Paneer Bhurji
Crumbled paneer scrambled with onion, tomato, and peppers.
Ingredients
- 300 g Paneer
- 1 Onion
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Bell pepper
- 2 Green chili
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Crumble the paneer with your fingers into coarse curds.
- Finely chop the onion, tomato, bell pepper, and green chili.
- Heat the oil in a pan and crackle the cumin seeds, then add the onion, pepper, and chili and cook until softened.
- Add the tomato and turmeric and cook until the mixture breaks down into a thick paste.
- Fold in the crumbled paneer and salt and warm through, finishing with the garam masala.
- Scatter cilantro over the top and serve with roti.
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About Paneer Bhurji
Paneer Bhurji is the vegetarian answer to a spiced scramble, a North Indian home-kitchen staple in which fresh paneer is crumbled into coarse curds and cooked down with onion, tomato, and pepper. The dish takes its name and its texture from bhurji, meaning something scrambled or crumbled, and it stands as the meat-free cousin of egg bhurji found on the same breakfast and tiffin tables. Crumbling the paneer by hand rather than dicing it is what gives the dish its loose, forkable body, letting each shred pick up the masala.
The flavour is built quickly: cumin seeds crackle in hot oil, the aromatics soften, and the tomato cooks down with turmeric into a thick paste that coats the cheese. It eats mild and savoury with a gentle warmth from green chili and a lift of garam masala stirred in at the end, while cilantro keeps it fresh. Because paneer is high in protein and the dish carries almost no starch of its own, it's a satisfying low-carb plate that comes together in about twenty minutes. Scoop it up with hot roti, tuck it into a paratha, or serve it alongside dal for a fast, filling meal.
Paneer Bhurji: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Paneer Bhurji?
A serving has about 433 calories — 20.1g protein, 13.2g carbs, 34.1g fat, 2.6g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Paneer Bhurji gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Paneer Bhurji has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Paneer Bhurji dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Paneer. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Paneer Bhurji?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Paneer Bhurji make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.