Name: Surat Style Cheese Paneer Ghotala Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Basmati Rice, cooked and cooled; 100 g Paneer, finely grated; 50 g Cheese, processed cheese, grated; 2 tbsp Butter, for that authentic street food richness; 1 medium Onion, very finely chopped; 2 medium Tomato, very finely chopped; 2 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; 1½ tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala, the core flavor profile; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped; 1 tsp Cooking Oil, to prevent butter from burning; ½ tsp Salt, to taste

35 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat a large tawa or flat-bottomed pan. Add the cooking oil followed by the butter to prevent it from burning.
Add the finely chopped onions and green chillies. Sauté until the onions turn translucent and slightly golden.
Toss in the finely chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt to help them break down. Mash the mixture continuously with a spatula until it becomes a thick, pulpy paste.
Sprinkle the Pav Bhaji Masala over the tomato-onion base. Sauté for a minute until the butter begins to ooze from the sides, signaling the spices are cooked.
Add the finely grated paneer to the bubbling buttery masala. Mix thoroughly to create the signature 'Ghotala' (scrambled/mashed) texture.
Fold the cooked and cooled basmati rice gently into the paneer masala. Ensure every grain is coated uniformly without breaking the rice.
Turn off the heat. Immediately sprinkle the grated cheese and freshly chopped coriander over the hot rice.
Mix lightly so the cheese melts into the rice, creating a luxurious, gooey, and buttery dish. Serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

Rich, deeply orange-hued rice that is moist, slightly gooey from the melted cheese, and packed with soft scrambled paneer.

Getting it right

Tip

Mashing the onions and tomatoes thoroughly is the secret to a great Ghotala; it should form a homogenous, saucy base rather than leaving chunky vegetable pieces.

What to serve it with

Serve directly from the tawa with a squeeze of fresh lemon, extra chopped onions, and butter-toasted Pav on the side.

Bihari Aloo Matar Tehri

Tehri cooks rice with potato and peas from raw, the vegetarian one-pot answer to a biryani.

55 minvegan

Bihari Champaran Mutton Pulao

Champaran mutton pulao cooks rice with mutton in mustard oil, in the Bihar handi style.

1 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Bihari Chana Dal Khichdi

Chana dal khichdi cooks rice with Bengal gram in mustard oil, the Bihari version.

4 hr 30 minvegan

Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi bele bath cooks rice, dal and vegetables together with a Karnataka spice blend into one thick pot.

1 hr 20 minvegetarian

Burnt Garlic Veg Fried Rice

Burnt garlic veg fried rice fries garlic until dark before anything else goes in.

2 hr 25 minvegan

Cabbage Fried Rice

Cabbage fried rice is a quick Indo-Chinese stir-fry of rice with shredded cabbage and carrot.

2 hr 20 minvegan

Ingredients