Hariyali Paneer Biryani
Mix of basmati rice, refreshing hariyali paneer, and bunch of veggie along with yogurt, mint, kasuri methi and spices!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Partially Boiled Basmati Rice
- 1½ cup Uncooked Long Grain Basmati Rice it should yield to 6 cups of cooked rice
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Whole Peppercorn
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Marinated Hariyali Paneer
- 14 oz Cubed Paneer
- ½ cup Full Fat Indian Style Sour Yogurt
- 1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves
- 1 cup Fresh Cilantro
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach baby spinach preferred
- 4 large Garlic Cloves
- 2 inch Ginger Root
- 1 large Jalapeno or 2 thai green chilis or 1 medium serrano
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
- 1 tbsp Chaat Masala
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Black Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ¼ tsp Mango Powder
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
Other Ingredients
- 1¼ cup Finely Chopped Yellow Onions
- 1 cup Chopped Green Peppers
- 1 cup Chopped Carrots
- 1 cup Chopped String Beans
- 1 cup Peas frozen or fresh
- 1 cup Corn Kernels frozen or fresh
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil more to garnish later
- 1 tbsp Ghee more to garnish later
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Jalapeno or thai green chilis/serrano
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Finely Chopped Cilantro
- ½ cup Finely Chopped Mint
Instructions
Marinate Paneer Overnight/Few hours
- Blend all ingredients but paneer listed under "Paneer Marinade" and pour it out in a bowl. Add cubed paneer to it and carefully coat paneer pieces with the marinade. Keep it in the fridge overnight or 4-6 hours. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes!
Partially Boil Rice
- Wash and soak basmati rice for 20-30 minutes
- Add soaked basmati rice and everything listed under the "Partially Boiled Rice" ingredients into a big deep pot.
- Add 5-6 cups water to the pot and partially boil the rice.
- Once boiled, strain the water out using a strainer. Run cold water through the rice just for few second and strain it completely. This will stop the cooking process. Keep it on side, leaving the rice in the strainer, it helps getting rid of most water from the rice. Toss it couple of time while it sits in the strainer.
Cook Biryani
- Heat up 1 tbsp of mustard oil and ghee in a heavy bottom wide pot.
- Once heated, add in cumin seeds and cook them until golden brown and starts to fragrant.
- Add in chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, chopped thai green chilis with 1 tsp of salt. Cook it on medium heat until onions are translucent.
- Add in chopped green peppers. Cook them on medium heat for couple of minutes.
- Add in corn kernels. Cook them on medium heat for couple of minutes.
- Add in peas, chopped carrots and string beans. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes.
- Uncover, add in garam masala and yet another 1 tsp of salt. Mix well.
- Add in marinated paneer cubes along with all the marinade (green yogurt sauce). Mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Uncover, mix well. Take half of the paneer veggie mix out in a bowl. Layer the other half flat in the pot.
- Layer half of the partially cooked rice on top of paneer veggie mix inside the pot.
- Pat it down with a spoon. Sprinkle ¼ cup of chopped mint and cilantro. Drizzle 1 tsp of mustard oil and 1 tsp of ghee.
- Top it with rest of the paneer veggie mix. Flatten it down with a spoon. Then top it with rest of the partially cooked rice.
- Pat it down with a spoon. Sprinkle ¼ cup of chopped mint and cilantro. Drizzle 1 tsp of mustard oil and 1 tsp of ghee.
- Cover the pot, cook the layered biryani on low flame for 12-15 minutes. Everything is mostly cooked. Rice is also partially cooked so it does not take too much heat for the rice to cook completely. Once you turn the heat off, keep the pot/dutch oven covered for another 20 minutes.
- Serve it with beetroot raita, side of fresh onions, lime wedges and papad!