Hyderabadi Egg Biryani Recipe (Anda Biryani)

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.

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.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top tips
• 🥗 Side dishes
• 📖 Recipe

🥘 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.

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.

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.

💭 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 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).

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!

📖 Recipe