Paneer Pulav

Rice is a staple in any South Indian household....and there are several ways in which it is cooked and eaten. Sometimes, however, you just crave for a rice that does not overshadow your other dishes....something that just gently blends in with the rest of the menu, a dish that is fragrant and delicious...but not overpoweringly so....
Here's one such recipe....

What you need:
Basmati rice - 1 cup (Soak in plenty of water for 1 hour and then drain and keep aside)
Paneer pieces - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 1/4 cups
ghee - 2 tsp
Salt
Star anise - 1
Clove - 4
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cardamom - 4 pods
Garlic - 2 pods, peeled and minced
Onion - 1, chopped fine
Green chilli - 1, minced

Powder the spices (anise,clove,cinnamon and cardamom) coarsely and transfer them to a large microwaveable bowl. Add a tsp of ghee to it and heat for 1 minute and 30 seconds on high.
Now add the chopped onion, garlic and green chillies and heat for 2 minutes or until the onion turns a nice brown. Stir in the rice and the remaining ghee. Microwave for 1 minute.
Add water and cook at 850 watts for 8 minutes. Add paneer pieces. Then lower the power to 650 watts and cook for another 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Let it stand for a few minutes before serving with any raita/curry of your choice.

Paneer pulav served with baby bittergourd fry and cucumber raita.

I discovered baby bittergourds recently on a trip to the vegetable market....and I must say I love them. They are nice to look at, but to me, the best part is that there's no chopping/prepping involved. Just wash them and throw them into a kadai....with some salt, oil and red chilli powder. Stir once in a while until it is crisp and brown. Now, that's easy, isn't it???

This is my entry to Srivalli's MEC-Rice.
The baby bittergourd fry goes to Pooja's Veggie of the Week event.