Paneer bhurji is a delectable, protein packed dish made with crumbed paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onion, tomatoes, capsicum & 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 ‘bhurji‘ 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. A 100 gms serving of paneer has roughly 15-20 gms of protein and ~321 calories. To make it from scratch, we first curdle the milk with acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice, strain the curdles & then set them to get a block of paneer.
You can use store bought paneer or make bhurji with home-made paneer. Before using store bought paneer or frozen paneer, make sure to check its validity date and dip 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 & texture to dish as paneer in itself has no taste of its own. 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.
I have made this recipe without garlic but if you wish you can add it. The recipe is simple and can even be adapted to make jain paneer bhurji by skipping onions.
Cashews: I love the contrasting crunchy nutty 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 Juice & 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.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: (Serves 3 to 4)
- Crumbled Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)- 200 grams (7 oz.)
- Ghee / Oil- 2 tsp
- Tomato (chopped)- 1 large
- Capsicum (chopped)- 1/2
- Onion (chopped)- 1 medium
- Green Chilli (finely chopped)- 1
- Ginger Paste- 1 tsp
- Cashews (chopped)- 2 to 3 tbsp
- Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder (Haldi)- 3/4 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp
- Crushed Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp
- Coriander Powder (Dhaniya powder)- 1/3 tsp
- Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp
- Milk- 1 tbsp
- Butter- 2 tsp
- Lemon Juice- 2 tsp
- Salt- 1 tsp (or to taste)
- Coriander or Cilantro (chopped)- For garnishing
Directions:
Step 1:
If you are using paneer block, crumble it by mashing with a fork. To make paneer from scratch, follow this homemade paneer recipe, strain it over a muslin cloth but don’t set it in block.
Step 2:
Heat ghee in a pan and add jeera (cumin seeds) to it. When the seeds begin to crackle, add onions. Sauté them for 1-2 minutes till they turn slightly pink in colour. Add ginger paste and green chillies. Sauté for 10-15 seconds more while stirring continuously.
Step 3:
Add cashews and capsicum (green bell pepper) to sautéed onions. Mix well. Sauté for 1-2 minutes more.
Step 4:
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 5:
Once the tomatoes soften up slightly, add crumbled paneer (cottage cheese) along with milk and black pepper. Mix well and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. This gives paneer the time to absorb milk and all the flavour from spices.
Step 6:
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 (or cilantro) and mix lightly.
Garnish with more coriander before serving. Enjoy it hot with chapati or paratha. You can even use it as filling for sandwich, wraps or kathi roll.
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.
Tips:
- If you are using frozen paneer, thaw it first by soaking in warm water. When it softens up, transfer over colander first to drain excess liquid and then start crumbling it.
- You can also add other vegetables to paneer bhurji like coloured bell peppers, peas, chopped spinach, methi or dried-crushed kasuri methi for that extra touch of flavour.
More recipes with paneer:
- Shahi Paneer
- Paneer Jalfrezi
- Paneer Tikka Sandwich
- Paneer Nuggets (or popcorn)
- Palak Paneer (Spinach Curry)
Pin for later:
(P.S: The recipe was originally published on 21 June’2015 & has been updated with better images and additional tips.)
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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I often made paneer bhurji but last time i followed this recipe and the taste was just fantastic.
Glad to know you liked it. Thank you for sharing your feedback here 🙂