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Recipe
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry I am grateful to each one of you who has tried it and made it part of your family dinner table. Over the years I have received many requests for a stovetop paneer biryani recipe and I am super excited to share it finally. In this recipe, I am sharing detailed steps with all of my tips to make Paneer Biryani using the traditional stovetop method - from marinating paneer to making the crispy golden fried onions and cooking fluff rice to perfection so each grain is separate. And lastly how to make the final layer of garnish so the final dish looks colorful with authentic taste! I hope you enjoy this Vegetarian Biryani along with the Chicken Biryani Recipe: both cooked using the traditional stove-top method and tested to perfection! 1: Marinate the Paneer Start by marinating the paneer. Make sure to use fresh spices, herbs, and good-quality paneer. I have used homemade biryani masala in this recipe but you can also use store-bought. Garam masala is also a good substitute if that is what you have on hand. I prefer to shallow fry onions in lesser ghee instead of deep frying them. You can choose either method and use oil instead of ghee. Just make sure to stir them constantly and turn the heat off once they start to become golden brown as they will continue to cook even after the heat is turned off. Reserve half of the onions for garnish and cook the marinated paneer in the remaining half. Rinse the rice a few times and then soak it in water for 20 minutes. Drain again. Cook the rice in boiling water infused with whole spices. It should be only partially cooked, as it will finish cooking when the biryani is “dum” cooked (slow-cooked in a sealed pot). Drain the rice and reserve. Saute the marinated paneer in the pot with leftover crispy onions along with pureed tomatoes. Make sure to saute only until everything is just heated through. Do not overcook the paneer. Gently layer partially cooked rice over the paneer and veggies. You may choose to take out half of the paneer and veggies, layer over half of the rice, and then repeat with the other half of the paneer and rice. Add the garnish layers - saffron-infused milk, reserved caramelized onions, and golden fried cashews. Seal the lid tightly by securing aluminum foil around the lid to prevent any steam from escaping the pot. You can also put something heavy like a pestle on the lid. Cook on the lowest heat. This method of slow cooking is also known as “Dum” and hence the term Dum Biryani. Allow the Biryani to rest for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed before serving.
How to Serve Paneer Biryani
Gently fluff the rice without mixing it too much. This will prevent the grains from breaking especially when the rice is hot. Serve Biryani with lemon wedges, Beet Raita or Cucumber Raita. When hosting friends and family I love to Pair Paneer Biryani with Mango Lassi, Parathas, Dal Makhani, and Gajar Halwa for a delicious Indian meal.
Storing
Leftover Paneer Biryani can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze the Biryani for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Sprinkle a few spoons of water over the Biryani and reheat in the microwave or a stovetop pan.
