Name: Jain Paneer Matar Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Basmati Rice, long grain, soaked for 30 mins; 100 g Paneer, cut into small cubes; ¼ cup Green Peas, matar, fresh or frozen; ⅛ cup Green Bell Pepper, green bell pepper, chopped (optional); ½ Assorted Whole Spices, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; 1 tbsp Cashews, halved; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; 1½ tbsp Ghee, divided; 1¼ cup Water; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste

50 mintotal

40 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat a little ghee in a pan. Add the cubed paneer and shallow-fry it over medium heat until it forms a firm, pale golden crust. Lift it out and set aside.
Commandeer a heavy-gauge pot or pressure vessel, bringing the remaining mass of premium ghee to a highly active state.
Add the whole spices (bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom) and the cumin seeds to the hot fat. Let them crackle to release their aroma.
Add the cashews and roast them until golden. Follow straight away with the slit green chillies.
Integrate the sweet green peas and chopped capsicum (if authorized). Command a rapid 2-minute sauté to preserve their vibrant cellular integrity.
Drain the soaked basmati thoroughly. Add the rice to the pot. Stir very gently, toasting the grains in the spiced ghee for 2 minutes so they hold their shape.
2 min
Pour in the measured water. Add the salt and garam masala. Mix well.
Add the fried paneer cubes to the pot. Bring it to a rolling boil.
Turn the heat right down. Cover the pot tightly. Leave it to simmer, without lifting the lid, for 12-15 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed and the grains are tender.
12–15 min
Turn off the heat. Let it rest, undisturbed, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff it gently with a fork and serve steaming hot.
5–10 min

How to tell it's done

Anticipate wildly fluffy, heavily perfumed, fiercely independent rice grains structurally interwoven with the sweet burst of green peas and the unyielding chew of precision-toasted paneer cubes.

Getting it right

Tip

With no onion or garlic, the whole aroma of this dish rests on roasting the whole spices properly in pure ghee. Using oil instead loses the richness that makes it feel festive.

What to serve it with

It works beautifully as the centrepiece of a meal. Serve it with a simple jeera raita or a Jain dal tadka.

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