Vegetables and Paneer Biryani
Vegetable Biryani is a colorful dish. The addition of the vegetables like carrots, beans, green peas, potatoes give a wonderful looks for this biryani. Vegetable biryani taste as delicious as chicken or mutton biryani. You do not have to eat meat to enjoy eating biryani. This tasty, appetizing, spicy, vegetable biryani typically served as a complete meal with yogurt and coriander Chutney.
Traditionally, biryani is layered in a heavy pot or clay pot and heated through until the rice at the bottom becomes crispy and the flavor of the spices and vegetables penetrates into rice. Biryani is two step processes. Rice and vegetables are cooked separate. After cooking they are put together and baked.
Traditionally, biryani is layered in a heavy pot or clay pot and heated through until the rice at the bottom becomes crispy and the flavor of the spices and vegetables penetrates into rice. Biryani is two step processes. Rice and vegetables are cooked separate. After cooking they are put together and baked.
Ingredients for vegetables:
1 Cup of green French beans- chopped in ½”pieces
1 Cup of green peas –shelled
1 Cup of cauliflower- chopped in small pieces
1 Cup of carrots – chopped in small circles
1 Medium potato- chopped in small pieces
1 Cup of paneer – cubed and fried or sautéed
2 Medium size onions
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Medium ripe tomato
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger grated
1 Medium green chili - chopped
4 Tablespoons plain yogurt (optional)
2 Teaspoons coriander powder
½ Teaspoon red chili powder
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon garam masala or to your taste
1 Bay leaf
4 to 5 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or as needed
½ Cup of water
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1 Cup of green French beans- chopped in ½”pieces
1 Cup of green peas –shelled
1 Cup of cauliflower- chopped in small pieces
1 Cup of carrots – chopped in small circles
1 Medium potato- chopped in small pieces
1 Cup of paneer – cubed and fried or sautéed
2 Medium size onions
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Medium ripe tomato
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger grated
1 Medium green chili - chopped
4 Tablespoons plain yogurt (optional)
2 Teaspoons coriander powder
½ Teaspoon red chili powder
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon garam masala or to your taste
1 Bay leaf
4 to 5 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or as needed
½ Cup of water
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Onion's, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic and Green chili
Green beans-chopped
Cauliflower
Potatoes- chopped
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Green peas
Carrots-chopped
Paneer-sliced
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Coriander powder
Garam masala
Ginger-grated
Water
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Red chili powder
Bay leaf
Oil
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Turmeric powder
Yogurt
Salt
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Ingredients for Rice:
2 Cups rice
1 Medium onion –sliced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Bay leaf (optional)
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2½ Cups of water
2 Cups rice
1 Medium onion –sliced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Bay leaf (optional)
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2½ Cups of water
Rice
Onion-sliced
Salt
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Oil
Water
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Bay leaf
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Ingredients for garnishing:
3 Medium onion- Thin sliced length wise
2 Medium ripe tomato – thin sliced in circles or half circles
½ Cup of chopped coriander leaves
¼ Cup warm milk
Few Strings of saffron
3 Medium onion- Thin sliced length wise
2 Medium ripe tomato – thin sliced in circles or half circles
½ Cup of chopped coriander leaves
¼ Cup warm milk
Few Strings of saffron
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Onion- sliced
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Tomatoes-sliced
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Coriander leaves
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Milk
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Saffron
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Direction for sauté Paneer
1. In nonstick wide frying pan heat1 tablespoon oil. Spread the paneer pieces in
the pan and sauté them, 1 minute each side. or until paneer become light
brown.
1. In nonstick wide frying pan heat1 tablespoon oil. Spread the paneer pieces in
the pan and sauté them, 1 minute each side. or until paneer become light
brown.
In a pan spread paneer slice &
sauté
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Paneer is sautéed
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2. Once paneer become golden brown from both sides take the Paneer pieces out
and place them in a plate over paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Once
all the paneer sautéed keep them aside. You could also grill the Paneer on Grill
or in the Oven.
and place them in a plate over paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Once
all the paneer sautéed keep them aside. You could also grill the Paneer on Grill
or in the Oven.
Place Paneer on the paper towel
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Sautéed Paneer
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Direction for cooking the vegetables:
1. Chop 2 onions and 4 cloves of garlic (equal to 1 Tablespoon of garlic) in the
Chopper or grind them in the blender in a coarse paste.
