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Paneer Biryani Recipe

Jay Naveenan
Beautifully spiced and fragrant Paneer Biryani Recipe
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marination 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

For Marination:

  • 400 g Paneer cubed
  • 1 ½ cup yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder or as required
  • 1 tbsp Biryani Masala or Garam Masala or as required
  • ¼ Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tbsp Freshly lime juice
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • A handful Fresh mint leaves
  • Salt as required

For Cooking Basmati Rice for Biryani:

  • 3 cups Basmati Rice Washed & soaked for 20 minutes
  • 1 tsp Shah Jeera
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 10 Green cardamom
  • 6 Cloves
  • 1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified butter)
  • Water as required
  • Salt as required

For Cooking the Marinated Paneer:

  • 2 medium Onions finely chopped
  • 2 medium Tomatoes pureed or chopped
  • Marinated Paneer
  • 1 tsp Ghee

For Layering The Paneer Biryani:

  • Cooked Basmati Rice
  • Marinated and Cooked Paneer
  • 2 tbsp Ghee
  • Mint leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

Marinate the paneer

  • Cube the paneer to desired size
  • Add yoghurt, chili powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala or garam masala
  • Add ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, and mint leaves.
  • Mix everything thoroughly
  • Now add the cubed paneer and stir
  • Make sure all the paneer pieces get coated with the yoghurt mixture
  • Let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour

Cook the Basmati Rice

  • Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes
  • Add shah jeera, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves to water in a pot
  • Let the water in the pot come to a rolling boil
  • Now add the basmati rice, salt and ghee
  • Once the rice has almost cooked, remove from heat and drain any excess water

Cook the paneer

  • Add ghee to a hot pan and add the chopped onions.
  • Sauté the onions until golden brown
  • Add the chopped tomatoes or tomato puree
  • Stir everything occasionally until, the masala base thickens up
  • Now add the marinated paneer to the pan
  • Stir everything thoroughly and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure not to mush the paneer cubes

Begin layering the Paneer Biryani

  • Add ghee to a heavy bottomed pan (low heat setting) and add a layer (about an inch) of paneer masala, followed by a layer of cooked basmati rice
  • Repeat the layering
  • Use the handle of a spatula to make holes in the layered paneer biryani in the pot
  • Add ghee into the holes and keep the heat at a very low setting
  • Place a lid over the pan and leave it for 10 minutes or until the rice has cooked completely
  • Garnish with more mint leaves and serve hot
    Paneer Biryani Recipe
Keyword Biryani, Paneer,