This Achari Paneer Biryani is a fusion of two Indian favorites. Featuring nutty basmati rice cooked with soft paneer and seasoned with tangy Indian pickling spices, it's a 30-minute Instant Pot recipe for a tasty, vegetarian, one-pot meal!
Enjoy it with cucumber raita and kachumber salad for a satisfying meal.
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I like to think of this easy biryani recipe as a 2-for-1 deal. The pop of zing from achari-style paneer combined with nutty and aromatic biryani-style rice!
This quick, easy, and super delicious meal combines two Indian classics and has become one of our weeknight staples!
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What is Achari Paneer?
Biryani refers to the popular dish in which aromatic basmati rice is cooked with spiced or marinated meat or vegetables.
Achaari paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian dish in which paneer cubes (Indian cottage cheese) are cooked with pickling spices (achaar).
Achari Paneer Biryani is a combination of these two classics. basmati rice is cooked along with paneer and vegetables and is seasoned with Indian pickling spices. That gives this rice dish a pickle-like zing.
Reasons to Love this Recipe
If a two-for-one recipe deal wasn't enough, I bet I can entice you to make this vegetarian paneer biryani when I tell you:
- It's a complete meal that hits all the food groups, all in one pot.
- It's a family-friendly one-pot meal ready in 30 minutes, which is ideal for weeknights.
- This rice casserole makes for a compliment-worthy dish for entertaining and special occasions and is very easy to make ahead.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
The star ingredients today are Indian five-spice, basmati rice, and paneer! Once you gather these three ingredients together, all you need are some aromatic vegetables, tomatoes, and a handful of Indian spice blends.
Panch Puran: Panch puran, also known as panchphoran, is a whole-seed 5-spice blend consisting of fennel, cumin, fenugreek, nigella, and black mustard seeds. This gives the dish its special zing factor. Look for it in Indian grocery stores or online. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon each of cumin, mustard, and fennel seeds.
Garam Masala: Use a good quality homemade or store-bougtht blend. I make my own using this 15-minute homemade garam masala recipe.
Basmati Rice: Long grain basmati rice are my preferred option for this recipe. However, Jasmine rice is a wonderful substitute if that is all you have on hand.
Paneer: Paneer is a soft, non-melting cheese that reigns supreme in Indian cuisine. Make it at home following this easy paneer recipe, or look for it in the refrigerated or frozen section of Indian grocery stores.
Vegetables: Sliced onions and peppers keep it simple, yet crunchy. Feel free to use any color of peppers you like.
Pickle: This is a special 'extra' ingredient that I started adding recently. I use about a teaspoon of the masala (sauce) from mango or mixed pickle. You can use your favorite pickle here. It is optional, so feel free to skip it.
For Finishing: Freshly chopped cilantro and instant red onion relish are two simple and flavor-packed finishing touches for this biryani.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Achari Paneer Biryani
The magic of the Instant Pot does wonders for this biryani recipe with paneer. The gentle heat and tried-and-true cooking time create an incredibly flavorful one-pot meal your family will love! Simply:
1. Saute Spices, Aromatics & Paneer
- Turn on Saute mode. Wait for 30-40 seconds for it to get hot. Add oil, panch puran seeds and bay leaf. Sauté for 30 seconds, until the seeds begin to sizzle (Pic 1).
- Add ginger, garlic, and serrano chilies and sauté for another 30 seconds (Pic 2).
- Add tomatoes, followed by salt, turmeric, chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala, chaat masala, and stir. Saute for another minute. If the spices begin to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir. (Pic 3).
2. Add Vegetables, Rice & Paneer
- Add onion, bell pepper and vinegar. Stir and sauté for 1 minute (Pic 4).
- Add cilantro, pickle (if using), paneer, drained rice and water, and stir well to scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Close the lid and pressure cook on High for 6 minutes (sealing mode). (Pic 5).
- After that, carefully release pressure manually by moving the pressure knob to 'venting' in Duo models, or pushing it down in Ultra models.
3. Fluff, Garnish & Serve
- Open the lid after the pin drops. Let the biryani sit uncovered for 5 minutes. Afterward, use a fork to fluff up the biryani. Finally, garnish with cilantro. Serve with pickled onions and raita (Pic 6).
Cooking Tip: This dish is milder than your average vegetable biryani. If you want to bump up the spice level, increase the garam masala by another teaspoon.
Serving Suggestions
We enjoy pairing this achaari paneer biryani with cucumber raita (cucumber-yogurt dip) and quick onion relish.
For Onion Relish, in a mixing bowl, combine onions, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and toss well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and serve.
This Paneer Biryani also pairs very well with kachumber salad and sweet and spicy lemon pickle.
Variations to Try
This is a straightforward, simple paneer biryani recipe. It really allows the pickling spices to shine. To amp up the nutrition or add another layer of flavor, you can:
- Add more vegetables, like carrots, green beans, or diced potatoes
- Stir in a handful of baby spinach at the very end
- Replace the paneer with extra-firm tofu for a vegan-friendly meal
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Seek out Panch Puran for the best results. This adds that distinctive zing factor! Look for it in Indian grocery stores or online. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon each of cumin, mustard, and fennel seeds.
- Rinse the basmati rice for fluffier grains. This helps to remove any starches from the surface of the grain. This also prevents the rice from sticking together.