1. Chop 2 onions and 4 cloves of garlic (equal to 1 Tablespoon of garlic) in the
Chopper or grind them in the blender in a coarse paste.
In a chopper add chopped onion & garlic
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Grind to coarse paste
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3. In the same pan add minced onions and garlic and sauté, while periodically
stirring. Onions will have a lot of water so for the first few minutes keep the
heat high so that all the onion water evaporates quickly. Add more oil if
needed.
stirring. Onions will have a lot of water so for the first few minutes keep the
heat high so that all the onion water evaporates quickly. Add more oil if
needed.
In a pan add oil, minced onions & garlic
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Mix onion, Garlic with oil and fry
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4. While onion mixture cooks chop tomatoes and add them in to the same food
chopper or blender and puree.
chopper or blender and puree.
In a chopper add chopped tomatoes
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Puree Tomatoes
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5. Once all the water evaporated from the onions reduce the heat to medium and
fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until onions become light brown.
6. Add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and mix with fried onions and fry for few seconds.
fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until onions become light brown.
6. Add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and mix with fried onions and fry for few seconds.
Onion become light brown
|
Add Coriander powder, Red chili powder & Turmeric powder in fried onions
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7. Add tomato puree and yogurt in the fried onions and spices.
Mix spices with fried onions and fry
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Add tomato puree
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Mix Tomato puree with fried onions & spices
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Add yogurt
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8. With the tomato puree and yogurt masala become watery turn the heat to high
for 2 to 3 minutes, so that water evaporates quickly and then turn the heat
down.
9. Frequently keep stirring the onion masala, once all the water evaporated and
you see the oil in the pan that means onion masala is done.
for 2 to 3 minutes, so that water evaporates quickly and then turn the heat
down.
9. Frequently keep stirring the onion masala, once all the water evaporated and
you see the oil in the pan that means onion masala is done.
Mix yogurt well
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Onion masala is cooked
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11. Add chopped vegetables and fried paneer, sprinkle salt over, add ½ cup of
water, with the spatula mix everything together, cover the pan and cook for
15 minutes or until vegetable become tender but not mushy.
water, with the spatula mix everything together, cover the pan and cook for
15 minutes or until vegetable become tender but not mushy.
Add all the vegetable's and paneer in onion masala
Mix vegetables and paneer with onion masala
Add salt and mix
Add water and mix
Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook
12. While cooking periodically stir and mix the vegetables with masala so that
masala coat the vegetables well all the time
13. Once vegetables become tender add grated ginger, chopped green chilies,
garam masala and mix and cook for few minutes. Turn the stove off.
14. Leave little gravy in the vegetables it will help rice to absorb some flavor from
the vegetables.
masala coat the vegetables well all the time
13. Once vegetables become tender add grated ginger, chopped green chilies,
garam masala and mix and cook for few minutes. Turn the stove off.
14. Leave little gravy in the vegetables it will help rice to absorb some flavor from
the vegetables.
Add grated ginger, and chopped green chilies
Add garam masala and mix
Vegetables are cooked
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Rice can be cooked two ways, either cook them with onions or boil them in plain water. (Rice cooker could be used to cook rice)
1.To see how to cook rice with onion step by step follow the link below. Rice with caramelized brown onions If you prefer add cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaf while cooking rice. Rice should be three fourth cooked because once layered, the biryani is cooked in oven for about 20 to 25 minutes on low heat which helps the rice to cook fully and for the flavors to meld. Hence, it is important that the rice is not fully cooked before layering. This will also prevent it from becoming sticky and mushy. |
In a pan add oil & onion & Sautee
Add soaked rice
Cover the pan and cook rice
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Onion become dark brown
Add water
Rice is cooked
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Directions for layering the Biryani:
1. In ¼ cup of warm milk add saffron strings and mix. Keep it aside for later
use.
1. In ¼ cup of warm milk add saffron strings and mix. Keep it aside for later
use.
Saffron-soaked milk
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Baking dish- 9" x 13"'
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2. Grease the baking dish.
Grease the baking dish
3. Fluff the rice with fork and gently with the cooking spoon scope them out from
the sauce pan and evenly layer half of the cooked rice in the greased baking
dish, if added cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves then take them out.
the sauce pan and evenly layer half of the cooked rice in the greased baking
dish, if added cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves then take them out.
