Paneer Peas Pulao

Paneer Peas Pulao is a delicious North Indian dish. Though pulao is generally cooked by boiling rice in a handi / big bowl, I prepared this pulao in a pressure cooker. The raisins and cashew nuts added to the pulao, bring out the authentic taste in this Paneer (cottage cheese) Peas Pulao.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice: 2 cups (200 gms)
• Paneer (cottage cheese), cubed: 150 gms
• Peas, shelled: 1 cup (100 gms)
• Cashew nuts, halved: 50 gms
• Raisins: 50 gms
• Bay leaf: 2
• Cinnamon stick: 1"
• Cloves: 4-5
• Green Cardamoms: 2-3
• Vegetable oil: 3-4 tbsp
• Sugar: 2 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Water: 3&1/2 cups

Procedure:

1. Wash rice thoroughly, let it soak in a bowl for 30 mins, drain and keep aside.
2. Boil water in a bowl, put the paneer cubes, simmer and soak for 2-3 mins. Drain and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan, release the cashew nuts and saute till light golden. Remove and set aside. Similarly lightly saute the raisins, drain oil and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add whole spices. Stir and saute for 1-2 mins. Add rice, peas, paneer cubes and half the portion of fried cashew nuts & raisins. Lightly saute until all the ingredients are well coated with oil.
5. Add water, sugar and salt. Stir a little, cover the cooker with the lid and bring the water to a boil. When the water starts boiling (steam comes out of the nozzle), put the whistle cap on the lid and cook till 2-3 whistles.
6. Let the cooker cool down, gently transfer the pulao to a serving dish. Garnish with rest of the fried cashew nuts & raisins. Serve hot.

Sending this pulao recipe to Sara's Say Cheese event...

I am also sending the following recipes to the event....

Paneer Parantha

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

and some of my favourites from the archives

Classic Cheese Pizza

Navratan Korma

Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Jeera Peas Rice

Yday it was very hot and humid. Thought of making plain rice and chicken curry for dinner. But on second thought wanted to prepare either jeera rice or peas pulao. But somehow ended up making a jeera peas rice, a tasty variation on plain boiled rice, with jeera and peas. Here is the recipe�

Ingredients:

• 2 cups / 400 gms basmati rice (long grain rice)
• 4 cups water (ratio 1 cup rice = 2 cups water)
• 1-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• 1 cup / 100 gms shelled peas
• 2 tbsp white oil
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 bunch chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing
• cucumber slices, for garnishing
• 4-5 green chillies, for garnishing

Procedure:

1. Wash the Basmati rice well in running water. Soak in water for 30 mins. Drain water in a strainer / colander and keep aside.
2. Take a nonstick pressure cooker (ordinary cooker will also do, but give a little bit more oil), heat oil. Add jeera let them splutter. Reduce the flame, add the peas and saut� for 2 mins.
3. Add the rice and salt and stir a little. Add water and mix well.
4. Place the cover on the pressure cooker and let the rice come to a boil. Place the lid on the cooker and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Switch off the gas.
5. Apply ghee on the rice and mix well from the bottom. Transfer the jeera peas rice on a serving tray.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, cucumber slices and chillies. Serve hot with raita, paneer dish or any chicken preparation.

Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable Pulao is a very popular dish in Indian cooking prepared with rice and vegetables and served with raita / yoghurt and salad.

I used to prepare vegetable pulao in the traditional way of boiling rice and vegetables in a cooker but tried this recipe in the microwave (900 wattage). It tasted just as fine. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Vegetables (equal quantity each)

• 50 gms peas, shelled
• 50 gms carrot, finely chopped
• 50 gms cauliflower florets, small pieces
• 50 gms french beans, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 100 gms paneer, cut into small cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
• 1 large cinnamon sticks / dalchini (halved into 2 pieces)
• 2 cloves / laung / lobongo
• 2 black cardamoms / badi elachi (crushed)
• 2 bay leaves / tejpata
• 50 gms raisins / kishmish
• 1 tsp ghee / white oil
• 2 cups water
• salt to taste

Garnish:

• roasted cashewnuts / kaju (halved)
• 1 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly. Take a deep bowl of water and soak rice for 20 mins.
2. Soak the raisins in water (if you are using refrigerated raisins) and drain the water after 5 mins. Keep aside.
3. Take a microwave safe bowl and microwave oil / ghee at 100% power for 30 mins.
4. Add chopped onion at microwave at 100% power for 1 min.
5. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cardamoms, bay leaves to the sauted onions and microwave at 100% power for 1 min (Stir after 30 secs).
6. Add the raisins, all the vegetables, soaked rice and 2 cups of water (ratio is 1 cup rice: 2 cups of water) and microwave covered at 100% power for 10 mins.
7. Add the paneer cubes and microwave covered at 100% power for 1 min.
8. Now microwave again at 60% power for 5 more mins. Stir in between.
9. Allow to stand in the micro for 5 mins.
10. Transfer in a serving plate and garnish with roasted cashewnuts and chopped coriander leaves.
11. Serve hot with dal, salads and yoghurt / raita.