Paneer Biryani Recipe is aromatic and flavorful, and it is loved by many. It is made by layering rice, paneer, and veggies with spices. It is best enjoyed with yogurt or raita.
I was scared to make biryani earlier because the process seemed lengthy. When I tried, the earlier few attempts were totally a mess. That is, the rice came out perfectly but didn't taste good. After many attempts and
The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks for making Paneer Biryani Recipe. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card or click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
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⭐WHAT IS PANEER BIRYANI?
Paneer Biryani is nothing but rice casserole made by layering rice with paneer masala or gravy (yogurt-based curry). It is made by adding lots of whole spices, making the recipe extremely aromatic.
Traditionally, biryani was made by dum cooking with some meat, vegetables, and aromatic biryani spices. But later on, as the tastes changed, people started experimenting with new flavors in biryani like paneer biryani, lentils biryani, lamb biryani, veg biryani, and Hyderabadi biryani, etc.
There are many variations of biryani that you can make in a pan. You can make it in the pressure cooker or an Instant Pot for a simpler method.
🥘INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
For Making Rice:
- Rice: You need long grain basmati rice for any biryani recipe. You can it get from the Indian store.
- Whole Spices: When boiling the rice, I use whole spices to make the rice aromatic, like star anise, javitri, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. You can also add chopped mint leaves and cilantro.
- Ghee: Add a tablespoon of ghee (Indian clarified butter) to make the rice extra flavorful.
For Paneer:
- Paneer: These are the main ingredients to make the paneer biryani recipe. You can use the store-bought or homemade paneer.
- Veggies: I use tomatoes to make the base of the paneer masala. You can also add veggies (like carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, etc.).
- Ginger-Garlic: Add ginger-garlic paste or chopped ginger & garlic to the masala base.
- Ghee/ Oil: Add oil when making the paneer masala. Also, add 1 tablespoon of ghee when layering the rice with paneer masala.
- Biryani Masala: This particular spice mix is added to all the biryanis to make them extra flavorful and aromatic. You can also add garam masala powder, but it will not have the same flavor.
- Saffron Milk/Oil: Add saffron milk or saffron oil when layering.
- Garnish: Garnish with chopped cilantro and mint leaves for fresh flavor.
- Fried Onion: Fry the onion in oil and use them when layering.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🧂BIRYANI MASALA
To make the most aromatic recipe, Biryani Masala plays an important role. I tried many different masalas for the recipe: some readymade and some freshly made at home.
It is made by adding fresh spices to the recipe, including Cardamoms, Cloves, Mace flower, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Kashmiri Red Chilies, etc. Adding fresh ingredients gives a nice aroma and is really important.
If you don't have Biryani Masala, you can also use Garam Masala, but the taste will not be that authentic.
🔪HOW TO MAKE THE PANEER BIRYANI RECIPE
Check the recipe card below, but you refer here for step-by-step photo instructions for the full recipe.
COOKING RICE:
Boil water in a big pot. Flavor the water with star anise, green cardamom, black cardamom, javitri, cloves, cinnamon, salt, ghee, and bay leaf.
Add rinsed rice in boiling water for 5 minutes or until rice is 70-80% cooked.
Once partially cooked, drain the liquid in a mesh strainer. Next, remove the whole spices (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaf).
MAKING PANEER MASALA:
FRY ONIONS: First and foremost is to fry the onion. Add onions to the oil and fry the onion until crispy and brown & keep stirring in the between.
Once the onions are fried, place the onions on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
MAKE PANEER MASALA:
- Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and cashews to the oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes turn soft & mushy.
- Once tomatoes are cooked, blend them until smooth.
- Transfer the blended tomatoes and add yogurt, biryani masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
- Once mixed, add paneer cubes and stir until the paneer cubes are properly coated.
LAYERING
Layer rice and paneer masala in a cast-iron skillet or big pot. Start by adding paneer masala and top with fried onions & chopped cilantro & mint leaves.
Add a second layer of partially cooked rice and top it with saffron milk or saffron oil.
Cover it with the lid and cook it low for 15 minutes.
Note: Make sure the there is no gap between the lid and the pan/pot. To seal it line the chapatti dough over the edges of lid & pan.
Once the rice is cooked, adjust the seasoning and carefully mix it so that the rice doesn't get broken. Then, serve the Paneer Biryani Recipe with Yogurt or Raita.
💭PRO TIPS
- Rinse the rice well and leave it in water for 15- 20 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time. And it's best to cook with basmati rice as long rice makes Biryani taste great.
- Biryani usually turns out better when it is rich in oil. So don't be skimpy in adding oil to it.
- The first step is frying lots of onions. When frying onion, keep stirring to prevent them from burning.
- You can also add veggies to paneer masala.
- Before adding Yogurt to the Biryani, mix the yogurt until it is free of lumps.
- Adding Ghee (clarified butter) to the biryani adds an extra layer of flavor. However, you don't need to add a lot. Just 1-2 tablespoon will give rich flavor to the recipe.
