Beetroot & Egg Rice

If I ask V any time what he wants in his lunchbox, his immediate reply is Egg Biryani. For me, it is very difficult to stick to one recipe. So I try to make it a little different each time. That makes lunches more exciting. I made this couple of days ago and it was very delicious. The recipe is based on a Egg rice that I had tasted many years ago.

I have got some kind of beetroot craze these days. I add it to many dishes and I love the sweetish taste that it gives. If you are not a beetroot lover, leave it out completely.

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped beetroot
1 and 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 cardamom
1/4 cup chopped onion
Oil/Ghee
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
5 eggs
Salt

Paste : (Fry everything in little oil and make a paste. Do not add too much water).
2 cloves
1″ cinnamon
5 red chillies
1/2 tea spn shah jeera
1/2 tea spn poppay seeds(khus khus)
1 tea spn coriander seeds
1/2 cumin seeds
1/4 cup onion
1/4 tomato
2 tbl spn coconut
1 tea spn garlic
1 tea spn ginger

Method:
Cook rice with whole cardamoms, so that each grain is separate(I use little less than 3 cups water and cook the rice in cooker). Keep aside.
Hard boil the eggs.
Heat a little oil and fry all the spices listed under paste. Then add ginger, garlic, onion. Fry till onion turns brownish. Add coconut, tomatoes and fry for few minutes. Grind to a thick paste.
Heat ghee/oil in a big thick bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves. Add onions and fry till they turn brownish. Add beetroot pieces, a little water, cover the lid and let it cook.
Now add the paste, salt and fry for new minutes.
Peel the eggs and cut into small pieces (you can also cut them in halves, I use only egg whites and cut them in bite size pieces). Mix well. Now add rice and mix well.
Serves hot.

Serves : 3-4
Preparation time : 40mins