• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Category Index
  • How To

Indian Ambrosia

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Category
  • Collections
  • Chicken
  • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • Instant Pot
  • Quick & Easy
  • What's New
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Category
  • Collections
  • Chicken
  • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • Instant Pot
  • Quick & Easy
  • What's New
  • About
×
You are here: Home » Rice

Published: Oct 17, 2021 · Modified: Jun 11, 2022 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

Hyderabadi Egg Biryani Recipe (Anda Biryani)

28 shares
Jump to Recipe
Hyderabadi egg dum biryani in a plate.

Hyderabadi egg biryani recipe is a splendid coming together of fragrant long-grain rice and spiced and sautéed boiled eggs. Basmati rice is cooked in whole spices, layered with some biryani masala and eggs, and topped with fried onions, herbs, and saffron milk. The pot is then sealed and put on gentle heat to make a deliciously spicy egg dum biryani that tastes great with mirchi ka salan or dahi boondi (raita).

Hyderabadi egg biryani in plate with spoon.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE THIS POST?

Enter your email to get this post directly in your inbox. Plus, get subscribed to the Indian Ambrosia newsletter!

Jump to:
  • About Hyderabadi Egg Biryani
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🍽 Equipment
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 💭 Top Tips
  • 🥗 Side Dishes
  • 📖 Recipe

About Hyderabadi Egg Biryani

This Hyderabadi egg biryani recipe is a real gem from down south. Hyderabadi cuisine is known for its bold flavors, and if you love eggs, this dish is right up your alley. It is an authentic, restaurant-style biryani with a distinct tang to it thanks to the tomatoes and yogurt.

What's more, the spices frying in hot ghee and the fresh mint and cilantro leaves are going to fill your kitchen with some heavenly aromas. Don't be surprised if your neighbours turn up at your doorstep to find out what's cooking:)

If you love having biryani for lunch and dinner, do look up the other biryani recipes on the blog! There's another scrumptious vegetarian paneer biryani that won't disappoint.

And if going meatless is not your thing, this chicken biryani and this keema biryani is worth checking out.

If you love eggs, try a curry with eggs as the main ingredient in it! Egg curry is a popular dish that's big on taste.

🥘 Ingredients

Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.

For frying the eggs

  • Ghee
  • Ground spices - red chilli, biryani masala, cumin
  • Sea salt
  • Eggs

For making the curry masala

  • Ghee
  • Ginger and garlic paste
  • Ground spices - coriander, biryani masala, garam masala, red chilli
  • Sea salt
  • Fried onions
  • Tomatoes
  • Cashews
  • Yogurt
  • Mint and cilantro leaves

For cooking the rice

  • Plain water
  • Whole spices - black cardamom, green cardamom, bay leaves, black peppercorns, cloves
  • Sea salt
  • White Basmati rice

Other ingredients (For assembling the biryani)

  • Fried onions
  • Milk
  • Saffron

🍽 Equipment

  • Frypan
  • A large pot with a lid
  • A colander for draining the rice

🔪 Instructions

1. Boil the eggs - I like using my instant pot to hard boil the eggs because peeling eggs boiled in the instant pot is a breeze.

  • Fill the steel insert with 1 cup water and lower a trivet in it.
  • Place the eggs on the trivet and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
  • Release the pressure after 5 minutes and open the pot.
  • Peel the eggs once they are cool, or if you are in a hurry, immerse them in cold water to cool them down. The shells will literally slide off!

2. Make the ginger garlic paste - homemade paste tastes so much better.

  • Put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons water and whiz to get a smooth paste.
  • Store it in your refrigerator in a glass bottle after taking out the required quantity for the recipe. It stays good for several days.

3. Fry the onions

  • Heat 3 tablespoon cooking oil in a fry pan and add one fairly big finely sliced red onion to the hot oil.
  • Fry until reddish-brown and divide into two small bowls along with the oil.

4. Chop the tomatoes, mint and cilantro leaves.

5. Wash and soak the rice

  • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in 4 cups water. Keep aside.

6. Soak the saffron in warm milk

  • Crush the saffron slightly between your fingers and add it to warm milk. Keep this saffron milk aside.

7. Fry the eggs

  • Heat ghee in a frypan and add the red chilli powder, biryani masala powder, cumin powder, and salt. Fry for a few seconds.
  • Add the boiled eggs. Toss until well-coated and fry in the masala until slightly crisp.
  • Take them out in a small bowl or platter and keep aside.
fried whole eggs in a frypan.

8. Make the curry masala

  • In the same oil in which you fried the eggs, add more ghee and heat it on medium heat.
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste.
  • Add all the powdered spices and salt - coriander, biryani masala, garam masala, and red chilli. Add a tablespoon of water to prevent the spices from burning. Fry for one minute.
  • Add the fried onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and cashews and cook until the tomatoes soften and break down (2-3 minutes).
  • Add the yogurt and cook down the curry again until it becomes thick and shiny (3-4 minutes).
  • Add chopped mint and cilantro leaves and mix well. The curry masala for the biryani is ready.
Biryani masala in a frypan.

