Paneer Ball Biryani

Paneer Ball Biryani is tasty twist to the authentic Biryani. Few months back I prepared paneer ball pulao which was loved by all, so this time I thought to try out in form of biryani and amazingly it turn into a quite tasty dish.

RECIPE:

Preparation Time: 20-25 mins
Cooking Time: 40-45 mins

Ingredients

For rice:

• Biryani Rice/ long grain rice: 1 cup
• Clove: 1
• Cinnamon piece/stick: 1/2 "
• Bay leaf: 1
• Cardamom: 1-2
• Coriander leaves: few strings( finely chopped)
• Mint leaves:few strings( finely chopped)
• Cumin seed: 1/2 tsp
• Ghee 2-3 tbsp

For the Paneer Ball:

• Paneer:  3/4 cup
• Cornflour: 3 tbsp
• Onion: 1/2 of medium( Finely chopped)
• Chilli pwd: 1/4 tsp
• Cumin pwd: 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp( Finely chopped)
• Oil to frying
• Salt to taste

For Paneer Ball Gravy:

• Tomato: 1 small ( finely chopped)
• Onion: 1 small ( finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste: 1 tsp
• Chilli pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen king masala: 1/2 tsp( optional)
• Curd: 1/4 cup
• Fried onion(prepared from 1 small onion)
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves: few string ( finely chopped)
• Oil to cook

Method:

For rice:

• Clean and wash the rice. Soak the rice for 15 mins. Drain and keep aside.
• In a large pan, boil 3 cups of water with clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom and salt and then add the rice. Cover and cooked the rice till 85-90% done. Drain and keep aside
• Heat the ghee in kadai/pan and add cumin seed, once they start spluttering then add ginger-garlic-green chili paste, cook for few sec and then add rice. Mix well. turn off the heat. Keep aside.

For the Paneer Ball:

• Combine all the ingredients of paneer ball in a bowl. Mix well and knead into a smooth dough. 
• Make a grapes size ball of paneer mixture.

• Heat sufficient oil in kadai and deep fry the balls on medium heat till they turn golden brown in colour. 
• Remove these balls and keep aside.

For the Paneer Ball Gravy:

• Heat the oil in a Kadai/pan and cumin seed, once they start spluttering then add the onion, cook for 2-3 mins and add ginger-garlic- green chlli pastes and fry for a while.

• Add the chopped tomato and cook till tomatoes are soft and then add the red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd , garam masala pwd, kitchen king masala and salt. mix well. Cook for another another 2-3 mins.

• Add the paneer balls and mix well
• Add the curd and coriander leaves, mix well and cook for a min. Turn off the heat.Keep aside.

How to proceed:

• Grease a large baking dish. 
• Spread 1/3 of rice on the bottom of baking dish then spreading 1/2 of the paneer ball gravy.
• Spread the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves,fried cashew and fried onion.

• Spread 1/3 of the rice and finally the remaining paneer ball gravy and Spread the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onion.
• Last add another layer of rice and the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried cashew and fried onion.

• Cover with an aluminium foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C  for 15  mins minutes. 
• Serve hot with raita of your choice.

Note: 

• Can replace the baking process with the gas top process. For that process keep the griddle on gas top and create layer as described in process in heavy bottom pan and keep that pan on top of the griddle and cook on low heat for 10-15 mins.
• The paneer mixture should be very smooth in texture, else it will be difficult to make the paneer ball.
• To make fried brown onion, just cut onion into thin slices and then deep fry till brown in color. It add unique taste to biryani.