The meaning of comfort food varies from person to person and for me it invariably involves 'rice'. The variety of recipes that can be made with our humble grain - sometimes seems just endless. The minute I declare one as my absolute favourite, a new dish pops up and becomes a perfect week night dinner.
...continuing my quest of posting only 'naturally green colored' recipes this week (Click here to know why), here is one such pulao which am sure will appeal to all. The added goodness of greens makes it nutritious and corn kernels with tiny paneer cubes gives it a nice body & crunch. You wouldn't need any other side dish as accompaniment. Serve it with any cool raita and Enjoy!
Adapted from Tasty Touch
Ingredients:
Greens used for this recipe: 4 cups spinach (palak), 1/2 cup mint (pudina) leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cups uncooked rice, (I used sona masoori, basamati would be the ideal choice) soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 cup paneer, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 bay leaves
1" cinnamon stick
2 cloves (lavangalu)
1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder (or) 1/4 tsp each of cumin powder & coriander powder
2 tbsp oil
Preparation:
1. Blanch Spinach: Fill a large pot with water, bring it to boil, add spinach and blanch for not more than 30 seconds, until they turn brilliant green. Using a slotted spoon remove the spinach and plunge into a bowl of cold water, to retain their color. Squeeze out all the excess water. Keep aside. Don't throw away the liquid, we will use it later.
2. Grind together - blanched spinach, mint, coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger with little water into a smooth paste.
3. Heat about a tsp of oil in a pan and fry paneer pieces into slightly golden color. Set aside.
4. In a same pan, add rest of oil and add bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves. Fry for couple of minutes on low-medium flame until fragrant. Add corn kernels and spinach paste. Cook for few minutes until the raw taste disappears.
5. Add rice, salt and cumin-coriander powder. Gently mix everything. Add in 4 cups of boiling water. Cook until rice is completely cooked. Note: Alternatively, you can put everything and cook in a rice cooker.
6. Finally toss paneer cubes into the pulao. Serve with raita.
Here is what other FSB members have posted until now -
Mittu - Blueberry and Lavender Cream Pie [Violet]
Nags - Easy Basic Cake Pops [Blue]
DK - Risotto Alla Milanese [Yellow]
Deepti - Citrus Golden Sangria [Orange]
Lata - White and kidney beans falafels and spicy hot vandikkaran chutney, Filled and Grilled Red Peppers, Jam and Fruit Tart [Red]
Just 3 days left for this season's holiday give away to end. Check out these and enter today - One for peeps in India and other for US residents. You may be the lucky reader who either wins a year long subscription for BBC Good Food Magazine (or) the 75th anniversary edition of the very classic 'Joy Of Cooking' cookbook. Last Date to leave a comment - December 31st 2011, midnight (IST). Winners will be announced on January 1st 2012. :-)
Be the first one to know what I am going to post next by "Liking" Cooking With Siri page on Facebook and follow me on twitter.
until next time,
...continuing my quest of posting only 'naturally green colored' recipes this week (Click here to know why), here is one such pulao which am sure will appeal to all. The added goodness of greens makes it nutritious and corn kernels with tiny paneer cubes gives it a nice body & crunch. You wouldn't need any other side dish as accompaniment. Serve it with any cool raita and Enjoy!
{Recipe} Hara Bhara Paneer Pulao
Adapted from Tasty Touch
Ingredients:
Greens used for this recipe: 4 cups spinach (palak), 1/2 cup mint (pudina) leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cups uncooked rice, (I used sona masoori, basamati would be the ideal choice) soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 cup paneer, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 bay leaves
1" cinnamon stick
2 cloves (lavangalu)
1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder (or) 1/4 tsp each of cumin powder & coriander powder
2 tbsp oil
Preparation:
1. Blanch Spinach: Fill a large pot with water, bring it to boil, add spinach and blanch for not more than 30 seconds, until they turn brilliant green. Using a slotted spoon remove the spinach and plunge into a bowl of cold water, to retain their color. Squeeze out all the excess water. Keep aside. Don't throw away the liquid, we will use it later.
2. Grind together - blanched spinach, mint, coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger with little water into a smooth paste.
3. Heat about a tsp of oil in a pan and fry paneer pieces into slightly golden color. Set aside.
4. In a same pan, add rest of oil and add bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves. Fry for couple of minutes on low-medium flame until fragrant. Add corn kernels and spinach paste. Cook for few minutes until the raw taste disappears.
5. Add rice, salt and cumin-coriander powder. Gently mix everything. Add in 4 cups of boiling water. Cook until rice is completely cooked. Note: Alternatively, you can put everything and cook in a rice cooker.
6. Finally toss paneer cubes into the pulao. Serve with raita.
Here is what other FSB members have posted until now -
Mittu - Blueberry and Lavender Cream Pie [Violet]
Nags - Easy Basic Cake Pops [Blue]
DK - Risotto Alla Milanese [Yellow]
Deepti - Citrus Golden Sangria [Orange]
Lata - White and kidney beans falafels and spicy hot vandikkaran chutney, Filled and Grilled Red Peppers, Jam and Fruit Tart [Red]
2011 Holiday Give Away(s)
Just 3 days left for this season's holiday give away to end. Check out these and enter today - One for peeps in India and other for US residents. You may be the lucky reader who either wins a year long subscription for BBC Good Food Magazine (or) the 75th anniversary edition of the very classic 'Joy Of Cooking' cookbook. Last Date to leave a comment - December 31st 2011, midnight (IST). Winners will be announced on January 1st 2012. :-)
Be the first one to know what I am going to post next by "Liking" Cooking With Siri page on Facebook and follow me on twitter.
until next time,
Made palak pulao minus the corn and paneer last week.. tried it for the first time and got the appreciation of the house... shall try this next time i buy paneer and corn kernels...
ReplyDeleteWow Siri, that looks yummy and tempting. Loved it :)
ReplyDeleteLooks super delicious. I would love to give it a try :)
ReplyDeleteVery delicious and healthy recipe.. Chala chala bagundi :)
ReplyDeleteI make something like this - rice cooker is saviour for me, to keep the grains perfectly cooked !
ReplyDeleteSiri! This rice looks good! I've been making your brinjal chutney a lot ... I think this will be the next item added to my list!
ReplyDeletelove that vibrant green! paneer in pulav is such a fab idea too :)
ReplyDeleteAttractive doesn't even describe this dish. Stunning is more like it. Loved the recipe!
ReplyDelete