Aromatic, fragrant and super delicious; this Paneer Vegetable Biryani is great to make at home.
It is flavorful with all the spices and makes a great meal with some yogurt or raita on the side.
Rice is an essential part of our diet. We enjoy rice in various forms. From plain steamed rice to seasoned rice like lemon rice or pineapple zarda rice and dishes made using rice like dosa, idli and dhokla.
Out of all the rice recipes we love biryani the best. A mix of rice with vegetables or protein and lots of spices; biryani is truly a labor of love.
The end result is obviously delicious and justifies all the effort. One spoon of Biryani and you can tell how many complex flavors have combined in it!
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What is Paneer Biryani
A vegetarian biryani recipe that is full of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), vegetables and spices; Paneer Biryani is a delicious one dish meal.
It has perfectly cooked fluffy rice, paneer cubes and vegetables all cooked in a flavorful mix of spices.
A natural substitute for meat proteins, paneer biryani is super popular for vegetarians. Soft paneer cubes give the biryani a great texture and can be enjoyed with some yogurt or raita on the side.
Why this recipe works
- It is a flavorful mix of long grain rice, vegetables, paneer and spices. These together make a delicious meal.
- Paneer vegetable Biryani is super delicious to make at home. Moreover, it is easy to customize in terms of what vegetables are added, amount of oil and spices used and ratio of rice to vegetable in the recipe.
- This recipe works perfectly for meal prep. The spices tend to become even more flavorful and bold the next day.
- It makes a great recipe for a meal or a party. Plus, the recipe is great to scale up or down based on number of people.
It takes a while to make it from scratch but it is super delicious for sure. We like to enjoy this spicy biryani with a side of yogurt. It does work like a charm!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For this recipe you need a few ingredients for sure and there are some that can be skipped! Here is everything that would go into the recipe:
- Rice: Long rice basmati rice works best for the recipe. Each grain that is separate describes a well made biryani. Basmati rice is used very as it has a delicious taste and a great aroma.
- Paneer: An essential ingredient in the recipe, store bought paneer will work as great as homemade. I have used store bought paneer in the recipe that I soaked in hot water 20 minutes before using. This helps soften the paneer.
- Vegetables: I used some peas, carrots, onions and pepper in the recipe. These can be added or left out. Using vegetables like baby corn, cauliflower, potatoes and beans is a great idea too.
- Spices: The recipe uses whole spices like cloves, cinnamon, star anise, mace, cardamom and bay leaves. Having them all is great but the recipe works even without a couple. I also like to add some raw cashews to the recipe.
- Biryani Masala: Biryani Masala is an essential spice blend for the recipe. Any store bought brand or home-made version works well for the recipe. I have used Everest brand Biryani masala.
- Saffron and Milk: Saffron infused in milk is used to give the biryani a rich taste, flavor and color.
- Kewra Essence: Adding a few drops of Kewra essence imparts a delicious aroma to the biryani.
- Yogurt: An essential ingredient to season the vegetables and paneer; it also adds some tang to the recipe. Any dairy or non-dairy yogurt works here.
- Ghee: We use ghee to temper the spices and vegetables in the recipe.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- Soak the paneer cubes in hot water for 20 minutes. Wash and drain the rice.
2- Soak it in water for 30 minutes. In a thick bottom pan add the rice, water and salt.
3- Cook till about 70% done. Remove from flame and drain the water and set aside.
4- In a large pan add half the ghee. Then drain the paneer and arrange them in a single layer in the pan.
5- Let them sauté till they are brown on all sides, turning frequently. Remove and set aside.
6- Add the remaining ghee and heat. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds, cashews and whole spices. Sauté for a minute till the spices pop.
7- Then add onions and peppers; sauté till the onions are tender.
8- Next add the carrots and peas and mix well.
9- Whisk the yogurt and add it. Mix well till the yogurt cooks.
10- Then add in the paneer pieces. Mix well.
11- Next, add the salt and biryani masala. Mix well.
12- Then goes the cooked rice. Mix without breaking the rice.
13- Also add the saffron infused milk and kewra essence. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low flame.
14- Serve topped with cilantro and mint leaves with some yogurt or raita on the side. Alternatively, cool to room temperature and transfer to containers and refrigerate.
How to make a Vegan version
The recipe uses paneer which is dairy based along with a some other dairy based ingredients. However, the recipe can be made Vegan with some changes as described below:
- Use neutral oil instead of ghee
- Substitute paneer for tofu in the recipe
- Use non-dairy yogurt instead of the dairy based one
- Soak saffron in non-dairy based milk to make it Vegan
Expert Tips and Notes
- Cook the rice till only 70% done. Cooking them completely will result in super soggy biryani.
- Soak the paneer in hot water for 20 minutes before using. This helps soften the paneer and keep it soft in the biryani.
- Add some kewra essence or rose water. It is best to use either of these for the authentic flavor.
- Once we add the rice to the vegetable and masalas, try not to mix it too much. This might lead to the rice breaking apart.
Recipe FAQs
This biryani is made of a mix of paneer, vegetables, rice, masalas and aromatics. These ingredients can be switched and changed as per preferences.
While any long grain rice will work, biryani tastes the best with basmati rice. This is because of it's signature aroma that enhances on cooking.
In its form as the recipe the biryani is vegetarian but not Vegan. However, it can be made Vegan by using tofu instead of paneer, oil in place of ghee and plant based yogurt.
Yes certainly. This recipe works great to make ahead of time and also for meal prep. Simply heat it in the microwave prior to serving.
Pairings
These recipes are great to pair with Paneer Vegetable Biryani to make it a complete meal.
More Rice Recipes to try
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Easy Paneer Vegetable Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Paneer (cubes)
- ½ cup Onion (diced)
- ½ cup Peppers (diced)
- ¼ cup Green Peas
- ¼ cup Carrots (sliced)
- ¼ cup Yogurt
- 1 pinch Saffron
- 2 tablespoon Milk
- 1-2 drops Kewra Essence
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 8-10 Cashews
- 2 teaspoon Biryani Masala
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon Ghee
- 2-3 Cinnamon
- 1-2 Green Cardamom
- 1-2 Black Cardamom
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 4-5 Cloves
- 1-2 Star Anise
- 1-2 Mace
Instructions
- Wash and drain the rice. Soak it in 3 cups water for 30 minutes. Soak the paneer cubes in hot water for 20 minutes. Mix saffron with warm milk and set aside.
- In a thick bottom pan add the drained rice, 2 ½ cup water and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook till about 70% done.
- Remove from flame and drain the water. Set aside.
- In a large pan add half the ghee. Drain the paneer and arrange them in a single layer in the pan.
- Brown them and turn them over. Brown them on all the sides and remove. Set aside.
- Add the remaining ghee and heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds, cashews and whole spices. Sauté for a minute till the spices pop.
- Add onions and peppers. Sauté till the onions are tender.
- Next add the carrots and peas. Mix well.
- Add in the yogurt and mix well till the yogurt is cooked.
- Add in the paneer pieces. Mix well. Mix in salt and biryani masala.
- Next goes the cooked rice. Mix without breaking the rice. Also add the saffron infused milk and kewra essence. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low flame.
- Serve topped with cilantro and mint leaves with some yogurt or raita on the side.
Notes
- Cook the rice till only 70% done. Cooking them completely will result in super soggy biryani.
- Soak the paneer in hot water for 20 minutes before using. This helps soften the paneer and keep it soft in the biryani.
- Add some kewra essence or rose water. It is best to use either of these for the authentic flavor.
- Once we add the rice to the vegetable and masalas, try not to mix it too much. This might lead to the rice breaking apart.
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