Name: Paneer Pulao Recipe (Paneer Rice)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1½ cups basmati rice ((read notes to use other kind)); 2½ cups water for stovetop pressure cooker ((3 cups for pot, 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp for instant pot)); ½ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste)); 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee as needed); 1 large onion (sliced thin (optional)); 1 to 2 green chilies ((omit for kids)); ½ cup green peas; ½ cup carrots; 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste; ¼ cup coriander leaves (fine chopped); 12 to 15 mint leaves (fine chopped); 1 small bay leaf; ½ teaspoon cumin seeds; 3 to 4 green cardamoms; 6 cloves; 1 inch cinnamon; 1 small star anise ((biryani flower)); 1½ cup paneer (cubes); 1½ tablespoon oil; ¾ teaspoon ginger garlic paste; ¼ teaspoon red chili powder; ½ teaspoon garam masala; salt as needed; 1 tablespoon gram flour; ¼ to ½ kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves))

Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Paneer Pulao Recipe (Paneer Rice) is a vegetarian Indian main made with simple everyday ingredients in about 25 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

1½ cups basmati rice ((read notes to use other kind))
2½ cups water for stovetop pressure cooker ((3 cups for pot, 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp for instant pot))
½ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste))
2 tablespoons oil (or ghee as needed)
1 large onion (sliced thin (optional))
1 to 2 green chilies ((omit for kids))
½ cup green peas
½ cup carrots
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
¼ cup coriander leaves (fine chopped)
12 to 15 mint leaves (fine chopped)
1 small bay leaf
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 to 4 green cardamoms
6 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 small star anise ((biryani flower))
1½ cup paneer (cubes)
1½ tablespoon oil
¾ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
¼ teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
salt as needed
1 tablespoon gram flour
¼ to ½ kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves))

Method

Prep-up paneer: Add all the marination ingredients including 1½ tablespoon oil to paneer. Mix and set aside. If it is too dry, sprinkle 1 tbsp water. Rinse and soak rice in water for 15 mins.
Make pulao rice: Heat oil or ghee in a pot or cooker. Add all the whole spices. When they begin to sizzle, add sliced onions & green chilies. Saute them until golden.
Saute ginger garlic paste till the raw smell is gone, for 1 minute. Add all the chopped veggies, mint and coriander leaves. Saute for 2 to 3 mins. Pour water and stir in salt. Taste test and adjust salt to make it slightly salty.
Bring it to a boil. Add soaked and drained rice and pressure cook for 1 whistle on a medium flame. If cooking in a pot, cover and cook on a low flame until the rice is done.
Fry Paneer: Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan and place the marinated paneer cubes. Fry them until golden. If the pan looks too dry add some oil.
Assemble Paneer Pulao: When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and fluff up. Remove to a serving plate and top the fried paneer. Serve paneer pulao with a raita or a salad.