Paneer Pulao in Instant Pot

Paneer Pulao (also known as Spiced Rice with Indian cheese) is very easy to make in the Instant Pot and here I explain fool proof way to cook large amount of pulao with separate grains of rice and no mushiness. Usually for potlucks if we are preparing rice items like Pulao or Biryani we often afraid that we may overcook basmati rice, honestly I fear this a lot because we are making large quantities and if it fails then we are in big trouble. So let me assure you that if you follow the steps properly then you will get perfectly cooked basmati rice.

You may call this paneer pulao or paneer biryani , of course since I am not cooking this the traditional way of how biryani is cooked I will call it simply Paneer pulao. Whatever you may call it, it doesn’t compromise in taste or flavor.

Also in this simple recipe there is no marination needed for paneer, awesome isn’t it. So you can make this instantly without marinating. But if you have time then you can marinate the paneer for 1 to 2 hrs. I will tell below how to marinate paneer incase you are marinating it. You can choose to pre soak the basmati rice or not, completely your choice.

Paneer Pulao makes an awesome potluck dish, perfect for busy nights or even for a Saturday lunch special. Paneer is very nutritious with healthy fats and protein which will satiate you fuller for longer. Pair this Paneer pulao with homemade yogurt raitha and I am sure that your family will love it.

One trick I do making Pulao’s and Biryani’s is once the cooking is done, all the whole spices float on top which I remove with a spoon. This is  to avoid unpleasant biting into whole spice and I am sure that our family will appreciate it. Sometimes I also use a steel tea strainer bag to keep all the spices in and remove the bag after cooking. It all depends on my mood but either way I try to pick all the whole spices so that my family can enjoy the pulao without having to pick or search for the spices every bite, of course there is nothing wrong in it to leave the spices in the pulao.

This pulao is mildly spiced so that kids also can enjoy it , if for some reason your pulao turns out spicy make sure you have enough raitha to calm down your mouth and stomach. Keep the rice covered until serving as the rice can loose its moisture and becomes dry if exposed to air.

You can also serve pulao with salan, chicken curry, tomato gravy etc and papad/fryums of choice; makes a great combo and wholesome meal. :). 

Along with Paneer you are welcome to add any vegetables like peas , carrots or beans etc. 

If you want to marinate Paneer then cut the Paneer into cubes, add yogurt 3 tbsps + 1 tsp garam masala + 1 tsp red chili powder + salt + cumin powder + corainder powder  2 tsps . Mix well and marinate for 1 to 2 hours or more if desired. Since there will be moisture from yogurt adjust the amount of water adding for cooking.

For Stove top :

Follow the same instructions below in a wide saute pan with lid till STEP 10. After that transfer the mixture to a rice cooker and follow the rest of the instructions. 

For Instant Pot:

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Check out the Video recipe here for step by step instructions :