“Laughter is the brightest when food is the best.“

What’s the difference between a Pulao and a Biriyani?

Pulao is definitely lighter, could be because of the limited use of ginger -garlic, spices, curd to name a few ingredients. This is a Pulao that’s light, pleasing to the eye with bursts of sunshine yellow paneer in between. All the ingredients are available in the kitchen and preparation time is just about 30 minutes.

At home, on a Sunday, it’s usually a late, lazy and laid back breakfast, everybody is catching up with everything that’s happened during the week, gossip sessions too in between. I always make it a point to ask what everybody wants for lunch, lots of options are laid out but I’m hoping it will be a rice dish – something I can finish off quickly and do my own thing after that.

This is a Pulao you will love putting together- it’s quick, tasty and a good looking one too!

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice -1 cup
• Paneer cut into big squares -250 grams
• Onions-2 sliced
• Cinnamon pieces -2-3
• Cloves -2-3

Green chillies slit-4-5

Capsicum sliced -1 small

Carrot sliced -1

Baby potatoes -6-8 ( parboiled and halved )

Curd -2 tbsp

Garam masala -1 tsp

Coriander leaves 1/2 cup chopped

Salt

Ghee and oil

For the marinade:

Paneer cubes should be marinated in a mix of ginger- garlic paste ( 1 tsp), turmeric powder(1 tsp) and salt.

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour. Drain and keep aside.1
• Marinate the paneer cubes and keep aside.
• In a mix of oil and ghee, fry the spices and sliced onion till light brown.
• Add the slit green chillies, sliced capsicum, sliced carrot, boiled and halved potatoes and mix well.
• Add the curd and Garam masala and mix well.
• Add 2 cups of hot water and salt and bring to a boil.
• Add the Basmati rice and stir well.
• Cook on a high flame for 5 minutes.
• After that, lower the flame and cook and cook till water is just absorbed.
• Add the paneer cubes , mix well, cover and switch off the flame.
• Keep covered for an hour or so.
• Serve with a raita of your choice.

Chefs tips:

• A good quality rice yields a good result.
• Paneer too should be fresh and at room temperature.
• Water to be added should be measured out accurately.
• Just before the paneer is added test for salt.
• Keep the Pulao covered till the time of serving.
• Once the rice is added, you should handle the rice very carefully or the grains will break.
• This serves 3-4 people

Till my next post,

Cheers,

Rose