Paneer bhurji is a North Indian recipemade with crumbled paneer cheese and spices in an onion and tomato masala base. This recipe is super delicious paired with bread, roti, or paratha, and can also be made into sandwiches and wraps. Delicious and versatile, and ready in 40 minutes.
I am sharing dhaba style paneer bhurji recipe in this post, which has an added nuttiness of besan (or gram flour) in the onion tomato masala.
Fuss free paneer recipes such as aloo paneer curry, paneer tawa pulao, paneer chowmein and paneer bhurji are a weeknight favorite in our home. These recipes aren't too rich yet satifsy the paneer cravings.
I learnt about this dhaba style paneer bhurji during road trips in India. This recipe with paneer of crisped bread with bhurji at a roadside dhaba used to be our favorite whenever we took road trip on along the Delhi - Amritsar highway.
At most dhabas (roadside diners), they make paneer bhurji on a large tawa in a rich & red gravy and after dishing out the paneer bhurji, without wiping the tawa, they added loads of butter and browned the bread in leftover oil. Heaven!
What is Paneer Bhurji
Paneer is a fresh, unaged Indian cheese made by curdling heated whole milk with an acidic agent like lemon juice or vinegar. Once the curds separate from the whey, they are drained and pressed into a solid block.
Paneer is a fresh cheese common in Indian cuisine and it is made by curdling heated whole milk with an acidic agent such as lemon juice or vinegar. Once the curds separate from the whey, then they are drained and pressed to form a solid block of paneer.
Paneer bhurji, also known as paneer bhujia or paneer ki bhurji, is a classic North Indian dish that is perfect for busy days when you need a quick yet satisfying meal. This easy recipe features soft, scrambled paneer cooked with Indian spices, onions, and tomatoes. It has spicy, savory, creamy, and tangy flavors.
About My Recipe
- Over the years, I've developed a paneer bhurji recipe that strikes a balance between homestyle simplicity and restaurant-style richness. It blends elements of a light paneer scramble with the bold flavors of dhaba-style bhurji. It's neither too plain nor overly heavy.
- One special touch I picked up from my mom is adding a little boiled potato. It enhances the texture and makes the bhurji even more delicious, though you can skip it if you prefer.
Ingredients
- Paneer - If you have an extra hour, consider making your own paneer. Homemade paneer has a fresh, rich taste.You don't have to wait for the curds to set into a block-simply use the freshly drained crumbled paneer! That said, store-bought paneer works just as well in this recipe.
- Besan (Gram Flour)- A little over tablespoon gives a wonderful nutty aroma and smoothness to the bhurji. You won't taste besan though.
- Butter & Mustard Oil - These two are the pillars of punjabi dhaba style cooking. I brown the spices and gram flour in mustard oil. And then make the onion tomato base in butter (dhaba style). However, you can easily use avocado oil or any neutral oil. You can use ghee as well for cooking bhurji.
- Other Ingredients - red onion, tomatoes, fresh ginger, garlic paste, powdered spices like coriander powder,red chili powder, garam masala powder, kasuri methi, green chilies,coriander leaves
How to Make Paneer Bhurji (Step By Step Pictures)
- Make The Paneer (Optional but recommended)- In the homemade paneer recipe, just skip the step of weighing down the paneer into a block. Once the curds are drained they are ready to use for making bhurji. Skip this step if you are using store bought paneer.
- On medium heat, start by browning the besan and powdered spices in mustard oil. Once toasty, transfer to a small bowl.
- In the same pot, melt the butter, add a teaspoon of cumin seeds along with chopped garlic and ginger. Fry for a few seconds.
- Then add the chopped onion and brown for about 5-7 minutes.
- Then add the tomato puree and fry it until you see tiny oil bubbles. Dont dry out too much.
- Add back the besan mixture we made earlier. Then cook the masala on low heat till you see oil separating.
- Add the crumbled paneer and cook with the masala for 8-9 minutes on slow heat till you see tiny oil bubbles.
- Finish with kasuri methi & garam masala. Also add the cilantro.
Variations & Serving Suggestions
- Add Vegetables - Add diced capsicum(green bell pepper), blanched matar (green peas), corn, methi (fenugreek leaves) or spinach to bhurji.
- Vegan Option - Simply replace the paneer with extra firm tofu or soy granules for a vegan friendly version. Use vegan oil or butter to cook the bhurji.
- Make it Cheesy - Add some shredded cheese on warm bhurji before serving.
- Turn it into an appetizer - Serve paneer bhurji on lettuce cups, crackers, crostini bread etc and serve as party appetizer.
- Make It Grain free - If you dont want to use gram flour, simply skip it and add the powdered spices to the onion tomato masala and bhuno (sautè ) it.
- Add a kick - Add lots of chopped green chillies/serranos for a nice grassy heat.
- Make Wraps & Tortillas - Fill up bhurji in parathas and make wraps or kathi rolls, you can also make cheesy quesadilla.
- Add leftover bhurji inside slices of bread to make a sandwich.
- Finish bhurji with a tablespoon or two of heavy cream for a richer taste. You can especially do this for dinner parties.
Recipe Tips
- If you are using homemade paneer, make sure to drain it for a good 30-40 minutes to avoid watery bhurji.
- Go for malai paneer if you are using store bought. I like the one from Gopi or Verka. You could also soak the paneer block in warm water before crumbling it.
