This Paneer Biryani with Makhani gravy is a unique twist on a vegetarian biryani that combines my love for paneer makhani and biryani! It's got layers of paneer makhani, fragrant basmati rice, mint, coriander and fried onions and every bite is super tasty.
I have never tasted a biryani I didn't like and this one is topping the charts right now. I'm a big paneer butter masala fan and I wanted to see how it would work in biryani form. And the first time I tried this recipe, it was eaten silently with sighs of satisfaction at the end. Winner!
Quick Walk Through: Makhani Paneer Biryani
What is Paneer Biryani?
Paneer Biryani is a unique vegetarian biryani with beautiful flavours from the paneer gravy which is layered with rice, herbs and fried onions. Together they are slow cooked to help the flavours permeate and for the rice to cook fully along with the paneer.
This recipe is super special because:
- The makhani gravy is based on my Paneer Butter Masala recipe and that recipe has over 80 votes rating it 5 stars!
- It's a festive, celebratory recipe that looks gorgeous on the table and tastes fantastic
- It's a complete meal - you don't need more than some raita on the side
- It needs less than an hour to put together. Unlike non vegetarian recipes, there is no marinating or resting time so you basically have a fantastic meal really fast!
Planning on making Biryani? Here are 19 Tips to make the Best Biryani Ever!
Ingredients for Makhani Biryani
Here are the main ingredients you'll need for this recipe
This makhani gravy is based on the gravy I use for paneer butter masala and butter chicken. There is a slight change in how its cooked because it'll continue to cook when the rice is layered with it.
- Use kashmiri red chillies which add a beautiful orange colour to the gravy and don't add too much heat to the dish
- Cashews and poppy seeds add a natural creaminess and richness to the gravy
- Choose the best quality of malai paneer you can find or make paneer at home with my recipe
- Make sure all your whole spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns are less than a year old and have been stored in airtight containers. They lose their efficacy if they are older than that
- Kasuri Methi on its own is a bitter herb but when added to Indian gravies, they add a beautiful balance
Always use aged Basmati Rice for north Indian biryanis like these. Basmati Rice has a distinct aroma and flavour and is different from long grained rice in both flavour and cooking time. I like to use brands called Dawat or India Gate.
The whole spices are used to flavour the water in which the rice is par cooked and the ghee adds some fat and coats each grain of rice
To other layers in a biryani, apart from the paneer gravy and basmati rice are fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Making fried onions or birista is time consuming at home, so I always end up buying it. It's easily available in most supermarkets or online stores now, and can be stored in the freezer for months.
Step by Step Recipe
1 Start by making the makhani gravy. Heat oil and butter in a large pot or dutch oven (the same vessel in which you'll finally cook the biryani
2. Add onions, kashmiri red chillies, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and saute. Cook everything till soft and pulpy
3. Add cashews, poppy seeds, ground masalas and cook this for another minute or two. And top this with water
4. Add a bouquet garni to the pot - this is basically whole spices tied in a cheesecloth, which makes it really easy to fish them out later, while still adding their flavour to the gravy
5 Once the masala has been simmering for 15 minutes, fish the bouquet garni out and discard the spices. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and ketchup and give it one final mix
6 Let the mixture cool completely
7-8 Add it to a blender along with some water and blend until smooth
9 To par boil basmati rice for biryani, bring water to a roaring boil. Add whole spices, ghee and washed, soaked basmati rice (after discarding the soaking liquid)
10 Boil for 7 minutes till par cooked
11 Strain well using a colander and discard any liquid
12 Check the grains of rice. They should still have a bite to them - that's when you know it's cooked right
13 Pour the blended makhani gravy back into the dutch oven. Mix in some water and bring it to a boil
14 Add Paneer pieces and let this come to a quick simmer
15 Add a layer each of mint, coriander and fried onions
16 Add all the basmati rice on top and spread it evenly
17 Pour ghee on top of the rice
18-19 Smoke the biryani by placing a steel vessel in the middle of the rice. Add hot coal in it and pour a teaspoon of oil. As soon as you start seeing smoke, cover the dutch oven tightly with a lid and let this cook for 15 minutes. If you don't have a heavy bottomed pot, keep your pot on a tava or skillet with the flame on. This prevents the bottom from burning. Once 15 minutes are up, turn off the flame and rest for 10 minutes.
20 Finally remove the coal and sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top, lightly mix and serve hot.
It's incredible how good this biryani is. And to be honest, a paneer makhani biryani is not really a thing. It's just something I created for my family because we all enjoy experimenting with flavours.
But here's the thing - you can create your own version using this recipe if you have a favourite curry you want to turn into a biryani. It's this easy!
Top Tips to make Amazing Paneer Biryani
- While buying basmati rice, make sure you buy rice that’s labelled basmati and not just long grain rice. Basmati Rice is fragrant and has slightly thinner grains than long grain rice. Real basmati rice is what gives biryani its distinct flavor and taste.
- Paneer: If you'd like to try and make paneer at home, you can check out this recipe. If you are using store bought paneer, submerge it in hot water for 10 minutes before using. This will soften the paneer.
