Veg Paneer Pulao | Protein-rich recipe

It's mouth-watering, it's nutritious, it's the aromatic pulao. A wonderful one-pot Rice recipe with the aroma of Spices, the goodness of Vegetables and the calcium & protein-dense Paneer / Cottage cheese.

Protein-rich paneer pulao — Protein-rich Paneer pulao

WHAT IS PULAO?

Pulao is a one-pot, spiced rice dish loaded with vegetables (and egg, meat, etc, if you are a non-vegetarian). It is prepared using the absorption method and takes only 40 mins to make (including preparation time). The absorption method involves cooking rice and other ingredients in a pressure cooker, using fixed amount of water. This quick recipe is helpful when you need a break from your tedious cooking chores.

We Indians love pulaos (and biryanis), so much that they are a common lunch/dinner item for parties, weddings, get-together and any other happy occasion. This mouth-watering dish is a Sunday special (or rather a Sunday compulsory) in a lot of homes. Even, in my house, Sunday lunch and dinner is usually pulao. This particular recipe is my MOTHER's recipe, which is a family favourite. Let's now move on to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS :

Serves : 4

For tempering (with rice) : 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 clove, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom
For grinding : 2 red chilies, 1 clove, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom, 1 inch ginger, 8-9 garlic cloves
2 handfuls - Coriander leaves
2 handfuls - Mint leaves
1 tsp (or to taste) - Salt
1 tsp - Ghee
4 - Green chillies, slit lengthwise
3/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 cups - Short-grain biryani rice (Jeeraka samba in Tamil)
3 tbsp - Oil (preferably wood-pressed groundnut oil)
3 tbsp - Onion, chopped
1 cup - Mixed vegetables (carrot, peas, cauliflower, etc), diced
4 cups - Water
1 tsp (or to taste) - Lemon juice
100 to 150 g - Paneer, cubed
For roasting paneer : 1/2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

PROCEDURE :

Total time : 40 mins ( Preparation : 20 mins + Cooking time : 20 mins )

Step 1 : Wash the rice twice and soak it in water for 15 mins. Then, drain the water and keep the rice aside for later use.

Step 2 : Meanwhile, cut the vegetables and paneer into bite sized pieces, and keep them aside.

Step 3 : Make a coarse mixture by grinding the ingredients kept for grinding.

Step 4 : Heat ghee in a pan. Add the tempering ingredients and fry them on a low flame, till aromatic. Then, add half of the onions, green chillies and ground mixture to this. Fry them till golden.

Step 5 : Next, add half of the coriander and mint leaves. Stir them for a minute till the leaves shrink.

Onions, spices and leafy greens being cooked

Step 6 : Finally, add rice along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Fry the rice till all the moisture in it evaporates.

Step 7 : Meanwhile, heat oil in a cooker pan. Add rest of the onions and fry them on a low flame, till they are translucent.

Step 8 : Then, add rest of the green chillies and all the chopped vegetables along with some salt (to cook it faster) and fry for another minute. After that, add rest of the ground mixture, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Fry it for a minute or so.

Step 9 : Now add water, lemon juice and salt. Stir it well and taste it (the water should be little bit salty in taste, as the rice will absorb some salt). When the water starts boiling, add the fried rice mixture and close the cooker lid. Cook this on high flame for 1 whistle. Then, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 10 mins.

Step 10 : While rice is cooking, you can prepare paneer for the pulao. Start by mixing turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Then, coat the paneer pieces with this mixture.

Step 11 : Heat a tawa, apply some oil to it and place the coated paneer pieces on the tawa in a single layer. Shallow fry them on a low flame till they are golden brown on all sides.

Step 12 : Once the cooker pressure is released, open it and mix the fried paneer cubes gently into the rice.

Serve this hot pulao with your favourite raita or gravies.

Paneer pulao with cucumber raita and egg curry — Protein Combo : Paneer pulao, Cucumber raita & Egg curry

TIPS :

For old rice, the rice to water ratio is 1 : 2. If the rice is new, no need to soak it. Also, the ratio of rice to water becomes 1 : 1 3/4 and the cooking time after the whistle will be 7 mins.
If you are adding cabbage, peas or cauliflower, make sure that they are fresh and in season. Otherwise, they will have unpleasant smell and taste, once cooked.
You can add any vegetables of your choice, except watery vegetables like bottle gourd, ash gourd, cucumber, etc. For best taste and health, make sure the vegetables you choose are fresh and in season.
Variation 1 : You can replace some the water with coconut milk for a rich taste.
Variation 2 : You add some toasted and chopped bread pieces to the cooked pulao for a wonderful twist. Kids will love it!
Variation 3 : You can add spiced soya chunks or tofu instead of paneer for a variety.
For weight watchers : Those who are on a weight loss journey can increase this recipe's protein content by increasing the amount of paneer/ tofu/ soya chunks in this recipe. Use low fat paneer instead of regular paneer. You can also add 2 different kinds of protein to increase the protein content. For example, use both paneer and soya chunks instead of just paneer. Or (like me), have the pulao with some raita and egg / chicken curry.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION :

CALORIES ( 1 katori / small bowl, 124 g)	163 Cal
CARBOHYDRATES	18 g
PROTEINS	6.5 g
FATS	7 g
FIBRE	0.4 g

So, that was all for this recipe. Do try this recipe and write your experience of it in the comments. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes and useful health content.

Till next time, keep experimenting with recipes. Stay curious. Stay happy. Bye.