Paneer Biryani

Paneer Biryani is a very easy Biryani cooked with  spices and just layerd  in rice.I almost tried all nonvegeterian Biryanis, thought of preparing something vegetarian  .As paneer being favorite for  my kids tried  Biryani with paneer, it tastes as good as our chicken or mutton biryani.I followed the same procedure as I do with other meats only small changes.Paneer is mostly liked by all the peoeple as it is very easy to prepare and digest including richest source of healthy nutrients.Generally it is eaten on daily basis by the vegetarian people to fulfill their protein need of the body.As it is the high protein and healthy fat diet,it provides better nourishment to the growing age children.This week I'm posting different biryani specials in blogging marathon #48.This is a great oppurtunity for me to explore different recipes.Here goes my recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 1 large tomato
• 1 cup yogurt
• Paneer cubes ( medium size 15 to 20)
• Peas 1/2 cup
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tbspn
• Mint and coriander leaves chopped( each 1/4 cup)
• Oil 3 tbspns
• Saffron soaked in hot milk ( 2 tbspnsmilk,pinch of saffron)
• 1 tspn of red chilli powder
• 1 tspn of biryani masala 
• Cashew fried (optional)
• Rice 3 cups
• 1/4 tspn sahjeera
• Biryani spices:
• cloves 5
• cardamom 5 to 6
• cinnamon 2 inch stick
• one  strand mace
• one bay leaf
• one biryani flower
• 1/4 tspn sahjeera.
• salt to taste

Procedure:

• Boil 10 cups of water in a wide deep pan( we may add salt to the water at this time),and cook rice  with sahjeera until it is 90% done.Then drain and keep aside.
• Take a heavy bottomed pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and fry paneer 2 to 3 mins,take out and keep aside.
• Now add  chopped onions and fry until golden brown.Can keep few fried onions to use at the end.
• Add spices and saute till they splutter.Then add ginger garlic paste fry till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add tomatos,chilli,yogurt,redchilli powder,biryani masala.
• Close the lid and let cook until tomatoes turns soft and mushy.
• After few mins open the lid and cook till the oil floats( 2 to 3 mins)
• Now add peas,paneer,  few mint and coriander leaves.Fry few mins
• Reduce the flame and layer the rice evenly and sprinkle mint and corainder leaves.
• Again layer the rice ,sprinkle saffron milk.
• Cover with a air tight to prevent steam escape.
• Cook around 12 mins ,first 5 mins in medium flame and last 7 mins in low flame.
• Serve hot with raita or any sides.

Check out for fellow bloggers in BM#48