Paneer fried rice is quick to make and has intense flavors with just simple ingredients available at home. Let's see how to make this Indian style dish even without aji-no-moto!
Easy, healthy with perfect balance of rice, pepper and capsicum along the paneer and other spices. Perfect for lunch box or filling one pot meal if you are looking for a quick fix.
Check out this Paneer paratha recipe in my website and also easy paneer ghee roast recipe.
One of my blog readers requested for paneer fried rice recipe similar to the one they serve in restaurant Saravana bhavan.
Sadly I have never tasted that. I wanted to taste once and then post the recipe, but we rarely go there and never got a chance to taste.
So I had no idea how they make, but thought of testing paneer fried rice recipe on my own.
I just made paneer fried rice like the regular fried rice without much veggies and with scrambled paneer. And the out come is a big hit!
Aj and Vj both ate silently and finished quickly, which means this is the best and more over, it is easy!.
Do try this easy recipe for your lunch box or to surprise your guests. They will be sure taking time to guess the ingredients😉.
As I always love to eat variety rice, I tried to just incorporate paneer in the fried rice I usually make. It's added proteins and looks tempting too.
A lot of recipes say to add chopped paneer, so I wanted to do something different from that.
Tips
Can paneer fried rice be reheated?
I would suggest to consume freshly or as such. If you are packing for lunch yes, you can warm it in microwave oven. Do not heat until hot, just heat until warm to avoid discoloring of veggies and paneer turning rubbery.
Which rice can be used?
I love basmati rice as it is fragrant. You can use any type of rice, just make sure it to be separate grains.
Which Paneer works best?
Fresh paneer works best as it is soft and moist. But frozen paneer can also be used just don't forget to soak in hot water prior cooking to soften it.
Take a note that paneer turns rubbery when it is over cooked, so make sure not to over cook.
Secret for perfect rice texture: Refrigerate after separating the grains! For that reason, leftover rice also works best.
How to make paneer fried rice - step by step
- Wash & soak basmati rice firstly for minimum 10 mins and cook it with water ratio 1 : 1 & ½ for 3 whistles.
- Cool down by either fluffing gently with ladle once or twice to loosen the grains. Or, invert over a plate and break the big mass. Drizzle some oil over. Once cooled, separate the grains. Keep a side.
- Meanwhile, boil water and keep the paneer immersed for 10 minutes. Then drain and crumble it roughly to use it in fried rice.
- Chop carrot and capsicum finely. I chopped white part of spring onion and green part separately. Heat oil in a pan and add the spring onion firstly. Fry for a minute.
- Add carrot and cook for 30 secs, add sugar while you fry, then add capsicum and cook furthermore for another 30 secs.
- Always fry in high flame. You can toss to get a smoky flavour that comes when it catches fire and gets fried while tossing. If you are not comfortable, no need to do that, just fry in high flame.
- Add pepper and give a quick stir. Add crumbled paneer lastly.
- Garnish with the green part of the spring onion and required salt. Mix well.
- Now add the cooked rice and mix properly until rice gets fried and you hear the crackling sound. Switch off the flame.
Serve paneer fried rice hot with any masala gravy or Indo Chinese side. We had with Aloo bhindi masala and it was yummy! perfect lunch 🙂
Recipe card
Paneer fried rice recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Basmati rice
- 1.5 cups Paneer cubes
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Capsicum
- 1 bunch Spring onion 5 sprigs
- 1 teaspoon Pepper crushed
- ¾ teaspoon Sugar
- Salt - As needed
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Wash & soak basmati rice firstly for 10 mins minimum and cook it with water ratio 1 : 1 & ½ for 3 whistles.
- After that, cool down the rice by either fluffing it gently or inverting over a plate. Drizzle some sesame oil over. Keep a side.
- Meanwhile, boil water and keep the paneer immersed for 10 minutes. Then drain from water and crumble it roughly.
- Chop carrot and capsicum finely. I chopped white part of spring onion and green part separately.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the spring onion. Fry for 30 secs. Add carrot and fry for 30 secs, add sugar while you fry, then add capsicum and fry for another 30 secs. Always fry in high flame.
- You can toss to get a smoky flavour that comes when it catches fire while tossing. If you are not comfortable, no need to do that, just fry in high flame.
- Add pepper and give a quick stir. I added crumbled paneer lastly.
- Garnish with the green part of the spring onion and required salt. Mix well.
- Now add the cooked rice and mix properly until rice gets fried and you hear the crackling sound. Switch off the flame.
Notes
- You can keep the rice in fridge to maintain the shape of the rice without breaking it.
- Add veggies of your choice along. Or even you can make it plain without veggies. Just onion and paneer.
