Simple and delicious Paneer biryani, made in a pressure cooker with basmati rice and marinated paneer cubes. Recipe with stepwise pictures and video.
If you are a regular reader of my posts, you must be knowing that my son is a super dooper lover of Paneer. Anything any dish mixed with paneer he will just gobble it up.
So in a week, at least two to three times I include paneer in some way. Sometimes I ended up being extremely creative and make some crazy dishes you can’t even imagine.
Now coming to this Paneer cooker biryani, like any other easy cooker biryani, this method saves time and energy. And perfect lunchbox dish for busy mornings. Serve this paneer biryani hot with simple onion or carrot or cucumber raita. In fact, this tastes equally good when becomes warm/cold.
Sometimes, I add soaked soya chunks along with paneer cubes, which is another variation of this biryani.
Ingredients
200 g Paneer
1 cup basmati rice
½ cup curd
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp garam/biryani masala
1 bay leaf
1 cardamom
1 mace strand
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 tsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
1 big onion
1 tsp gg paste
1 tomato
1 cup mint leaves
½ cup coriander
1 cup water (same cup)
1 tsp salt (as per taste)
½ tsp chilli powder (optional-as per taste)
Method* Rinse and soak basmati rice for 20mins.
* Meanwhile, cut paneer into 2-inch size pieces and prepare the marination.
* Add curd, chilli powder, garam masala or biryani masala powder and salt with paneer cubes.
* Mix well and keep this marination aside for 15 to 20mins while rice gets soaked.
* Slice onions and chop tomato.
* Make gg paste with a 2-inch ginger piece and 8 garlic cloves if you don't have in stock.
* Heat ghee plus oil in a pressure cooker or pan, add all whole biryani spices.
* Saute them until they become aromatic and add sliced onions.
* Cook onions very well until they become caramelized/deep brown.
* Add ginger-garlic paste and saute well to remove the raw smell.
* Now add tomato and cook until soft.
* Add mint leaves and coriander leaves.
* Put the marinated paneer and mix gently.
* Now add water measured with the same cup used for rice. For a cup of basmati rice usually, we add 1.5 cups of water.
* But for this paneer biryani, since we use a half cup of curd for marination already, one cup of water is enough for one cup of rice.
* Add chilli powder and salt for the rice. Please keep in mind that we use chilli powder and salt for paneer marination too. So you can skip chilli powder here if you cook for the kids.
* Let the water come to full boiling and add soaked basmati rice.
* Mix gently, cover with the lid and cook for two whistles on high and switch off.
* Allow the pressure to settle on its own and open the lid.
* Fluff the biryani gently and serve hot with onion raita.