- Don't chop the onions too fine. Bhurji is supposed to have texture after cooking. We dont want the masala to be pasty.
- You can use milk instead of water.
- Do not stir or cook the a lot after adding paneer. We want the paneer to retain small crumbled texture. The more we stir, bhurji gets soft and mashed.
- Since, this recipe is in between dry and wet gravy bhurji, be a little mindful when adding water. The bhurji will thicken after cooling Avoid adding too much water, the paneer and liquid should not seperate.
- If you like a yellow looking bhurji, add extra turmeric to the recipe.
- You can skip the potato if you wish.
Dhaba-Style Paneer Bhurji (North Indian Recipe)
Paneer bhurji is a north indian dish made with crumbled paneer and spices in a onion & tomato masala base.It is super delicious paired with bread, roti or paratha. Paneer bhurji can also be made into sandwiches and wraps.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil substitute with avocado any cooking oil
- 1.5 tablespoon besan gram flour
- 1 tablespoon corinader powder
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes pureed in blender (about 3 medium tomatoes)
- 1.25 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ cup water or as needed
- 300 g paneer crumbled
- 1 small (~⅓ cup) potato boiled & fine crumbled (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed between palms
- ½ teaspoon garam masala or to taste
- 3 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 green chili chopped (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Preparation
- Home Made Paneer :- If you plan to use homemade paneer, see this post on how to make paneer at home. In the recipe, just skip the step of weighing down the paneer into a block. Once the curds are drained for good 30-40 minutes, they are ready to use for making bhurji. Store Bought Paneer :- If you are using store bought paneer, soak it in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain, wipe dry with a towel and then crumble the paneer.
- Chop the onions, ginger and garlic.
- Add roughly chopped tomatoes to a blender jar and make a puree.
Cooking Paneer Bhurji (Cook on Medium stove)
- In a wide pan(10 inch or 12 inch) or a large kadai, heat up the mustard oil til its a bit smoky. Add the besan. Let besan roast in oil for 1-2 minutes, keep stirring else it will burn.
- Add coriander, red chilli and turmeric powder and brown them as well on slow heat for 2-3 minutes till you smell a nice aroma. These spices can burn easily so be a little careful. Tranfser the besan slurry to a small bowl once roasted.
- In the same pan without wiping, melt the butter. Add the ginger,garlic and cumin and saute for 25-30 seconds.
- Add the onions next and saute them for a good 6-8 minutes until the start turning light golden brown. Dont brown to a dark shade.
- Add the tomatoes and sprinkle some salt. Cook the tomatoes for 5-6 minutes. Dont dry out too much.
- Add the browned besan and spices and saute everything together for another 2-3 minutes till you see a nice thick masala is formed.
- Next, add ⅓ to ½ cup water. Mix the water well. You will see that the masala will look like a slurry. Dont worry. Its perfect. Note:- Due to besan you will see that the masala will thicken fast. If you want you can add more water but make sure that it becomes part of the masala before adding paneer.
- Once you see that the masala is bubbling again, add the paneer and very gently mix it with the masala. If there are some big chunks of paneer, lightly mash it using back of the spoon. You can add the potato as well right now. Mix everything well with the masala and let cook for a minute or two. Tip:- Dont stir a lot. Also dont cook on high heat. Else the paneer will get hard and rubbery.
- After adding paneer, cook the bhurji for no more than 5-6 minutes.
- Switch off the stove and add kasuri methi, garam masala and chopped cilantro and green chilies(if using). Serve warm with some crisped bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using homemade paneer, make sure to drain it for a good 30-40 minutes to avoid watery bhurji.
- Go for malai paneer if you are using store bought. I like the one from Nanak or Gopi.
- Dont chop the onions too fine. Bhurji is supposed to have texture after cooking. We dont want the masala to be pasty.
- You can use milk as well instead of water.
- Do not stir or cook the a lot after adding paneer. We want the paneer to retain small crumbled texture. The more we stir, bhurji gets soft and mashed.
- Since, this recipe is in between dry and wet gravy bhurji, be a little mindful when adding water. The bhurji will thicken a bit after sitting. Avoid adding too much water, the paneer and liquid should not seperate.
- If you like a yellow looking bhurji, add extra turmeric to the recipe.
- You can skip the potato if you wish.
- Finish bhurji with a tablespoon or two of heavy cream for a richer taste.
- Add Vegetables - Add capsicum, matar(green peas), corn, methi(fenugreek leaves) or spinach to bhurji.
- You can use ghee as well instead of butter.
- Make it Vegan - Simply replace the paneer with extra firm tofu or soy granules for a vegan friendly bhurji. Use vegan oil or butter to cook the bhurji.
- Make it cheesy - Add some shredded cheese on warm bhurji before serving.
- Turn it into an appetizer - Serve on lettuce cups, crackers, crostini bread etc and serve as party appetizer.
- Make It Grain free - If you dont want to use gram flour, simply skip it and add the powdered spices to the onion tomato masala and sautè it.
- Add a kick - Add chopped green chillies/serranos for a nice kick and grassy heat.
- Make Wraps & Tortillas - Fill bhurji in parathas and male wraps or kathi rolls, you can also make cheesy quesadilla.
- Make Vegetarian Sloppy Joes - Pile the bhurji on warmed pan or dinner rolls.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 10gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 656mgPotassium: 191mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 523IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 322mgIron: 1mg
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