Palak Paneer Rice (Step by Step)

Palak Paneer Rice or Pulao recipe – an easy pulao made with palak (spinach leaves) and paneer (cottage cheese). A healthy and delicious rice recipe which people from all ages could enjoy 🙂

This recipe idea came to me from the famous palak paneer recipe. So instead of making them separately combined and made into a one pot dish. Also this is the best dish for my hubby who is fussy about eating spinach. He enjoys this pulao always so make them quite often.

We had our rice with papad and brinjal fry. So you club them with any veggie of your choice or any salad or raita. You could also pack them as lunch box or make them for dinner.

You could use any rice but any long grained rice, basmati rice and mango blossom (ambe mohar) would be preferred. Everyone loves to eat their rice in various ways some like overcooked, some like long separated grain. I like mushy when it comes to khichdi. If its a biryani then the rice has to be cooked to perfection.

Just to add some crunch and nutty taste have added cashew but it’s optional. Also cream goes well with palak but I have used coconut milk instead. As it gives a better flavor, taste and low fat than cream.

Let’s make palak paneer rice or pulao recipe step by step:

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 mins.

2. Shallow fry cashew nuts until light brown in color.

3. Shallow fry onion  julienne with little oil and some sugar. Fry until they turn brown in color but don’t burn them.

4. Chop paneer and place aside.

5. Combine all the ingredient’s for marination.

6. Now toss the paneer into it ensuring paneer is coated nicely from all sides.

7. Shallow fry paneer in little oil until golden brown.

8. Remove and place aside.

9. Add rest of ghee or oil in the same pan. Saute whole garam masala (spice) for a minute.

10. Saute onion and chilies until onion turn pink in color. You could also fry until they turn soft brown in color but it’s optional.

11. Put ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell of ginger disappear.

12. Add the tomatoes.

13. Sprinkle all the spice powder with little sugar.

14. Saute and stir until tomatoes soften.

15. Now add the spinach puree.

16. Simmer until it bubbles.

17. Time to add the soaked rice.

18. Pour the coconut milk and water as required.

19. Lastly add salt.

20. Cover the pan and cook. Alternatively you could cook them in pressure cooker. Once the rice is almost cooked garnish with shallow fried paneer and cashewnut. Switch off the gas once rice is cooked.

Serve palak paneer pulav recipe hot along raita.

If you are looking for more rice recipes then do check sweet corn fried rice, veg fried rice, egg fried rice, jeera fried rice, tadka rice, tomato rice, spinach rice and aromatic rice.

Palak Paneer rice or pulao recipe card below:

Palak Paneer Rice or Pulao

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Palak Paneer Rice or Pulao recipe – an easy pulao made with palak (spinach leaves) and paneer (cottage cheese).

Author: Maria@flavorsofmumbai.com

Recipe type: Main, veg

RecipeCuisine: Indian

Serves: 4-5

recipeIngredient (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for the pulao:

• 250 gms fresh palak (spinach leaves rinsed and pureed with little water and salt into the grinder until smooth)
• 250 gm basmati rice or any long grained rice (soaked in water for 30 mins)
• 2-3 tbsp ghee or oil (have used ghee)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup onion julienne
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 nagkesar
• 4-5 green cardamom
• 2 black cardamom
• 1 tbsp caraway seed
• 3-4 mace blade
• 5-6 cloves
• 10-12 peppercorn
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 green chilies slit lengthwise
• 1 tbsp ginger paste or chopped coarsely
• 1 tbsp garlic paste or chopped coarsely
• 2 tomatoes chopped lengthwise
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp vetiver or rose water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• water as required
• salt as required

For marination of paneer:

• 200-250 gm fresh paneer chopped into squares or rectangles
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1 tbsp oil for shallow frying the paneer

for garnish:

• 1 cup onion julienne (shallow fried until thy turn light brown in color)
• ¼th cup cashew nuts shallow fried in little oil

How to make the recipe?

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 mins.
2. Shallow fry cashew nuts until light brown in color.
3. Shallow fry onion julienne with little oil and some sugar. Fry until they turn brown in color but don't burn them.
4. Chop paneer and place aside.
5. Combine all the ingredient's for marination.
6. Now toss the paneer into it ensuring paneer is coated nicely from all sides.
7. Shallow fry paneer in little oil until golden brown.
8. Remove and place aside.
9. Add rest of ghee or oil in the same pan. Saute whole garam masala (spice) for a minute.
10. Saute onion and chilies until onion turn golden brown in color.
11. Put ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell of ginger disappear.
12. Add the tomatoes.
13. Sprinkle all the spice powder with little sugar.
14. Saute and stir until tomatoes soften.
15. Now add the spinach puree.
16. Simmer until it bubbles.
17. Time to add the soaked rice.
18. Pour the coconut milk and water as required.
19. Lastly add salt.
20. Cover the pan and cook. Alternatively you could cook them in pressure cooker.
21. Once the rice is almost cooked garnish with shallow fried paneer and cashewnut. Switch off the gas once rice is cooked.
22. Serve palak paneer pulav recipe hot along raita.

Notes

1. Add water as required for the pulao.
2. Don't over-cook the rice.
3. Adding cashews are optional.

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