Pre-Season Testing Bahraini Edition: Egg Biryani
Pre-Season Testing is short and sweet this year with just three days on track in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit. We are so ready for this season to begin. It is great to see the cars back out on track and to get a look at all the new liveries. There are so many blue teams it is hard to keep track of who is who, and with new team names and new driver pairings it is going to take a few races to remember! The Schumacher name is back with Mick joining Haas, Sainz in red is a lovely sight, and Ricciardo at McLaren is already proving highly enjoyable. Looking forward to a great 2021 Season.
For testing in Bahrain, I made an Egg Biryani served with Raita and homemade Tomato Chutney. This dish is so flavorful and full of colors and textures. It is surprisingly simple once you get all your ingredients together. While the rice is cooking you can chop up and throw together some raita, and it makes for a filling and satisfying meal.
Biryani is traditionally an Indian dish it is very popular in Bahrain.
“Much of the cuisine of Bahrain is a mixture of Arabic, Persian, Indian, Balochi, African, Far East, and European food due to the influence of the various communities present, as Bahrain was an important seaport and trading junction since ancient times.
The cuisine of Bahrain consists of dishes such as Biryani, Harees, Khabeesa, Machboos, Mahyawa, Maglooba, Qouzi, and Zalabia. ”
Egg Biryani
Serves 4-6
Rice
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 bay leaves
5 cloves
5 black peppercorns
1" cinnamon stick
1 medium onion, finely chopped or sliced
1 tsp ginger garlic paste or 1 clove garlic and ½ tsp fresh ginger minced
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp coriander (cilantro) powder
½ cup yogurt
1 tsp red chile powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 green chilies, sliced
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
¼ cup chopped mint leaves
1 ½ cups water
Eggs
6 hard-boiled Eggs
1 tsp canola oil
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
Mix ins
1 red or yellow onion, sliced (once fried, reserve half)
2 tbsp saffron water (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
¼ cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter (optional)
Garnish
Fried onions (reserved from cooking onions for mix ins above)
Chopped coriander leaves and mint
1. Wash rice well under cold water and soak in enough water to cover for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare fried onions: Add a small amount of oil to a sauté pan, add sliced onion (from mix ins ingredients) and fry on medium-high heat until well browned, set aside, reserve half for mixing-in and half for garnish.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds and whole spices: cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaves, mix well.
4. Once the whole spices start to pop, add onion, mix and cook till onion begins to brown lightly. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, mix and cook for 2 more minutes. Lower the heat, and gently add yogurt and mix well. Once everything is combined add green chilies, red chile powder, garam masala, and mix well again.
5. Add soaked and drained rice into the gravy, mix until rice is well covered with the masala gravy. Mix in coriander and mint leaves.
6. Add water and a little salt and mix well. Bring to a boil.
7. Once the rice comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook until most of the moisture is been absorbed in the rice, about 15 minutes.
8. While the rice is cooking, take the hard-boiled eggs and make 4-6 gashes around each of the eggs.
9. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, add the eggs and sauté for 4 to 5 until they are lightly browned in areas.
10. Season the eggs in the pan with chile powder, garam masala, and salt, stir gently but mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.
11. Once the rice is mostly cooked, add the eggs to the rice pot and fluff the rice up to cover the eggs. Sprinkle in some garam masala, saffron water if using, more coriander and mint leaves, fried onion and ghee if using.
12. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes.
13. When serving top with additional fried onions and chopped herbs.
Adapted from Madhuras Recipe