Best Paneer Biryani (Traditional Recipe)
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Unrated
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Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
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Servings
3
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Calories
694 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Best Paneer Biryani (Traditional Recipe)
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Paneer Biryani is a mildly spiced and delicately flavored dum cooked, traditional biryani recipe made with spiced yogurt marinated soft paneer cubes with golden fried onions (birista) and basmati rice. It pairs beautifully with any raita or even with simple plain curd (yogurt).
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Ingredients
For birista or fried onions
- 1 cup onions - thinly sliced, 150 grams or 2 medium to large-sized onions
- 4 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)
For cooking rice
- 1 cup basmati rice - 180 grams, preferably aged basmati rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 tej patta (medium-sized) or 2 small tej patta
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms
- ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
For paneer marination
- 200 to 250 grams paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
- ½ cup curd (yogurt) - fresh
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or 1 inch ginger crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste or 4 to 5 garlic medium-sized cloves crushed to a paste
- 1 teaspoon green chilies - chopped or swap with serrano pepper or 1 to 2 green chillies
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
- ½ tablespoon mint leaves - chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt as required
Layering ingredients
- ¼ cup milk
- 16 to 18 saffron strands
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
- ½ tablespoon mint leaves - chopped
- 1 tablespoon rose water or kewra water (pandanus water) - optional
Instructions
Cooking rice
- Rinse basmati rice very well in water till the starch clears from the water. The water should be clear and not cloudy or opaque.
- Then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Later drain the rice well and keep aside.
- Bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil in a pot.
- Add whole spices - cinnamon, tej patta, cloves , green cardamoms, caraway seeds. Also add salt.
- Now add the soaked rice. Do not stir the rice.
- Keep the flame to high and cook the rice without lowering the temperature.
- The rice grains have to be cooked till 75% or ¾ done. They should have a bite to them when eaten.
- Drain the rice in a colander. You can also rinse the rice grains to remove starch if any and to stop the grains from cooking. Cover with a lid and keep the rice aside.
Making birista or fried onions
- When the rice is soaking, prep the ingredients for the biryani. Slice the onions. Heat the oil or ghee in a small frying pan and add the sliced onions.
- Stir and begin to fry the onions till they turn golden. Add one or two pinches of salt for quick browning of the onions. Stir often for uniform browning and fry on a low flame.
- Here the onions have begun to get golden.
- Once the onions become golden, then remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper towels. Keep the fried onions aside.
Preparation for marination
- Warm the milk on stove top or in the microwave. Add 16 to 18 saffron strands to the milk. Stir and keep aside.
- Whisk full fat curd (yogurt) in a mixing bowl till smooth.
- Add ginger paste, garlic paste, chopped green chilies, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Mix well.
- Now add the spices- turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, caraway seeds and lemon juice.
- And salt as required. Mix again.
- Then add the half of the fried onions and the paneer cubes.
- Mix gently. Cover and keep the marinated paneer aside for 30 minutes.
Assembling and layering
- Add the same oil in which we fried the onions to a pan or pot.
- Add the marinated paneer and layer neatly.
- Make a rice layer now. Add all the rice. I have just made two layers. If you want you can make four layers.
- Add the remaining fried onions, chopped coriander and mint leaves.
- Sprinkle the saffron infused milk.
- Dot with ghee. You can also add rose water or kewra water.
Dum cooking paneer biryani
- Cover with a aluminium foil or with a moist kitchen cotton towel or napkin.
- Place the lid tightly on the pan and place it on a tava or griddle. For the first 5 minutes dum cook the paneer biryani on a medium flame.
- Then lower the flame and cook the paneer biryani
- On dum for 12 to 15 minutes. You can also cook the paneer biryani in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Use an oven proof pan.
- Serve the paneer biryani hot with boondi raita or cucumber raita or onion tomato raita or kuchumber salad.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy paneer biryani hot or warm with raita like an onion-tomato raita or cucumber raita or boondi raita. You can also serve with sliced onion-lime salad or onion-tomato-cucumber salad.
- Pairing it with curries like mirchi ka salan and bagara baingan also tastes awesome. Even a simple plain yogurt tastes nice with it.
Storage
- Place any leftovers in any sealed box or container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. Reheat by warming in the oven at 90 degrees Celsius (195 degrees Fahrenheit) or by steaming in the Instant pot for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
694kcal
(35%)
Carbohydrates
62g
(21%)
Protein
17g
(34%)
Fat
42g
(65%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
Cholesterol
62mg
(21%)
Sodium
1632mg
(68%)
Potassium
294mg
(8%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
222IU
(4%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
1mg
Vitamin B6
1mg
Vitamin B12
1µg
Vitamin C
7mg
(8%)
Vitamin D
1µg
Vitamin E
8mg
Vitamin K
3µg
Calcium
453mg
(45%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
22µg
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Magnesium
39mg
Phosphorus
153mg
Zinc
1mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 694 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 694kcal | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 62g | 21% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 42g | 65% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 62mg | 21% |
| Sodium | 1632mg | 68% |
| Potassium | 294mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 222IU | 4% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B12 | 1µg | 42% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Vitamin D | 1µg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 8mg | |
| Vitamin K | 3µg | |
| Calcium | 453mg | 45% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 22µg | |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 39mg | 10% |
| Phosphorus | 153mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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