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Paneer bhurji is the easiest Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) recipe. This paneer recipe takes only 15 min to get cooked.
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is one of the favorite ingredients of Indians. For vegetarians, it is a star ingredient because many of the yummy appetizers and main course dishes are made with it. Some of the famous dishes of Paneer are; Paneer Butter Masala , Shahi Paneer, Matar Paneer, Paneer pasanda, Paneer lababdar, Malai Paneer Korma , Paneer Tikka gravy, Kadai Paneer etc. There are so many dishes made with paneer that in restaurants, a separate section is dedicated in their menu for paneer dishes. Paneer is also quite famously used in biryanis and Indian stuffed breads, like paratha and naan. Some of its yummy appetizers are Paneer tikka, Achari Paneer, Paneer Pakoda, Paneer 65, Paneer chilli cigars etc.
What is Paneer bhurji?
The word ‘bhurji’ means, scrambled. Paneer bhurji is a vegetarian variation of the Indian version of scrambled eggs, egg-bhurji. Paneer bhurji is quite a favorite of many. It is quick and easy to make. Chop the vegetables, put them in a wok or kadai with a dash of oil and spices, add some paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and done!! Believe me it’s actually that simple. Its mostly made with chopped onions and tomatoes only but I make it a little different. I just love to add boiled corns in it. They give a juicy crunch to paneer bhurji and it goes really really well together.
There’s another version of it, which I make mostly in winters because that’s the time, when we get fresh carrots, cauliflower and peas. You would have guessed it by now. I make Paneer bhurji with lots of colorful vegetables in it. This needs a little preparation but its so much worth it. I medium dice all the vegetables and cook them till just done. I don’t like very soft cooked vegetables in this paneer bhurji recipe. So once they are almost cooked, add the crumbled paneer and corns in the end…and ta daa….the mix veg paneer bhurji is ready to be served.
Paneer Bhurji serving options
Like any other paneer dish, this paneer bhurji tastes wonderful with any Indian bread. I am listing a few names here;
- Naan
- Butter Naan
- Garlic Butter Naan
- Plain Paratha
- Lachha Paratha
- Pudina Lachha Paratha
- Chur Chur Naan
- Missi Roti
- Kulcha
It also tastes amazing with;
- Pav ( ladi pav)
- Burger buns
- Pita bread
It is a great filling or stuffing for ,
- Paratha
- Sandwich
- Frankie
- Veg rolls (kathi rolls)
- Burgers
Paneer bhurji can be served anytime of the day. It goes well with so many breads, that it’s favorite of almost everyone. In my home it’s like my comfort food, not only for eating but also for cooking. Whenever I am running late, I just scramble some paneer with whatever vegies I have or just with onions and tomatoes and I am done with a power packed dish. Its full of proteins, so it makes a great choice for many vegetarian dieters throughout the world.
Some other interesting recipes;
- Pav Bhaji
- White Sauce Pasta
- Pudina Chutney (two ways)
- Dahi bhalla (dahi vada) recipe
- Instant Jalebi recipe
- Dhokla recipe
Important tips for Paneer Bhurji Recipe
1. Paneer – Indian cottage cheese or paneer is an instant, unaged and non melting cheese at the room temperature. It is made by curdling the milk with vinegar or lemon juice. Paneer bhurji tastes best , when made with fresh paneer. I always prefer to make paneer at home, for all my paneer recipes. It is a very easy process to make paneer at home.
2. Spices – Paneer bhurji is an easy going dish. What I mean is, that you can add any spice in this dish and it’s good to go! Less chillies, more chillies, black pepper, only turmeric and salt, whatever is your taste, just add those spices and enjoy it.
3. Onions – Onions are medium diced for this recipe. But when you are in hurry you can choose to cut them long or even diced. Onions are generally not cooked completely for paneer bhurji. You just need to make them translucent.
4. Tomatoes – Like onions, tomatoes are also medium diced. They are added when the onions are little translucent. I like tomatoes also not completely cooked for this dish. I just saute them quickly and keep their texture intact. This way the sourness they give to paneer bhurji, makes it so appetizing. But yeah, you can choose to cook, both onions and tomatoes completely.
Recipe video of Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- Paneer (cottage cheese) – 200 gm, crumbled
- Onion – 2 small, medium diced
- Tomatoes – 1 big, medium diced
- Green chilli – 1, finely chopped
- Boiled corn – 1/2 cup
- Grated ginger garlic – 1/2 tbsp
- Dahi (curd) – 1 tbsp
- Desi ghee (clarified butter) – 1 tbsp
- Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
- Haldi (turmeric powder) – 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Dhania powder (coriander powder) – 1 tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbsp
Method
1. Heat desi ghee (clarified butter) in a pan.
2. Add jeera (cumin seeds) and let it crackle.
3. Add onions and saute for a minute.
4. Add grated ginger garlic and saute again for a minute or two.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and green chilli. Mix everything nicely and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add all the spices and salt. Mix .
7. Add in the crumbled paneer and boiled corns. Mix.
8. Add dahi (curd) and mix everything nicely. Dahi gives a little sour taste and brings the moisture in this paneer bhurji without making it too runny. If you are going to use it as a stuffing or filling for any bread, avoid adding dahi and cook it a little more to evaporate the moisture and make it a bit dry, so that when you fill it in some bread, it doesn’t make it soggy. .
9. Sprinkle kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). You can add chopped coriander leaves too.
10. Serve it hot with the bread of your choice or use it as a stuffing.
Do try it in the different ways, as I have mentioned above and share your experiences with me here. You can comment, give suggestions and ask questions just below this blog post. Also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and get my food stories, “from my palate to yours”.
Oh wow corn also in paneer bhurji must be tasting awesome. Will definitely try
Yes you must try.
Thank you so much!