Name: Paneer Biryani
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cup rice (300 gram (washed and soaked)); 250 gram paneer (cut into small cubes); 1/3 cup cooking oil; 2 pieces onions (medium size, finely sliced); 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 pods black cardamom; 2 pieces bay leaves; 1 stick cinnamon (1-inch size); 3 pods green cardamom; 3 pieces cloves; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 2 pieces tomato (puree); Salt (to taste); 2 tsp red chili powder; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; 2 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp garam masala powder; 4 tbsp yogurt; 1 tsp kasuri methi; 4 pieces green chili (whole, with stalk); Orange food color (a few drops); Kewra essence (a few drops); 1 tbsp ghee; Cashew nut (a few ); 7 cups water; 2 pieces bay leaves; 3 pods green cardamom; 3 pieces cloves; Cilantro (a little bit, finely chopped); Mint leaves (a little bit, finely chopped)

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Paneer biryani is made with paneer and preferably long grain basmati rice along with a wide variety of spices and other ingredients. The steps to make paneer biryani at home are elaborate but easy, as you will find in my recipe.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Paneer biryani is a wonderfully tasty dish favored by most vegetarians.
This rice dish is usually served with salad, chutney, raita, dum aloo or any vegetable side dish.

Paneer biryani offers a slight sweet, creamy and spicy taste.
The dish offers similar taste as paneer pulao and vegetable biryani with paneer.

The Ingredients:

1.5 cup rice (300 gram) (washed and soaked)
250 gram paneer (cut into small cubes)
1/3 cup cooking oil
2 pieces onions (medium size, finely sliced)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 pods black cardamom
2 pieces bay leaves
1 stick cinnamon (1-inch size)
3 pods green cardamom
3 pieces cloves
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 pieces tomato (puree)
Salt to taste
2 tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
4 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp kasuri methi
4 pieces green chili (whole, with stalk)
Orange food color – a few drops
Kewra essence – a few drops
1 tbsp ghee
Cashew nut – A few

To prepare biryani rice:

7 cups water
2 pieces bay leaves
3 pods green cardamom
3 pieces cloves
Cilantro (a little bit, finely chopped)
Mint leaves (a little bit, finely chopped)
Salt – A generous amount
3 pieces mace

I came across this recipe in a handwritten note tucked inside an old cookbook I bought from a roadside stall. It had no name, just ingredients and steps. I was curious and tried it. When I made the dish at home one evening, my husband said it tasted nostalgic, and my boys asked me to keep it forever.

Now, it is our mystery memory dish. That surprise reminded me that recipes have a way of finding you – even when you are not looking. Sometimes, they arrive in forgotten pages, quietly waiting for someone to bring them back to life, one spoonful at a time, like I did, and now you can.

How to Make Paneer Biryani? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Wash and soak 1.5 cup of basmati rice for 15 to 20 minutes.

(Pro tip: Do not soak the rice for a long time or else it will break while layering).

Step 2: Heat 1/3 cup of cooking oil and stir fry 250 grams of paneer. Fry till golden brown. Remove them when done.

(Pro tip: Do not fry paneer too much or else it will be stretchy and spoil the taste of the biryani).

Step 3: In the same pan and oil, add 2 medium size finely sliced onions to stir fry.

Step 4: Turn off the stove and remove when onions turn slightly golden brown.

Step 5: Leave ¼ fried onions in the pan.

Step 6: Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 pods of black cardamom, 2 pieces of bay leaves, 1 stick cinnamon (1-inch size), 3 pods of green cardamom, and 3 pieces of cloves to it.

Step 7: Fry them on a low flame now. Then add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Stir.

Step 8: Now, add 2 tomatoes (puree). Mix and let it cook for a few minutes.

Step 9: Now, add salt to taste, 2 tsp or red chili powder, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder, and 1 tsp garam masala powder to it. Mix them nicely, cover and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or so.

Step 10: Boil 7 cups water in a different pan.

Step 11: Add 2 pieces of bay leaves, 3 pods of green cardamom, 3 pieces of cloves, as generous amount of salt, a little bit of finely chopped cilantro and a little bit of finely chopped mint leaves.

Step 12: Also, add the soaked rice.

Step 13: Now along with it add 2 or 3 pieces of mace or javitri. Leave it until the rice is 90% cooked.

Step 14: By this time, the masala is cooked nicely. Turn the flame to the lowest and add 4 tbsp yogurt. Mix it nicely with the masala. Cover and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes more.

(Pro tip: Always add yogurt or dahi at room temperature or else it will not mix nicely).

Step 15: Now, remove the cover and add 1 tsp kasuri methi to it. Mix it, cover it, and cook for another 3 minutes.

Step 16: By that time, check the rice.

Step 17: Now, add the fried pieces of paneer to the cooked masala in a layer.

(Pro tip: If you want soft paneer in every bite, mix it with the masala. If you want the fried taste, follow my process).

Step 18: Make a layer of boiled rice on it.

Step 19: Top it with the fried onions, a bit of finely chopped cilantro and mint leaves, 4 pieces green chili with stalk, a few drops of orange food color and a few drops of kewra essence.

Step 20: Cover it and let it cook on a very low flame for 10 to 12 minutes more. After that, turn the flame off and leave it covered on the stove.

(Pro tip: If you do not want to use food color, you can use saffron in milk as an alternative).

Step 21: In the meantime, heat another frying pan, put 1 tbsp of desi ghee and fry a few cashew nuts in it.

Step 22: Now, remove the cover from the biryani and add the fried cashew nuts along with the ghee to it. Cover and leave it like that for another 10 minutes or so.

Step 23: Paneer biryani is nicely cooked now.

Step 24: Mix everything gently and carefully from the side.

Step 25: Your prefect homemade paneer biryani is now eventually ready. Serve it with boondi raita, cucumber slices, onion rings, and green chutney.