Step 9: Cook the rice

  • Take a large pot, fill it with 10 cups water, and set it on the stovetop.
  • Add the whole garam masala and salt and bring the water to a roiling boil on high heat.
  • Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered until the rice is 80% done. To check for doneness, press a few rice grains between your fingers. They should yield but still have a slightly hard centre.
  • Very carefully, tip the pot of rice into a colander placed in the sink so that most of the liquid drains away.
  • Reserve about half a cup to add back to the pot. This is so the rice you add back to the pot remains moist and the bottom layer does not burn.
  • Return half the rice to the pot.
  • Let the other half remain in the colander for the time being.

Step 10: Assemble the biryani

  • Keep the pot on the stovetop again. Spoon out the curry masala you prepared earlier and spread it evenly on the rice.
  • Take the remaining rice (which you had left in the colander) and spread it on top of the curry masala.
  • Sprinkle the remaining fried onions (under 'other ingredients') on top of the rice. Also pour the saffron milk evenly on top of the rice. Finally place the fried eggs on top.
  • Take a large dish cloth or tea towel and wet it. Squeeze out the excess moisture and cover the pot of biryani with it. Finally cover the pot with a close-fitting lid.
  • Switch on the gas to low-medium heat and let the biryani cook on dum for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, take off the lid and remove the dish cloth. With the help of a large spoon, turn around the rice in the pot several times so that the layers of rice and curry masala get mixed. Egg biryani is now ready to be served.
Egg biryani in a pot.

💭 Top Tips

  • If you want to save time, you can use store-bought ginger and garlic paste instead of making your own. Similarly, pre-fried onions are easily available in any Indian or Pakistani grocery store. 
  • Use good quality saffron. A little goes a long way, so don't be tempted to add too much. 
  • Use the  biryani masala powder of your choice. I like using Pakistani brands like Shan or National (affiliate links), but it is really up to your taste and preference. There are so many options in the market for biryani masala.
  • Make sure the rice is only 80% done and not fully cooked as it will cook further when you put it on dum for 15 minutes after assembling the biryani. You don't want over-cooked rice for biryani that sticks together.
  • If you're not a fan of ghee, you can substitute it for any neutral cooking oil.

🥗 Side Dishes

This Hyderabadi style egg biryani goes well with mirchi ka salan, a tangy curry with large green chilli peppers.

You can also serve it with a number of side dishes like raita (yogurt dip), baingan bharta (fire-roasted and mashed eggplant), baghare baingan (eggplant curry) and masala aloo (spiced potatoes). Choose your favourites!

Or, if you want to keep things super simple, slice a few cucumbers and onions, sprinkle a little salt and lemon juice on them, and you're good to go!

Hyderabadi egg dum biryani in a bowl with a spoon.

If you tried this recipe, do consider giving it a star rating and a comment below. And if you’re on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your creation. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you:)

📖 Recipe

Hyderabadi egg biryani in a bowl.

Hyderabadi Egg Biryani Recipe

Saima Zaidi
Hyderabadi egg biryani recipe is a splendid coming together of fragrant long-grain rice and spiced and sautéed boiled eggs. Basmati rice is cooked in whole spices, layered with some biryani masala and eggs, and topped with fried onions, herbs, and saffron milk. The pot is then sealed and put on gentle heat to make a deliciously spicy egg dum biryani.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Brunch/Dinner
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6
Calories 541 kcal

Equipment

  • Frypan
  • Large pot with lid
  • Colander for draining the rice

Ingredients
 
 

For frying the eggs

  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp biryani masala powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 6 eggs hard boiled and peeled

For making the curry masala

  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 3 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp biryani masala powder
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup fried onions
  • 1 cup tomatoes chopped
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • ½ cup yogurt whisked
  • ½ cup mint leaves chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped

For cooking the rice

  • 10 cups water plain
  • 3 black cardamom
  • 5 green cardamom
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 ½ cups white long-grained Basmati rice washed and soaked in 4 cups water for 30 minutes.

Other ingredients

  • ½ cup fried onions
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ tsp saffron strands
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

PREPARATION

    Boil the eggs

    • Use a pressure cooker like an instant pot if you have one to hard boil the eggs. If using an instant pot, pour 1 cup water in the steel insert, lower a trivet in the insert, and keep the eggs on it. Pressure cook for 4 minutes and release steam 5 minutes after the timer beeps.

    Make the ginger and garlic paste

    • Put equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons water and whizz to get a smooth paste. 

    Fry the onions

    • Finely slice one big red onion. Heat 3 tablespoon cooking oil in a fry pan and add the onion to the hot oil. Fry until reddish-brown and divide into two small bowls along with the oil. 

    Chop the tomatoes, mint and cilantro leaves

      Wash and soak the rice

      • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in 4 cups water. Keep aside.

