Banana Leaf Rice Parcels
60 minutes
Indian / Indian Fusion
Serves 6
These Banana Leaf Rice Parcels are a cozy, comforting meal made for slow, satisfying moments. Fragrant Royal Basmati Rice is layered with thick tuvar dal and a simple gajar matar and paneer sabzi, then gently warmed in banana leaf to bring all the flavors together. Finished with a drizzle of ghee and served alongside hot kadhi, the dish feels warm, nourishing, and perfect for sharing. Made with Royal Basmati Rice grown in India, each long, aromatic grain cooks up light, fluffy, and beautifully separate.
Ingredients
For Rice:
- 1 cup rice, washed and soaked for 10 mins
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon sticks
- 2 green cardamoms
- salt, to taste
Thick Dal:
- 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas lentils), washed & soaked for 3-4 hours
- 2½-3 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Veggies:
- 2 cups carrots, cut into cubes and boiled till al dente
- 1 cup peas, boiled till al dente
Paneer Marinade:
- 2 tsp mustard oil
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp mango powder (amchur)
- pinch turmeric powder
- pinch garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- salt, to taste
Masala Paneer:
- 2 cups paneer, cut in cubes
- 1 tsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp black and white sesame seeds
Cashews-Poppy Paste:
- 7-8 cashews, soaked
- 2 tsp poppy seeds, soaked
- 2 tbsp water
Gravy Base:
- 2 1/2 tbsp mustard oil, or ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaves
- 1/2 inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
- 1 cup onions, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic green chili paste
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, roughly ground or grated
- 1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) , crushed
- 2 tsp kasoori methi, crushed
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup water, as needed
- 1/4 tsp garam masala, for finishing
- 1 tbsp sour cream, or cream for finishing
Parcels:
- banana leaf, cut into 6 square pieces
- 1 tsp mustard oil, for warming
- 1 tbsp water, for warming
Garnish:
- cilantro, finely chopped
- green chilies, sliced
- lemon wedges
- ghee, for drizzling
Preparation
Cook the Rice:
- Cook your rice with salt and whole spices Then drain the water and discard the whole spices. Keep it aside.
Prepare the Dal:
- Cook the dal with water, salt, and turmeric until soft but thick. This can be done in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop. Keep it aside.
Prepare the Masala Paneer:
- Mix all the marinade ingredients and coat the paneer well. Keep it for 15 mins.
- Then saute the paneer on medium flame with mustard oil and sesame seeds until lightly done.
Peas-Carrot-Paneer Sabzi:
- Grid cashews, poppy seeds with water into a fine paste.
- In a pan on medium heat, add in your mustard oil or ghee until it just begins to smoke lightly. Add in your whole spices – cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves and hing.
- Once the cumin starts crackling, add in your onions with ginger-garlic-green chili paste, and saute until they turn translucent.
- Then add crushed tomatoes, cashew-poppy paste, and all the spices. Cook covered, adding a little water if needed, until the gravy comes together and the oil begins to separate.
- Add peas and carrots along with the masala paneer. Mix gently, sprinkle in garam masala, and add 1 tablespoon sour cream or cream. Let everything come together, then turn off the heat. The sabzi is ready.
Prepare Banana Leaves:
- Wash and wipe the banana leaf clean. Cut into 6 square pieces. Warm each piece over an open flame or pan until soft and pliable.
Assemble the Parcels:
- Place a banana leaf on a flat surface and add the following layers – sabzi, rice, thick dal, more sabzi and more rice. Finish with 1 to 2 pieces of paneer and top it off with a slice of green chili.
- Fold and secure with a toothpick or kitchen thread. Repeat to make 6 parcels.
Warm the Parcels:
- Heat a pan with mustard oil and water.
- Place the parcels, cover, and warm gently on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, until heated through and aromatic.
Serve:
- Open the parcels just before serving and drizzle some ghee.
- Serve them hot, best paired with kadhi for a comforting winter meal.
