried eggs on top and garnish with the fried onions and coriander leaves on top.
6. Pour the kesar milk so that it is evenly spread across the utensil.
7. Pour the rose water similarly.
8. Put ghee on top evenly.
9. Heat the utensil on the lowest heat (on stove top) or in microwave if using microwave safe vessel. If the ghee on top melts, then you may know that the biriyani is ready to be served.