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 vegetable.
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 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 which Indian kids love carrying in their Tiffin box.
How to make it with gravy?
Though I like this paneer recipe in a slight 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), cook for 1-2 minutes. Your Paneer bhurji with gravy is ready!
More vegan and vegetarian Indian recipe ideas
More Indian Cottage Cheese 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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Paneer bhurji
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups paneer Indian cottage cheese
- 0.5 cups frozen/ boiled green peas
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ tbsp coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp cooking oil of your choice
- Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Crumble the paneer and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When seeds stop spluttering add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add the onion and cook till it becomes translucent. Add all the spices and salt, saute for a few seconds, stirring continuously to avoid burning of spices.
- Add chopped tomatoes and green chilies, mix everything and cook till tomatoes turn mushy.
- Once the tomatoes are done, add frozen peas. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or till peas are cooked.
- Now, add paneer, mix and cover the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the gas. Overcooking the paneer will make it chewy so avoid doing that.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti, paratha or any Indian bread of your choice.
Notes
- You can also use fresh green peas in this recipe, but in that case either boil them first and then use them in the dish or add them before adding the ginger garlic paste so that the peas get slightly fried in the oil. Otherwise, cooking fresh peas will take time.
- Don't overcook paneer otherwise it will turn rubbery.
- If you feel that your paneer bhurji has become very dry, add some milk and cook for a few 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 🙂