🍚 Paneer Bhurji Rice with Cucumber Raita

A simple, tasty and filling meal made with paneer, rice, veggies and refreshing cucumber raita.

🧀 For Paneer Bhurji Rice

Ingredients

• Paneer – homemade or market-bought
• 2–3 tbsp curd
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp jeera
• 2 tbsp chopped ginger, garlic & green chilli
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp haldi
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
• Salt as needed
• 100 g spinach, finely chopped
• Cooked rice as needed

🥛 Option 1: Homemade Paneer

1. Boil 1 litre milk.
2. Add lemon juice or vinegar little by little until the milk curdles.
3. Strain it using a clean cloth.
4. Wash and squeeze out the extra water.
5. Your homemade paneer is ready!
6. Crumble the paneer and mix it with 2–3 tbsp curd.

🛒 Option 2: Market-Bought Paneer

• Use ready-made paneer from the market.
• Crumble it with your hands or grate it.
• Mix it with 2–3 tbsp curd and keep aside.

🍳 Making the Paneer Bhurji Rice

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera.
2. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add onion and tomato. Cook until soft.
4. Add haldi, chilli powder, coriander powder, pav bhaji masala and salt.
5. Add a little water and cook until the masala becomes soft.
6. Add chopped spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes.
7. Add the paneer-curd mixture and mix well.
8. Cook for another 2–3 minutes.
9. Add cooked rice and gently mix everything together.
10. Finish with lemon juice, fresh coriander and a little kasuri methi.

🥒 Easy Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

• 1 cup curd
• 1 grated cucumber
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ½–1 tsp jeera powder
• ½ tsp black salt
• Salt as needed
• Little water, if required

Method

1. Whisk the curd until smooth.
2. Add a little water if needed.
3. Add grated cucumber, green chilli, jeera powder, black salt and salt.
4. Mix well and garnish with fresh coriander.

💚 Serve & Enjoy!

Serve hot Paneer Bhurji Rice with chilled Cucumber Raita for an easy, wholesome and delicious meal.

This version makes it clear that both homemade and market paneer can be used, without making the recipe complicated.

Serves: 1 | Quick & healthy

Ingredients of Scrambled Egg Rice Bowl

• Cooked rice – 1 katori
• Eggs – 2
• Onion – ¼, finely chopped
• Capsicum – ¼, finely chopped
• Carrot – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Spring onion – 1 tbsp
• Garlic – ½ tsp, finely chopped
• Soy sauce – 1 tsp
• Chilli flakes – ½ tsp
• Black pepper – ¼ tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Oil – ½ tsp
• Coriander or spring onion – for garnish

👩‍🍳 Method

1. Heat ½ tsp oil in a non-stick pan.
2. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for 1–2 minutes.
3. Add carrot and capsicum. Cook on high heat for 2–3 minutes so they remain slightly crunchy.
4. Push the vegetables to one side and crack in 2 eggs.
5. Scramble the eggs until almost cooked.
6. Add 1 katori cooked rice, soy sauce, chilli flakes and pepper.
7. Toss everything together on high heat for 2–3 minutes.
8. Finish with spring onion and coriander.

🔥 Advanced Prep of Scrambled Egg Rice Bowl

You can prepare the rice + chopped vegetables in advance and refrigerate them. At mealtime, simply stir-fry the vegetables, add eggs and rice, and you’re done in 5–7 minutes.

Tip: For a more weight-loss-friendly version, use plenty of vegetables and keep the rice to 1 katori cooked rice rather than increasing the rice portion.

🌶️ Oil-Free Pepper Chicken

For 2 servings

Ingredients of Pepper Chicken

• Chicken – bite-sized pieces
• Thick yogurt – 2 tbsp
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Crushed black pepper – 1–1½ tsp
• Turmeric – ¼ tsp
• Cumin powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Garam masala – ¼ tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Onion – sliced
• Capsicum – sliced
• Green chilli – 1–2
• Curry leaves – 8–10
• Salt – to taste
• Fresh coriander

👩‍🍳 How to make Pepper Chicken without oil

1. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat a non-stick pan well.
3. Add curry leaves, green chilli and onion with 2–3 tbsp water. Cook until the onion softens. Add a splash of water whenever it starts sticking.
4. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes.
5. Cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked and releases its juices.
6. Add capsicum and extra crushed pepper. Cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes.
7. Finish with coriander and lemon juice.

⭐ My preferred version

Use just ½–1 tsp oil rather than completely oil-free. It gives better flavour and helps with browning while still keeping the recipe very light.

Advanced prep: Marinate the chicken overnight + chop the vegetables beforehand. At mealtime, you only need to cook everything together.