Paneer Biryani Recipe

Growing up, I would always look forward to cooking with my dad. Oftentimes we would argue about how we cooked certain things. However the one food we both cooked the same way is biryani. Biryani is an Indian rice dish full of paneer (or any protein of your choice), spices, vegetables and nuts (optional). My dad and I have spent countless afternoons perfecting this biryani recipe and I decided to share it with all of you.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rices soaked

• Salt to taste

• 2 sliced onions

• 5 tbsp oil for frying the onions

• 3 tbsp mint ( Pudina ) chopped

• 1 ½ cups uncooked paneer

• 2 tsp biryani masala

• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp red chili powder ( Add more to taste)

• A handful of cashews ( Optional )

• 1 green chili

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 green cardamoms ( Elaichi)

• 6 cloves ( Laung)

• 1 star anise

• 2 tsp shahi jeera

• 7 strands saffron soaked in water

• 3 carrots peeled and julienned

• 1 head cauliflower washed and broken into florets

• 4 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

Directions Soak the rice

1. Add the oil to a frying pan and fry the onions till they're crispy

2. Cut all the vegetables

3. Put a little oil into a heavy bottom pan with high sides

4. Add the Shai jeera, bay leaf, green chili, cardamom, cashews, garlic ginger paste and cinnamon stick, let this cook until it starts to smell cooked ( around 5 minutes)

5. Add all the vegetables and cook this until they are half cooked

6. Now add the spices (2 tsp biryani masala,1 tsp turmeric, red chili powder and salt to taste) and also add the paneer now.

7. Soak the saffron stands in water

8. Boil the rice until 70% done, should still have a bite to it, let the vegetable mixture continue to cook

9. Take half of the vegetable mixture out into a plate. Now layer half of the rice, chopped mint and half of the fried onions on top. Also pour half of the saffron water on to the rice

10. Add the next layer of veggies on top, then add the rest of the rice, mint, fried onions and saffron water

11. Put a lid on the pot and let it cook on low for about 15 minutes and then serve!