- Adding a few strands of saffron in milk and boiling it gives a nice yellow color. I add this over rice before pressure cooking. You can add this saffron milk or saffron oil to the recipe.
- I also add ghee-coated Cashews as they give an extra layer of flavor to the Biryani.
🧾FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You can make Paneer Biryani Recipe in larger quantities and store it in an air-tight container. Then, store it in the fridge for 3-5 days and heat it in the microwave when you want to eat it again.
You can serve Paneer Biryani Recipe with yogurt or raita (Yogurt Dip), sliced onions, and green chutney.
Biryani is not a healthy option as it is made with oil, ghee, and paneer. But you either portion control or add less oil whne making biryani.
Yes, Paneer Biryani is a vegetarian option.
Though paneer biryani is mildly-spiced. But with the layering of different ingredients and spices, biryani often turns out spicy.
If your biryani turned out mushy & soggy, there is lots of liquid. Add less yogurt and use a big pan/pot to absorb all the moisture.
🥗OTHER PANEER RECIPES
- SHAHI PANEER
- KADAI PANEER
- ACHARI PANEER
- PALAK PANEER
- ALOO MATAR PANEER
- NAVRATNA KORMA
- BUTTER PANEER
- PANEER TIKKA
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Paneer Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice rinsed
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 3-4 tablespoon Oil
- 2 litres Water
- 2 Star Anise
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon Mint Leaves chopped
- 2 cup Paneer or as needed
- 2 Onion thinly sliced
- 2 medium Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 8-10 Cashews or soaked Almonds
- 2 tablespoon Ginger- Garlic Paste
- 1 Cup Veggies optional
- 1 Cup Yogurt whisked
- 2 tablespoon Biryani Masala
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- ¼ Cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ Cup Mint Leaves chopped
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 3-4 strands Saffron
- 1 tablespoon Rose Water
- 10-12 Cashews fried in Ghee (optional)
Equipment
Method
- First and foremost is to fry the onion. Add onions to the oil and fry the onion until crispy and brown & keep stirring in the between.Once the onions are fried, place the onions on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Boil water in a big pot. Flavor the water with star anise, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, salt, ghee, and bay leaf.
- Add rinsed rice in boiling water for 5 minutes or until the rice is 70-80% cooked.Once partially cooked, drain the liquid in a mesh strainer and soak in cold water to stop the cooking process. Next, remove the whole spices (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaf).
- Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and cashews to the oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes turn soft & mushy. Once tomatoes are cooked, blend them until smooth. Transfer the blended tomatoes to a pan and add yogurt, biryani masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Once mixed, add paneer cubes and stir until the paneer cubes are properly coated.
- In a cast-iron skillet or in a big pot layer rice and paneer masala. Start by adding paneer masala and top with fried onions & chopped cilantro & mint leaves.
- Add a second layer of partially cooked rice and top it with rose water, ghee, and saffron milk or saffron oil. Repeat the layering process if needed.(Note- Saffron Milk: Add saffron to boiling milk and soak for 10-15 minutes. After soaking, the milk will turn yellow & saffron milk will be ready).
- Cover the pot with the lid and cook it a low heat for 10-15 minutes.(Note: Make sure there is no gap between the lid and the pan/pot. To seal it, line the chapatti dough over the edges of the lid & pan.
- Once the rice is cooked, adjust the seasoning and carefully mix it so that the rice doesn't get broken. Then serve the Paneer Biryani Recipe with Yogurt or Raita.
- Add oil in the inner pot and press Saute. Fry onions till they turn brown in color. Stir them continuously while frying. Once the onions are fried, place the onions on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and cashews to the leftover oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes turn soft & mushy. Once tomatoes are cooked, blend them until smooth. Transfer the blended tomatoes to the pot and add yogurt, biryani masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.Once mixed, add paneer cubes and stir until the paneer cubes are properly coated.
- Meanwhile, add all the whole spices in a muslin cloth and tie a knot. Put this muslin cloth bundle in the pot.(Note: This way whole spices will not come into the mouth while eating).
- Then add yogurt, Biryani Masala, and Kashmiri Red Chili Powder to the pot. Once the oil separates & all the liquid is absorbed, then cancel saute.
- Once mixed, add paneer cubes and stir until the paneer cubes are properly coated.
- Add 2 cups of water, over the edges. Then layer with cilantro & mint leaves, and fried onion.
- Add rinsed rice and layer with rose water and saffron milk or saffron oil and close the lid. (Note- Saffron Milk: Add saffron to boiling milk and soak for 10-15 minutes. After soaking the milk will turn yellow & saffron milk will be ready).
- Close lid with the vent in the sealing position, and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Do NPR (No Pressure Release). When the valve goes down, open the lid, take the muslin cloth out and mix everything carefully without breaking the rice. Enjoy your delicious veg biryani with cucumber raita.
Pavani Gottumukkala says
Hi, so do you not add any water when cooking the biryani in the Instant Pot?
SunGari says
Yes, for 1 cup rice - add 1 cup water (if adding veggies) in Instant Pot.