Here's a simple recipe for Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with Aloo that you can follow to create a restaurant-quality Aanda Biryani in the comfort of your home.
While Kolkata is known for its iconic mutton biryani and chicken biryani, egg biryani has gained equal popularity in recent times.
Typically, when purchasing special biryani in Kolkata, it includes egg and Aloo. However, if you specifically request egg biryani, it comes with Aloo too. Nevertheless, Aloo remains an essential ingredient in Kolkata Biryani and so does Egg.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note - Kolkata Biryani
- Ingredients- Kolkata Biryani
- Recipe Video - Dum Biryani Kolkata Style with Egg and Potato
- History of Kolkata Biryani
- Process of cooking - Calcutta Biryani
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage and Food Safety
- Top tip
- Egg Biryani with Aloo - Recipe
- Kolkata-Style Egg Biryani with Aloo Recipe | Aanda Biryani Recipe Restaurant Style
- Frequently Asked Questions - Egg Biryani
- Related
- Pairing Egg Biryani with Aloo
- Let's connect over the Restaurant-style Aanda Biryani recipe
- Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with Aloo pin for you
Debjani's Note - Kolkata Biryani
When it comes to the culinary delights of Kolkata, the city is known for its lip-smacking biryanis. While mutton and chicken biryanis have been popular choices for a long time, the trend is now shifting towards egg biryani. The egg biryani is becoming increasingly popular among Kolkata's foodies who are constantly looking for new and exciting flavors.
Traditionally, when you order a special biryani in Kolkata, you get a combination of rice, meat, spices, potatoes, and eggs. However, these days, many restaurants and street vendors are offering egg biryani as a standalone dish. This dish is made with fragrant rice, eggs, and a variety of spices that give it a rich and flavorful taste, and obviously potato, a mandatory ingredient.
While mutton and chicken biryanis may still be the most popular choices in Kolkata, egg biryani is fast becoming a favorite among food lovers. Its unique taste, nutritional benefits, and only egg option make it a must-try dish for anyone visiting the city. So, the next time you are in Kolkata, be sure to try out some egg biryani along with the traditional Kolkata biryani for a culinary experience that you will never forget.
Ingredients- Kolkata Biryani
The delicious and aromatic Kolkata Biryani is a dish that is definitely worth sharing. This famous biryani is a descendant of the Awadhi Biryani, which originated in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in India. Kolkata Biryani, however, has its own unique twist that sets it apart from other biryanis.
One of the key ingredients that distinguishes Kolkata Biryani from other biryanis is the inclusion of potatoes. This addition provides a delicate spiciness to the dish and also enhances the overall flavor. The cooking process also differs from other biryanis, which helps to make Kolkata Biryani stand out in taste and texture.
Recipe Video - Dum Biryani Kolkata Style with Egg and Potato
History of Kolkata Biryani
The word 'Biryani' itself is derived from the Persian word 'Biryan', which means to fry before cooking, and 'Brinj', which stands for rice. Initially, biryani was prepared only with meat, primarily beef or mutton. However, over time, people started experimenting with other ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, eggs, and more, creating a wide range of biryani variations.
Kolkata Biryani, in particular, owes its origins to the 10th Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah. The Nawab was banished from his homeland of Awadh by the British and relocated to Kolkata with his family. It was during this time that he introduced the Kolkata Biryani to the city, which quickly became a popular dish among the locals.
Kolkata Biryani is a dish that truly embodies the rich history and culture of India. Its unique blend of spices, tender meat, and flavorful potatoes make it a must-try for anyone visiting the city of Kolkata.
Process of cooking - Calcutta Biryani
The Kolkata Biryani is made using long-grain Basmati rice, which is cooked with a blend of aromatic whole spices and Biryani Masala. The meat used in the dish is typically chicken or mutton or beef. The meat (if used) is marinated in a blend of yogurt and spices before being cooked. The potatoes are then added to the dish, along with boiled eggs. These are all cooked to perfection and add an extra layer of flavor to the biryani.
You can check my Kolkata-style Mutton Biryani Recipe to check the process and this post is meant for Egg Biryani.
- Kolkata Mutton Biryani | Calcutta Biryani10 Hours 30 Minutes
Substitutions
- Egg- instead of normal poultry eggs, you can opt for country eggs.
- Vegetable Oil - use mustard oil instead or you can make the Kolkata-style egg biryani with aloo only with ghee.
Variations
- Gourmey - try duck eggs to make Egg Biryani with Aloo
- Deluxe - use Ghee as a cooking medium
Equipment
The right equipment plays a crucial role in the success of any recipe. When it comes to cooking biryani, having a proper heavy one-pot is essential. As a person with experience in cooking biryani both commercially and at home in lesser quantities, I have often noticed that the type of pot used can greatly affect the texture and flavor of the dish. That's why I always recommend using a heavy bottom one-pot with a proper lid to cook Kolkata Biryani at home.
Handi is commonly used in commercial kitchens to prepare biryani. However, it is not the most practical option for home cooks. Unless you are cooking for a large number of people, using a Handi can be quite cumbersome. Instead, opting for a heavy bottom one-pot with a lid is a better choice. This type of pot allows for even heat distribution and prevents the biryani from burning or sticking to the bottom.
