Paneer Biryani

Paneer Biryani Recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Paneer / Indian cottage cheese - 300 gms
Onion sliced - 2 nos
Green chilli slit - 2 nos
Tomato chopped - 1 no
Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Mint leaves chopped - 1 cup
Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds / Shahi jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cashew nuts - 10 pieces
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Paneer Biryani

Method
1. Chop the paneer into cubes and soak it in hot water for 10 mins.
2. Wash the basmati rice and soak it in 2 cups water.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add cashew nuts and fry until golden brown, drain nuts from oil and set aside.
4. To the same oil add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick, let the cumin splutter.
5. Add the sliced onions and green chillies to the pan, sauté until onions are soft.
6. Add the ginger & garlic paste to the pan and sauté until raw smell leaves.
7. Now add the chopped mint leaves, sauté for a minute and add chopped tomatoes to the pan, cook until tomatoes are soft.
8. Next add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt to the pan, sauté for
few seconds.
9. Add the soaked and drained paneer pieces to the pan and stir well until the masalas are coated on
the paneer.
10. Add the basmati rice along with the water in which it was soaked to the pan, bring to boil.
11. Once water starts boiling, gently stir well the rice and cook for few minutes until 3/4th of
the water is absorbed by the rice.
12. Cover the pan with lid, simmer and cook biryani for 10 mins on low heat.
13. Finally garnish paneer biryani with chopped coriander leaves, fried cashew nuts and 1 tsp
ghee.