Veg Dum Biriyani With Paneer Tandoori

Hello Everybody,

All weekdays hurry, running to office, half bites in the morning, skipped lunches and a lousy dinner. That's what makes weekends as a blessing to cherish and enjoy by eating the dishes we like. Of course it can be bought outside but still our own preparation makes it extra special as we know our family members exact way of liking the food and adjustments are made in such a way that it makes a perfect family lunch

Weekend Lunch Menu

Starter - Paneer Tandoori

Main Dish - Vegetable Dum Biriyani

Side Dish - Raita

Dessert - Mix Fruit Custard

Step 1: Ingredients for Starter

1. Paneer - 200g (cottage cheese, a diary product. For vegan style you can use tofu, which is made from soya)
2. Thick Curd / Yogurt - 100g
3. Onion - 1
4. Capsicum - 1
5. Oil - 1 Tbsp (I used sesame oil for flavouring, olive or coconut can also be used)
6. Coriander powder - 2 Tsp
7. Chilli powder - 2 Tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp
9. Black salt - 1/2 Tsp
10. Table salt - 1 Tsp (Not shown)
11. Garam masala - 1 Tsp
12. Chat masala - 2 Tsp

Step 2: Yogurt & Oil

Pour the yogurt into a container, give a good whisk and add oil

Step 3: Combine All Powder/Masala

Add coriander powder, Turmeric powder, Black & Table salt, Chilli powder, Chat Masala and Garam masala, Whisk it well, make sure all are mixed well

Step 4: Paneer / Cottage Cheese

The preparation of cottage cheese is very easy as it requires only 2 ingredients. Milk and lemon if anybody require detailed version ping me and I'll provide it. But this is store bought one.

Cut them into cubes, not so small not so big but they have to fit into your skewer, small will break when you are putting in skewer, big size will cause trouble while you are putting on iron pan. so all cube must be approximately same size.

Put the cubes into yogurt base

Step 5: Adding Veggie

Cut the onion into 4 pieces, Start peeling a layer of the onion, so that you can get onion peels in almost cube-ish shape

Vertically slice the capsicum, cut that into cube pieces.

Why cube is preferred ?

Easy for frying purpose, or else they might be not proper heat distribution

Add veggie, along with yogurt and paneer

Step 6: Marination

Mix veggie and paneer (they are spongy but not be elastic, they can be easily broken) with hand, as it is important not to break them.

This marination is very important part of the recipe, as it will determine the actual flavour of it.

Some say immediate, 20 mins , 1 hour or even 4 hour. but you know what I did, I kept for one night. prepare everything and put them in refrigerator. Actually it turned out well

Next day I took out of refrigerator one hour before using it, kept in room temperature.

Added Onion, Paneer, Capsicum in sequence and then repeat, I added 4 sets in one skewer

Step 7: Keep Iron Pan Ready

I made two skewer, once arrangement is done, kept in plate in air if excess is present then it will drip.

Add oil in hot pan (I used coconut oil, smelled heavenly), put the skewer

My pan is little curvy in the centre, I can't touch my skewer as it a metal one, I used a wooden spoon to rotate the skewer in meanwhiles

You can make this in oven too.

Step 8: Fry It Good

I was giving, one minute for one side and kept in rotation, as I don't want to overcook it. We have to be careful as periodic rotation is necessary to avoid paneer sticking to pan and it leads to breaking. Continue the procedure till outer layer looks golden brown (my case little blackish ;P) but it was really good

Step 9: Ingredients for Main Dish

1) Rice - 250 grams (Image in upcoming steps)

2) Soya chunks (vegan) - 20 grams (Image in upcoming steps, they are very light weight in nature)

3) Carrots - 100 Grams

4) Green peas - 1/2 cup

5) Beans - 100 grams

6) Potato - 100 grams

7) Green chilli - 3 Nos

8) Mint leaves - Few leaves

9) Coriander leaves - Few

10) Onion & Lemon - each 1

11) Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

12) Garam masala - 1 tsp

13) Salt - 2 tsp (+ or - suited to your requirement)

For Tempering

14) Ghee (Clarified butter) - 2 tsp (oil also can be used)

15) Bay leaves - 4 to 5 leaves

16) Cinnamom - 1/2 bark

17) Cloves - 1 tsp

Step 10: Soaking

Before start cutting the vegetables, soak the rice in water (approx 20 mins). Add necessary water which means water should be above the rice.

why we are doing this?

