Serves -4

For Masala

Oil – ¾ cup
Onion sliced – 1½ cup
Cinnamon – 1 piece
Mace (Javitri) – 1 no
Green cardamom – 5nos
Bayleaf – 2nos
Shahi jeera – 2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Water – a dash
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder –
Mace (javitri) powder – ½ tsp
Nutmeg (jaiphal) powder – ½ tsp
Tomato chunks – 1 cup
Salt – to taste
Curd – ½ cup
Dried methi leaves powder- 1 tsp
Boiled Eggs – 8 nos
Water – 1½ cup
Mint leaves – handful
Green chilli - 2 nos

For Rice
Water - 3 lts
Cinnamon stick - 1 no
Green Cardamom - 4-5 nos
Bayleaf - 1 no
Green chilli - 1 no
Salt - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Basmati rice (soaked) - 3 cups
Kewra water - ½ tbsp (approx)
Rose water - 1 tbsp
Water from Blanched Rice - 1½ cups (approx)
Saffron (dissolved in 4tbsp milk) - a pinch

For Finishing  
Kewra water - 1 tsp                                                                                                                                                       

Rose water - 1 tsp
Green cardamom powder - a pinch
Fried onion - handful
Leftover oil - 4 tbsp
Mint leaves - handful
Dough - for sealing

Method

Heat oil in a deep vessel and add sliced onions. Cook them till they brown evenly. Remove from heat and strain the onions to separate it from the oil. Keep the fried onions aside. In the same pan add 3 tbsp of the remaining oil and add cinnamon, mace, bayleaf, cardamom and caraway seeds(shahi jeera). Saute for few seconds and then add ginger garlic paste. Stir and cook for 2-3 mins. Add a dash of water followed by turmeric, chilli powder, mace powder and nutmeg powder. Sauce for few seconds and then add tomatoes and salt. Cook tomatoes till mashy.

Increase the heat and add whisked curd and keep stirring till curd gets a good boil, cook till oil oozes out. Add methi leaves powder and boiled eggs. Stir for 5 mins and then add water, stir, add mint leaves and green chillies. Bring to a boil and remove and keep aside.

In a fresh deep pan boil water for the rice. Add cinnamon, cardamom. bayleaf, green chilli salt and oil. Give a quick boil and then add soaked & drained rice followed by kewra and rose water. Cook the rice till 75% done. Now strain the rice and do not throw the strained water yet. 

In a fresh deep pan spread half of the rice. Gently add eggs with the masala on top and then cover them with the remaining rice. Use about 1 ½ cups of the rice water and pour over the rice.. on the top of the rice add dissolved saffron, kewra, rose water, cardamom powder, fried onions and the leftover oil (from frying onions) and mint leaves. Cover the vessel with a tight fitting lid, you can also use a piece of dough to seal the vessel with the lid. 

Put the biryani back on heat and increase it to high for 2-3 mins and then decrease the heat to low and cook for 10-12min. Remove the biryani from heat and leave it as is for another 12 mins before serving. Open and carefully scoop out biryani and serve it hot.