BON APPETIT: Egg Pulao

Four Happy Souls just having fun,

the lil one fell sick and then there were three,

Three jolly amigos taking care of the ill lil,

the young girl had the flu and then there were two,

He & she nursing the sick kids,

She caught the flu too, and then there was he,

He the brave soul, battling all alone,

with no respite he fell sick too !!

No poetic eloquence there, but the crux of the matter is all four of us had a horrible fortnight. After a terrible spell of viral & throat infection, not to mention conjunctivitis, we have finally booted out all off them - Yay ! Soups n Rasam,Bland dal n Idlis were the staple and the kitchen is finally happy to see some palate appetizing food after a long time.

My daughter missed eggs from her menu and the sunday lunch not only had egg pulao but also spicy dal with phulkas (Fluffy Indian Bread) and other crunchy-munch accompaniments !

The recipe for egg pulao is from my hubby who during his bachelor days had (apparently) wowed his friends with this dish. I made a few subtle changes and enjoyed the fare thoroughly.

What's in it :- (Serves : 3)

Basmati Rice - 250 grams (approx)
Hard Boiled Eggs - 4
Clarified Butter/Ghee or Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay Leaves - 1 or 2
Onion - 2 medium
Garlic - 4 pods
Whole Spices - 1/2 tsp each of black pepper corn, cloves,cinnamon stick, cardamom,cumin seeds - you can increase the quantity of peppercorns a little more if you please
Turmeric Powder - 1 /2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Water - as required

For Garnish :-

Onion - 1 large- sliced to rings

Oil - for frying

How :-

Wash the rice thoroughly and let it soak in cold water for 1 hour. Drain well. Shell the eggs and gently run a sharp knife (just poking in & not cutting across completely) on the sides to enable the flavours to infuse. Gently fry the eggs in ghee or oil for a few minutes turning frequently. Set aside.

In a thick bottomed pan, add the bay leaves and the whole spices. Let it sizzle for a a minute or two and then tip in the chopped onions & garlic. Let it saute for some time. Add turmeric powder & red chilli powder along with with salt & drained rice. Add required water to the pan and bring it to a boil. Drop the eggs & raisins and cook over a low heat till the rice is cooked and the water is completely absorbed. Or alternatively, pressure cook it till 3 whistles. In the meanwhile, prepare the garnish by slicing the onions in to thin rings and frying them in oil till they crisp well. Garnish them over the rice.Serve hot with choice accompaniments.

Enjoy !