Paneer Pulao (Paneer Rice)

This Paneer Pulao is delicious, aromatic and easy to make with basic pantry staples. Indian cheese aka paneer is tossed with spices and pan-fried until crisp, to layer & garnish over a one-pot rice pulao. This Paneer Rice is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner and also goes well in school and office lunch boxes.

I reserve cooking up an elaborate meal like Paneer Biryani for special occasions and weekends when I have enough time. But this one is a fast recipe, if you have the veggies chopped ahead. I have also made it a lot of times when I had guests home. Everyone has loved it with a side of a simple cucumber raita or onion raita and a vegetable curry.

Over the years I have tried making this dish in many ways but this one is our absolute favorite because paneer tikka is so aromatic and the spices covering it are also delicious. When paneer is cooked together with rice, it gets chewy and overcooked. This recipe prevents that by pan-frying the paneer separately.

I have made it less spicy for a kids’ friendly meal, but feel free to use more green chilies to make it spicy and hot. I have shown making this in a pressure pan but you can also make it in a regular pot or instant pot. If you want to make this ahead, make the rice pulao and marinate the paneer with spices the previous day. But pan fry the paneer when you are ready to serve.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Here are the ingredients required for this recipe. I have a separate recipe card below with the quantities and I also specify them as I teach you below with the pictures.

• Rice: I prefer using basmati rice for most of my pulao dishes. But any premium quality non-sticky variety should work the same way. Ex: sona masuri or jasmine rice are okay but you need to adjust the amount of water.
• Liquid: Use the same amount of liquid as you would use to cook your plain rice. You can use water, stock or coconut milk. If using canned coconut milk or thick coconut milk, dilute it with water in 1:1 ratio else your rice can burn in the cooker.
• Spices: I use bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cardamoms and star anise. But you can also use a few more spices like the way I use in my Vegetable pulao. These include nutmeg, mace and dagad phool. This being a mild dish I opt to use fewer spices.
• Vegetables: Veggies like onions, peas and carrots are used. If you want you may omit onions here. Green beans, broccoli and cauliflower also goes well if you are using basmati rice. With other kinds of rice, cauliflower and broccoli tend to overcook due to longer cooking times.
• Aromatics: Ginger, garlic, chili, mint and coriander leaves are the aromatics not to miss here.
• For the paneer marinade, you will need ingredients like chili powder, garam masala, besan, ginger garlic and kasuri methi.

More Rice Recipes you may like
Tawa pulao
Jeera rice
Matar pulao
Carrot pulao

If you love paneer, you may check more Paneer Recipes here.

Photo Guide

Step by Step Photo Instructions

1. Rinse 1½ cups aged basmati rice thrice and optionally soak it in water for 15 mins. Meanwhile prep up the rest. Rinse 1½ cups cubed paneer to make it moist or sprinkle 1 tbsp of water. Drain the water completely. Add 

• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• pinch of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
• ¾ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp kasuri methi (for a good aroma)

2. Add 1½ tablespoon oil and mix everything well. Keep this aside as we are not cooking it with rice.

Make the Pulao

3. Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons ghee or oil. Add

• 6 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 to 4 cardamoms
• ½ teaspoon jeera or shahi jeera
• 1 star anise. I also add a bit of mace.

4. When they begin to splutter, add 1 medium sliced onions and 1 slit green chili. Saute until golden or transparent. If you like your pulao darker in color, saute onions till they turn deep golden.

5. Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.

6. Add half cup peas and half cup carrots. Saute for a minute.

7. Add 4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and 12 to 15 chopped pudina/mint leaves. Saute until the leaves smell good, for 2 mins.

8. Pour 2½ cups water if pressure cooking or 3 cups if cooking in a regular pot. Use 1¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water, if you are using Instant pot. Stir ½ teaspoon salt and taste test. It should be slightly salty.

9. Increase the flame and bring the water to a rolling boil and add the drained rice. (For the instant pot, add rice to cold water)

10. To cook in a regular pot, cook covered on a low flame until the rice is cooked through, for about 15 mins. If making in a pressure cooker, cook on a medium flame until you hear 1 whistle. If you are using a Instant Pot, pressure cook on high pressure for 5 mins and perform a quick release (release the pressure manually).

Pan Fry the Paneer

11. While the pulao cooks, heat a non-stick pan (oil not required). Fry paneer in the pan till golden and crisp. Paneer begins to smell very good. Do not over cook as they tend to turn hard. We don’t need to add oil as we added to the marinade. But if you see it becoming too dry then add a bit.

12. When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and fluff up with a fork. Let the rice cool down a bit and transfer to serving plates.

Top paneer pulao with crisp fried paneer. In the lunch box, I pack the pulao and paneer separately.

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