Veg Pulao with Fresh Green Masala

Simple ingredients. Freshly ground herbs. Proper dum cooking.
This is not bland white rice with vegetables — this is fragrant, mildly spiced, home-style Veg Pulao that stands on its own.

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🛒 Ingredients (Serves 3 | 45 mins)

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 200 g paneer (optional)

• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, potato, peas, soya beans, capsicum, mushroom — avoid beetroot)

• 2 onions (sliced)

• 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)

• 2 cloves

• 2 cardamom

• 1” cinnamon

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 2 tsp curd

• 1 tsp ghee

• 10 tsp oil

• Salt to taste

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🌿 Grind to a Smooth Green Masala

• ½ cup mint leaves

• ½ cup coriander leaves

• 4 green chilies (adjust to taste)

• 1” ginger

• 6 garlic pods

Grind into a smooth paste without adding too much water.

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👩‍🍳 Method

1️⃣ Prep the Rice
Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

2️⃣ Build the Base
In a thick-bottomed wide vessel, heat oil.
Add clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf.

Add sliced onions. Fry until light brown.
Add tomatoes and cook until soft and fully mashed.

3️⃣ Add the Green Masala
Add the ground green paste.
Cook patiently until oil separates. This step gives depth.

Add turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a minute.

4️⃣ Balance the Flavour
Add ghee, then curd.
Cook until the curd blends smoothly into the masala.

5️⃣ Vegetables & Paneer
Add mixed vegetables. Cover and cook till ¾ done.
Add paneer cubes gently. Do not overmix.

6️⃣ Rice & Water
Add soaked rice.
For every 1 cup rice, add 2 cups water.
Add salt and mix lightly.

7️⃣ Dum Cooking
Once it starts boiling, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Place a hot tawa on the stove.
Keep the pulao vessel on the tawa and cook on low flame for 20 minutes undisturbed.

Drizzle ghee before serving.

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🍽 Serve With

Cool cucumber raita or simple onion salad.

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📝 Notes

• Always use basmati rice for better aroma and texture.

• Avoid beetroot — it changes the color and flavor profile.

• Paneer breaks easily, so mix gently.

• If using a pressure cooker: after adding rice and water, cook for 3 whistles.

• Prefer crispy paneer? Lightly fry and add at the end.

• Adjust green chilies to match your spice tolerance.

Mattar Paneer

Its been over 6 months since I posted something here..... I wanna rekindle my cooking spirits and be more regular here. :)

This might not be an authentic way of cooking this dish but I will stick to this recipe for its taste and simplicity.

Mom got me this new clay pot and I love to cook in them, As clay pot are supposed enhance the flavour of the dish.

Ingrediants

Panner - 200gms
Green Peas - 1 Cup (Pressure cooked)
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 6 pods
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1tsp
Cashew Nut - 5
Badam - 5 (Peeled)
Curd -  3tsp
Clove - 2
Cinnamon - 1"
Cardamom - 1
Oil
Salt

Cooking Method

In a kadai, heat oil, add paneer cubes and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove Paneer pieces and set aside.

In a kadai, heat oil, add finely chopped onions, once onions turn translucent, add chopped ginger, garlic once they are fried, add tomatoes. Fry till oil leaves the sides and tomaotes turn pulpy. Remove this mixture from the stove, grind into a smooth paste and set aside.
Grind Badam and cashew into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add clove, cinnamon and cardamom, add the onion - tomato paste, fry on slow flame till the masala is well cooked.
Add chilli powder and coriander powder along with salt. Fry this mixture for a minute.
Add curd and mix till it blends well with the masala.
Add cashew paste and fry for a minute.
Add the cooked mattar and boil the mixture.
Finally add fried panner pieces and garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with rotis.

Cooking time : 25 min
Serves : 3