- You can add some sauces like chilli, tomato and soy sauces while you add pepper. Add 1 teaspoon each.
- The crumbling part is up to your wish, like you can crumble finely or roughly too. Depends on which texture you want.
Recipe world
Yummy fried rice..looks so rich with the addition of paneer!
Veena Theagarajan
So Yummy and all in one option for kids lunch box
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
jeyashrisuresh
Super tempting and yummy fried rice. Will give it a try soon. Love the idea of scrambled panner
Sangeetha Nambi
Inviting colorful rice raji... Yummy !!!
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
Vimitha Anand
Tempting n yummy fried rice dear
Sowmya Karthy
very colorful and mouthwatering. Nice clicks
Sowmya
http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/
Jay
soooper tempting & flavorful recipe
Tasty Appetite
Aarthi
yummy fried rice..will try it soon
Valarmathi Sanjeev
Yummy looking fried rice.....pic makes me hungry...looks awesome.
sowmya's creative saga
looks delicious..
Sowmya Karthy
Hi Raji,
I have an award and a lovely game waiting for you at my blog (http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/p/award.html) . Please collect it. Congratulations!!
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Sowmya
http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/
Prathima Rao
super delicious fried rice...will try it out real soon!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Kalpana Sareesh
super delicious looking fired rice..
jeevitha Giridharan
Paneer fried rice looks superlicious.
I just made this rice b4 a week with a small change of adding pan fried paneer cubes.
So I hv 2 try ur version some other day:-)
tamilsasikitchen
Fried rice looks delicious... Tasty lunch box recipe..Like to have a try
Shobha Kamath
Lovely pics and delicious looking fried rice.
Chitra
They look delicious. I am not making paneer dishes .. i have to 🙂
Laavanya
Definitely a crowd pleaser... looks so yummy
S.Menaga
I have tasted this recipe at once during my last summer vaccation,it was so nice...super n perfect for kids lunch box..
Sathya Sankar
Wonderful looking fried rice!
Appetite Treats
Tina
my mouth is watering darling..
Hamaree Rasoi
Liked your idea of scrambled paneer. yummy looking fried rice...
Nagalakshmi V
crumbling is a great idea! i usually add it in whole and sometimes it becomes too dry.
Premalatha Aravindhan
Delicious rice,i too never tasted this...have to give a try:)
lata raja
No longer can one complain about the paneer becoming crumbly! You have used it effectively and deliciously in the fried rice.
Anu
WOW!!! Well done, a nice and different recipe.
Vanamala Hebbar
Looks awesome..and so colorful....
Sanoli Ghosh
Feeling hungry to see your clicks. Superb!
Sangeetha
Nice idea, sure my kids will love this fried rice...will try it soon...looks very inviting!
Amina Khaleel
wow... paneer fried rice looks delicious and colourful.. wonderful idea of adding crumbled panner...
Saranya Sathyaseelan
Really.. small dishes make a big difference.... and u make it all to happen live :)... Thanks... recommending ur site to many of my friend who are learning Samayal... continue ur endevours and inspiring us too.....
Apu
Looks so tempting!
Banu
Nice idea of adding panneer to fried rice
Sharmilee! :)
Wow flavourful and yummy looking fried rice...looks soo tempting!!
Archana
This is yum. Bookmarked.
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Kavi Foodomania
As usual, beautiful presentation Raks!! 🙂
Vinutha Sv
Really mouth watering...!!!
sreeservicesifb
It's really tasty. I tried that last week
skannababu
Yum yum yum if you stick to recipe.
Psychedelic
I made this today. Came out quite well. The only change I would recommend is adding salt to the rice while cooking it. Otherwise you need to add extra salt towards the end and mix which could result in the rice becoming mushy from too much handling.
Abhirami Lakshmanan
Prepared this for dinner yesterday.it came out so soooo well and my hubby and daughter loved it!! I too loved it as well : ) . .Keep up the good job!! May God bless you!! 🙂
Sukanta Gupta
very nice recipe...
RaJi
Hello raji, I Love your blog and your way of presenting things!! Keep up the good work !! There is a typo in heading. It should be Fried rice not tried rice. Is it not?
Swetha Sumi
Paneer gets harder while we eat. How to prevent this?
Raks anand
Better to consume hot. But still, if the paneer is immersed in hot water until you crumble it, it wont be hard. May be keep the paneer immersed in hot water for 10 mins first, then again change to hot water to make it softer.
Latha
When i immersed in hot water small small pieces are coming out and i am scared the paneer will dissolve in water
Raks Kitchen
Which brand is it? Kohinoor, milkymist are good
Latha
When i immersed in hot water small small pieces are coming out and i am scared the paneer will dissolve in water