Ambur Style Egg Biryani

Ambur, Vellore district in the north-eastern part of Tamil Nadu, which has a high Muslim population. Ambur biryani was introduced by the Nawabs of Arcot who once ruled the place. If you are not  a biryani lover and feel biryani will be heavy on your stomach then try for Ambur biryani. It is considered light, the usage of spice is moderate. What I have tried here is proper "traditional dum style" - where the rice and the gravy are cooked separately before bringing them together in  covered vessel. Your biryani will be more delicious if your cooking in "dum style".

You can also try this recipe with chicken or mutton. Before you add the rice cook your meat in the gravy.

Ingredients

• Basmati or Seeraga Samba rice - 1 cup 
• Ghee - 3 tsp 
• Cinnamon stick - 1 no 
• Black peppers - 6 nos 
• Cloves - 3 nos 
• Green gardamom - 2 no 
• Bay leave - 1 no 
• Star anise- 1 no 
• Slit green chilly - 5 nos 
• Sliced onion - 1 no
• Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp 
• Sliced tomato - 1 no 
• Chopped coriander and mint leaves - 1 cup 
• Curd - 1/2 cup 
• Boiled egg - 3 nos 
• Garam masala -1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt - For taste 

For rice 

1. Wash and soak rice for at least 1/2 hour 
2. Place a heavy bottomed vessel, pour 3 cups of water and bring it to boil 
3. Add few drops of ghee, some coriander and mint leaves, half of bay leave, 1 clove and 1-star anise 
4. Add salt required for the rice and add the soaked rice 
5. Rice to be cooked only 75% , check if you are able to break the rice easily. 
6. Remove from flame and drain the excess water

For biryani 

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan or cooker, add 2 tsp of ghee, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves and green cardamom
2. Add the slit green chilly and allow it to crackle
   
3. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes
4. Once the onions are cooked well, add the ginger and garlic paste and cook in low flame 
5. Cook till all raw smell disappears, else your biryani may taste worst 
   
6. Add salt for the gravy and turmeric powder
7. Add tomatoes and cook well (Don't smash the tomatoes) 
8. Add garam masala to the mixture 
   
9. Add half of the chopped coriander and mint and mix well 
10. Add curd and cook for 2 minutes in low flame
11. Remove from flame 

For dum style 

1.  Add the cooked rice over the gravy mixture 
2. Add the remaining coriander and mint leaves 
   
3. Insert the boiled eggs in the rice 
4. Add ghee on the sides of the cooker to avoid biryani from sticking to the vessel.
5. Place a pan on the stove, above which the biryani covered with a lid tightly and a vessel filled with water. 
   
6. Cook the biryani in high flame for 5 minutes and low flame for 10 minutes

For serving 

You can serve biryani without disturbing the layers or mix everything gently and serve hot