Matar Paneer Rice

Last weekend I made this Matar Paneer Rice for lunch and was really very tasty. This recipe was made accidentally as I was planning to make Mushroom Rice but mushroom was not available so tried that recipe with Paneer.

RECIPE:

Preparation Time: 20-25 mins
Cooking Time: 40-45 mins

Ingredients

For rice:

• Biryani Rice/ long grain rice: 1 cup
• Clove: 1
• Cinnamon piece/stick: 1/2 "
• Bay leaf: 1
• Cardamom: 1-2
• Coriander leaves: few strings(finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seed: 1/2 tsp
• Ghee 2-3 tbsp

For the Paneer Gravy:

• Paneer: 150 grm( cut into cubes)
• Matar(Peas): 1/4 cup
• Tomato: 1 small ( pureed)
• Onion: 1 small ( finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste: 1 tsp
• Chilli pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen king masala: 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves: few string ( finely chopped)
• Oil to cook

Method:

For rice:

• Clean and wash the rice. Soak the rice for 15 mins. Drain and keep aside.
• In a large pan, boil 3 cups of water with clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom and salt and then add the rice. Cover and cooked the rice till 90-95% done. Drain and keep aside
• Heat the ghee in kadai/pan and add cumin seed, once they start spluttering then add ginger-garlic-green chili paste, cook for few sec and then add rice. Mix well. turn off the heat. Keep aside.

For the gravy:

• Heat the oil in a Kadai/pan and cumin seed, once they start spluttering then add the onion, cook for 2-3 mins and add ginger-garlic- green chlli pastes and fry for a while.

• Add the pureed tomato and cook for 2-3 mins, then add the red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd , garam masala pwd, kitchen king masala and salt. mix well. Cook for another another 2-3 mins.

• Add the paneer  and matar(peas) and mix well.
• Add the rice and mix it gently.

Note:

• Do not over cook the rice, else texture of paneer rice will not look good.
• Can add the fried nuts, it will enhance the taste.
• Cover the lid of pan/kadai after mixing rice and paneer,it will add more flavor to the rice.