Matar Paneer Biryani

This is a royal dish I would say. Paneer is something that if consumed once in a while makes us wanna drool all over it. I used to have paneer on a regular basis; as a result I simply lost interest in having paneer. Over time I started to cook it just once in a month; and each time I drool over the pieces of paneer which makes me enjoy my food. In this particular recipe I cooked the rice with a combination of milk and water. This recipe is full of fat.

Ingredients :

For Rice :
Basmati Rice : 1 cup (Wash and Soak it in water for 30 minutes)
Cloves : 3
Cardamom : 3
Bay Leaf : 1
Cinnamon : 2 (1" stick)
Milk : 3/4 cup
Water : 3/4 cup
Ghee : 1 tsp
Salt According to Taste

For the Paneer Layer :
Paneer : 1/2 cup (Cubes of Paneer)
Green Peas (Fresh or Frozen) : 1/4 cup
Onion : 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp
Tomato Puree : 1/2 cup
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp
Biryani Masala : 2 tsp ( I used Shaan Bombay Biryani Masala)
Pudina / Mint Leaves : 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Coriander Leaves : 1/2 cup (finely Chopped)
Salt according to Taste

For topping :
Onion : 1
Oil for Deep frying

Procedure :

For Rice :

1. Heat ghee in a cooker and add all the whole spices either in a cooker or tawa.
2. On a tawa and make sure to mix half of milk and half of water to cook the rice. But do not cook it completely. Only 80% of the rice should be cooked . Rest 20% can be cooked in microwave or in using "Dumm" style.
3. I cooked the rice in my rice cooker. Instead of adding 1:2 ratio reduced the quantity to 1:1.5. (Here 1.5 is a mixture of milk and water).
4. Once rice is cooked keep aside.


For Paneer Gravy :
1. In a tawa heat oil add onions and roast till it turns brown.
2. Add ginger garlic paste and add tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes or till it comes to a boil.
3. When you soak the rice marinate the paneer with chilli powder, garam masala, salt and biryani masala.
4. Add the marinated paneer in the boiling tomato puree. Also add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves).
5. Add the green peas and cook for 2 minutes.

For Topping :
1. Cut the onions into thin slices and deep fry or in a microwave safe bowl add 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt and microwave for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep checking every 2 minutes.

Layering the Biryani :
1. Grease the bowl if planning to bake it. If using dumm style lower the flame and cover the lid using chappati dough and cook for 10-15 minutes.
2. If using oven preheat for 350 degree Fahrenheit and cook for 15 minutes.
3. The bottom most later should be rice; topped with layer of paneer gravy and finally top with rice again and garnish with fried onions.