Regular users of Evergreen Recipes know my love for Paneer as well as the biryani though I only eat the rice and leave all the chicken or mutton pieces for others to enjoy.
There is only one way I can enjoy biryani without having the fear of getting a piece of chicken or mutton in my mouth. And that is this Paneer Dum Biryani. It is purely veg and I love it.
Below is the recipes of Paneer Dum Biryani, which is one of the best recipes I have posted on the blog so far. You can follow the step by step instructions along with photos. I am sure you are going to love this one as well.
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients for marinating paneer:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Indian cottage cheese/ Paneer | 400 gram |
| Yogurt | 1 cup |
| Red chilli powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Roasted cumin powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Ginger-garlic paste | 1 teaspoon |
| Fried onions | 1/2 cup |
| Garam masala powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
Ingredients for Rice:
| Basmati Rice | 1/2 kg |
| Water | 1 litre |
| Cumin seeds | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Shahi jeera | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Cloves | 5 |
| Cardamom green | 5 |
| Cardamom brown | 2 |
| Bay leafs | 3 |
| Black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cinnamon stick | 2 |
| Oil | 1 tablespoon |
| Lemon juice | 2 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
Ingredients for tempering or garnish:
| Kewra water | 3 tablespoon |
| Food color (red) | small pinch |
| Milk | 2 tablespoon |
| Mint leaves | for garnish |
| Fried onions | 1/2 cup |
| Green chilly | 5 |
Method:
1. Combine curd, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder in a bowl and mix it well. Add paneer cubes into the bowl.
2. Heat the oil into a wok and fry onions until golden brown in color and take out the fried onions on a plate.
3. Add ½ cup fried onions into the paneer-curd bowl, mix it well and keep it aside for half an hour.
4. Take one-liter water in a big wok and add cumin seeds, shahi jeera, cloves, black pepper, cardamom green, cardamom brown, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, salt, lemon juice, oil and boil the water. When it starts boiling add soaked basmati rice.
5. Meanwhile, heat the oil into the wok and add marinated paneer and fry it for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Take out the fried paneer into the plate for Dum (layering the rice later in the process). Cook the rice till properly cooked and drain the water (take out one piece of rice and if you can mash it between your fingers, it is ready). If you need an easy test for how long to cook rice, just mash a piece between your fingers.
6. In the same wok, you fried paneer add half of the cooked rice, then put fried paneer, fried onion, green chilli, mint leaves and add leftover rice on the top of paneer. (Layering as we mentioned earlier)
6.Take milk and kewra water into a bowl and add food color. Sprinkle kewra-milk water on the biryani and garnish with mint leaves and leftover fried onions. Cook covered on low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes. (Don’t over cook the biryani, paneer can get chewy in texture) Delicious paneer dum biryani is ready, serve hot with yogurt, salad and your favourite beverages.
7. Enjoy!
Print Friendly Recipe
- Ingredients for marinating paneer:
- Indian cottage cheese/ Paneer 400 gram
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
- Roasted cumin powder 1/4 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Ginger-garlic paste 1 teaspoon
- Fried onions 1/2 cup
- Garam masala powder 1/2 cup
- Ingredients for Rice:
- Basmati Rice 1/2 kg
- Water 1 litre
- Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
- Shahi jeera 1/4 teaspoon
- Cloves 5
- Cardamom green 5
- Cardamom brown 2
- Bay leafs 3
- Black pepper 1/2 teaspoon
- Cinnamon sticks 2
- Oil 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice 2 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Ingredients for tempering or garnish:
- Kewra water 3 tbsp cup
- Food color (red) small pinch
- Milk 2 tablespoon
- Mint leaves for garnish
- Fried onions 1/2 cup
- Green chilly 5
- Combine curd, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder in a bowl and mix it well. Add paneer cubes into the bowl.
- Heat the oil into the wok and fry onions till golden brown in color and take out the fried onions on a plate.
- Add ½ cup fried onions into the paneer-curd bowl, mix it well and keep it aside for half an hour.
- Take one-litre water in a big wok and add cumin seeds, shahi jeera, cloves, black pepper, cardamom green, cardamom brown, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, salt, lemon juice, oil and boil the water. When it starts boiling add soaked basmati rice.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil into the wok and add marinated paneer and fry it for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Take out the fried paneer into the plate for Dum (layering the rice later in the process). Cook the rice till properly cooked and drain the water (take out one rice and if you can mash it between your fingers, it is ready).
- In the same wok, you fried paneer add half of the cooked rice, then put fried paneer, fried onion, green chilli, mint leaves and add leftover rice on the top of paneer. (Layering as we mentioned earlier)
- Take milk and kewra water into a bowl and add food color. Sprinkle kewra-milk water on the biryani and garnish with mint leaves and leftover fried onions. Cook covered on low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes. (Don’t over cook the biryani, paneer can get chewy in texture) Delicious paneer dum biryani is ready, serve hot with yogurt, salad and your favourite beverages.
