Vegetable Paneer Biryani

Vegetable Paneer Biryani

From Chandra Ram's The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

"This is a decidedly casual biryani; I think of it almost as the Indian version of a simple vegetable stir-fry. Part of what makes it easy is its flexibility--feel free to swap in spinach, broccoli, or any other vegetable loitering around your crisper drawer.

2 cups white basmati rice
2 cups water
3 tablespoons ghee
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 green cardamom pods
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (I just used the red chili powder I had)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon kosher slat
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
14 ounces paneer, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup coconut cilantro chutney (or more, frankly--see recipe on Chef T's)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Note: I'm editing this a bit to make burning less likely. I also didn't have all my ingredients ready beforehand, so that might have been part of it.

1. Place the rice in a medium bowl and cover with 2 cups water. Let stand for 20 minutes; then, drain and rinse.
2. Use the Saute function on high (consider lower), heat the ghee in the inner pot for 1 minute, until shimmering. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes, until lightly browned.
3. Stir in the ginger and garlic; cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the cardamom pods, black pepper, cumin seeds, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and salt; cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, and paneer; stir to combine. Stir in the rice and the boiling water.
4. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
5. Once the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
6. Remove the lid. Stir in the chutney and cilantro; serve.