Happy Peas & Paneer Pulao
This Peas & Paneer Pulao is a comforting one-pot rice dish packed with tender green peas and soft paneer. It's a flavorful meal that comes together easily for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick, 2.5 centimeters
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 0.5 inch ginger, grated
- 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
- 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 200 grams paneer, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cups hot water
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse 2 cups basmati rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Soak the rinsed rice in 4 cups of fresh water for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the water completely and set the rice aside.
- Prepare the vegetables and paneer. Finely slice 1 large onion. Finely chop 2 cloves garlic. Grate 0.5 inch ginger. Slit 2 green chilies lengthwise. Cut 200 grams paneer into 1.5 cm cubes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a large pot or pressure cooker over medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 medium bay leaves, 2 green cardamom pods, and 1 cinnamon stick. Cook for 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant.
- Add 1 large finely sliced onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until the onion turns soft and light golden brown.
- Stir in 2 cloves finely chopped garlic, 0.5 inch grated ginger, and 2 green chilies slit lengthwise. Cook for 1 minute until their raw smell disappears.
- Add 1 cup green peas and 200 grams paneer cubes to the pot. Gently mix everything together.
- Now, add 1 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon garam masala, and 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder. Mix well to coat the vegetables and paneer with the spices.
- Carefully add the drained 2 cups basmati rice to the pot. Gently stir for 1 minute to lightly toast the rice with the spices and oil, being careful not to break the grains.
- Pour in 4 cups hot water. Stir gently once, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. If using a pressure cooker, close the lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or for 2 whistles (approximately 6-8 minutes on Instant Pot, set to high pressure with natural release) in a pressure cooker.
- Once the cooking time is complete, remove the pot from the heat (or turn off the pressure cooker). Let it rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes (allow natural pressure release in a pressure cooker) before opening the lid.
- Open the lid and gently fluff the pulao with a fork to separate the rice grains. Transfer the Happy Peas & Paneer Pulao to a serving dish and garnish with 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Serve hot.