Growing Chefs! Ontario Paneer Dum Biryani
Paneer Dum Biryani
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Ingredients
Equipment
Directions
Get Organized!
Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.
Get Prepped!
In a medium frying pan add enough oil to shallow fry onions. Thinly slice 2 red onions and fry them in the oil until crispy. Season with salt and set aside on a paper towel.
To make the biryani masala, add all of the whole spices to a pan and roast them slowly on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, being mindful not to burn them. Cool them on a tray, then use a spice grinder to blend them.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 1 minute until softened, then shock in ice water. Drain and set aside.
Cut the paneer into large blocks. In a medium saute pan, add oil and fry the paneer until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Once cooled, cut into medium sized cubes.
In a heavy bottomed pot, add ghee and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they have begun to brown. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the ginger and garlic, turmeric, kashmiri chili powder and 2 tablespoons of the biryani masala and continue to cook for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the spices start to release some of their oil, add the crushed tomatoes and cauliflower. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt, or more of the biryani masala, then cover with a lid and continue to cook until all vegetables have softened.
Get Cooking!
Preheat the oven to 375F.
While the vegetables are cooking, start cooking the rice. Fill a medium sized pot with water, add the whole spices, salt and ghee and bring to a boil. Add the rice and reduce heat to medium, simmering until the rice is cooked 90% of the way. Strain the rice and set aside.
Once the vegetables are softened in the other pot, add the paneer and green beans and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until all is heated through.
Traditionally this next step would be done in clay pots, but you can use any heavy bottom pot you have available or a dutch oven. Before starting, add the saffron and rosewater to the warm milk and let stand for 5 minutes.
Build the base of the biryani by adding a layer of the gravy with vegetables, then a layer of the cooked basmati rice. Repeat the same process, finishing your top layer with rice. Use a spoon to spread the saffron milk across the top rice layer, then cover with a lid. Using your leftover dough, seal the lid with the dough and bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
Garnish with crispy onions, cilantro leaves and serve.
Growing Chefs! Ontario Recipe
Paneer Dum Biryani
Ingredients
Equipment
Directions
Get Organized!
Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.
Get Prepped!
In a medium frying pan add enough oil to shallow fry onions. Thinly slice 2 red onions and fry them in the oil until crispy. Season with salt and set aside on a paper towel.
To make the biryani masala, add all of the whole spices to a pan and roast them slowly on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, being mindful not to burn them. Cool them on a tray, then use a spice grinder to blend them.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 1 minute until softened, then shock in ice water. Drain and set aside.
Cut the paneer into large blocks. In a medium saute pan, add oil and fry the paneer until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Once cooled, cut into medium sized cubes.
In a heavy bottomed pot, add ghee and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they have begun to brown. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the ginger and garlic, turmeric, kashmiri chili powder and 2 tablespoons of the biryani masala and continue to cook for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the spices start to release some of their oil, add the crushed tomatoes and cauliflower. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt, or more of the biryani masala, then cover with a lid and continue to cook until all vegetables have softened.
Get Cooking!
Preheat the oven to 375F.
While the vegetables are cooking, start cooking the rice. Fill a medium sized pot with water, add the whole spices, salt and ghee and bring to a boil. Add the rice and reduce heat to medium, simmering until the rice is cooked 90% of the way. Strain the rice and set aside.
Once the vegetables are softened in the other pot, add the paneer and green beans and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until all is heated through.
Traditionally this next step would be done in clay pots, but you can use any heavy bottom pot you have available or a dutch oven. Before starting, add the saffron and rosewater to the warm milk and let stand for 5 minutes.
Build the base of the biryani by adding a layer of the gravy with vegetables, then a layer of the cooked basmati rice. Repeat the same process, finishing your top layer with rice. Use a spoon to spread the saffron milk across the top rice layer, then cover with a lid. Using your leftover dough, seal the lid with the dough and bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
Garnish with crispy onions, cilantro leaves and serve.