      Soak the saffron in warm milk

      • Crush the saffron slightly between your fingers and add it to warm milk. Keep this saffron milk aside.

      COOKING

        Fry the eggs

        • Place a frying pan on the stovetop and add the ghee. Melt it on gentle heat and add the powdered spices and salt. Let the spices sizzle in the hot ghee for a few seconds.
        • Add the boiled eggs and toss with a spoon to coat them well with the masala. Fry the eggs until slightly crisp on the outside. Transfer the eggs to a platter and keep aside.

        Make the curry masala

        • In the same frypan that you fried the whole eggs, add the ghee and heat it on medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic paste.
        • Add the powdered spices, salt and a tablespoon of water to keep the spices from burning. Cook for 1 minute.
        • Add the fried onions and cook for 2 minutes.
        • Add the tomatoes and cashews and cook until the tomatoes break down and the masala becomes thick and shiny. Add a few tablespoons of water if it is too thick.
        • Add the yogurt and cook until the masala again thickens and becomes shiny. The ghee will separate and float on the top.
        • Finally, add the chopped mint and cilantro and mix them in well.

        Cook the rice

        • Take a large pot, fill it with 10 cups water, and set it on the stovetop. Add the whole garam masala and salt and bring the water to a roiling boil on high heat.
        • Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered until the rice is 80% done. To check for doneness, press a few rice grains between your fingers. They should yield but still have a slightly hard centre.
        • Very carefully, tip the pot of rice into a colander placed in the sink so that most of the liquid drains away. Reserve about half a cup to add back to the pot. This is so the rice you add back to the pot remains moist and the bottom layer does not burn. Return half the rice to the pot. Let the other half remain in the colander for the time being.

        Assemble the biryani

        • Keep the pot on the stovetop again. Spoon out the curry masala you prepared earlier and spread it evenly on the rice.
        • Take the remaining rice (which you had left in the colander) and spread it on top of the curry masala.
        • Sprinkle the remaining fried onions (under 'other ingredients') on top of the rice. Also pour the saffron milk evenly on top of the rice. Finally place the fried eggs on top.
        • Take a large dish cloth or tea towel and wet it. Squeeze out the excess moisture and cover the pot of biryani with it. Finally cover the pot with a close-fitting lid.
        • Switch on the gas to low-medium heat and let the biryani cook on dum for 15 minutes.
        • After 15 minutes, take off the lid and remove the dish cloth. Taking a large spoon, turn around the rice in the pot several times so that the layers of rice and curry masala get mixed. Egg biryani is now ready to be served.

        Notes

        1. If you want to save time, you can use store-bought ginger and garlic paste instead of making your own. Similarly, pre-fried onions are easily available in any Indian or Pakistani grocery store. 
        2. Use good quality saffron. A little goes a long way, so don't be tempted to add too much. 
        3. Use the biryani masala powder of your choice. I like using Pakistani brands like Shan or National, but it is really up to your taste and preference. 
        4. Make sure the rice is only 80% done and not fully cooked as it will cook further when you put it on dum for 15 minutes after assembling the biryani.

        Nutrition

        Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 14gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 1937mgPotassium: 367mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 884IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 3mg
        Keyword egg dum biryani, hyderabadi egg biryani
        Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

        More Rice

        • Schezwan chicken fried rice in a plate.
          Schezwan Chicken Fried Rice
        • chana pulao with raita in plate
          Kabuli Chana Pulao (Quick Chickpea Pilaf)
        • paneer biryani in bowl with spoon
          Paneer Biryani
        • Kashmiri Pulao in plate
          Kashmiri Pulao (Instant Pot Fruit Pulao)
        28 shares

        Reader Interactions

        5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

        Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Recipe Rating




        This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

        Primary Sidebar

        headshot of Saima

        Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

        More about me →

        Popular Posts

        • chicken malai tikka skewers on a plate with green chutney and roti on the side
          Chicken Malai Tikka

        • pooris on a checkered red and white cloth in a red basket
          Crispy and Fluffy Puri Recipe (Fried Indian Poori Bread)

        • Lamb karahi gosht in a bowl with a spoon.
          Lamb Karahi Gosht (Indian Lamb Curry)

        • Palak paneer in a bowl.
          Palak Paneer

        Footer

        ↑ back to top

        About

        • Privacy Policy
        • Cookie Policy

        Newsletter

        • Subscribe for emails and updates

        Contact

        • Contact

        As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

        Copyright © 2025 Indian Ambrosia

        Indian Ambrosia uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, we will assume you're okay with the terms:) GOT IT Read More
        Privacy & Cookies Policy

        Privacy Overview

        This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
        Necessary
        Always Enabled
        Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
        SAVE & ACCEPT

        Rate This Recipe

        Your vote:




        A rating is required
        A name is required
        An email is required

        Recipe Ratings without Comment

        Something went wrong. Please try again.