Boil eggs, and peel the shell. Make a few slits on the egg white carefully without penetrating deep into the yolks. Apply turmeric powder and a pinch of salt into the slits and all over the egg. Soak saffron strands in warm milk.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Add eggs and roast them for about 3 to 5 minutes on low flame carefully turning them all sides. Remove from oil and keep aside.
Soak basmati rice in water for about 30 minutes. Wash the rice gently ensuring to take out only starch and not break the grains. Mean add about 4 liters of water in a large vessel and bring it to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, add about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, 1 cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 javathri, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the soaked and washed rice, stir gently once, and cook until it is ¾ done for about 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on rice as some brands of basmati rice cook very fast and some take time. My rice was ¾ done in 4 minutes. Drain the water immediately spread the rice on a large plate and let it cool.
In a deep-bottomed pan add oil, once the oil gets heated add 1 onion slice and fry it until brown (don’t burn the onions). Remove the browned onion from the oil and keep it aside. This will be used for garnishing and will make the layers.
Reduce the flame to low. Remove half of this masala and keep it aside. We will do the layering now. Spread the masala in the pan all over. Place 3 eggs and then add cooked basmati rice over the eggs and gently spread the rice to cover the eggs. Pour ½ quantity of saffron-infused milk over the rice, and sprinkle finely chopped mint and coriander leaves too. Finally some golden browned onions on top. This is one layer.
Repeat the above step for another layer.
Close the pan with a lid. Ensure the flame is low and place a heavy weight on top of the lid to trap the steam inside. Leave it alone for 10 minutes and your dum biryani is ready.
Before serving, take layers of rice, masala, and egg from top to bottom carefully without breaking the eggs. Serve hot with onion raita and cucumber salad. Enjoy!
Notes
Use long-grain rice (basmati rice) for making Hyderabadi dum biryani.
Soak rice for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. Rinse rice to remove excess starch. It helps cook rice perfectly.
Hard-boiled eggs can be used as it is in the biryani, but briefly frying in oil with spices amps up the flavor and taste.
Don’t skip on fresh coriander and mint leaves. Fresh herbs add tons of flavor to the biryani.
 Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.