The lid is also an important feature of the pot. It helps to trap the steam and moisture inside. This results in perfectly cooked biryani with fluffy rice and tender meat or Egg.
In conclusion, investing in the right equipment can make a world of difference in the outcome of your cooking. When it comes to biryani, using a heavy bottom one-pot with a proper lid is the key to achieving restaurant-quality results at home. So, go ahead and treat yourself to a quality pot. Then enjoy the delicious flavors of Kolkata Biryani in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Storage and Food Safety
When it comes to homemade biryani, there is no denying that it is a delicious and aromatic dish that is enjoyed by many. However, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to storing biryani is that it is not recommended to keep it for too long.
The reason for this is quite simple – biryani is a dish that is cooked in layers. With each layer adding its own unique flavor and texture to the dish. When it comes time to serve the biryani, it is important to mix all of these layers together in order to fully enjoy the dish.
However, this mixing process can actually have an effect on the shelf-life of the biryani. When the different layers are mixed together, it can cause the dish to become more susceptible to spoilage and bacteria growth. Therefore, if you are planning on storing cooked biryani, it is best to do so for no more than a day or two.
Top tip
When preparing egg biryani at home, we can replicate the restaurant style by incorporating a few tips and tricks. Typically, restaurants cook the egg with mutton or chicken to enhance the flavor. Do check the Recipe Card and Recipe video for those.
Homemade biryani is a delicious and flavorful dish, however, it is important to be mindful of how you store it. This is in order to ensure that it stays fresh and safe to eat.
Egg Biryani with Aloo - Recipe
Kolkata-Style Egg Biryani with Aloo Recipe | Aanda Biryani Recipe Restaurant Style
Here's a simple recipe for Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with Aloo that you can follow to create a restaurant-quality Aanda Biryani in the comfort of your home.
Ingredients
- 8 Eggs
- 350 g Basmati Rice
- 8 Potatoes
- 4 Onion
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Biryani Masala
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 200 g Plain Yogurt or Plain Curd
- 1 Tbsp. Keora Water
- 3-4 Drops of Biryani Itr or Biryani Essence
- 200 ml Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Ghee
To Boil Egg
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 Liter Water
To Cook Rice
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 4 Green Cardamom
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 Liters Water
To Fry Potatoes
- 1 Tsp. Biryani Masala
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 g Yellow Food Color 1 pinch
To make Flavored Milk to flavor Egg Biryani with Aloo
- 100 ml Milk
- 20 Saffron Strings / Kesar
- 1 Tsp. Biryani Masala
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 g Yellow Food Color 1 pinch
- 1 Tbsp. Keora Water
- 1 Tbsp. Rose Water
Instructions
Boiling Egg for Egg Biryani
- Heat a liter of water and add a teaspoon of salt.
- Gently add 8 eggs and allow them to boil for 8 minutes to achieve hard-boiled eggs.
- Once cooked, allow them to cool down to room temperature before peeling them.
- Set aside the peeled eggs.
Boiling Rice for making perfect Dum Biryani
- Rinse 350 g Basmati Rice thoroughly three times and drain the water.
- Boil 3 liters of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Also add 2 Black Cardamom, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 4 Green Cardamom, and 2 Bay leaves as well.
- Add the soaked rice and let it boil for exactly 5 minutes on high heat.
- Turn off the stove, and drain the water.
- The Rice should be 70% cooked at this time.
- Leave the rice uncovered at room temperature.
Prep Work for Aanda Biryani
- Chop four onions into rough pieces.
- For the egg and also biryani recipe, I utilized eight potatoes.
- Peel the skin off the potatoes and cut them in half.
Marinating the Potatoes
- Before frying potatoes, marinate them for 15 minutes.
- To the marination mixture, add a teaspoon of salt and biryani masala.
- Add Aa pinch of yellow food color as well.
- Ensure that the potatoes are coated evenly in the marination mixture.
- Allow the potatoes to marinate for 15 minutes before frying.
Frying Onions and Potatoes
- Begin by heating up 200ml of vegetable oil in a pan.
- Once heated, start frying onions in batches to make Birista (fried onions).
- Make sure not to fry all the onions at once.
- Once the onions turn brown and crispy, strain them from the pan and move on to the next batch.
- This oil can be used for the rest of the Biryani recipe, as it brings a delicious aroma and flavor.
- After frying the onions, fry the potatoes on medium heat until they are ⅔ fried, which should take about 5 minutes.
- After frying the potatoes, strain them from the kadhai.
- There may be some marinade left in the bowl - save it for later use.
Making Flavored Milk
- Pour 100ml of milk into a bowl and then add 10-15 saffron strings.
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of keora water and 1 tablespoon of rose water.
- Then add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of biriyani masala.
- Lastly, add a small amount of yellow food coloring to achieve the desired color.
- Thoroughly mix everything together to create a colorful and flavorful milk mixture.
