Palak Paneer Pulao is cooked rice with spinach gravy, vegetables and paneer. It is a complete meal and can be served with yogurt or as it is.
Prep Time: 30 minutesmins
Cook Time: 20 minutesmins
Total Time: 50 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Spinach, Rice, Pulao, Paneer
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Ingredients
1CupBasmati or long grain rice
Green Paste:
1Bunch of Spinach
2Green chillies
1Inchginger
¼Cupboiled green peas
Palak Paneer Pulao:
2teaspoonoil
2teaspoonbutter
1inchcinnamon stick
2green cardamoms
2cloves
½teaspooncumin seeds
1Cupcabbage finely chopped
1Cuptomato finely chopped
½Cupgreen pepper finely chopped
Salt to taste
1teaspooncoriander powder
1teaspooncumin powder
3teaspoonPav bhaji masala powder or Pulao masala
150gms paneer cut in small cubes
½lime juiced
Instructions
Cook Rice:
Wash rice thoroughly and soak in cold water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain the rice and keep aside.
Boil 6-7 cups of water in a big pot. Add drained rice and salt to boiling water. Do not cover the pot and let rice cook for about 10-12 minutes or until well cooked.
Keep an eye on rice while cooking, because it should not be overcooked. If overcooked then rice will be mushy and sticky. Rice should be cooked well but each grain should be separated.
Once rice is cooked pour it on the strainer and remove all the water from rice. Spread rice on the big plate and let it cool completely.
Green Paste:
Wash spinach leaves thoroughly and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Take some ice cubes in a bowl and transfer spinach leaves with help of tongs or strainer into this bowl with ice. Set aside and let it cool.
Once spinach is cool enough, transfer into grinding jar (squeeze excess water gently), along with ginger, green chilli and boiled green peas. Grind these ingredients into smooth paste. Set aside this green paste.
Palak Paneer Pulao:
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan and sauté paneer cubes on low to medium flame until lightly golden brown. Remove paneer cubes from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan heat 1 teaspoon oil and 2 teaspoon butter and add cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cloves, sauté for few seconds and then add cumin seeds.
Once cumin seeds change the color add chopped cabbage and green pepper, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and salt, mix well and sauté until tomatoes are soft and mushy for about 3 minutes.
Now add green paste, mix well and add cumin powder, coriander powder and pav bhaji masala. Cook this mixture for 4-5 minutes on low to medium flame.
Turn the heat on low flame and add rice to this green mixture and mix everything very gently so rice does not break. Add paneer cubes and salt if needed. Turn off the heat and squeeze lime juice, mix well and serve.