Paneer Bhurji / Scrambled Indian Cottage Cheese Recipe

Paneer Bhurji is a scrambled Indian cottage cheese curry from North India. It is a vegetarian version of the popular anda-bhurji (scrambled egg). Paneer Bhurji is a delicious, protein-rich dry curry made with crumbled paneer, onions, tomatoes, herbs and Indian spices. It serves as a perfect side-dish with chapati or paratha. I even add it as a stuffing to my sandwiches and Frankie rolls. With a very simple and easy to follow recipe, paneer bhurji can be made in a jiffy and comes to rescue when you are short of fresh vegetables. 

What is Paneer?

Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese is an unaged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with acidic food ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or curd. Paneer can be easily made at home and trust me once you start making paneer at home, you will never get store-bought one. Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is a good source of protein and calcium. It is a versatile ingredient and an integral part of Indian cooking. A variety of curries, snacks, desserts, and starters can be made using Paneer.

Is Chhena and Paneer the same?

The moist curdled milk that is obtained by adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk is called Chhena. This coagulated milk when set firmly gives Panner. Chhena is moister than paneer and mostly used in making Bengali and Odia sweets like Rasabali, Sandesh, Sponge Rasgulla, Kalakand, Chhena modak, Chhena poda.

What goes in to my Paneer Bhurji?

The word bhurji refers to scrambled and Paneer is the Indian cottage cheese, so basically paneer bhurji is a scrambled Indian cottage cheese curry, popular in Northern India. I always used fresh homemade paneer to make paneer bhurji as fresh paneer is juicy and moist and takes up the flavors of the curry very well. However, you may use frozen paneer to make the dish.You would need to dip the frozen paneer in warm water for it to soften before use. I have used chopped onions, tomatoes, and green bell pepper along with crumbled paneer. You may use green peas also if you wish to. Fresh coriander leaves lend a refreshing taste to the curry. I use a little pav bhaaji masala also to flavor the curry apart from cumin seeds, red chili powder, garlic, ginger and green chili paste. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end and you are sorted with a delectable paneer bhurji.

Related Event:

"P for Paneer" was the theme for the 146th week on Foodie Monday Blog Hop. Foodie Monday Blog Hop is a gourmet Facebook group on Facebook where a group of talented food bloggers share their recipes each week and rest of us vote for any 1 of those. It was Sujata dee;s turn to suggest themes for the 146th week and she suggested we share any recipe, sweet or savory using Indian cottage Cheese aka Paneer taking into consideration the current scenario owing to Covid 19 pandemic where procuring fresh vegetables and fruits is difficult. Paneer is rich in proteins and calcium and can be easily made at home and it is such a versatile ingredient that a variety of dishes can be made using it, be it a starter dish, curry, dessert, snack etc. This delicious paneer bhurji is my humble contribution towards the theme. Meanwhile do not forget to check out Sujata dee's space for some delectable paneer recipes. She is a Bengali and i am awe struck with the wide range of Bengali sweets and sandesh varieties on her blog. I have already bookmarked her Paan Sandesh - betel leaf flavored sandesh and Hazelnut Chocolate Sandesh.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup crumbled Indian Cottage Cheese/Paneer (about 250-300 grams)
• 1 large onion
• 1 tomato
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 green chilies
• 1/2 inch ginger piece
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. To begin with, making Paneer bhurji, keep all the ingredients ready. Peel and finely chop the onion. De-seed and chop the green bell pepper. Chop the tomatoes, i have deseeded them. Take ginger, garlic and green chilies and make a coarse paste either in a grinder jar or in a mortar and pestle. Wash and finely chop the fresh coriander. If using fresh paneer, simply crumble it in a bowl. If using frozen one, allow it to soften by placing it in warm water and then grate or crumble it. 

                               

    2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds crackle, tip in chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt to quicken the softening process. Saute the onions for about 1-2 minutes before adding the ginger garlic and green chili paste. Stir fry for few seconds.

3. Next, add the chopped onion and bell pepper and saute the veggies on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes. The bell peppers should have a slight crunch in them so do not overcook them.

4. Now, lower the flame and add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and pav bhaji masala. Mix the spice powders with veggies and stir-fry for a minute or so.

5. To this add the crumbled paneer and saute the mix for another 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the paneer as it turns rubbery if cooked for a long time.

6. Lastly, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the paneer bhurji and add garnish it with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve the paneer bhurji with hot phulkas or paratha and enjoy it with your loved ones.

Recipe Notes:

• I would recommend using fresh paneer to make this paneer bhurji for best results, however if using frozen paneer, dip it in warm water for few minutes to soften it.
• Do not over cook the paneer bhurji as the paneer turns chewy on overcooking.
• Paneer bhurji tastes best when served hot and the curry should be soft and moist and not very dry.
• Green peas can also be added to the paneer bhurji along with crumbled paneer, onions, tomatoes and bell pepper.
• Addition of pav bhaji masala is optional but it adds a lovely flavor to the paneer bhurji.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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If you are looking for more paneer recipes, do check out the following from this blog

• Cashew Nut Stuffed Paneer Balls

                                   

• Paneer Makhani

                                     

                     

• Bengali Sandesh

                                    

• Gulkand Paneer Kheer

                                      

• Sponge Rasgulla

                                      

• Chhena Poda / Baked Cottage Cheese Cake 

                                        

• Paneer Lolipop

                                     

• Hara Bhara Paneer Tikka

                                     

• Kadai Paneer

                                      

• Matar Paneer

                                    

• Palak Paneer

                                    

• Rasabali