Paneer Pulao Recipe an easy one pot comfort meal. I am pleased to share this recipe on the occasion of Indias Republic day 🙂 and wishing everyone a happy republic day to everyone. This recipe could be made with ingredients easily found in your kitchen pantry.
If you have sudden guests at home then make this recipe. Paneer pulao recipe goes well with papaddums, salad, raita or just the pulao by itself. I have added green peas to the pulao for the green color and variation to the pulao. I have further used some whole Indian spices (garam masala) also used a red grounded paste and coconut milk.
I make a lot of pulaos at home. This is a different pulao recipe which I bet isn’t there on the web but you could found the replica of this recipe soon. As blogging has become a bit sad nowadays wherein people copy each other’s recipes blatantly  without even providing a link or due credit to the blogger. Anyways this is a challenge we got to deal with.
Coming back to our paneer pulao recipe. You could use home-made or store bought paneer (cottage cheese) for this recipe. Paneer cubes have just been sauted in some oil and added towards the last stage of the pulao. Reason being if paneer is over-cooked it tends to get rubbery and firm. I have used garam-masala powder and biryani garam masala powder for seasoning the pulao. If you are a vegan then use potatoes instead of paneer.
You could make this pulao in pressure cooker I have used a pan covered with a lid. Tastes great both ways as make them as per my mood. My hubby isn’t fond of paneer but loved this pulao and ate without making any fuss.
Let’s make paneer pulao recipe step by step:
1. Firstly soak rice in water for 30 mins.
2. Chop tomatoes and place aside.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the marination and grind until smooth paste is formed. Keep it aside.
4. Take a pan add butter.
5. Saute the paneer cube.
6. Fry for 3-4 mins until they have light brown specks over the. Place them aside.
7. Take pressure cooker or a wide bottomed sauce pan with oil + butter. Once oil is hot add the whole ground spices. Saute until they are fragrant.
8. Add onion and saute. You could add some sugar to fasten the caramelization process.
9. Saute until they are light brown in color.
10. Now add the red chili powder, garam masala and the biryani garam masala powder.
11. Time to add the red paste.
12. Fry the paste until they bubble.
13. Pour the coconut milk and mix all nicely.
14. Add the green peas.
15. Put the soaked basmati rice along with water and salt.
16. Cover and cook with a lid for 20 mins or until it’s almost done. Place the fried paneer over them and cook covered for 3-4 Â mins more. Garnish them over the pulao along with coriander leaves.
17. For garnish fry the onion with butter until brown along with cashews.
18. Switch off the gas and serve the hot paneer pulao with raita, papad or salad.
If your are fond of paneer then do check palak paneer, methi malai paneer, paneer tikka masala, paneer malai curry, paneer biryani, paneer pav bhaji, chilli paneer, kadai paneer and paneer gulab jamuns.
Paneer Pulao Recipe below:
- 2 tomatoes chopped into chunks
- 4 dry kashmiri red chilies
- 1 inch ginger chopped (adrak)
- 10-12 garlic cloves (lehsun)
- ¼th cup coriander leaves with the stem (hara dhaniya)
- 5-6 mint leaves (pudina)
- ½ cup yogurt (dahi)
- 2 tbsp oil + 1tbsp butter
- 2 cups basmati or long grained rice soaked for 30 mins in water
- 400 gms paneer chopped into cubes or squares
- 2 bay leaves (tejpata)
- 2 one inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 tbsp caraway seed (shahi jeera)
- 3-4 cloves (lavang)
- 7-8 peppercorn (kalimirch)
- 4-5 green cardamom (elaichi)
- 1-2 stone flower (dagadphool)
- 2 black cardamom (moti elaichi)
- 2 mace blades (javitri)
- 3 medium sized onion chopped into julienne
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder or red chili powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp biryani garam masala powder (optional)
- 200 ml thick coconut milk (nariyal dudh)
- 1 cup green peas (matar)
- few coriander leaves for garnish (hara dhaniya)
- 2 cups water or as required
- salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 big sized onion chopped into julienne
- 14-15 cashews
- Firstly soak rice in water for 30 mins.
- Chop tomatoes and place aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the marination and grind until smooth paste is formed. Keep it aside.
- Take a pan add butter and saute the paneer cube.
- Fry for 3-4 mins until they have light brown specks over the. Place them aside.
- Take pressure cooker or a wide bottomed sauce pan with oil + butter. Once oil is hot add the whole ground spices. Saute until they are fragrant.
- Add onion and saute until they are light brown in color. You could add some sugar to fasten the caramelization process.
- Now add the salt, red chili powder, garam masala and the biryani garam masala powder.
- Time to add the red paste.
- Fry the paste until they bubble.
- Pour the coconut milk and mix all nicely.
- Add the green peas.
- Put the soaked basmati rice along with water and salt.
- Cover and cook with a lid for 20 mins or until it's almost done.
- Place the fried paneer over them and cook covered for 3-4 mins more.
- For garnish fry the onion with butter until brown along with cashews.
- Garnish them over the pulao along with coriander leaves. Switch off the gas and serve the hot paneer pulao with raita, papd or salad.
2. I have used yogurt but if you are a vegan then skip using yogurt.
3. If you love spice then add more dry red chilies in the paste or red chili powder.
4. Garnishing with fried onion is optional but it adds a great taste and flavor to the pulao.
Shraddha says
Hi Maria.. What should be done if coconut milk is not available.. ? Can it be made using the malai from coconuts? Please advise 🙂
maria says
Shraddha just grind fresh grated or chopped coconut with little water for 2 mins. Then sieve the mixture on a mesh strainer or on a linen cloth. Collect the milk and discard the pulp. Hope this help’s you you could store coconut milk in freezer for future use.