The Paneer Bhurji recipe is delectable and easy. The scrambled paneer or cottage cheese is mixed with a delightfully delicious, tangy, and spicy mixture of onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies (hot peppers), and different spices. This tasty dish, like most bhurji recipes, comes together quickly and is excellent for breakfast as well as lunch.
Recipe Name | Paneer Bhurji |
Place of Origin | North Indian |
Total Time Taken | 25 minutes |
Preparation Time | 10 minutes |
Homemade Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- 1 Onion, chopped finely
- 2 cup Paneer
- 1 Tomato chopped finely
- 1 Capsicum chopped finely
- 1 chopped green Chilli
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kasuri Methi
- 2 tablespoon Oil or butter
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Finely chop the onion, capsicum, tomato, and green chilli.
- With your fingertips, crumble the Paneer (cottage cheese).
Homemade Paneer Bhurji Method
Step 1: Add 1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds to the pan while it is heating up with 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. Cook cumin seeds until they start to crackle.
Step 2: One medium-sized onion, diced finely, should be added. Sauté until transparent and tender.
Step 3: Add the green chilli, diced finely. Add one medium-sized, finely chopped capsicum at this point, sauté over a low heat, and then cover the pan until the capsicum softens.
Step 4: Turn the heat to medium and then add 1 medium-sized tomato that has been finely diced along with 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Sauté until raw ginger, garlic, and tomato flavours are gone.
Step 5: Add 1/4 teaspoon each of the following: 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
Step 6: Mix thoroughly after adding 2 cups of crumbled Paneer. Don’t overcook the paneer; just sauté it for two to three minutes to make it soft.
Step 7: Add a final 1/4 teaspoon of Kasuri Methi (crush the Kasuri methi in between your both palms). Mix thoroughly after adding salt.
Step 8: Place the Paneer Bhurji in a serving bowl or serving kadhai at this time, and top with some green chillies and onion. Serve alongside naan or roti.
Punjabi Style Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp hing
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1-2 green chilies, crushed
- 1 inch ginger, crushed
- 4-5 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 medium tomatoes, de-seeded & chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 3/4 teaspoon pav bhaji masala
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 250 grams paneer
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- Lemon juice
Punjabi Style Paneer Bhurji Method
Step 1: The paneer should be crumbled and kept aside. Additionally, using a mortar and pestle, crush the green chilli, ginger, and garlic, then set it aside.
Step 2: On medium heat, melt ghee and oil together in a pan. After that, add the fennel and cumin seeds and let them sear for a little time.
Step 3:After that, stir in the hing. Stir in the minced onion, crushed green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Cook until light brown, about 5 minutes. To make the onions cook more quickly, sprinkle in a little salt here.
Step 4:Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for a further 3 minutes, or until softened.
Step 5: Then add the curry powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric, and red chilli powder. Stir in salt, then stir-fry the spices for 30 seconds.
Step 6: After that, combine everything with the crumbled paneer. For two to three minutes, cook the paneer. Avoid overcooking to avoid rubbery, chewy results. Add the cilantro.
Step 7: Serve paneer bhurji with toast or paratha after adding some fresh lemon juice! Before serving, you can also add some garam masala or pav bhaji masala on top.
Restaurant Style Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- 250 gms Paneer, crumbled or grated
- 1 tsp grated Ginger
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 1 Green Chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 medium Onions, finely chopped
- 1 large Tomato, finely chopped
- 1 medium Capsicum, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1½ tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
- Salt
Restaurant Style Paneer Bhurji Method
Step 1: Oil in a pan is heated over a medium flame. Stir in the cumin seeds and watch them crackle. Sauté for a minute after adding the grated ginger, the crushed garlic, and the chopped green chilli.
Step 2: Add the chopped onion and cook for two to three minutes, or until transparent.
Step 3: Add the chopped tomato and chopped pepper, stir, and simmer for two to three minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the oil is beginning to separate.
Step 4: Salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander, and garam masala should be added and thoroughly combined.
Step 5: Add the milk. For one minute, combine and cook. Add the lemon juice and paneer crumbles. For 3 to 4 minutes, combine and simmer while stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
Step 6: After preparing the paneer bhurji, turn off the heat and pour it into a serving bowl.
Step 7: Serve the bhurji topped with fresh coriander leaves.
Tips to Enhance the Taste
- The paneer will become rubbery and chewy if you overcook it.
- The tomatoes give paneer bhurji its acidic flavour. Therefore, choose ripe tomatoes that have a sweet-tangy flavour. Extremely sour tomatoes should not be added.
- Depending on your preferences, you can adjust the number of green chilies, red chilli powder, or cayenne pepper. Garam masala should not be added in excess.
- After adding the paneer, avoid excessive stirring or cooking. The paneer should still have a finely crushed texture. Bhurji becomes more mashed and mushy the more we stir it.
Serving Ideas
Plain paratha with paneer bhurji is the ideal combination. You can, however, eat it with roti. Another delicious way to eat it is on top of bread. As per the common preference, it is eaten for lunch or dinner with naan, paratha, chapati, or rumali roti. You can also serve it as a side dish to go with the main course.
Nutritional Content in Paneer Bhurji
Calories | 278 kcal |
Fats | 23g |
Carbs | 8g |
Protein | 10g |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How can I prevent eating soggy paneer bhurji?
See if the paneer crumbles are moist. Drain the milk curds well if you’re making it at home. Dry the paneer block if you’ve brought it from the store before crumbling it. You can increase the amount of boiled potato in the bhurji if you see that the water is separating. It will still taste like paneer, so don’t worry.
Q2. Can I make a dry or saucy version using this recipe?
Most definitely. Everything is based on the water content. Leave out the water for the dry version. For a saucy or gravy paneer bhurji, add ¾ cup water and cook it for 3-4 minutes more with masala before adding paneer.
Q3. Can paneer bhurji be frozen?
In an airtight container, paneer bhurji stays nicely in the refrigerator for a day to 2 days. However, it doesn’t freeze well.
Q4. Who should avoid paneer?
People who are allergic to dairy may experience allergic reactions after consuming paneer. One should also purchase paneer from a reputable store. This is due to the fact that paneer of poor quality can cause skin allergies, loose motions, or stomach upset
Q6. Does paneer give you gas?
Fresh cheese like paneer doesn’t lose as much lactose over time as old cheese does. This makes fresh paneer more difficult to digest than normal cheese.
Q7. How much paneer is too much?
It is recommended to limit paneer intake to no more than 50 g per day, especially if you have a history of gastric reflux illness or a milder form of milk product sensitivity.