Paneer (Cottage Cheese ) Biryani

• Servings: 2-3
• Preparation time: 20 minutes.
• Onion frying time: 6-7 minutes.
• Frying vegetable time: 18 minutes.
• cooking  rice time: 1o-12 minutes.
• Layering and dum time: 15 minutes.
• Total time: 72 minutes.

Paneer Biryani is a rich and flavourful vegetarian dish that combines the fragrant essence of basmati rice with the soft cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese).

A delightful dish is layered with aromatic spices, herbs and saffron, offering a royal experience with every bite.

Each grain of rice is infused with the taste of whole spices like cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves, while the paneer pieces absorb the flavours of yogurt, turmeric, and garam masala, making them special. Often garnished with fried onions, mint and coriander.

Paneer Biryani is not just a treat for the taste buds but also a festive centrepiece. Adding peas and cabbage to paneer biryani brings a delightful twist, enhancing both its texture and nutritional profile. The sweetness of green peas pairs beautifully with the soft paneer, while finely shredded cabbage adds a crunch, that balances the richness of the spices.

These vegetables not only make the biryani more colourful and appealing but also contribute important vitamins, fiber, and freshness to the dish.

With this combination, the biryani becomes a wholesome meal, perfect for family gatherings or a satisfying weekend lunch, offering layers of flavour in every spoonful.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice: 1 cup (200-250 gm)
• Paneer (Cottage Cheese): 100-150 gm
• Cabbage: 1cup (Chopped)
• Peas: 1/2 cup
• Essence (Kewada): 1/4 teaspoon
• Saffron: 1 pinch
• Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Chilli Flakes: 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Bay Leaf: 2-3 no.
• Whole Garam Masala (Clove 2-3, Black Cardamom 1 no. Green Cardamom 2-3 no. Cinnamon 1” piece)
• Ghee (Clarified Butter): 3-4 tablespoon
• Butter: 20 gram.
• Curd: 1/4 cup
• Onion: 200 gm (2 no.)
• Cumin seed: 1 teaspoon.
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
• Water: 2 cup
• Ginger: 2” piece
• Garlic: 3-4 flakes
• Green chilli: 1-2 no.
• Coriander Leaves: 2 tablespoons (chopped)
• Lemon: 1 no.
• Biryani Masala: 1 tablespoon
• Tomato: 1 no. (Medium size)

Preparation:

1. Chop paneer (~ 1” cubes), keep this in a bowl filled with water, Keep aside.
2. Clean and wash rice. Keep aside.
3. Finely Chop one onion and tomato. Keep aside.
4. Chop cabbage, keep aside.
5. Make Julian for 1” ginger and 1 green chilli, keep aside.
6. Slice lemon, keep aside.
7. Make paste of remaining ginger, garlic and 1 green chilli, keep aside.
8. Chop one onion longitudinally, keep aside

Method:

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of ghee in a fry pan. Add longitudinally chopped onion; fry it at high flame for 3-4 minute until it gets brown, remove it and keep aside.
2. Add remaining ghee; add cumin and green chilli, sputter for few seconds. Add  finely chopped onion, stir fry it  on high flame for couple of minutes or until get translucent.
3. Add cabbage, tomato and peas in sequence, frying after 2 minutes each.
4. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt, fry for couple of minutes and add curd, reduce the flame to low.
5. Add ginger, garlic and chilli paste, fry for couple of minutes.
6. Add paneer; stir fry on medium flame for 2-3 minutes, add biryani masala, put off the flame, keep aside.

Method:

For for cooking rice:

1. Clean and wash rice. Keep aside in a sieve.
2. Boil water along with bay leaf, both cardamom, cinnamon and clove; add rice and cook until 80% done, remove water by draining on sieve and transfer into bowl, mix 1 tablespoons of ghee, rice is ready to be used for layering the Biryani, keep aside.

For layering the Biryani:

• Deep Fried onion: 2-3 tablespoon
• Lemon slices:
• Ginger Julian:
• Green chilli Julian:
• coriander leaves:

Preparation:

1. Take a heavy bottom pot with fitting lid.
2. In this recipe I used the same nonstick pan (Kadhai) in which I prepared paneer for biryani.
3. Spread cooked rice over the prepared paneer; spread ginger Julian and sliced lemon.
4. Add fried onion (save some fried onion for final garnishing), green chilli Julian, coriander leaves and butter.
5. Cover the pot with lid properly (use wheat flour dough for sealing the pot to its edges, press the dough with the help of thumb, so that steam cannot come out).
6. Take a tawa (griddle) put it on the medium to low flame; Place the biryani pot on this, cook this biryani in this process for 10-15 minutes (Dum).
7. Note: I have made biryani in single layer due to less quantity; if biryani is for more people it should be made in multiple layer.
8. Note: make sure pan is heavy bottomed otherwise it will burn; put off the flame, wait for 10-15 minutes, stir with fork (do-not use spoon) and transfer to serving plate.

9. 

10. Mouth watering dish is ready to serve with Boondi Raita or any vegetable curry or non- vegetarian curry.
11. Note: make sure pan is heavy bottomed otherwise it will burn.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Paneer (Cottage Cheese ) Biryani by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.