Paneer fried rice is a quick and easy vegetarian Indo-Chinese recipe. It's loaded with a lot of vegetables and sauteed paneer cubes. The dish gets ready in less than 30 minutes and is a great way to use leftover rice.
Fried rice is my favorite dish to make on busy days because it's easy to make, gets ready within minutes, and always tastes good. Plus, there are so many different ways to make this simple dish that you never get bored of it.
Also, it's a great way to use leftover rice and vegetables.
Today, I am sharing one of my favorite fried rice recipes which is Paneer fried rice. It's a vegetarian Indo-Chinese style fried rice recipe that's very popular in India.
What goes in paneer fried rice?
To saute paneer cubes, the following ingredients are needed:
Other ingredients needed for making paneer fried rice are shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Paneer: Paneer is Indian cottage cheese that you can buy from the dairy or frozen food aisle of a grocery store. You can also use homemade paneer.
- Vegetables: I have used green peas, French beans, carrots, bell pepper, and sweet corn. These vegetables taste the best in fried rice. You can also use cauliflower, broccoli, or mushrooms.
- Cooked rice: Use leftover rice that's cooked at least 4-5 hours before making fried rice. A variety of rice with medium-sized grains is the best for fried rice recipes. Also, try using a less starchy variety of rice to avoid making sticky fried rice.
How to make(step-by-step instructions)?
Step 1: Put paneer cubes into a bowl. Add grated ginger, minced garlic, salt, pepper, red chili powder, garam masala, and lemon juice. Gently mix everything.
Step 2: Saute paneer cubes in some oil for 3-4 minutes. Take out in a bowl and keep aside.
Step 3: In the same pot, heat some vegetable oil. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies, and the white part of the spring onion. Saute for a minute.
Step 4: Add chopped onion and saute until it turns translucent.
Step 5: Add all the chopped vegetables. Saute on high flame for 5-6 minutes. The vegetables should get cooked but stay crunchy.
Step 6: Add salt, black pepper, soy sauce, red chili sauce, and vinegar. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.
Step 7: Add cooked rice and chopped spring onion greens. Saute on a high flame for 3-4 minutes.
Step 8: Finally, add sauteed paneer cubes and mix. Garnish with more chopped spring onion greens.
Your easy vegetarian Paneer fried rice is ready to be served.
Serving tips
Serve this paneer fried rice warm or hot with any Asian side dish. Some of the dishes that go well with it are:
How to store?
To store, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze paneer fried rice?
Yes, it can be frozen for 2-3 months in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags.
However, the paneer may turn slightly rubbery so it's better to freeze the dish without paneer. When you want to serve the dish, saute some marinated paneer cubes and add them to the fried rice once it's reheated.
Reheating tips
To reheat, either microwave for a few minutes, stirring in between, or transfer to a pan, add a few tablespoons of water, and reheat on the stove top stirring every few minutes.
If the fried rice is frozen, thaw it first before following the steps above.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Never use freshly cooked rice to make any fried rice. They break very easily on stirring. The rice should be cooked at least 4-5 hours in advance.
- For the best result, refrigerate cooked rice for at least an hour before using it in the recipe.
- Vegans may replace paneer with tofu or mushrooms.
- Use a large wok for making fried rice, it makes stir-frying easy by giving enough space to easily move the ingredients while cooking which helps them to get cooked evenly.
- Always stir fry on a high flame. It keeps the vegetables crunchy and gives a nice smoky flavor to the dish.
- Don't add salt until the vegetables get cooked otherwise they will start releasing water and won't remain crunchy.
- As stir-frying is done on a high flame, keep all the ingredients ready and near the stove.
- Drizzle some toasted sesame oil on top when the dish is ready. It will give the fried rice a nice nutty flavor.
- If you prefer spicier food, add some chili oil.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use frozen vegetables if you are in a hurry. However, fresh vegetables remain more crunchy and taste better in the dish.
Use a less starchy medium-sized grain of rice. I prefer using jasmine rice to make fried rice.
More, easy paneer recipes
If you like paneer and looking for more ways to cook paneer then the following recipes are worth checking:
Other Indian-style rice recipes
Want to try more Indian-style rice recipes? Don't miss checking the following links:
If you try any of my recipes, please rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it on the recipe card and also leave your feedback in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and subscribe to my youtube channel.
Recipe
Paneer fried rice
Equipment
- 1 large wok or skillet
Ingredients
Ingredients for sauteeing paneer
- 1.5 cups paneer cubes
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil/ any cooking oil of choice
Other ingredients needed
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups chopped vegetables French beans, carrot, bell pepper, green peas, and sweet corn kernels
- 1 medium-sized onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- 2-3 stalks of spring onion chop and keep white and green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon red chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Put paneer cubes into a bowl. Add ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, red chili powder, garam masala, and lemon juice. Gently mix everything.
- Heat oil in a cooking pot with a flat base. Add paneer cubes and saute for 3-4 minutes on a medium flame. Take out in a bowl and keep aside.
- In the same pot, heat around 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies, and white part of spring onion. Saute for a minute.
- Add chopped onion and cook until the onion turns translucent.
- Add all the vegetables and saute on a high flame for 5-6 minutes. The vegetables should get cooked but stay crunchy.
- Add salt, black pepper, soy sauce, red chili sauce, and vinegar. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.
- Next, add cooked rice and chopped spring onion greens. Saute on high flame for 3-4 minutes or until everything gets mixed nicely.
- Finally, add sauteed paneer cubes and mix.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens.
Video
Notes
- For making any fried rice, always use rice that has been cooked at least 4-5 hours in advance, preferably refrigerated too for a few hours. Never use freshly cooked rice otherwise it will turn mushy.
- Stir fry vegetables and rice on a high flame.
- Don't add salt until the vegetables are cooked otherwise they will start releasing water and won't remain crunchy.
- Feel free to add other vegetables of your choice like broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, etc.
- Vegans may make this dish with firm tofu.
- More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
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