Kasundi Paneer Herbed Rice
1 hour 15 minutes
Indian
Serves: 8
Get ready for Earth Day with the beautiful earth tones of Kasundi Paneer Herbed Rice — a playful twist on classic Bengali flavors, this rice dish features paturi-inspired veggies and paneer layered in between herby rice! Made with a silbatta for extra love, this one is a love letter to Kolkata and its tantalizing Bengali flavors!
Ingredients
Herbed Rice:
- 1 1/2 cups Royal Basmati Rice, cooked with salt and whole spices
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp dill, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp ghee
Kasundi Mustard Marinade:
- 1 inch ginger
- 7-8 garlic, peeled
- 3 green chilies
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp melon seeds (magaz)
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup water, for grinding
- 6 tsp shredded coconut, fresh or frozen
Kasundi Vegetables:
- 10-14 squares paneer, more depending on your serving dish
- 2 1/2 cups mixed vegetables, of your choice; I have used cauliflower, carrot, green beans, and bell pepper
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Kasundi Mustard Gravy:
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 garam masala
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 green chilies slit
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup peas
- 1/4 cup cream
- Mustard oil , for grilling the paneer
Assembly:
- 2 tsp dried rose petals
- 8-10 mint leaves, torn
- 1/4 cup saffron milk, milk mixed with 7-8 saffron strands
Garnish:
- Ghee
- Fried onions (birista)
- Cilantro, finely chopped
Preparation
- Cook your rice with salt and whole spices (1 bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamon sticks, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 3 cloves, 1 inch mace/javitri, 1 star anise). Then drain the water and discard the whole spices. Let it cool down for 30 mins.
- For the Kasundi Mustard Marinade, grind together the ginger, garlic, green chili, black and yellow mustard, melon seeds, poppy seeds, and water until everything is coarsely crushed. Then, add in the shredded coconut and continue grinding until it turns into a smooth paste.
- Cover the paneer and vegetables in 2-3 tbsp of marinade along with mustard oil and salt. Give it a mix and make sure everything is evenly coated.
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan, and add in the whole spices, cumin seeds, and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and a little browned. Then, add in the rest of the marinade. Stir continuously and let it cook until the oil separates. If it starts sticking to the pan, add 2 tbsp of water.
- Add in your yogurt and spices. Again, stir continuously until it comes to a boil and then cook and cover for about 5 minutes until the oil separates.
- Next, add in the marinated vegetables to the gravy along with water and green chilies. Cook it covered for at least 7-8 minutes until everything is fully cooked through. Finally, top it off with peas and cream and give everything a good mix.
- In a separate pan, heat mustard oil and cook the paneer on both sides until the paneer is slightly brown. Don’t overcook it, otherwise it will become hard.
- For the Herbed Rice, in a pan, heat the ghee on medium heat. Add in your rice and give it a good mix. Then, add your herbs and spices and toss the rice. Take it off the stove to cool.
- To assemble, using a 8-inch ring mold, add in a base layer of the Herbed Rice. Then, add in the kasundi vegetables and, on top of that, the grilled paneer. Top that off with rose petals, mint leaves, and saffron milk. Cover with a final layer of Herbed Rice and a splash of saffron milk.
- Cover it and, when you are ready to serve, warm up the rice (based on your preferred method):
Oven: put the rice into the oven at 350℉ / 175℃ for 15-20 minutes until it is fully warmed.
Stovetop: on the stove, you can put the ring mold in a heavy bottom pan or on top of a tawa and heat on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Microwave: if you have assembled the rice in a microwave-safe dish then you can warm it up in a microwave too for 3-5 minutes depending on the quantity of rice. - Once done, garnish it with ghee, fried onions, cilantro and optionally, you can smoke it as well using a coal and 1/4 tsp ghee. Your Kasundi Paneer Herbed Rice is ready, enjoy!
