Dindigul Egg Biryani

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and ghee together over high heat. Add the finely diced onions. Sauté them continuously until they turn translucent and pale golden.

Add the crushed green chilli paste and the fresh ginger-garlic paste. Fry over high heat until the raw, sharp notes have cooked off and the mixture smells fragrant.

Add the finely diced tomatoes, plenty of mint and the fresh coriander. Cook this down until the tomatoes break apart completely into a thick base and the seasoned oil separates out.

Turn the heat right down. Add the well-whisked curd, the biryani masala and the salt. Stir hard to bring it together into a thick, tangy, well-spiced gravy.

Add the scored boiled eggs to the masala. Boil for 2 minutes so they take up the flavour. Pour in the measured water and bring it straight back to a rolling boil.

2 min

Drain the Jeerakasala rice thoroughly and add the grains to the pot, followed by the lemon juice. Stir once, very gently. Keep it boiling uncovered over high heat until the liquid drops to the level of the swelling rice.

Instantly forge an impenetrable hermetic seal over the vessel utilizing a heavy lid. Sever the heat to the absolute lowest viable threshold and enforce a punishing 15-minute 'Dum' cycle. Decapitate the heat source unconditionally and mandate a strict 10-minute undisturbed stabilization phase prior to breaching the seal.