Paneer Pulao recipe | Paneer Rice | Cottage cheese with rice

 There are many ways rice can be used in a dish. Easy, quick and healthy recipe with veggies of your choice. This dish can be served with any Indian curries or pickle.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups water
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup veggies chopped
salt to taste
2 tblsp ghee
1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

• First cook the rice in a pressure cooker for 1 cup of basmati rice use 11/2 cup of water for 2 whistle. Keep it aside.
• Heat a pan and add some ghee / oil and shallow fry the paneer / cottage cheese cubes. Just fry till the outer layer turns light golden brown ( this step is optional) You can even use the fresh paneer grated or cubes for this recipe.
• In the same pan add one bay leaf ,small cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
• Then goes in finely sliced onion and ginger and garlic paste.
• Once the onions turn translucent add finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and let the tomatoes become nice soft.
• Next add finely diced carrot, capsicum and peas ( can use any veggies of your choice and shape). Mix everything on medium to low flame.
• Stir the veggies for 1 minute and then add the seasoning like garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Give a nice mix.
• Then add the lightly shallow fried paneer into it, mix it and add around 2-3 tblsp of water and cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 1-2 minutes so that masala gets infused into the paneer.
• Before adding the cooked rice make sure the mixture is dry and not watery or else rice with become soggy.
• Give a nice gentle toss, be careful not to break the rice grains.Add some finely chopped coriander leaves / cilantro on top and mix gently.
• Serve hot.

Pictorial:

Heat a pan and add some ghee / oil and shallow fry the paneer / cottage cheese cubes. Just fry till the outer layer turns light golden brown ( this step is optional) You can even use the fresh paneer for this recipe.

   Next in the same pan add one bay leaf ,small cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.

            Then goes in finely sliced onion and ginger and garlic paste.

 Once the onions turn translucent add finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and let the tomatoes become nice soft.

 Next add finely diced carrot, capsicum and peas ( can use any veggies of your choice and shape). Mix everything on medium to low flame.

Stir the veggies for 1 minute and then add the seasoning like garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Give a nice mix.

Then add the lightly shallow fried paneer into it, mix it and add around 2-3 tblsp of water and cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 1-2 minutes so that masala gets infused into the paneer.

Before adding the cooked rice make sure the mixture is dry and not watery or else rice with become soggy.

                     Give a nice gentle toss, be careful not to break the rice grains.

              Add some finely chopped coriander leaves / cilantro on top and mix gently.

                                                    Serve hot with raita or some curries.

Notes:

1. Use any veggies of your choice like beans, broccoli, different colours of bell pepper, mushrooms etc.
2. Amount of water required to cook rice may vary depending upon the quality of rice.