- Adjust the spice level based on your tastebuds. The paneer biryani is less spicy than the avarage vegetable biryani. Make it even milder by replacing the Kashmiri red chili powder with paprika. Alternatively, increase the spice level by adding another teaspoon garam masala and/or a touch of cayenne.
- Add water along with the dry spices, if necessary. If the dry spices stick to the bottom of the pressure cooker, add 1-2 Tablespoons water. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add a touch of Indian pickle juice, if desired. Scoop out a small teaspoon of the liquid from a jar of Indian pickles to really amp up this biryani's pickling flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
The prefix Achari or Achaari is used to describe Indian dishes with the taste, flavor or aroma of a pickling spice mix. (Hint: Pickles in Hindi are called 'achaar').
Soaking the basmati rice for 15 minutes kick starts the water absorption. This ensures the grains cook all the way through without overcooking the remaining ingredients.
More Instant Pot Biryani Recipes
These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Rice Recipes Series.
Similar Paneer Recipes For You
These recipes are part of the Paneer Recipes Collection:
📖 Recipe
Achari Paneer Biryani
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons panch puran : Indian five-spice blend - fennel, cumin, fenugreek, nigella, mustard (see notes for substitute)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 inch piece
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 2 serrano chilies stem removed
- ½ cup pureed tomato 1 large Roma tomato
- 1 cup sliced onion 1 medium
- 1 cup sliced bell pepper (any color or mixed) 1 medium
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or juice of ½ a lime
- ½-1 teaspoon Indian pickle (mango/mixed/chili) just the sauce, no chunks (optional)
- 1 cup basmati rice or any long grain rice - rinsed & soaked for 15 minutes
- 10-12 oz paneer cut in ¾-inch cubes
- 1¼ cups water
- 4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro divided
Spices
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika for mild or ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
Instant Onion Pickle (Optional)
- 1 medium onion sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
Saute Spices, Aromatics & Tomatoes
- Turn on Saute mode. Wait for 30-40 seconds for it to get hot. Add oil, panch puran seeds and bay leaf. Sauté for 30 seconds, until the seeds begin to sizzle.
- Add ginger, garlic and serrano chilies and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, followed by salt, turmeric, chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala, chaat masala, and stir. Saute for another minute. If the spices begin to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir.
Add Vegetables, Rice & Paneer
- Add onion, bell pepper and vinegar. Stir and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add half the cilantro, pickle (if using), paneer, drained rice, and water, and stir well to scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Close the lid and pressure cook on High for 6 minutes (sealing mode).
- When the cooking time is done, carefully release pressure manually by moving the pressure knob to 'venting' in Duo models, or pushing it down in Ultra models.
Fluff, Garnish & Serve
- Open the lid after the pin drops. Let the biryani sit uncovered for 5 minutes. After that, use a fork to fluff up the biryani. Garnish with the reserved cilantro and serve with pickled onions and raita.
Optional serving side: Instant Onion Pickle
- In a mixing bowl, combine onions, vinegar, salt, black pepper and cayenne and toss well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and serve.
Notes
- Seek out Panch Puran for best results. This adds that distinctive zing factor! Look for it in Indian grocery stores or online. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon each of cumin, mustard and fennel seeds.
- Rinse the basmati rice for fluffier grains. This helps to remove any starches from the surface of the grain and prevents the rice from sticking together.
- Adjust the spice level based on your tastebuds. The paneer biryani is less spicy than the avarage vegetable biryani. Make it even more mild by replacing the Kashmiri red chili powder with paprika or increase the spice level by adding another teaspoon garam masala and/or a touch of cayenne.
- Add water along with the dry spices, if necessary. If the dry spices stick to the bottom of the pressure cooker, add 1-2 Tablespoons water and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add a touch of Indian pickle juice, if desired. Scoop out a small teaspoon of the liquid from a jar of Indian pickles to really amp up this biryani's pickling flavor. This recipe has been updated with process shots, a recipe video, and a few optional ingredient additions (Indian pickle, serrano), which enhance the flavors. Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Les says
In Step 2, how much cilantro do you add to the pot? Half of the 2 teaspoons listed under ingredients? "For garnish" generally means at serving, so I'm confused.
Thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Les, thanks for pointing that out. You can use an addtional 2 tablespoons during cooking + 2 tablespoons for garnish. I'll clarify that in the recipe as well. Enjoy!
Jas says
Aneesha,
I absolutely love all of your recipes! I'm excited to try this recipe especially. I was wondering what the cook time should be if using brown rice? Thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Jas, thank you for your kind words. This recipe won't work quite as successfully with brown rice as in that long cooking time, the veggies will turn to mush, and the paneer will become chewy. What you can do is cook the brown rice and simultaneously stir fry the paneer and veggies, then add the cooked rice and stir fry for a few minutes, like fried rice. I hope you enjoy it!
Tim Smith says
Aneesha,
Please give us a non-biryani Achari recipe (e.g. Ahari chicken). I'm looking for a saucier version of this flavor.
Your devoted fan,
Tim
Aneesha says
Hi Tim, I'm on it! Thanks for the recipe suggestion, will publish it soon.
nita says
Hi there.. just came across your website. For the IP.. do you put it on High Pressure or Normal Pressure for 6 minutes?
Aneesha says
Hi Nita, I put it on high pressure for 6 mins. If you want to use low pressure, you can set the rice mode instead. Hope you enjoy this dish!