Home > Recipes > Rice recipes > Paneer, pea and spinach rice

Paneer, pea and spinach rice

Name: Paneer, pea and spinach rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tsp pilau spice (available from larger supermarkets) or mild curry powder; 300g mixed wild and long grain rice; 450ml vegetable stock; 200g spinach; 250g frozen peas, thawed; 200g paneer cheese, cut into 2cm cubes; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; Small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped, plus a few sprigs left whole

By: Jules Mercer
Former acting food editor, delicious.

Published: 9 Feb 21
Updated: 18 Mar 24

This vegetarian rice dish with spinach, peas and herbs is easy to throw together and let simmer on the stove. Top with fried paneer just before serving.

Or, try this cheat’s vegetarian pilaf recipe for an even easier veggie dinner.

Easy
February 2021

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min, simmering time 20 min

This vegetarian rice dish with spinach, peas and herbs is easy to throw together and let simmer on the stove. Top with fried paneer just before serving.

Or, try this cheat’s vegetarian pilaf recipe for an even easier veggie dinner.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 536kcals
Fat: 13.4g (4.2g saturated)
Protein: 25.6g
Carbohydrates: 73.6g (8.7g sugars)
Fibre: 9.4g
Salt: 0.3g

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp pilau spice (available from larger supermarkets) or mild curry powder
300g mixed wild and long grain rice
450ml vegetable stock
200g spinach
250g frozen peas, thawed
200g paneer cheese, cut into 2cm cubes
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped, plus a few sprigs left whole

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a deep saucepan or sauté pan with a lid, then add the onions and fry for about 5-8 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the garlic along with the pilau spice or curry powder, then cook for a few more minutes until fragrant.
Meanwhile, put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water before adding it to the pan. Stir to combine, then stir in the stock. Cover the pan with the lid and leave to cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach and frozen peas. Leave the pan off the heat with the lid on to let the greens cook in the residual heat.

Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil over a medium heat, then add the paneer cubes and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned. Scatter the paneer over the rice and greens in the other pan, then fold in to combine. Garnish with the coriander leaves and sprigs and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over if you like.