½teaspoonred chili powderor finely chopped green chillies
½teaspooncoriander powder
¼teaspoonturmeric
1teaspoonpav bhaji masalaOR garam masala
Salt to taste
1fresh lemon
Chopped cilantrooptional
For pan-fried paneer
16rectangular pieces of paneer1-2” long
2tablespoonsmustard oilor of choice
For marinating paneer
3tablespoonyogurt
1.5teaspoonroasted besan
½teaspoongrated garlic
½teaspoonred chili powder
Pinchof turmeric
½teaspooncoriander powder
½teaspoonchaat masala
Salt to tasteonly if needed
For salad on the side
3cuppacked Spring mix
12-16Cherry Tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
For yogurt
1cupyogurtor more if desired
Pinchof paprika
Pinchof rock salt
Pinchof cumin
Instructions
Cooking Pearl Barley
Rinse barley in a fine mesh colander with water.
Add it to the inner pot of the instant pot. Now add 1 cup of water to it.
Secure the lid with the knob on sealing position.
Press Manual, High Pressure cook time 18 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally which will take more 15 minutes. Once the pin drops down, open up the lid and fluff the barley. If you suspect any water, it will soak up in minutes.
Keep aside to cool and use as needed.
Making the barley pulao.
Heat up oil in a pan. Once warm add in cumin seeds. When they splutter add in the veggies, ginger garlic paste and sautee couple of times. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally in between.
Toss in the tomatoes. Add in masalas and salt and cook until tender. Add in few tablespoons of water if needed. Cover up with a lid and cook to speed up the process. Now add in the cooked barley and stir well to coat. Cook for a minute.
Taste the pulao and adjust seasoning if needed. Top it with cilantro and add a squeeze of fresh lemon.
For making tawa paneer
Marinate paneer in yogurt spice mix for at least 20 minutes up to 2 days in the fridge.
Heat mustard oil in a non-stick pan. Now cook the pieces of paneer in a single layer on high heat, turning it mid-way and cooking on another side until golden brown. Remove the pieces from the pan and leave behind excess oil if any.
For the salad side
Toss the salad with seasoning and lemon juice.
For the yogurt.
Add the seasoning to the yogurt and mix well.
Assemble the Buddha Bowl
Add a bit of everything above components to the bowl. Enjoy the barley pulao warm with chilled yogurt, tawa paneer and salad.