The Paneer Fried Rice recipe is an easy and delicious Indian Chinese-style fried rice dish made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), vegetables, cooked basmati rice, and some sauces. This Paneer veg fried rice is Vegetarian, Gluten-free, and kid-approved!
Comfort foods have a way of making us feel better, no matter how tired we are. Dishes like khichdi, bisi bele bath, veg pulao, curd rice, always bring warmth and satisfaction. Another favorite that we love is fried rice.
Vegetable fried rice is always a crowd-pleaser, whether made traditionally or with your own twist. You can elevate its taste with different variations like burnt garlic rice, mushroom fried rice, Thai basil fried rice, and more. Today, we’re sharing a delicious fried rice recipe that uses paneer; it's called Paneer Fried Rice.
I marinated the paneer chunks in this recipe with red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, and oil.
Ingredients
- Paneer: Use fresh homemade or store-bought paneer.
- Rice: Use long-grain, fragrant rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice to make fried rice.
- Onion: I prefer to use the white part of spring onions or scallions. You can also use sweet onion.
- Garlic and ginger: Use freshly minced garlic and ginger for the best flavor.
- Vegetables: I used carrots, bell pepper, and green beans, in this recipe. You may add other veggies like green peas, sweet corn, broccoli, and mushrooms.
- Soy sauce: I used light soy sauce. If you want it gluten-free, you can use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Vinegar: I like to add white vinegar (or rice vinegar), as it adds a slight tang to the rice and elevates the flavors.
How to Make Paneer Vegetable Fried Rice
Step-by-step recipe to make paneer fried rice:
Step 1: Prep
Cook 1 cup of basmati rice and let it cool completely. Learn how to cook Basmati rice in Instant Pot. If you prefer, you can keep the cooked rice in the refrigerator to get extra-firm rice. You can also use leftover rice for this recipe.
Also, chop the vegetables and keep them ready.
Step 2: Marinate & Fry Paneer
Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes (you should get about 1 cup for this recipe). Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder, salt, ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, and 1 teaspoon oil. Mix everything well. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Note: Spicing up the paneer enhances the taste; however, you can skip this step and just fry the plain paneer in oil and add it to the fried rice.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add marinated paneer cubes. Saute for 4-5 minutes until paneer turns golden brown on all sides. Remove them from the pan and keep aside. You can also air fryer paneer to get the best results.
Step 3: Stir Fry
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and saute for a few seconds.
Then add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger and 1-2 green chili (finely chopped) and saute for another few seconds.
Next, add ½ cup white spring onions and saute on high for about a minute till the onions are slightly soft.
Add 1 ½ cups of chopped mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, bell peppers) and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat till they are tender and crisp. Do not overcook the veggies.
Add the cooked basmati rice, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Gently toss the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through.
Finally, add sauteed paneer, and garnish with ¼ cup spring onion greens. Toss everything well.
Serve Indian Style paneer vegetable fried rice hot with a side of gobi manchurian.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve paneer fried rice on its own, or it tastes great when paired with Indo-Chinese side dishes like sweet corn soup, gobi manchurian, or vegetable hakka noodles.
Storage Suggestions
- Store: Allow it to cool completely, and store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheat: Sprinkle some water and reheat the paneer fried rice in a wok or skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it for a few seconds until it warms through.
Tips to Make the Best Paneer Rice
- Pre-cooked Rice: Use cold pre-cooked (or a day older) rice, It holds up the shape and is perfect for homemade fried rice.
- Marinate the Paneer: Make sure to marinate paneer cubes with red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, and some oil for 15-20 minutes before frying in oil. This helps to enhance the flavor of the paneer.
- Stir-fry on High heat: Always stir-fry the vegetables on high heat to get crispy veggies.
- Gluten-free: Try to use low-sodium soy sauce, and if you are looking for gluten-free, use Tamari or also Coconut Aminos to replace the regular soy sauce, and it’s the best!
Variations
- Rice: You can use either basmati or jasmine rice, in this recipe. The rice-to-water ratio will vary for each rice type. For example, for basmati (1 rice:1 ¼ water), and jasmine rice (1 rice:1 ¼ water).
- Protein: You can also use either crumbled paneer (Indian cottage cheese), scrambled or air fried crispy tofu, or eggs.
- Spicy: You can add some schezwan sauce to make schezwan paneer fried rice.
- Other Vegetables: You can also add green peas, broccoli, edamame, and mushrooms.
Paneer Fried Rice (Indo Chinese Style)
Ingredients
To Cook Basmati Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 ¼ cups water (depends on the rice)
For Marinating Paneer
- 1 cup paneer (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon oil
For Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ cup white onion springs chopped
- 1-2 green chili finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, bell peppers) finely diced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup green onions
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons green onions
Instructions
Prep:
- Cook the basmati rice and let it cool completely. Learn how to cook Basmati rice in Instant Pot. You can keep the cooked rice in the refrigerator to get extra-firm rice if you prefer. You can also use leftover rice for this recipe.
- Also, chop the vegetables and keep them ready.
Marinate & Fry Paneer
- Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes. Add some red chili powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste and oil. Mix everything well. Marinate for 15 minutes.Note: Spicing up the paneer enhances the taste, however you can skip and just fry the plain paneer in oil and add it to the fried rice.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add marinated paneer cubes. Saute for 4-5 minutes until paneer turns golden brown on all sides. Remove them from the pan and keep aside. You can also roast the paneer in the Air Fryer.
Stir Fry:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and saute for a few seconds.
- Then add ginger, green chili, and saute for another few seconds.
- Next, add white spring onions and saute on high for about a minute till the onions are slightly soft.
- Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat till they are tender and crisp. Do not overcook the veggies.
- Add the cooked basmati rice, light soy sauce, white vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Gently toss the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through.
- Finally, add sauteed paneer, and garnish with spring onion greens. Toss everything well.
- Serve Indian Style paneer fried rice hot with a side of Gobi Manchurian.
Notes
-
- Pre-cooked Rice: Use cold pre-cooked (or a day older) rice, It holds up the shape and is perfect for homemade fried rice.
- Marinate the Paneer: Make sure to marinate paneer cubes with red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, and some oil for 15-20 minutes before frying in oil. This helps to enhance the flavor of the paneer.
- Stir-fry on High heat: Always stir-fry the vegetables on high heat to get crispy veggies.
- Gluten-free: Try to use low-sodium soy sauce, and if you are looking for gluten-free, use Tamari or also Coconut Aminos to replace the regular soy sauce, and it’s the best!
Variations
-
- Rice: You can use either basmati or jasmine rice, in this recipe. The rice-to-water ratio will vary for each rice type. For example, for basmati (1 rice:1 ¼ water), and jasmine rice (1 rice:1 ¼ water).
- Other Vegetables: You can also add green peas, broccoli, edamame, and mushrooms.
- Spicy: You can add some schezwan sauce to make schezwan paneer fried rice.
- Protein: You can also use either crumbled paneer (Indian cottage cheese), scrambled or air fried crispy tofu, or eggs.
Nutrition
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