Biriyani of Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower with Paneer Eggplant and Fresh Sage

Oven Roasting the cauliflower and garlic give this dish a deep, rich flavor.  This is a variation of the cauliflower biriyani I posted in July, enriched with paneer and eggplant, and by roasting some of the vegetables. Fresh sage from the garden counterbalances and complements the Indian spices nicely.
4 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp favorite curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups cooked Basmati or other rice
1 eggplant cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1/4 cup frozen peas
6-8 fresh sage leaves, sliced
7-8 oz frozen toasted paneer cubes

Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss the cauliflower and garlic in a big bowl with the curry, masala and a dash of salt an pepper to taste. Mix well.  Tip into a rimmed jelly roll baking pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion and peppers along with the seeds and sage  in a large skillet in a bit of canola or olive oil for 8-10 minutes. Add the paneer and peas, and toss to heat through.  In another large non-stick skillet, brown the eggplant with a bit of olive oil for 8-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.

Now assemble the biriyani.  Add the rice to the onion mixture and toss gently.  Cook enough just to heat the rice through.  Fold in the cauliflower and the eggplant and tip into a serving bowl.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  Look for frozen pre-toasted paneer in the frozen section of your local Indian grocer.  Pre-toasted paneer is frankly just a convenience - you can toast your own fresh paneer, cubed, in a bit of oil if you can't find pre-toasted paneer.

No doubt, this dish would be great - perhaps even better - with brown rice. But this is what I had in the freezer.  I always keep plastic bags of rice frozen on hand for a quick dinner - 1 quart bag holds 4 cups.  What's important is that you use rice that you cooked the night before, and refrigerated (or frozen).  If not, you will likely get sticky, mushy biryani - who wants that?