Egg and Potato Gravy for the Egg and Potato Biryani
- To prepare egg and potato biryani at home, it is best to use a sturdy pot with a thick bottom for layering.
- Since this recipe does not include meat, a few tricks can help enhance its flavor.
- Heat half of the oil used for frying onions and potatoes in the pot at medium heat.
- Then, add 2 black cardamoms, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 green cardamoms, 6 cloves, and 1 tablespoon of ghee to temper the oil.
- Cook half of the fried onions for a minute on low heat, followed by 1 tablespoon of ginger paste and 1 tablespoon of garlic paste.
- Mix well and cook for another minute before adding the remaining marinade for the potatoes.
- After mixing again and cooking for a minute, add ⅓ cup of water and mix again.
- Cook on high heat until the water evaporates, then add 1 teaspoon each of turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, biryani masala, and salt.
- Mix properly and keep the heat at medium, before adding 1 teaspoon of sugar and mixing it in.
- Take 200g of either plain yogurt or curd and mix it well.
- Cook the mixture for 2 minutes until oil floats on top.
- Add 1 tablespoon of Keora Water.
- Carefully add hard-boiled eggs one at a time.
- After adding the eggs, we cook them on low flame for two minutes, then add fried potatoes and cook for three more minutes.
- The result is a delicious gravy with perfectly cooked potatoes and eggs.
Layering Egg and Aloo Biryani
- To create the first layer of Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with Aloo, we remove the eggs from the vessel one by one, while keeping the potatoes and gravy at the bottom. Layering is essential for this dish.
- For the second layer of Biryani, use one-third of the cooked rice.
- Place eggs on top of the rice to create the third layer.
- Evenly pour one-third of the flavored milk over the eggs.
- Use one-third of the cooked rice to make the fourth layer.
- If Biryani Itr or Biryani Essence is not available, skip it.
- Sprinkle half a teaspoon of Biryani Masala over the rice. Find the recipe for Biryani Masala in the description box.
- Pour one-third of the flavored milk over the rice.
- Add the remaining rice for the fifth layer.
- Place the remaining fried onions on top of the rice.
- Pour the remaining flavored milk and oil used for frying onions over the rice.
- Add one tablespoon of ghee.
- Seal the top of the vessel with a piece of aluminum foil.
- After finishing, cover the container with its lid to create a proper seal.
- By doing so, the steam will remain trapped as we prepare the Biryani for Dum.
- If you want to know more about how to seal the container, take a look at my mutton biryani recipe.
Dum to make the Biryani- Final step
- After sealing the vessel, place it on a low-flame tawa or flat pan.
- Cook it on dum for 15 minutes with a low flame.
- Then turn off the flame and let the Biryani container rest for 10 minutes before opening it.
Serving Egg Biryani
- Combine all the layers of the egg biryani using a small plate or flat ladle.
- Finally, serve the Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with hot Aloo.
Video
Notes
- I made Egg Biryani for a group of four people, where each serving includes two eggs and two portions of potatoes. Feel free to customize the amount of eggs and potatoes to suit your preferences.
- If using small potatoes, you don't need to cut those.
- If you're interested, you can find my recipe for homemade Biryani Masala on my youtube channel and this blog as well, Debjanir Rannaghar. Alternatively, you can use a store-bought Biryani Masala of your preference.
- Sugar is optional but I prefer to add it. Sugar balances the spices.
- When making biryani with meat, we usually get a lot of Tehr (Rogan) from cooking the meat. It forms the base for the biryani. However, when using only eggs, this is not possible. Therefore, we make a gravy with oil and ghee to mimic the feel of Tehr or Rogan.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions - Egg Biryani
When it comes to Kolkata biryani, Aloo or potatoes are a mandatory component. The soft and succulent potatoes and eggs are cooked in a rich and spicy gravy. This complements the flavors of the biryani perfectly. The combination of egg and Aloo in Kolkata-style biryani makes it a truly unique and delicious dish.
The difference between Egg Pulao and Egg Biryani lies in the way they are cooked. In the case of Biryani, the rice is partially boiled in water, drained, dried, and then layered. Pulao, on the other hand, is made using the absorption method. The rice and vegetables absorb all the water or stock used in the dish.
The Kolkata Biriyani stands out from the Hyderabadi Biriyani because it includes potatoes. The addition of potatoes is a unique feature of Kolkata biriyani and sets it apart from other types of biriyani.
Another factor that makes Kolkata biriyani distinct is the cooking process. The meat, rice, and potatoes are cooked separately and then layered together in a pot.
Overall, both Kolkata and Hyderabadi biriyani are delicious in their own right.
One of the best things about egg biryani is that it is a great option for those who do not eat meat. Eggs are a rich source of protein and are also a good source of many essential vitamins and minerals. This makes egg biryani a healthy and nutritious alternative to the more meat-heavy biryanis.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing Egg Biryani with Aloo
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Egg Biryani with Aloo:
Let's connect over the Restaurant-style Aanda Biryani recipe
Please inform me of your experience and feel free to send a photo to dolonchttrj@gmail.com. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Kolkata-style Egg Biryani with Aloo pin for you
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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