Paneer Vegetable Pulao
Amuse-Bouche
Recipe Style: Flavor-packed, crispy Indian comfort food
Prep Time: 3 hours (mostly passive rice-soaking and Never Have I Ever binging)
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Dietary Notes: Vegetarian / Gluten-Free
Being God’s perfect idiot, I didn’t appreciate rice until I was well into adulthood.
It was on the table every night growing up - steamed basmati with a little salt - and it never appealed to me because it was so…blank.
Try it with curry? No. I’ll have curry and rotli.
Try it with dal? No. I’ll have dal and rotli.
Try it with yogurt/curd? No. Yuck. No. I’ll just starve.
God, I was an impossible child. I have no idea how Mom put up with me. I am so grateful Will isn’t like this.
When I started cooking for myself and family, I realized that rice didn’t have to be plain.
It could have various flavors and textures and basically, be my favorite thing ever - a giant fucking bowl of deliciousness that I can eat while sitting on the couch, binge-watching Justified.
Yes, it’s far more labor-intensive to make this than plain white rice but it’s also really good.
This is my starter recipe - you can fuck with it as you see fit. Roast the veggies, throw in a little amchur, drizzle with tamarind chutney and pomegranate seeds. Make it yours. Have fun.
Ingredients
Mouthy Girl Pro-Tip: I used frozen veggies and picked out all of the lima beans because lima beans are trash. Use whatever you have or like - peas, carrots, corn, green beans, cauliflower - just keep the garbage beans out of it.
The Foundation
Basmati Rice: 1.5 cups
Water: 3 cups
Butter: 5 tablespoons (divided)
Onion: 1 medium-sized, chopped
Paneer: 1 8oz block, chopped into small cubes (Buy it at the Indian store or get real fancy and make it yourself like a bad-ass Indian Mom/cheesemonger).
The Produce
Mixed Vegetables: 1.5 cups (minus the lima beans, obviously)
Red Bell Pepper: 1/2 cup, chopped
Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce: 1/4 cup, chopped
The Spices & Aromatics
Ginger-Chili Paste: 2 teaspoons (If your mom won’t make it for you, buy it at the Indian store or blitz equal parts ginger and serrano chilis in a food processor).
Cumin Seeds: 2 teaspoons (Cumin is the workhorse of the masala dabba. Yes, you need both the seeds and the ground version).
Ground Cumin: 1 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds: 2 teaspoons
Turmeric Powder: 2 teaspoons
Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
Chili Powder: To taste
Salt: To taste
The Garnish
Slivered Almonds / Roasted Cashews: To taste
Desiccated Coconut: To taste
Directions
Step 1: The Rice
Soak your rice for three hours in cold water.
Mouthy Girl Sidebar: Watch Never Have I Ever while you wait. Team Daxton all the way. Dude totally gave me Dylan McKay/Jake Ryan vibes in Season 2 and I am here for it.
Wash and drain the rice until the water runs clear. This helps remove any excess starch which will make your rice all claggy and shit. No one wants that.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on low heat in a pot.
Add the drained rice and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently until it gets that great toasty, nutty smell. Increase the heat to medium, add 3 cups of water, a teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Cook for 10 minutes or until done.
You’ll know when it’s done because all of the water will be absorbed and you will hear the voice of your ancestors yelling at you to switch off the damn stove or the rice will be ruined.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool in a large bowl.
Step 2: The Aromatics
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on low heat.
Stir in the ginger-chili paste until it's fully melted into the butter.
Add your cumin seeds and mustard seeds and wait until they start popping and spluttering.
Mouthy Girl Warning: Be careful when they pop. I have a shitload of freckles on my neck and I’m like, 67% convinced they’re not freckles but rather projectile mustard and cumin seeds that just permanently embedded themselves in my body.
Add the onions and cook for five minutes.
Add the remaining turmeric powder and stir until the onions are golden and glistening.
Throw in some slivered almonds and desiccated coconut and stir.
Your kitchen probably smells amazing right now.
Cook on low heat until the onions are translucent.
Let it flow, let yourself go, slow and low and that is the tempo.
Shout out and endless love to the Beastie Boys.
Step 3: Don’t Listen To My Dad; Paneer Should Be Crispy
Some people like soft paneer, and those people are wrong. Paneer should be crispy and chewy, like a good halloumi.
Increase the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of butter.
Add your cubed paneer and cook until golden brown. This is gonna require lots of stirring, flipping, and making sure the cubes are browned on all sides.
Mouthy Girl Sidebar: Did you guys know there’s a place in Camden Market called Oli Baba’s that does halloumi fries? Why isn’t this a global phenomenon? They need to franchise as aggressively as Starbucks.
Step 4: Bring It All Together
Add the red peppers and the rest of the vegetables, give them a quick stir, and cook for about five minutes.
Add the tomatoes and stir, followed by the coriander powder, ground cumin, and chili powder.
Taste it.
It probably needs salt.
Chuck some salt in there.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
Take your now-cooled rice and add it to the pan, mixing until the veggies, rice, and paneer are beautifully incorporated.
Melt your final 2 tablespoons of butter, pour it over the rice mixture, and stir again.
Mouthy Girl Pro-Tip: Increase the heat to high and cook for exactly two minutes. I happen to like dry, ultra-crispy rice at the bottom. Remove from heat and garnish with more slivered almonds and desiccated coconut.