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work best for paneer butter masala because they are not as sour as the local varieties. Substitute fresh tomatoes with a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Or use 1 ½ cups Tomato Puree or Tomato Passata.
- Garam Masala: I use homemade garam masala, but you can substitute it with any store bought garam masala. Please note that garam masala is different from curry powder
- Butter: I love adding butter to this dish, but you can substitute it with ghee
- Sweetness from Ketchup: I think a really mild sweetness (almost negligible) in butter paneer is actually nice and it balances the sourness from tomatoes. But feel free to reduce or skip the ketchup based on what you like.
- Kashmiri Red Chilli: Use this variety to get that dark red colour in the gravy. Red chilli varieties like Byadgi and Guntur do not give the same colour and will be spicier
- In the last step of layering and cooking the biryani, all the ingredients are par cooked.
- Cooking the biryani on a low flame for 15 minutes, steams and cooks everything to doneness. Its also important to let it rest because the rice continues to cook to perfection in the residual heat
- If you don’t have a heavy bottomed pot, and are using a regular pot, you can place it on a tava (or flat griddle) and then place it on the stove on a medium flame to avoid burning the chicken. The tava or griddle creates a degree of separation between the flame and the pot and provides the perfect heat source.
Watch the Video
Paneer Makhani Biryani
Ingredients
Paneer Makhani Gravy
- 1 tablespoon Oil neutral flavoured like canola, rice bran, sunflower
- 3 tablespoons Butter divided
- 3 Kashmiri Red Chilies
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 Bay leaves
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cloves
- 2 Cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon Peppercorns
- 1 Onion roughly chopped
- 6 Tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons Cashew Nuts
- 1 teaspoon Khus Khus White Poppy Seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt divided
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Kasuri Methi roasted and crushed
- 1 ½ tablespoons Ketchup
- 250 grams Paneer cubes or Cottage Cheese
Basmati Rice
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Ghee
- 6 cups Water
Layering
- 3 Tablespoons Ghee
- ½ Cup chopped Coriander Leaves
- ½ Cup chopped Mint Leaves
- ⅓ Cup Fried Onions divided
Instructions
Paneer Makhani Gravy
- Wrap the whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, pepper) in a cheesecloth or muslin to make a bouquet garni.
- In a large pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil. Add onion, kashmiri red chillies, tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes
- Next add cashews, chilli powder, poppy seeds, turmeric powder, water and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the muslin cloth with the whole spices and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the muslin cloth and keep it aside. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and ketchup and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
- Once cooled down, transfer to a blender and blend to a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Basmati Rice
- Bring water to a roaring boil in a large stockpot. Add bay leaf, salt and soaked basmati rice. Add ghee and mix to combine.
- Cook for 7 minutes or until the rice is 85% cooked. Drain the water once done and keep the rice aside for later.
Layering
- Add the prepared gravy to a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Allow it to simmer and add the paneer cubes. Stir to combine and allow it to cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle mint, coriander leaves and fried onions. Now add parboiled rice and level it. Drizzle ghee on the top. Place a small cup in the centre and place a piece of hot coal inside it. Add a spoon of ghee or oil. Once you see smoke come out, tightly cover it immediately.
- Cook on a low flame for 15 minutes. If you don't have a heavy bottomed pot, keep your pot on a tava or skillet with the flame on. This prevents the bottom from burning. Once 15 minutes are up, turn off the flame and rest for 10 minutes.
- Finally remove the coal and sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top, lightly mix and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- While buying basmati rice, make sure you buy rice that’s labelled basmati and not just long grain rice. Basmati Rice is fragrant and has slightly thinner grains than long grain rice. Real basmati rice is what gives biryani its distinct flavor and taste.
- Paneer: If you'd like to try and make paneer at home, you can check out this recipe. If you are using store bought paneer, submerge the packet in hot water for 10 minutes before using. This will soften the paneer.
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work best for paneer butter masala because they are not as sour as the local varieties. Substitute fresh tomatoes with a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Or use 1 ½ cups Tomato Puree or Tomato Passata.
- Garam Masala: I use homemade garam masala, but you can substitute it with any store bought garam masala. Please note that garam masala is different from curry powder
- Butter: I love adding butter to this dish, but you can substitute it with ghee
- Sweetness from Ketchup: I think a really mild sweetness (almost negligible) in butter paneer is actually nice and it balances the sourness from tomatoes. But feel free to reduce or skip the ketchup based on what you like.
- Kashmiri Red Chilli: Use this variety to get that dark red colour in the gravy. Red chilli varieties like Byadgi and Guntur do not give the same colour and will be spicier
- In the last step of layering and cooking the biryani, all the ingredients are par cooked.
- Cooking the biryani on a low flame for 15 minutes, steams and cooks everything to doneness. Its also important to let it rest because the rice continues to cook to perfection in the residual heat
- If you don’t have a heavy bottomed pot, and are using a regular pot, you can place it on a tava (or flat griddle) and then place it on the stove on a medium flame to avoid burning the chicken. The tava or griddle creates a degree of separation between the flame and the pot and provides the perfect heat source.
theflowerspoint.com says
Very nice recipe
Indrayani rice says
Nice Recipe