Ingredients:

6 hardboiled eggs

2 cup sella basmati rice

2 tomatoes

3/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/4-1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1/4 tsp + 2 1/2 tsp kabsa masala / arabic masala

4 cardamoms

4 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 piece cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp pepper corns

1 chicken stock cube

1 dried lemon

1 large onion, sliced

3 whole green chillies

3/4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

salt to taste

oil, as required

Preparation:

1. Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, add kashmiri chilli powder, 2 pinch of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, 1/4 tsp kabsa masala and salt and mix well.
3. Add 1 tsp oil and 2-3 tsp of water to this and mix well. Add boiled eggs and mix well.
4. Grind the chopped tomatoes into paste and keep it aside.
5. Heat a large pan with enough water adding 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon piece, lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and salt.
6. When it boils, add drained rice and cook till 90% done. Then drain the water from rice and keep it aside.
7. Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a large pan and 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf , 1 cinnamon piece, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp pepper corns.
8. Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute well.
9. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute well.
10. Add ground tomato paste, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes till raw smell goes.
11. Add 2 1/2 tsp kabsa masala, chicken stock cube, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and dried lemon and mix well.
12. Add marinated boiled eggs and enough salt and mix well and boil it for 5 minutes.
13. Then add cooked rice and yellow food colour/ turmeric powder mixed with little milk (optional) on top.
14. To get smoky flavour to the rice, place a small steel bowl inside the rice.
15. Heat a piece of charcoal on direct flame until it is nicely hot, this will take a few minutes. Once the charcoal is hot, place it in the bowl that is in the rice and pour a tsp of oil on top.
16. Cover the pan immediately with a tight lid and keep it in low flame for 10 minutes. Then open the lid and mix gently.
17. Serve with salata hara, salad etc…