PinThis is a super easy cheats version of biryani that I normally make in my rice cooker but you can also use a pressure cooker for it, of course. During my post partum days, I had switched to smaller, more frequent meals and always had a cup of mixed vegetables with rice or couscous before bed. This vegetable paneer biryani was born out of that need. I made a medium portion and had it over 3 days and it was truly delicious with the right amount of spice and flavours. Pin So what about those of you who are NOT in a post partum phase, you ask? Well, this is the recipe for you if you love biryani but don’t want to spend 2 hours making it. Or if you just want to get dinner on the table in the next 30 minutes but are tired after a work day, or looking after the kid(s) for 8 hours straight (more tiring than corporate work, if you ask me), or it’s a lazy weekend and you just can’t be bothered with cooking but obviously want to have a good meal. OR you are on vacation on this lovely hillside in a cosy AirBnB and want a decent, hot meal for you and your family. In a nutshell, this vegetable paneer biryani works for many different reasons. You can use brown rice like I did, basmati rice like a normal person would, or pretty much any rice you have in hand, including leftover cooked rice (the method would slightly different in that case, of course. If you have a bit more time in hand and want something more.. uhm.. REAL, then here are the recipes for you: Egg biryani Vegetable dum biryani Chicken dum biryani Pressure cooker biryani Baby potato biryani (this one is YUM) Step by Step Vegetable Paneer Biryani Recipe Let’s start with the type of brown rice I used for this biryaniPinWash and soak the brown rice for 1 hour in enough water to cover itPinHeat ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds (if you want to make this biryani in a pressure cooker, start this process in the pressure cooker pan)PinWhen they sizzle and turn a light brown, add the onions and whole spicesPinFry until the onions turn a golden brownPinIn the meantime, grind together the green chillies, ginger, and garlicPinAdd to the fried onion mixture and sauté again for 20 secondsPinNow add the paneer. Mix and sauté until the paneer turns a light brownPinAdd the chopped carrots and peasPinMix and cook for 3-4 minutesPinIf using a pressure cooker, drain and add the soaked brown rice on top of this and add the curd and enough water (see notes). Cover and cook for 2-3 whistles or 20 minutes. If using a rice cooker, transfer this mixture into the rice cooker vessel, add the drained and soaked brown rice on top with salt, curd and water, and cook until the rice cooker turns off automaticallyPinPinOpen the lid, fluff with a fork, and serve hotPin For vegetable paneer biryani with brown rice recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
