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Paneer Bhurji is crumbled Indian cheese sauteed in a masala mixture. This dish is perfect for breakfast and dinner.
When I’m in the mood for a quick paneer dish, I love making Paneer Bhurji. Paneer Bhurji is seriously one of the easiest paneer dishes you can make.
This is my mom’s recipe and is made with minimal spices. I love that she uses green bell pepper which adds so much flavor to this subzi. The simplicity of this dish is wonderful, you’ll notice how the flavors of the paneer really stand out.
More Punjabi Recipes
Aloo Gobi (Punjabi homestyle), Punjabi Chole, Rajma Masala, and Dal Makhani (no cream).
What is Paneer Bhurji?
Paneer is Indian cheese and bhurji means scrambled, so essentially Paneer Bhurji translates to scrambled Indian cheese sauteed with Indian spices. This is a classic Punjabi dish and pairs perfectly with roti – an Indian whole wheat flatbread, alternatively, you can also enjoy this dish for breakfast with toast.
Paneer Bhurji is:
Delicious
Flavorful
Perfect with Roti
Easy Paneer Dish
A Great Breakfast
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
How to make Paneer Bhurji recipe step by step?
Prep
1. Soak the store-bought paneer in boiling hot water for 20 minutes. This helps the paneer soften.
2. Chop the green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
3. Also, chop the green bell pepper. I used my Chopper.
4. Once 20 minutes are up, crumble the paneer.
Cook
1. Heat up a dutch castiron skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, followed by cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing). Saute for about 1 minute.
2. Now add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the onions and season with salt to taste. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes until they’re slightly brown.
4. Add tomatoes and ground spices – red chili powder, paprika, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt. Cook the spices for about 1 minute.
5. Now add water to avoid the spices from burning. Stir.
6. This is what you should have. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on low-medium heat.
7. Add the green bell pepper. Stir.
8. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
9. This is what you should have.
10. Add the crumbled paneer.
11. Using a wooden spoon, break down the paneer for 3-4 minutes. Don’t overcook the paneer.
12. This is the consistency you want. Turn off the stove.
13. Add fresh cilantro and garam masala. Stir well.
Serving Suggestions
Paneer Bhurji can be served the following ways:
- Roti – it’s so delicious with hot roti.
- Toast – Paneer Bhurji makes a great breakfast, just like you would with eggs, top it over toast.
- Rice – This subzi also pairs well with rice and I love using my hands for the best flavor.
Tips to make Paneer Bhurji:
- Soak the store-bought paneer for 20 minutes in boiling hot water.
- Chop all the ingredients in this recipe before beginning.
- Crumble the soaked paneer.
- Using a wooden spoon, break up the paneer further while cooking. Do not cook the paneer for more than 4-5 minutes else it’ll become rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make this recipe vegan or gluten-free?
Well, for a vegan option you can easily substitute extra firm tofu for paneer. The results won’t’ be exactly the same, but it’ll still taste good.
For a gluten-free option, make sure you use gluten-free asafoetida (hing).
2. How do you soften store-bought paneer?
To soften store-bought paneer, simply soak the block of paneer in hot water for 20 minutes.
Once 20 minutes are up, cube or crumble paneer.
3. How do you crumble paneer?
After your paneer softens, simply crumble it with your fingers, kinda like how you would curmble tofu. The paneer will crumble easily once it’s softened.
More Paneer Recipes!
Paneer Bhurji
EQUIPMENT
- Chopper
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp hing, use gluten-free for gf option
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, or paprika
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 400 grams paneer, crumbled
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- Soak the store-bought paneer in boiling hot water for 20 minutes. This helps the paneer soften.
- Chop the green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
- Also, chop the green bell pepper. I used my Chopper.
- Once 20 minutes are up, crumble the paneer.
Cook
- Heat up a dutch castiron skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, followed by cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing). Saute for about 1 minute.
- Now add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the onions and season with salt to taste. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes until they're slightly brown.
- Add tomatoes and ground spices - red chili powder, paprika, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt. Cook the spices for about 1 minute.
- Now add water to avoid the spices from burning. Stir.
- This is what you should have. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on low-medium heat.
- Add the green bell pepper. Stir.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
- This is what you should have.
- Add the crumbled paneer.
- Using a wooden spoon, break down the paneer for 3-4 minutes. Don't overcook the paneer.
- This is the consistency you want. Turn off the stove.
- Add fresh cilantro and garam masala. Stir well. Enjoy with roti.
This paneer bhurji looks so delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Thanks. hope you try it.
Hello Nisha,
Would this work well if you make it one-day ahead prior to serving? Thank you!
Absolutely. Indian subzis hold up well for a couple of days. 🙂
Will be making this soon can i use vegan paneer as am a vegan can i skip green bell pepper as am not a big fan of it perfect for my snacks sorry i took a break from commenting on your recipes as busy with work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
HI Ramya. Sure you can use vegan paneer – I didn’t even know it existed. Yes, you can skip bell pepper. Thank you!