Paneer bhurji is a very tasty and quick vegetarian recipe from India. This easy gluten-free paneer dish is made with crumbled paneer i.e. cottage cheese & green peas.
In a lot of my posts, I mention that it's my recipe for the days when I want to eat something tasty without spending hours in the kitchen. Today’s recipe- Paneer bhurji is also reserved for such days.
What is Paneer?
Paneer is a type of cottage cheese that is very popular in the Indian subcontinent. It's made by adding lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and then separating whey from the curdled milk.
It can easily be made at home.
What is Paneer bhurji?
Paneer bhurji is a very popular and quick vegetarian and gluten-free north Indian recipe which is made by cooking crumbled paneer i.e. Indian cottage cheese with onion, tomatoes, and spices.
Generally, green peas or capsicum are also added to this scrambled paneer recipe but if you want you can also make it without any extra vegetables.
If you are new to Indian cooking, then this recipe is perfect to start with. This quick and simple recipe gets ready in around 20 minutes. The best part is that it tastes amazing every time you make it and the recipe never fails.
How to serve?
Paneer bhurji is mostly eaten with roti, paratha, or any other Indian bread. You can also enjoy it with a toast or dinner roll. Or, just serve it as a side dish with some rice and dal.
Leftover Paneer bhurji can be stuffed in a sandwich and then grilled to make a grilled Paneer Sandwich.
Paneer bhurji and paratha is a very common breakfast that Indian kids love carrying in their Tiffin box.
How to make it with gravy?
Though I like this paneer recipe in a slightly dry form, a lot of people prefer it with gravy.
To make it with gravy, just add a cup of water once the tomatoes are cooked. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the paneer, and then simmer for another 3-4 minutes with paneer. Finally add some garam masala and kasuri methi powder (optional), and cook for 1-2 minutes. Your Paneer bhurji with gravy is ready!
More vegan and vegetarian Indian recipe ideas
More paneer recipes
If you also love Paneer i.e. Indian Cottage cheese then do check out the following easy Paneer recipes on my blog:
Step by step photo instructions
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Recipe
Paneer bhurji
Equipment
- 1 large skillet or pan
- 1 Spatula
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
- 2 cups crumbled or grated paneer around 250 grams of paneer
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic minced
- 1 small piece of ginger grated
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnishing
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper adjust to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil choice
- around ½ a cup of water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. Let the seeds splutter for a few seconds.
- Add chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent.
- Add minced garlic and cook until the onion starts turning brown.
- Add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and crushed kasoori methi. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomato, green chilies, ginger, salt, and black pepper. Mix and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Add green peas and water. Mix. Cover the pot and cook until the peas are cooked well.
- Add crumbled paneer and mix. Cook for around 2 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
- I have used frozen peas in this recipe which gets cooked faster. If you are using fresh peas, cook them for a longer time or boil them before adding to the paneer bhurji.
- Instead of green peas you can also add finely chopped green bell pepper to this dish. Paneer bhurji can be made without peas and bell pepper too.
- Don't overcook paneer otherwise, it will turn rubbery.
- If your bhurji has turned out dry, add some milk and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Looks yummy and since it is Paneer, I am sure it must be easy to prepare. I love to have Paneer Bhurji at home with Chapati. We don’t use Green Peas in the Bhurji. I am sure this will also taste good. I may try this next time and will tell you which I think is better. Keep sharing such posts with images.
Thank you so much, Chetan. Yes, green peas taste very good in Paneer bhurji.
Must admit have not tried paneer bhurji as yet. I love paneer and don't know how I've not made or tasted this dish. I'd love to use the dry version as a sandwich filling.
Thanks Mayuri. It tastes really good something similar to scrambled eggs (if you eat eggs).
This looks delicious. We all love paneer. I will save this recipe to cook for my son when he visits.
Thanks Mina 🙂
This is our family favourite recipe. I sometimes add small pieces of capsicums instead of green peas.
Thanks, Shobha. I also add capsicum sometimes depending on what's available in the kitchen 🙂