It makes the rice soft and it helps to cook faster

Now coming to the Soya chunks,

Add 3 times water to the amount of chunks added. 60 ml of water have been added for 20 grams of chunks and let it soak

Step 11: Ginger - Garlic Paste

of course ginger garlic paste can be bought from outside, but whats the point if there is no aroma in it. homemade ginger garlic are rich in flavour , no preservative and so darn easy to make it.

I have a small mortar, Just peel the skin of garlic cloves and add piece of ginger, smash it well

There you go, your ginger garlic paste is ready.

You can also use mixer, since the quantity is very less it might not grind it properly.

Step 12: Slice, Slit, Cube

Slit the green chilli

Vertically chop the onion

Cut the potato, carrot as cubes

Cut the beans horizontally

Step 13: Tempering

I have cooked in pressure cooker, heat up your cooker add ghee/clarified butter and melt it

Add in the spices bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon (break into little pieces)

you can add other spices like star anise also

Step 14: Saute

Add first onion, saute them for a minute, then add slitted green chilli

Saute them until onion becomes transparent and gives a good aroma.

Add ginger garlic paste

Keep sauting it, so that it doesn't get struck below

Step 15: Add Veggie

Add one by one,

First add green peas, then potato, carrot and beans

In between adding each vegetable, saute them

Step 16: Water It

Add 250 ml of water, give it a good stir

Add Mint leaves, Salt and garam masala

Step 17: Final Stage

Give it good 5mins boil, once water starts bubbling add in the soaked rice and slowly add water, if you add more water, it becomes mushy , if you add less you'll end up with half cooked rice with black stain at the bottom of cooker, we don't want that don't we !!

In my experience, adding 250 ml will provide perfect result, you can also use the water used for soaking the rice.

Add in the soaked soya chunks, 90 - 95% water would have been absorbed by the chunks. Remaining can be included as part of 250 ml

Step 18: Well Cooked

close the lid of the pressure cooker, add the weight, follow either of these step

1) Three long whistles

or

2) Ten minutes time

Once done, don't open immediately, lot of pressure will be there first thing and second since this is dum biriyani, give it sometime (20mins) and them open

Squeeze lemon on biriyani and mix well.

Step 19: Ingredients for Side Dish

1) Curd/ Yogurt - One cup

2) Chat masala - 1 tsp

3) Black salt - 2tsp

4) Onion - 1/2

5) Chilli - 1

6) curry leaves and coriander leaves - few

Step 20: Mixing

Add curd in a bowl and add 1 cup water, whisk it well. add onion and chilli

Step 21: Raita Ready

Add chat masala, salt, leaves and give it good stir

Step 22: Ingredients for Dessert

1) Milk - 2 Cups

2) Custard powder - 3 tsp

3) Red banana

4) Green grapes

5) apple

6) Pomegranate

7) Sugar (not shown)

Step 23: Custard Powder + Milk

Add the custard powder and add 3 tbsp milk and stir it well without lumps. Set aside

Step 24: Milk+sugar

Pour milk into a thick bottomed pan, add in sugar (as per sweetness needed), I added 2 tsp. keep stirring for sugar to get dissolved

Step 25: Custard Milk

Once milk started boiling up and raising add in the Custard+Milk portion and stir continuously

Keep stirring, Keep stirring, Keep stirring !!!

Quantity will start reducing, thickness starts increasing

final result will be half of the initial quantity, then you are done

Cool it to room temperature

Step 26: Toppings in Bottom

Add the fruit in the you want, fruit can be customised as per your person's suiting, Combination of three berry - Strawberry, blue berry and black berry .chose your way

First layer(bottom) - grapes

Second - pomegranate

Third - Banana

Fourth - Apple

Step 27: Mix Fruit Custard

Add in the cooled custard milk, you can even refrigerate and then pour or pour and refrigerate the entire combination and serve chill, whichever works

Step 28: Bon Appetit

So who's hungry after watching this instructable

What are you waiting for, make it and let me know your thoughts on it.

Would love to see other's work on this

Thank you for watching

Stay tuned for more !!!