Paneer Bhurji Recipe | Scrambled Cottage Cheese Recipe

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Paneer bhurji is an Indian delicacy made with paneer also known as Indian cottage cheese which is crumbled and added to flavourful onion-tomato masala.

This is a high-protein, vegetarian,diabetic-friendly, keto-friendly and beginner & bachelor-friendly recipe.

Paneer means Indian cottage cheese and bhurji means scrambled. Hence the name scrambled cottage cheese.

About Paneer Bhurji (Scrambled Cottage Cheese Recipe)

Making paneer bhurji is similar to making egg bhurji (anda bhurji) with a slight difference in the masala that is added.

Paneer is one of the main sources of protein for many vegetarians across the country.

Paneer Bhurji is loved by all from elders to kids. You can pack this paneer bhurji for kids lunch box too.

When I want to whip up something quick, delicious and simple, this paneer bhurji and egg bhurji are the two most loved recipes that I end up making.

Paneer bhurji makes a perfect Sunday brunch along with some roti or bread. This recipe is perfect for lazy days when you are not in the mood to cook an elaborate meal.

At home, I usually make two types of panner bhurji. One is curry type with kasuri methi along with spices & herbs and then this is a semi-dry version made with minimal ingredients.

Apart from serving this paneer bhurji with bread or roti, I often like to add millet roti such as raagi roti which makes a perfectly healthy meal option, especially for lunch.

This simple paneer bhurji is popular across India and made slightly differently depending upon region to region.

If you want to make a non-vegetarian version of this paneer bhurji, you can substitute paneer with eggs. I have already shared how to make egg bhurji (click here to see the recipe, if interested).

In case I have some leftover bhurji, I place it between the bread slices and toast them. And there you go, a paneer bhurji sandwich is ready to munch! I love to have it as an evening snack relished with tomato ketchup. This is best for kids too when they return from school.

You can also make paneer frankie or rolls using this paneer bhurji. Apply some green chutney to the roti along with some onion and capsicum juliennes, chaat masala and there you go a perfect healthy snack recipe is ready.

What is Paneer Bhurji?

Paneer bhurji is a popular dish served in roadside dhabas or restaurants along with tandoori roti, naan or paratha.

This is one of the easiest recipes that are nutritious and packed with flavours for any meal of the day. Perfect for diabetics as paneer is low in carbs and high in protein which gets digested slowly without spiking the blood sugar level.

Paneer Bhurji in English translates to Scrambled Indian Cottage Cheese. Here bhurji means scrambled hence the name paneer bhurji.

Paneer bhurji is a vegetarian version of egg bhurji which is a popular street food here in India that is served with pav (Indian bread).

This is normally made using fresh homemade paneer but you can also make use of storebought one. I personally prefer Govardhan paneer.

This bhurji can be made semi-dry which is apt for taking it for lunch box or in a curry state which is how it’s served in dhabas.

This bhurji comes together in just under 30 minutes and is best paired with paratha, roti and pav (Indian bread).

At home, we often use storebought paneer and soak it in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes which softens it and makes the bhurji soft and creamy.

You can serve this paneer bhurji literally for any meal of the day! I often make bhurji for lunch and dinner and serve it along with flatbreads. Whenever I make it for breakfast, I love to relish it with Indian bread (pav).

To make this spicy tangy and delicious paneer bhurji, crumbled paneer is added to spicy flavourful onion tomato masala which forms the base for this dish.

If you want, you can tweak the paneer bhurji recipe and add vegetables such as spinach, and capsicum to enhance the nutritional value of this bhurji.

Bhurji can be made using eggs, paneer, tofu, soya nuggets.

For the vegan option, use firm tofu or scrambled soya nuggets.

Recipe Video

lngredients

Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) – You can use homemade paneer or store-bought paneer. I have used 250 grams of storebought paneer which I kept in warm water for about 20 minutes which helps it get soft and creamy (this is optional though). Then after I roughly crumbled the paneer.

Onion & Tomatoes – They are the base for this bhurji. I have finely chopped onions and tomatoes. The slight tanginess from tomatoes adds a nice flavour to this dish.

Herbs – To flavour this paneer bhurji, we will require coarsely crushed ginger garlic paste, 1 green chilli and coriander leaves to garnish.

Spices – We will need red chilli powder, kitchen king masala, and turmeric powder. The main flavours of this paneer bhurji come from kitchen king masala which is easily available at any Indian grocery store.

Earlier I made this paneer bhurji with garam masala and pav bhaji masala but wasn’t satisfied with the taste. But this kitchen king masala takes this paneer bhurji to the next level. I would highly recommend getting your hands-on kitchen king masala for its awesome taste that blends so well with this bhurji.

Below is the amazon.com link for this masala.

Seasoning – To balance the tanginess from tomatoes I have added just half teaspoon of sugar. Sugar is optional here. Also, I seasoned the bhurji with salt.

Oil – I have used 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Normally bhurji is made in butter or by combining butter & oil. So you can make use of butter or oil as per your preference.

Water – 1/4th cup if required.

Storing Suggestions

Paneer bhurji is best when eaten fresh but if you are left with extra then keep it in an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator. It stays good for max 2 days. Reheat before serving.

Variations

I have used only onion and tomatoes in making this bhurji, you can add vegetables like capsicum (bell peppers), spinach or green peas.

You can add kasuri methi (dried fenugreek powder) which enhances the taste. In restaurants and dhaba use of kasuri methi is done which gives a nice flavour to this bhurji.

If you eat eggs, you can substitute paneer with eggs.

For the vegan option, use hard tofu or scrambled soya chunks.

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How to make Paneer Bhurji (Scrambled Indian Cottage Cheese)

• Crumble the paneer and keep it aside. If using store-bought paneer, make sure the paneer is at room temperature. Also if you want you may soak paneer in lukewarm water to make it more soft and creamy.

• Heat oil in a saucepan, and add green chillies and coarsely crushed ginger garlic paste.

• Saute for a minute or till the raw smell of ginger garlic fades away.

• Add finely chopped onions.

• Saute onions till they are translucent.

• Add finely chopped tomatoes.

• Cook onion and tomatoes till they are soft.

• Once onion-tomatoes are cooked, add 3 tablespoons of kitchen king masala, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

• Add 1/4th cup of water so that the masala doesn’t burn. Saute for half a minute.

• Add the crumbled paneer.

• Mix paneer with the onion-tomato masala. Cover and let the paneer cook on slow flame for about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. If you feel the mixture is dry, add 1/4th cup of water to keep the bhurji moist.

• After about 2 minutes, garnish the paneer bhurji with finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).

• Delicious Paneer Bhurji is ready to serve.

• Serve it with paratha, naan, roti or pav.

Kitchen King Masala (on amazon.com) – https://amzn.to/3E4sK4n

Note

If you can’t get kitchen king masala add 1 tablespoon of garam masala powder along with a teaspoon of coriander powder.

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