Paneer Pulao is a quick, mildly spiced, and protein-rich healthy rice dish. There are so many ways to prepare this delicious Paneer Pulao. Here I am sharing my version of the recipe. I cooked rice with some Indian species and then toss them with tomato puree along with roasted paneer and vegetables. It is very aromatic and has a delicious taste. Paneer Pulav is a Gluten-free and Vegetarian rice dish.

Paneer Pulao

We usually prepare Tawa Pulao, Vegetable Pulao, or Peas Pulao at home quite often. Paneer Pulao is quite similar to them. It is just the addition of paneer cubes into the flavored rice. The vegetables that I have used are Fresh Green Peas/Matar, Carrots, Green Bell Peppers, or Capsicum and French Beans. You can add any vegetables of your choice. I love adding ghee while tampering my pulao with spices as it gives a great aroma.

Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese is one of my favorite ingredients in my home. It is high in protein and rich in folate and has low sodium content. Always use a homemade or good quality of store-bought paneer in this recipe. I recommend stirring fry the paneer cubes before adding it into the rice. Roasted paneer cubes will add a nice crunch to your pulao.

Paneer Pulao

Variations :

If you are a paneer lover, then add a little more by freshly grating it at the time of serving. It will give you a unique fresh flavor and taste.
If you want to make this Paneer pulao a Vegan rice dish, then substitute Paneer with Tofu and make Tofu Pulao. It will also taste great.
You can also add a few fried fruits like raisins and nuts like cashew to give a rich shahi taste.

Paneer Pulao can be a lip-smacking option for your daily main course meals or even in Tiffin Box because it has a very comforting taste. You can Pair this Pulao with any Raita, Salad, Roasted Papad, or any Pickle of your choice.

Here is the video recipe of Paneer Pulao :

 

Please do try this Paneer Pulao recipe and let me know how much you liked it in the comments section. If you like this recipe, then don’t hesitate to share it with your friends, family, and relatives. You can follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to catch my latest updates.

Recipe card of the Paneer Pulao Recipe :

Paneer Pulao | Indian Cottage Cheese Rice Dish
 
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Paneer Pulao can be a lip-smacking option for your daily main course meals or even in Tiffin Box because it has a very comforting taste.
Author:
Serves: 2-3 person
Ingredients
  • Long grain rice - 1 cup
  • Water - 1.5 cup or more as per the type of rice
  • Paneer - 200-250 gm, cubed
  • Assorted chopped vegetables - 1 cup ( Carrot, green peas, Grinch beans, Capsicum, etc )
  • Onion - 1, sliced
  • Tomato - 2 crushed ( optional )
  • Ginger - 1 inch
  • Garlic - 4-5 cloves
  • Red chili powder - ½ tsp or as per taste
  • Garam masala - ¼ tsp or as per taste
  • Bay leaf - 1
  • Cinnamon - 1-inch long stick
  • Cloves - 2
  • Black peppercorn - 2
  • Dried red chili - 1
  • Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
  • Hing - ⅛ tsp
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Oil - 2-3 tsp
  • Ghee - 2 tbsp
  • Mint leaves - 5-6, chopped
  • Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Instructions ( 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml)
  1. Rinse the rice properly and soak it in water for 30 min. Add water according to the type of rice.
  2. After 30 min, separate water from soaked rice in a pan/cooker.
  3. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, black peppercorn, 1tsp ghee, and salt in it.
  4. Once the water starts to boil, add the soaked rice and mix well.
  5. Cook rice on high flame for 2 minutes.
  6. After 2 minutes, slow down the flame and cook them.
  7. Do not cook completely, when the rice is cooked 90% turn off the flame and close the lid.
  8. I do not prefer to discard any water. So I soak rice in the required water only and cook it with the same water. You can cook them in lots of water and once done, strain the water.
  9. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and keep it aside.
  10. Make a paste of ginger and garlic in mortal pastel.
  11. In a pan, add 2 tsp of ghee/oil.
  12. Once the oil is hot, add dried red chili, cumin seeds, and hing.
  13. Add sliced onion. Cook onion until they start to brown from the edges.
  14. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute until raw aroma goes away.
  15. Add chopped vegetables. Sprinkle the salt and cook them on medium-low flame until half cooked else they will lose their crunch.
  16. Take them out in a bowl and keep it aside.
  17. In the same pan, heat some oil and roast cubed paneer pieces from all the sides.
  18. Take them out in a separate bowl.
  19. Again in the same pan, heat oil/ ghee.
  20. Add crushed tomatoes. Cook until water evaporates.
  21. Add salt, red chili powder, garam masala, and cook for a minute.
  22. Add cooked vegetables along with rice.
  23. Gently mix them. Do not break the rice.
  24. At this stage, adjust the salt if required.
  25. If rice is cold, heat for 2-3 min more.
  26. Add chopped mint leaves. Mix gently.
  27. Turn off the flame. Top it up with roasted paneer cubes.
  28. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
  29. Pair this delicious hot paneer pulao with raita or pickle of your choice, papad, and salad.