Matar Paneer Pulao is a wise and good vegetarian wholesome meal. Matar means ‘Peas’ which has vitamins C and E, zinc, and other antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. Paneer which is a quintessential element in every household especially when it is a vegetarian day. However, chana is more preferred to panner when it comes to goodness.
Ingredients :
Brown rice: 500 gm
Paneer: 250 gm
Green peas: 200 gm
Onions: 2 pcs (finely sliced)
Bay leaf: 2 pcs
Cardamom: 4 pcs
Cloves: 4 pcs
Star anise: 2 pcs
Cashew nut: 8-10 pc
Raisins: 5-6 pc
Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Salt: as required
Sugar: 1\2 tsp
Ghee\Butter: as required
Water: as required
Procedure:
Soak the brown rice in a large bowl, wash it 2-3 times with clean water, and keep it aside for the water to strain away from the rice.
Take around 250 gm of paneer and cut them into cubes. Add some ghee or butter as per your preference, and let it heat; once heated, arrange the paneer cubes in the pan and shallow fry it till it turns golden brown. Once turned golden brown, turn off the flame and take the paneer out on a plate.
Add around 3-4 tbsp of oil to a pressure cooker. Heat the oil in it; once it gets heated up, add the dry spices( bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, star anise) and roast them for a minute. Then add finely sliced onions into the oil, and fry it until it turns transparent. Once transparent, add the dry fruits ( cashew nuts and raisins) and roast them for a minute. After a minute, add around 200 gm of green peas and the fried paneer into the cooker and mix well. Add salt and around 1\2 tsp of sugar to it and mix well.
Also Read: Hilsa Pulao – a fine Bengali delicacy
Once the water gets rinsed away from the rice, add it into the cooker and mix them well. To enhance the flavor a little more, add some 2-3 tbsp of ghee into the rice. Add around 1 1\2 glass of water or 1 finger above the level of rice, add around 2-3 tsp of lemon juice and bring it to a boil and then close the lid and wait for 8 whistles of the pressure cooker.
Once the pressure cooker gets its 4th whistle, turn off the flame, wait for the pressure to release, and then open the cooker’s lid. With the help of the serving spoon, gently mix the pulao. Serve the pulao on a plate, garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with lachha onions, green chilies, and a slice of lemon.