Paneer Bhurji ~ with an optional tasty twist

Paneer Bhurji ~ scrambled indian cottage cheese flavored with indian spices is a popular Indian breakfast as well as lunch / dinner dish.

And this paneer bhurji recipe is quick and easy to make, using everyday ingredients and spices usually available in the Indian pantry.

That being said.. in this particular recipe for paneer bhurji, I’ve chosen to add an unexpected and unconventional spice for bhurji. But that spice is optional and also readily available, and when added it truly elevates the flavor of this dish. So I highly recommend you try it!

There is no denying that paneer is an extremely popular ingredient in Indian cuisine. Especially for vegetarians, it’s a good source of protein that is delicious and extremely versatile too.

I love paneer in its many forms ~ from paneer tikkas & paneer pakodas to curries like palak paneer, paneer butter masala, kadai paneer to rice dishes like paneer pulao & paneer biryani. And then there are the indo chinese variants ~ paneer manchurian, paneer chilli dry & paneer fried rice – the options are varied and seemingly endless!

But when I started cooking paneer – I started with paneer bhurji, because it was quick and simple to begin with, and still very delicious. And till date, it’s one of my go-to paneer recipes to make.

Though off late, I’ve made some additions / alterations to my recipe that has made it so much better. Which is also partly why I am excited to share it on the blog.

Here’s the step by step paneer bhurji recipe I use..

Jump to:

• Ingredients You Need
• How to Make Paneer Bhurji
• Notes
• Serving Suggestion
• Other quick + easy recipes to try..
• 📖 RECIPE

Ingredients You Need

Ingredient notes

Paneer – I usually use a block of store-bought paneer (for convenience), and grate it to get grated / crumbled paneer. But if you have homemade paneer available, use it, as fresh homemade paneer is always best for making bhurji.

Spices – The base spices I’ve always used for making paneer bhurji have been – garam masala, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric / haldi powder.

More recently I’ve started adding pav bhaji masala to the mix (yes, you read that right), and it made the bhurji so much more delicious and flavorful, that now it’s a standard spice I use in paneer bhurji (and egg bhurji too!). I highly recommend you try it too (check out the additional notes at the end of the recipe to see the alternatives / variations I’ve tried).

How to Make Paneer Bhurji

Prep for bhurji

Take a 400 gram block of paneer, and grate it to get grated / crumbled paneer. This should yield about 4 cups of grated / crumbled paneer. Set aside.

I usually make 400 grams at a time, to have enough for 3 of us at home, and some leftovers for another time.

For making paneer bhurji

• In a pan, add 3 tablespoon oil, and lightly heat it up for a couple of minutes.
  
• To this, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, and roast it for a minute or so, till it starts crackling.
  
• Then add in 1 cup chopped onions, and 1 teaspoon salt, and saute till the onions start turning light golden brown. This will take about 7-8 minutes.
  
• In the meanwhile, since you will have a few minutes before the onions are done – in a small bowl mix together – 2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder & ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
  
  This will be extremely useful in a bit, when you need to add the masalas all together. And it’s best to do the pre-mixing now, as the onions will take a few minutes to turn a little brown.
  
• When the onions are done, add in the 2 chopped chillies, and 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, and saute for 1-2 minutes, just until the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste goes away.
  
• And now add in the spice powders mixed together earlier. Pre-mixing and adding spice powders all together, helps to ensure they don’t get burned, which might happen if the spices are added one at a time.

• Lightly roast the spices for about 30-60 seconds. And here you can reduce the flame for a bit, and also add in a splash of water if required, to avoid the spices from getting burnt.
  
• Then add in ¾ cup chopped tomatoes, and saute for 2-3 minutes, till the tomatoes cook down a bit.
  
• After which, add in the grated paneer, mix it in, and cook for 2-3 minutes, till the paneer starts melting down a bit.
  
• Garnish with ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
  
• Serve hot.

Notes

Using pav bhaji masala – How to incorporate it and how much to add is based on your personal preference. But here are the alternatives & variations I’ve tried. 

1. Using all base masalas – a teaspoon each of red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder,  ½ teaspoon of cumin powder & ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, and adding 1-2 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala to it.
   
   As you see in the recipe, I’ve gone with 2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala because we like this spicier version. And the spice balances out when you have bhurji with pav or chapati. But you can also go with only 1 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala if you don’t want as much spice. 
   
2. I’ve also tried replacing garam masala with 1-2 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala. Here too, I prefer replacing 1 teaspoon garam masala with 2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala. But you can also replace 1 teaspoon garam masala with 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala, based on your preference.

Serving Suggestion

Serve paneer bhurji hot with rotis / chapatis or pav!

Other quick + easy recipes to try..

⭐️ Batata Upkari (quick & easy potato stir fry)
⭐️ Easy Sambar Recipe (base version for beginners)
⭐️ Instant Pot Palak Paneer (my go-to method)
⭐️ Mango Lassi (with tips to adapt the drink to suit you)

As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

📖 RECIPE

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