Spinach Rice with Cottage Cheese/Palak Paneer Pulav

Palak Paneer Pulav is a very healthy dish with Spinach and Cottage Cheese as the main ingredients. The dark and leafy Spinach Greens help in maintaining healthy skin, hair and bones. Spinach has Vitamins & Minerals. Cottage Cheese is rich in Protein, Calcium and Manganese. It strengthens the bones and teeth. It helps in maintaining blood Sugar. It is good for heart and it improves digestion. So, let us see how to make this healthy and tasty Palak Paneer.

Ingredients:

To prepare Rice:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup (soaked for 15 to 20 minutes)

Cumin Seed – 1 tsp

Carrot Small – 1 (cut into small cubes)

Star Anise – 1

Black Pepper Corns – 10 to 12

Green Cardoman – 6

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

Water – as required

Other Ingredients –

Oil or Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch long piece

Onion (medium sized) – 2 (sliced)

Ginger – 1 inch long piece

Green Chillies – 2

Spinach (Palak) – 1 big bunch (washed and finely chopped)

Red Chilli Powder – ¾ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) – 400 Gms

Tomato Large – 1 (deseeded and cut into small pieces)

Biriyani (Pulav Masala) – 1 tsp

Method:

Drain away the water from the soaked Rice.

Take 1 ½ litre of water in a vessel. Add Salt, Oil, Cardoman, Pepper Corns, Cumin Seeds, Star Anise and the chopped Carrots. Boil them. Once it starts boiling, add the Rice. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame and allow it to simmer for some time. Let the Rice get cooked for about 90 percent.  Drain the Rice in a colander. Cover the colander with a lid. Allow it to rest for about ten minutes. It helps the rice to become fluffy.

Cut half the amount of the Panneer (i.e. 200 Gms) into small cubes. Grate the remaining Panneer in a grata with big holes and keep them aside.

Heat the Oil or Ghee in a broad nonstick pan. Add the Cinnamon Stick and stir for few seconds. Add the sliced Onion and stir fry them for a minute in medium flame.

Crush the Ginger coarsely and add to this. Stir cook for another minute.

Add the Palak. Stir cook for a couple of minutes.

Add Salt, Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder and the Biriyani or Pulav Masala. Mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the grated Paneer and the chopped Tomato. Stir cook for a minute.

Add Paneer Cubes. Stir cook for a minute.

Add the boiled Rice. Stir gently without breaking the rice and Paneer Cubes.

Let all the ingredients combine together with the Rice. Simmer for 2 minutes in low flame.

Serve hot with Raita and pickle.

Note:

Cooking time of Rice will vary a little depending the variety of Rice.