Fluff the rice with fork
Layer the rice in the baking dish
4. Over the rice, evenly layer the cooked vegetables with the fried paneer pieces.
Spread cooked vegetables over rice
5. Over the layer of vegetable spread sliced tomatoes slices.
Spread sliced tomatoes over vegetables
6. Over tomato slice spread sliced onions.
Spread onions over tomatoes
7. Over tomatoes and onions sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over tomatoes' & onion
8. Now add another layer of cooked rice over the vegetables, tomatoes and
onions.
onions.
Layer rice on the top
9. Sprinkle saffron milk all over rice
Sprinkle saffron milk all over rice
10. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil nicely.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil
11. Preheat the oven at 400 degree and place the dish in the oven Once oven is
heated turn the heat dawn to 350 Degree. (if you do not have oven, see below
in tips for stove top baking instructions.)
12. Cook Biryani about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven off, take the dish out and
let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Once layered, the biryani is cooked on low heat that helps the rice to cook
fully and for the flavors to meld. Hence, it is important that the rice is not fully
cooked before layering. This will also prevent it from becoming sticky and
mushy.
heated turn the heat dawn to 350 Degree. (if you do not have oven, see below
in tips for stove top baking instructions.)
12. Cook Biryani about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven off, take the dish out and
let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Once layered, the biryani is cooked on low heat that helps the rice to cook
fully and for the flavors to meld. Hence, it is important that the rice is not fully
cooked before layering. This will also prevent it from becoming sticky and
mushy.
Place the baking dish in the oven
Vegetable biryani is cooked
13. When ready to eat take the cover off and garnish with previously fried onions
and serve. (see below how to fry onions)
14. Serve biryani with Green chutney or Mint chutney and yogurt.
and serve. (see below how to fry onions)
14. Serve biryani with Green chutney or Mint chutney and yogurt.
Vegetable and Paneer biryani
Tips:
1. If you do not have oven or do not want to bake biryani in the oven then grease a deep sauce pan and layer cooked rice and cooked vegetables, sprinkle some water, cover the sauce pan tightly with a lid, and seal the lid by sticking it with some chapati dough all around or simply fix a big foil before placing the lid. The idea is to restrict the steam from escaping. Place the pan on stove top on low heat or ideally place this pan on top of another flat pan or tawa, so that the bottom of the pan doesn't come in direct contact with the heat source. Cook for about 25 to 30 minutes till rice is cooked but not mushy. Turn the stove off and leave it for 10 to 20 minutes on until ready to serve.
2. If you wish garnish briyani fried onions and fried cashew nuts.
3. Any vegetables or ingredients could be added or taken out.
4. If you like mint leaves in your biryani then instead of chopped coriander leaves sprinkle chopped mint leaves.
1. If you do not have oven or do not want to bake biryani in the oven then grease a deep sauce pan and layer cooked rice and cooked vegetables, sprinkle some water, cover the sauce pan tightly with a lid, and seal the lid by sticking it with some chapati dough all around or simply fix a big foil before placing the lid. The idea is to restrict the steam from escaping. Place the pan on stove top on low heat or ideally place this pan on top of another flat pan or tawa, so that the bottom of the pan doesn't come in direct contact with the heat source. Cook for about 25 to 30 minutes till rice is cooked but not mushy. Turn the stove off and leave it for 10 to 20 minutes on until ready to serve.
2. If you wish garnish briyani fried onions and fried cashew nuts.
3. Any vegetables or ingredients could be added or taken out.
4. If you like mint leaves in your biryani then instead of chopped coriander leaves sprinkle chopped mint leaves.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Other recipe:
Chicken biryani Black urad dal & rice khichdi
Shrimp biryani Muttar paneer (Green peas with paneer)
Boiled white rice Pudina ka raita (Yogurt with mint leaves)
Pulao with green peas and cauliflower Kheera ka raita
(Yogurt with cucumber)
Chicken biryani Black urad dal & rice khichdi
Shrimp biryani Muttar paneer (Green peas with paneer)
Boiled white rice Pudina ka raita (Yogurt with mint leaves)
Pulao with green peas and cauliflower Kheera ka raita
(Yogurt with cucumber)
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