Paneer Bhurji is basically a scrambled and spiced paneer preparation made with onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. This recipe is a Punjabi style of making this popular and delicious North Indian dish, just the way it is made in my home. Paneer also referred to as Indian cottage cheese is an important source of proteins for vegetarians. Indian cuisine has a variety of dishes made with this milk product. There are different ways you can use paneer in cooking, like make Paneer Kofta of it, use it cubed or diced in curries and also crumble it to make a lovely Paneer Bhurji.
In Hindi, the word ‘Bhurji’ literally translates to ‘Scrambled.’ So technically, Paneer Bhurji is basically scrambled paneer or cottage cheese cooked with some more ingredients.
In this quick and simple vegetarian recipe, crumbled homemade paneer is cooked with a sautéed mixture of onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and some spices into a savory, tangy and satisfying dish.
You can actually take it as the vegetarian version of the Indian style scrambled eggs which is popularly known as egg bhurji or anda bhurji in Hindi language.
There are two ways of making this dish. One is the dry or semi-dry version which I have shared here and is the most common way this recipe is made.
The second version called Paneer Bhurji Gravy, has a curry or gravy base and is served in some local eateries (dhabas) and restaurants in North India.
The ingredients and method of preparation of the curried version is unique and different as compared to the dry version.
The flavorful Paneer Bhurji recipe, as like other bhurji recipes, is quick to make and an ideal breakfast dish too.
What’s best is that you can even make a vegan version of the Paneer Bhurji by substituting the Indian cottage cheese (paneer) with tofu.
However, make sure to not use silken tofu or soft tofu for the same. To make it easier for you, refer to this recipe of Tofu Bhurji.
In addition to the Paneer Bhurji recipe, the anda or egg bhurji is also a classic dish served in most of the dhabas or road side eateries in the whole of North and Western India.
While in Punjabi households, even the Mooli Bhurji is quite common, which is made with grated of finely chopped tender white radish of the winter season.
Here’s a list of all that you essentially need for a tasty, delicious Paneer Bhurji recipe:
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Crumble 200 to 250 grams paneer with your fingers and keep aside. I have used homemade paneer.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan or kadai (wok) or a sauté pan or frying pan. You can even use ghee or butter, instead of oil.
Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle on low to medium-low heat.
3. Then, add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
4. Sauté the onions on medium-low heat till translucent and soft.
5. Next, add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and 1 or 2 chopped green chilies (about ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped).
6. Mix very well and sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Add 1 cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes.
8. Mix the tomatoes and begin to sauté on medium-low heat.
9. Sauté the tomatoes till completely soft. You can also add a pinch of salt, so that the tomatoes cook faster.
You will see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture, once the tomatoes are softened.
10. Now add all the ground spice powders:
11. Mix very well and sauté for 5 to 6 seconds on low to medium-low heat.
12. Add the crumbled paneer and salt as per taste.
13. Mix thoroughly and cook for 1 minute. Don’t cook the paneer for a long time, as it hardens and looses its softness.
14. Turn off the heat and add 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
14. Serve Paneer Bhurji hot with roti, chapati, phulka, paratha, Pav (dinner rolls) or bread, with a side of thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges.
Squeeze lemon juice on the bhurji before eating. You can also serve it with toasted bread.
Prepare the scrambled paneer and relish it hot with any Indian flatbreads like roti, chapati, phulka or paratha. You can even serve it with pav (dinner rolls) or bread.
When serving the bhurji with Indian flatbreads, make sure to accompany it with a side of thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges.
Squeeze some lemon juice on the bhurji, before eating. This bhurji tastes fabulous with any other North Indian mains as well.
Sometimes, I also toast bread slices and top them with this lovely bhurji. You can even make sandwiches with this bhurji.
Yes. The Hindi word ‘bhurji’ literally translates to ‘scrambled.’ So, any Indian dish with the word bhurji in it essentially means a scrambled form of dish.
Certainly, this bhurji will taste great even if made with freshly prepared homemade Chenna. But remember to drain the liquids or whey really well from the homemade chenna.
You can make this bhurji more nutritious by adding some vegetables like green peas, capsicum or bell peppers, carrots, etc. and leafy greens like spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, etc. in the recipe.
While you can make a vegan version of this dish with firm tofu, I will advice not to use silken or soft tofu for this recipe.
If you do not want to use garam masala powder for this recipe, then you can substitute it with pav bhaji masala too.
More Paneer Recipes To Try!
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In Hindi, the word ‘Bhurji’ means scrambled so this dish is basically scrambled paneer or Indian cottage cheese. A perfectly savory, tangy, spiced sautéed mixture of onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and various spices is then used to mix with the scrambled paneer. This Paneer Bhurji Recipe is Punjabi Style and way it is made in my home.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Crumble the paneer and set aside. You do not need to make a fine crumble. A coarse crumble with some chunks of paneer is fine.
Finely chop the onions, tomatoes and green chillies. Keep aside.
Crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in a mortar pestle and keep aside.
Also remove the spice powders and keep aside.
Heat oil or ghee or butter in a pan. Let the oil become hot on a medium-low or medium flame.
Add cumin seeds. Let them crackle and change color. Once they get browned, add onions.
Mix well and sauté the onions. When the onions become translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies.
Sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
Then add tomatoes and sauté on medium-low heat till they become soft. You can add a pinch of salt so that the tomatoes get cooked faster.
Now add all the dry spice powders – turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
Mix the spice powders very well and sauté for 5 to 6 seconds on low to medium-low heat.
Then, add the crumbled paneer. Mix throughly and cook for 1 minute on low heat.
Don’t cook the paneer for a long time as they harden and loose their softness.
Lastly add the chopped coriander leaves and mix.
Serve Paneer Bhurji hot with bread toast. You can also serve it with roti, plain paratha or as a stuffing in burrito or wraps.
Nutrition Facts
Paneer Bhurji Recipe (Punjabi Style)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 353 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 44mg15%
Sodium 564mg25%
Potassium 157mg4%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 540IU11%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Vitamin E 6mg40%
Vitamin K 6µg6%
Calcium 331mg33%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 13µg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 8mg2%
Phosphorus 20mg2%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Paneer Bhurji recipe from the archives was first published on June 2013.
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