Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Bhurji – scrambled Indian cottage cheese with onion, tomatoes and spices!

This is an easy and quick recipe that gets done in less than 30 minutes.

Paneer bhurji pairs well with flat breads like roti and paratha.

Paneer is an integral part of Indian cuisine. We cook it in so many ways.

One of the easiest ways you can cook it is in form of paneer bhurji.

This is actually one of the first paneer dishes that I learnt to cook, just because it was so simple.

Bhurji means scrambled so here the paneer is crumbled and then cooked with onion, tomato and spices.

This dish comes together rather quickly and tastes great with roti or paratha or with toast.

This Paneer Bhurji

✓ is a great way to add protein to your diet (especially if you are a vegetarian)

✓ gets done in less than 30 minutes

✓ is wonderfully spiced and pairs well with any flatbread

I always try to make my paneer bhurji using fresh homemade paneer.

The taste is so much better. This is not to say that you cannot make paneer bhurji using store bought paneer, of course you can.

But if possible do try to make it with fresh paneer.

Once you have the paneer ready, this dish gets done in 15 minutes. Don’t we all love easy recipes like this?

I don’t add a ton of spices here, just some coriander, turmeric and chili powder.

However, there’s one spice which I love using in my paneer bhurji and it is the pav bhaji masala.

Pav bhaji masala is a mix of spices used in making pav bhaji. You can use your favorite brand or find a recipe to make it at home here.

It’s not something that is traditionally used, but I love the flavor it gives to the bhurji.

If you don’t have it, don’t worry, you can use garam masala in place.

My mom would sometimes also add green peas to it. Sarvesh however is not a fan of peas in his paneer bhurji.

So, I usually avoid it. But it’s a good addition in my opinion.

Serving Suggestions for Paneer Bhurji

Personally, I love to eat it with plain paratha.

It think it makes the best combination. However, you can also eat it with roti.

Another great way to eat it is to on top of a toast. Makes a very filling and nutritious breakfast or lunch.

You can even pair it with avocados or a side of salad for a healthy lunch (minus the carbs!).

Method

Crumble the paneer and set it aside. Also crush the green chili, ginger and garlic using mortar and pestle and set it aside.

1- Heat oil and ghee in a pan on medium heat. Then add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds and let them sizzle for few seconds.

2- Then add the hing and stir.

3- Add the chopped onion, along with crushed green chilies, ginger and garlic and stir.

4- Cook for 5 minutes until light browned. You can add a pinch of salt here so that onions cook faster.

5- Add the chopped tomatoes (I de-seed them, optional) and cook for 3 minutes until softened.

6- Then add coriander powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric and red chili powder (I usually just use Kashmiri red chili powder which isn’t spicy). Add salt and mix and cook the spices for 30 seconds.

7- Then add the crumbled paneer and mix everything together .

8- Cook the paneer for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not over-cook else it will become rubbery and chewy. Add in the cilantro.

Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and serve paneer bhurji with paratha or on a toast!

You can also sprinkle some garam masala or pav bhaji masala on top before serving.

If you’ve tried this Paneer Bhurji Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!

This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2016.