PANEER PULAO/PUNJABI PANEER PULAO /पनीर पुलाव
Loaded with cottage cheese, seasonal veggies, and aroma of whole spices, this rice pulao is divine in taste. Undoubtedly paneer is the star ingredient of Paneer pulao. This is fluffy, fragrant and tasteful. Paneer dishes are ritually enjoyed in Punjabi families. No weekend meal, party or ceremonial meals are accomplished without paneer or cottage cheese. Numerous dishes with paneer are prepared and this paneer pulao is one of them. Seasonal veggies are added along with paneer to make it a complete package of nutrition. In fact, moms know the best way to feed their kiddos with veggies😉. With paneer, they happily eat veggies. If there is some refreshing raita with this paneer pulao, nothing else is needed.
To make this pulao, long grain basmati rice plays a leading role. They make this pulao fragrant. The aged basmati makes a fluffy pulao, also there are a few tips to follow (in notes and tips) so that each grain cooks separately to the perfection. Paneer and veggies are lightly pan-fried to add the taste to this yummy pulao!
Prep time – 30 min
Cook time – 20 min
Course – Main
Cuisine – Indian/Punjabi
Author – Bharti Dhawan
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
• Long grain Basmati rice – 1 cup(washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
• Water – 2 and 1/2 cup
• Paneer/cottage cheese(cubed) – 200 gms
• Cauliflower – 4-5 medium florets
• French beans – 7-8(chopped in big pieces)
• Carrot – 2 medium (sliced)
• Onions – 1 no(sliced)
• Fresh mint leaves (pudina) – 9-10
• Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
• Oil – 2 tsp
• Ghee – 2 tsp
SPICES REQUIRED (WHOLE AND POWDERED)
• Jeera/cumin – 1 tsp
• Bay leaf/tez patta – 1-2
• Black cardamom/Badi ilaychi – 1
• Star anise/chkri phool – 1-2 nos
• Green cardamom (choti ilayachi)
• Long(cloves) – 4 nos
• Cinnamon stick(dalacheeni) – 1 small stick
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Crushed black pepper – 1/2 tsp
STEP BY STEP
1- Take an open vessel or a kadahi and add oil. When heated add paneer cubes. Pan fry them until golden brown. When done, take them out
2- In the same oil, add all the whole spices. In a few seconds, they would start releasing the aroma then add chopped veggies
3- Allow the veggies to cook at the low-medium flame for 5 minutes. Stir them at intervals
4- Next, add soaked rice. Stir gently otherwise, the grains will break.
5- Add water, salt, fried paneer cubes, mint leaves and powdered spices. Mix gently
6- When the first boil comes, cover with the lid and bring down the flame at possible low. Let the rice simmer slowly
7- When there is little water left, sprinkle ghee all over and cover again
8- After a few minutes, when all the water is gone. Off the flame and cover the lid with a kitchen towel for more 5 minutes
9- The rice will cook to perfection at ‘dum’ (steam) After 5 minutes open the lid and serve fragrant PANEER PULAO with CUCUMBER-TOMATO RAITA
NOTES AND TIPS
1- Adding ghee just before the finish of the rice makes them fluffy. If you want to avoid ghee add 2 tsp lemon juice
2- Never soak the rice more than 30 minutes otherwise the grains become too soft to break. While the rice is cooking, avoid stirring.
3- If you want to prepare this pulao in the pressure cooker. Keep for only 5 minutes on the flame. Immediately remove the cooker from the stove and open the lid as soon as the stream reduces. Otherwise, the grains, as well as the veggies, will get mushy
4- If You make the homemade paneer, add 1 cup paneer water which is obtained after making paneer. The ratio of plain water to paneer water should be 1 +1/2 : 1
5- Cooking rice in an open vessel increase the volume of rice dish making them fluffy
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