Paneer Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

For paneer
Paneer cubes – ½ cup
Corn flour – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Kurma masala powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Jeera/cumin powder – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste

For onion
Onion – 1 cup (cut into thin long pieces)
Oil – 1 tsp

For yellow color
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Milk – 2 tbsp

For rice
Basmati rice – 1 cup
Cloves – 3-4
Green cardamom – 3-4
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Peppercorns – 4-5
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

For dum biryani
Cauliflower florets – ½ cup
Carrot – ½ cup (cut into slightly thick and long pieces)
Beetroot – ½ cup (cut into slightly thick and long pieces)
Peas/mutter – ¼ cup (frozen)
Corn kernels – ¼ cup (frozen)
Mini soy chunks – ¼ cup
Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tbsp
Bay leaf – 1
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chilli – 3-4 (slit lengthwise)
Star anise – 1
Mace/javitri – 1
Cinnamon – ½ inch piece
Green cardamom – 3
Black cardamom -1
Biryani masala powder – 4 tbsp
Coriander leaves – ½ cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste

Other
Clean kitchen towel – 1

Procedure:

To make onion

Fry the onion in oil at a medium low flame till they turn golden brown. Keep aside.

To make yellow color

Add milk to the turmeric, mix well and keep aside.

To make paneer

Add the ingredients under ‘for paneer’ and let it marinate for about 15 mins.

To make rice

1. Soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes. Then boil about 5 cups water and add all the ingredients under ‘for rice’ including the soaked rice and cook rice till ¾ th done.
2. Drain the water and place the rice aside.

To make dum biryani

1. Heat oil in a large kadai. Be sure to take a big kadai, as we will do the dum biryani in the same vessel.
2. Add jeera, bay leaf, star anise, mace, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger garlic paste, green chilli and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and soy chunks and fry for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the biryani masala, red chilli powder, ¼ cup coriander leaves, salt and 2 cups water. Let the vegetables cook completely but make sure that they retain their shape.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, make sure that it is not either too liquidy or too dry, a little amount of water is required. At this point add the marinated paneer and give a stir.
6. Now, remove half of this curry in a separate bowl and place it aside for now.
7. Reduce the flame to complete low and add 2 tbsp of curd. Cover with lid and cook for about 2 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and over the curry, spread half of the drained rice prepared earlier.
9. Over the rice, spread the remaining curry, some coriander leaves, and some fried onions.
10. Over this, spread the remaining rice and once again spread with coriander leaves and onions.
11. Also sprinkle the yellow color prepared earlier.
12. Now, place a clean kitchen towel under the lid and cover the kadai such that no air escapes out. Check the picture included with this recipe.
13. Let it dum for about 10 minutes or until the rice is completely cooked.
14. Remove from heat and serve hot with a nice raita and cucumber salad. Yum Yum !!

Variations:

You may also dum it in an oven that is pre-heated. I haven’t tried it this way but am sure this will work pretty sure. Instead of kitchen towel, you may use atta dough to seal the gaps, but it gets a bit messy. You may add cashew nuts and mint leaves as well to the biryani.

Related Images: