paneer ki bhurji / paneer bhurji

Paneer Bhurji / Paneer Bhurji Recipe

After all the sweet and snack recipes, I am back with another delicious curry or side dish - Paneer burji. This is a regular day to day dish which is very yummy and can be prepared in a jiffy. Paneer bhurji goes well as a side dish for roti, chapathi or even rice. I sometimes use this curry as a stuffing for a chapathi roll topped with finely chopped onions, tomato ketchup and a dash of lemon juice for my kids. They simply love it. 

I have used homemade paneer for the preparation of this burji. You can also use store bought paneer as per your convenience. The soft and crumbled paneer, crunchy onions, tangy tomatoes and the mild spices altogether bring out a unique flavor. This is a rich curry with mild spices. 

Recipes such as these can be twisted and tweaked to suit our tastes. We can play around with the spices that go into the dish. You can add in a variety of spices such as a pinch of chat masala powder, aamchoor powder, dried mint powder ( or fresh mint leaves ), kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ),.etc., . Always feel free to include any kind of spices in these dishes to get the flavour that our family requires. There is no such necessity to stick to the measurement given in the recipe below.

Preparation

Crumble the paneer with your hands and keep aside. Heat butter or ghee in a pan.

Throw in the mustard and cumin seeds.

Once they crackle, add the finely chopped garlic pieces.

When they discolour, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. 

Saute until the onions turn pink in colour. Now add the chopped tomato pieces and turmeric powder.

Mix well and add salt. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Mix it well. Add the crumbled paneer and mix gently.

Finish off with coriander leaves and check for seasoning.

Serve hot as a side dish for either chapathi, roti or rice.

Ingredients

Paneer  250g

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  1 tsp

Butter / Ghee 2 tbsp

Onion  1

Garlic  1 tbsp ( chopped )

Green chillies  2

Tomato  1

Salt  to taste

Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

Chilli powder  1 tsp

Garam masala powder  1 tsp

Coriander leaves  to garnish

Method

1. Crumble paneer and keep aside.
2. Heat butter or ghee in a pan. 
3. Add mustard and cumin seeds. 
4. When they splutter, add garlic and cook until they turn into golden brown.
5. Now add the onions and green chillies. Saute until transparent.
6. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt and cook until they turn mushy. 
7. Add the garam masalapowder and chilli powders and mix well.
8. Now add the crumbled paneer and give a gentle mix. 
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi, rice or roti.

Notes

• Add any kind of spices like coriander powder, cumin powder, chat masala, mint powder, kasuri methi powder, etc., to enhance the flavour.
• This curry can be used as a stuffing for chapathi roll for kids lunch box. Just top the curry with finely chopped onions, tomato ketchup and a dash of lemon juice. Mix it well and wrap it in the roll. 
• My mom includes ginger garlic paste instead of garlic pieces which makes it more masaledaar.
• Any kind of bell peppers ( red, yellow or green colours ) or capsicum can be added to give that extra crunchiness.
• Few spring onions gives a lovely aroma and a unique taste to it.