Paneer Bhurji Recipe

Paneer Bhurji is a delectable, protein packed Indian dish made with crumbed paneer (Indian cottage cheese), tomatoes, capsicum, onion and few spices. It is is vegetarian, gluten free and can be enjoyed with flatbreads like roti, paratha, naan or served as side dish with everyday meals.

This tasty, succulent paneer bhurji is easy, quick to make and perfect for lunch, dinner or in breakfast with toast. It can even be used as filling in sandwich, wraps, stuffed tomatoes and is a great nutritious option to pack in kids’ lunch box.

For most paneer dishes like shahi paneer or palak paneer we need to prepare some kind of gravy first but to make this restaurant style paneer bhurji all you need is handful of chopped veggies, few basic spices and you are good to go.

The word ‘bhruji’ translates to ‘scrambled’ in english and this paneer bhurji is almost a vegetarian rendition of egg bhurji (dry version of scrambled eggs). The recipe shared here is made without garlic and can easily be made without onion too. You can even add other vegetables or greens to it as discussed further in post.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Paneer: Also known as Indian cottage cheese, it is a great source of protein and calcium in a vegetarian diet. To make it, we first curdle the milk with acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice and then strain it to get a set block of paneer.

You can use store bought paneer or make bhurji with homemade paneer. Before using store bought paneer or frozen paneer, make sure to check its validity date and dip it in warm water for 10-15 minutes before crumbling.

If you have extra time, I would totally recommend making paneer bhurji with freshly strained paneer (not set into block) for perfectly soft and juicy texture.

Vegetables: The veggies like onion, tomato, capsicum, ginger, green chillies add flavour and aroma to dish as paneer in itself has no taste of its own. You can skip onion or add garlic if you like. Apart from them you can even add coloured bell peppers, peas, kasuri methi, chopped spinach or methi (especially in winter season) for added nutrition and taste.

Cashews: I love the contrasting crunchy texture of roasted cashew bits with soft paneer and veggies. If you want to make the recipe nut free, feel free to skip it.

Lemon & Herbs: Some freshly squeezed lemon juice instantly lights up the dish with its tangy, zesty flavour. Instead of lemon, you can use amchur (dry mango powder) also for sourness. The bhurji is garnished with coriander or cilantro which gives it a bright earthy aroma.

Spices: Paneer bhurji is seasoned with simple spices like cumin, red chilli powder, turmeric and freshly ground black pepper. Garam Masala is added towards the end of cooking which adds a warm rustic fragrance.

Ghee / Oil: You can cook paneer bhurji in desi ghee (clarified butter) or any cooking oil like olive oil, sesame or sunflower oil. I personally love to use a mix of butter and ghee in this recipe for richer taste and aroma.

Youtube Video:

I have also shared a youtube video for this same recipe. Incase of doubt at any step, please feel free to refer it.

Hope you would like this delicious easy Paneer Bhurji recipe. More recipes with paneer:

• Paneer Stuffed Appe
• Paneer Tikka Sandwich
• Paneer Nuggets (Popcorn)
  
• Palak Paneer (Spinach Curry)

Ingredients: (Served 3 to 4)

• Crumbled Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)- 200 grams (7 oz.)
• Ghee or Oil- 2 tsp
• Chopped Tomato (Large)- 1
• Chopped Capsicum- 1/4 cup
• Chopped Onion (Medium)- 1
• Chopped Green Chilli- 1
• Ginger Paste- 1 tsp
• Chopped Cashews- 3 tbsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder (Haldi)- 3/4 tsp
• Salt- 1 tsp (or to taste)
• Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp
• Crushed Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder (Dhaniya powder)- 1/3 tsp
• Garam Masala- 1/3 tsp
• Milk- 2 to 3 tbsp
• Butter- 2 tsp (optional)
• Lemon Juice- 2 tsp
• Chopped Coriander or Cilantro- For garnishing

Directions:

Step 1:
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add chopped onions. Saute the onions for 2-3 minutes  till they become pink in colour. Add ginger paste and chopped green chillies. Stir well for 10-15 seconds.

Step 2:
Add chopped cashews and capsicum to the onions. Stir once again. Let the them sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3:
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder. Mix well and let it cook on medium-low flame till tomatoes start to soften up.

Step 4:
Once the tomatoes begin to soften, add crumbled paneer (cottage cheese) along with milk and black pepper.

Step 5:
Mix well all the ingredients and then cover the pan with a lid. Let the bhurji cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame. This gives panner the time to absorb milk and spices. Add garam masala and butter after opening the lid. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Switch off the flame. Add lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and mix lightly.

Serve this hot and delicious paneer bhurji with chapati or paratha. Bon Appetit!!

Storage & Reheating: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in fridge for 2-3 days. Storing in airtight container is important as it prevents paneer from drying. At the time of re-heating just add 1-2 tsp of milk or water and microwave.

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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