Delicious Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is an easy dish of wok-fried rice, paneer (Indian cottage cheese) onions and peppers.
It’s full of spicy, garlicky flavours and touch of sweetness from my secret ingredient… mango chutney!
This Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is…
- Vegetarian
- Easily veganized (use tofu in place of paneer)
- Nut free
- Quick and easy to make
- Low waste
Put leftover rice to good use
Leftover rice never tasted so good. In fact, I make extra rice so that I have enough ‘leftovers’ to make this the next day. Do you do that?
I make my Chilli Paneer Fried Rice with leftover (day old), cold, cooked white Basmati rice. This rice ensures the grains stay separate.
However, you can use any kind of leftover rice you like for making this dish. In fact. I will often use a packet of microwave rice (uncooked), adding it straight to the wok if I’m short of time.
An easy dinner idea with paneer
This is the easiest dinner idea! Indo Chinese-style paneer in a soy, chilli and garlic sauce, with vibrant peppers and onions.
If you haven’t tried Chilli Paneer before, you might try to give my original restaurant-style Chilli Paneer recipe a go.
What’s Indo-Chinese food?
Indo-Chinese food, also known as Desi Chinese is a cuisine that originates from the Hakka Chinese community of Kolkata, West Bengal.
If you prefer, you can make a vegan version of this recipe with tofu, seitan or tempeh instead of paneer.
The secret ingredient: mango chutney
Mango chutney has an incredible, fruity flavour and the sweetness balances out the spicy red and green chilli heat beautifully.
Feel free to use any brand of mango chutney you like the taste of. I like Geeta’s brand, although this will work with any sweet mango chutney.
How to make Chilli Paneer Fried Rice – Step-by-step instructions
1. Prepare paneer for chilli paneer
I use a regular block of shop bought paneer. This will hold its’ shape much better than homemade paneer.
Firstly, cut the paneer into cubes. Dust in cornflour (cornstarch), white pepper and salt. Shallow fry in any flavourless oil (such as rapeseed or sunflower), turning often until lightly golden brown all over.
Be careful, it can burst and spit so stand back.
This simple process for frying paneer without using a lot of oil will create a light and crunchy crust.
You may also deep fry the paneer.
2. Wok-cook the vegetables
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the wok and add the garlic, chillies, green pepper, spring onions, soy sauce and mango chutney. Stir fry over a very high heat for 30-40 seconds.
3. Add the paneer and leftover rice
Add the paneer back into the wok, along with the rice. Stir fry over a very high heat for 1-2 minutes, until all the ingredients are evenly coated and the rice is completely heated through.
Garnish with reserved spring onion greens and serve the Chilli Paneer Fried Rice.
Chilli Paneer Fried Rice Recipe | How to Make Chilli Paneer Fried Rice
Chilli Paneer Fried Rice
This is the easiest dinner idea! Chilli paneer meets hot and spicy fried rice in this Indo-Chinese wonder of a dish. Enjoy as a main dish or side. Soy, chilli and garlic sauce offer big flavours while vibrant peppers and onions add crunch.
Ingredients
- 225g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the rest of the fried rice
- 3 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 6 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 green and red chillies, sliced on the bias
- 1 green pepper, sliced into 3cm strips
- 8 spring onions, sliced on the bias, some greens reserved for garnishing
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp your favourite mango chutney (I like Geeta's)
- 400g cooked Basmati rice, cold
Instructions
- Toss the paneer cubes in the cornflour, white pepper and salt mixture. Ensure it is evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a large wok. Add the paneer and cook, stirring all the time until the cubes are light golden brown. Remove the paneer from the wok using a perforated spoon and reserve the remaining oil in the wok. Transfer paneer to a plate.
- Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the garlic, chillies, green pepper, spring onions, soy sauce and mango chutney. Stir fry over a very high heat for 30-40 seconds.
- Add the paneer back into the wok, along with the rice. Stir fry over a very high heat for 1-2 minutes, until all the ingredients are evenly coated and the rice is completely heated through.
- Garnish with reserved spring onion greens.
Notes
- If using leftover rice, do not freeze.
- For super soft paneer, first soak the uncooked paneer cubes in hot water for 10 minutes. Pat dry before coating in cornflour.
- Don’t over fry the paneer. It can turn hard and chewy.
- This recipe serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish.
- Feel free to use brown rice or quinoa in place of white rice if you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 861mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 16g
12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor
12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor
Try one of these delicious Indo-Chinese recipes tonight. The flavours of India and China come together in a blended fusion cuisine that's big on flavor. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo!
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Try this recipe for Indo-Chinese Crispy Chilli Pumpkin tonight! Make the most of sweet, seasonal squash with this celebration of Indo-Chinese flavours. Be warned; This gets more and more addictive with each bite. It’s no secret that I’m a Chilli Paneer fiend. It’s probably one of the most iconic Indo-Chinese dishes, alongside the likes of Hakka Noodles and Vegetable Manchurian.