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paneer makhani biryani

Paneer makhani biryani

Abhipriya Raghav
A fusion recipe bringing two of our favorites together - paneer makhani and biryani!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

To cook the rice

  • 1 cup long-grain basmati rice
  • 5 cups cups water
  • 2 green chilies, slit
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3-4  whole black pepper
  • 6-7 cloves
  • a strand of  mace
  • 3 green cardamom
  • 1 black cardamom
  • salt, as per taste
  • ½ tsp lemon juice

To make the barista

  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced

To prepare paneer makhani gravy

  • 2+2 tbsp butter
  • 1+1 tsp oil
  • 8-10 cashews
  • 3 red chili
  • 2 green chili
  • 6-7 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 green cardamom
  • salt, as per taste
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¾ tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi
  • 200 grams paneer, cut into pieces
  • 2+2 tbsp fresh cream

For the biryani

  • handful of chopped mint leaves
  • handful of chopped coriander leaves
  • 2 tbsp warm milk
  • a few strands of saffron

Instructions
 

Pre-preparations for the biryani

  • Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. In a bowl, take warm milk and add a few strands of saffron and let it sight for 15-20 minutes.
    paneer makhani biryani

To cook the rice

  • In a kadai, add 5 cups of water and the whole spices listed under 'To cook the rice' and bring it to a boil.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it to the kadai. Cook the rice until 85% done.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Strain the rice using a strainer and let it sit for 5 minutes. Later spread the rice in a plate and set aside.
    paneer makhani biryani

To prepare the barista

  • Add 1/2 cup oil to a wide pan and let it heat. Add the thinly sliced onions when the oil is hot and fry them on a low-medium flame till it turns golden brown in color.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Drain all the oil from the fried onions using a strainer. Reserve this oil for future use.
    paneer makhani biryani

To prepare paneer makhani gravy

  • Add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tsp oil to a kadai on medium heat.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add green chilies, red chilies and cashews to the kadai.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add garlic and ginger and saute for a few seconds.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Saute onions until it turns translucent.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add the chopped tomatoes along with some salt and saute for a few seconds.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add the spice powders and the salt. Mix it well with the other ingredients. Add some water, cover the kadai with a lid and cook till the tomatoes turn soft.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down. Once cool, transfer it to a mixer grinder along with 1/4-1/2 cup water and grind it to a smooth paste. To a kadai on medium heat, add the rest of the oil with 1 tbsp butter.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add the ground mixture to the kadai along with ¼ cup water and let it come to a boil. Add the crushed kasuri methi and cream to it. Mix well and add the paneer pieces. Let it cook for a minute or two. Turn off the heat.
    paneer makhani biryani

Layering the biryani

  • In a heavy-bottomed vessel, add half the gravy along with some paneer pieces, fried onions and some chopped mint and coriander leaves. Add 1 tsp of fresh cream too.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add half of the par-boiled rice and spread gently over the gravy.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Add the other half of the gravy along with the paneer pieces, some fried onions, coriander and mint leaves. Top it with a tsp of fresh cream.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Layer it with rest of the par-boiled rice. Top it off with rest of the fried onions, coriander and mint leaves.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Splash the saffron milk and some oil that we reserved from frying the onions (barista). Meanwhile heat a tawa on medium flame. Cover the biryani vessel with an aluminium foil and then the lid. When the tawa is hot, lower the flame and keep the vessel over the tawa for the dum process.
    paneer makhani biryani
  • Let it dum cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the flame, remove from heat and let it rest for 10 more minutes. Serve hot with some raita on the side.
    paneer makhani biryani

Notes

  • Do not cook the rice through. Cook just until 85% done.
  • While par-boiling the rice, use green chilies according to taste.
  • Use the oil used to fry the onions in the biryani. This oil is infused with flavors and tastes great.
  • While layering the biryani, you can also add rose water or kewra water for some extra flavors.
  • Let the makhani gravy be semi-thick and not too thin.
  • For a silky smooth gravy, you can even strain it after pureeing it.
  • You can omit the onions while making the base makhani gravy. But the onions add so much body and flavor to this biryani.
Keyword biryani, dum biryani, indian, paneer, paneer makhani, paneer makhani biryani, rice