Paneer Pulao Recipe: How To Prepare Tasty Paneer Pulao At Home?

Paneer Pulao is a super healthy meal option and can be prepared either for lunch or dinner, with great ease. To be eaten along with homemade green chutney or curd raita, Paneer Pulao is definitely one finger licking dish to savour.

So, without any further delay, let's go through the preparation of Paneer Pulao recipe at home.

Paneer Pulao Recipe

• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
  
• Total Time: 30 minutes (approx.)
  
• Servings: 4

Required Ingredients for Paneer Pulao Recipe:

• Basmati Rice / Plain Rice – 1 ½ cups
  
• Oil or Ghee – 1 ½tbsp
  
• Star anise – 1
  
• Bay leaf – 1
  
• Mace – 1
  
• Shahi Jeera – ½tsp
  
• Green Cardamoms – 3 to 4
• Cloves – 6
  
• Cinnamon stick – 2
  
• Nutmeg – a small piece
  
• Paneer cubes – 250 gms
  
• Onion, thinly sliced – 1 medium
  
• Peas – 1/3 cups
  
• Ghee or oil for the pulao – 2tbspns
  
• Ghee or oil for frying paneer – 2tbspns
  
• Water – 3 to 3.25 cups
  
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 ½ tbspn
  
• Green Chilli, finely chopped – 1
  
• Lemon juice – 1tsp
  
• Chopped mint leaves – 1tbspn
  
• Salt as required

How To Prepare Paneer Pulao Recipe At Home?

1. Start by grinding all the dry spices into a fine powder for making the pulao masala. Keep this aside.
   
2. Clean and rinse the rice and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
   
3. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add the bay leaf and sauté for about 2 seconds, next add in the sliced onions and wait for it to turn golden brown.
   
4. Now add in the ginger-garlic paste and the chopped green chilli. Sauté till the raw aroma of ginger garlic vanishes.
   
5. Add in the dry pulao masala powder along with some chopped mint leaves and the peas.
   
6. Sauté for about 2 – 3 minutes as the peas needs to be fried in oil.
   
7. Next, add in the soaked rice after draining away the water.
   
8. Add water, few drops of lemon and salt. Cover the lid tightly, ensure there’s no way out for steam to go.
   
9. Simmer the flame onto medium to low till the rice grains are fully cooked.
   
10. Once it is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes in the steam. (Tip – You can add a little more water if the water dries out)
    
11. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add the paneer cubes and fry till light golden. Be careful not to over-fry the paneer as it will then turn rubbery.
    
12. Now add in the fried paneer to the rice and gently mix with a spatula.
    
13. Garnish the paneer pulao with some freshly chopped mint leaves along with some raita.

You can cover the pan after adding paneer and allow it to sit for 5 more minutes. This makes the paneer softer and more aromatic.

That's it! Hot Hot Paneer Pulao is ready to taste it.

Why are you still waiting? Try it today itself and share your experience with us.