To make a filling dish takes not much effort. You can also make it fancy-looking by actually not spending a lot of time and effort. How about a flavourful paneer pulao to be the main dish. So it can be served with raitha and that is lunch taken care of. Soft golden paneer in a rice pulao sounds mouth-watering, so here it is!
For this paneer pulao, I have roasted off some whole garam masala to make a fresh and fragrant masala. Paneer pulao makes a for a great lunch box dish or a main dish for a party. Typically I use basmati rice to make any pulao but you can use any long grained rice to make pulao, turns out really tasty.
You can choose to add some vegetables like carrots, beans and potatoes if you wish to. Kids and adults alike will love this pulao, it is fun to eat! So why wait, make this paneer pulao anytime and enjoy! Try more pulao recipes from FOI, pudina vegetable pulao, methi matar pulao, peas pulao, carrot pulao etc. More rice recipes like special jeera rice, tomato bhaat, gorikayi bhaat, tengu anna, uddina bhaat etc.
- 150 Gm or 1 Cup diced paneer cubes
- 1 Tsp oil
- 1 Cup basmati rice
- ½ Cup green peas
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 green chilli
- 2 Tbsp ghee
- 1-2 sliced shallots/onions
- Salt to taste
- ½ Tsp garam masala
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 Cups water
- ½ Tsp jeera
- 7-8 whole black pepper
- 1-2 bay leaf/leaves
- ¼ Tsp shahi jeera/caraway seeds
- 1 green elaichi/choti elaichi
- 1 black elaichi/moti elaichi
- 2 laung/cloves
- 8-10 black peppercorn
- 1 Tsp jeera
- 1" dalchini/cinnamon
- In a small pan, lightly roast all items given under spices to grind and roast
- Carefully open up the black cardamom and get the seeds out
- Grind the roasted spices into a coarse masala and keep aside
- Heat ghee in a pan
- Splutter jeera
- Add whole black pepper and bay leaves
- Make chilli-garlic paste
- Add sliced onions and saute till onions turn lightly soft and golden, add chilli-garlic paste and saute
- Add roasted and ground masala powder
- Throw in the peas and saute
- Next add washed basmati rice
- Pour 2 Cups water
- Season with salt and add little garam masala
- Cover and cook
- In another pan, heat little oil
- Cube the paneer and saute in oil till golden and soft
- Water is almost absorbed by the rice
- Dot with paneer cubes
- Cover and cook further few minutes till rice is done
- Squeeze in juice of a half a lemon and garnish with coriander leaves
- Serve hot with raitha!
Masala powder can be made in advance
Use only garam masala for a faster variation, just increase the quantity of garam masala as per your taste
Paneer Pulao Stepwise:
In a small pan, lightly roast all items given under spices to grind and roast
Carefully open up the black cardamom and get the seeds out
Grind the roasted spices into a coarse masala and keep aside
Heat ghee in a pan
Splutter jeera
Add whole black pepper and bay leaves
Make chilli-garlic paste
Add sliced onions and saute till onions turn lightly soft and golden, add chilli-garlic paste and saute
Add roasted and ground masala powder
Throw in the peas and saute
Next add washed basmati rice
Pour 2 Cups water
Season with salt and add little garam masala
Cover and cook
In another pan, heat little oil
Cube the paneer and saute in oil till golden and soft
Water is almost absorbed by the rice
Dot with paneer cubes
Cover and cook further few minutes till rice is done
Squeeze in juice of a half a lemon, garnish with coriander leaves
Serve hot with raitha!
