Royal Paneer Briyani

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Paneer:

• 300 grams paneer, cubed
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt to taste

For the Biryani:

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon biryani masala
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fried onions for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup cashews, roasted (optional)

Instructions:

Preparing the Rice:

1. Wash the basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and salt.
3. Add the soaked rice and cook until it’s 70-80% done (about 7-8 minutes). The rice should still have a bite to it. Drain the rice and set aside.

Preparing the Paneer:

1. In a bowl, mix the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt with the paneer cubes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan and fry the paneer cubes until they are golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Preparing the Biryani:

1. In a large, deep pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside for garnish.
2. To the remaining onions in the pan, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
3. Add the chopped tomato and cook until it turns soft and mushy.
4. Lower the heat and add the yogurt, stirring continuously to prevent it from curdling.
5. Add the biryani masala, garam masala, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the masala.
6. Add the fried paneer cubes and mix well to coat them with the masala.
7. Layer half of the partially cooked rice over the paneer mixture. Sprinkle half of the saffron milk, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and fried onions over the rice.
8. Add the remaining rice on top and sprinkle the rest of the saffron milk, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and fried onions.

Final Cooking:

1. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. You can seal the edges with dough to keep the steam in, or use aluminum foil under the lid.
2. Place the pan on a tawa (flat griddle) and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, you can bake it in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes.
3. Once done, let it rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid.

Serving:

1. Gently fluff the biryani with a fork.
2. Garnish with roasted cashews and serve hot with raita, salad, or pickle.

Enjoy your Royal Paneer Biryani!