VEG CHAMAN BIRYANI

       Chaman means paneer. In kashmir people calls paneer as chaman. Try this veg.chaman biryani.

INGREDIENTS  :

Basmati rice  : 2cups
Paneer   :  200 gms
vegetables ( carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower) You can take vegetables as per your choice.
A bunch of Coriander & mint leaves
Onions : 2
Yoghurt : 3tbsps
Safforn : pinch
Milk to soak safforn
Whole garam masala ( Cloves, elachi, cinnamon, black cardamom, bay leaf, star anise)
Tomatoes : 2 small
zeera : 1tsp
Ginger garlic paste  : 3tsps
salt to taste
Red chilli powder : 3tsps
Turmeric
Dhaniya/coriander powder :  3 tsps
Garam masala : 3 tsps
Zeera powder : 1tsp
Ghee
Oil

Preparation :

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. In water add salt to taste, elachi,cloves, cinnamon, large elachi, star anise. When the water boiling add the washed basmati rice. Stir gently. Turn off the heat when the rice is about 3/4th cooked and drain the rice in colander immediately.

Chop onion into long slices and deep fry them until it gets golden colour and keep it aside.  

Soak saffron into warm milk and keep it aside.

Boil the vegetables in pressure cooker and keep it aside.

Cut paneer into small cubes. Marinate the paneer with 3 tbsp of yoghurt, salt, 1 tsp of red chilli powder,  1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of ginger & garlic paste, pinch of turmeric.  Keep a side for 10 mins.

Then fry the paneer pieces in 3 tbsp of oil.  Keep the marinated yoghurt which we can use it later.

Now  it is very easy to make biryani after keeping  everything ready.

Main process :

Heat a  pan and add 2tsp of oil and 1 tsp of ghee, add zeera  and  some whole garam masala (2 cloves, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamom, 2 star anise, bay leaf), chopped onions and green chillies. Stir well. Add ginger and garlic paste also add tomato pieces.  When tomatoes become mushy add coriander and mint leaves and stir well. Now add boiled vegetables. Add salt,  1 ½ tsp of red chilli powder, turmeric, 1tsp of dhaniya powder, ½ tsp of zeera powder, 1tsp of garam masala. 

 Mix it well and after 3 mins add leftover  paneer marinated yoghurt and mix well and  after  3 mins add fried paneer pieces.  Now sabji is ready.

Now arrange rice and sabji  in layers.

Take a wide pan add little ghee and add  2 tbsps of curry and spread it.layer half of the cooked rice on the top of the vegetables and add chopped coriander and mint leaves. Sprinkle the fried onions. Now again repeat the process. (1^st  layer curry, 2^nd  layer rice, 3^rd layer coriander and mint leaves 4^th layer fried onions.) After spreading everything add 1tsp of ghee and  saffron milk cover it with lid or foil. Check the seasoning. (If necessary add salt water. ) 

Place the pan on tawa and keep it on stove,  Cook it on very low flame  up to  15-20 mins. Then the rice absorbs the sabji flavour.  Now your veg chaman biryani is ready to serve.

Serve hot with raita or any gravy of your choice.