Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe : Scrambled Paneer Curry!

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The Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe is a combination of crumbled paneer with Indian condiments and spice powders in an onion-tomato puree based gravy. Generally, a dried version of paneer Bhurji is famous and it’s more known to people. Many restaurants have this traditional paneer Bhurji on their menu but very few make dry paneer in a curry.

Paneer Bhurji Gravy

Author: Chandni Agrawal
Recipe Category: Punjabi Dish
Cuisine: Indian

Description: The paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe is a combination of crumbled paneer with Indian condiments and spice powders in onion-tomato puree based gravy. Try it now.

Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe

If you want to see the Jain Version of Paneer Bhurji Gravy, Click here.

Ingredients for Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe:

To prepare the paneer Bhurji gravy at home, you will need fresh paneer as the core ingredient. Then, you will also need some veggies, whole spices and spice powders to make it flavorful.

Basic Ingredients and Veggies:

Butter/ Oil – 2 tbsp.
Cottage Cheese (crumbled Paneer) – 250 grams
Fresh Curd (Homemade Dahi) – 2 tbsp.
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp.
Green Chilies (finely chopped) – 1 unit
Onions (finely chopped) – ½ cup
Tomatoes (finely chopped) – ½ cup
Salt – as per taste
Water – ½ cup

Note: You can use either fresh paneer or frozen paneer for the recipe. But it is always advisable to use the homemade paneer which is fresh.

Use either butter or oil (buy saffola oil), but if you want then use half of each.

Spice Powders:

Coriander Powder (Dhania Powder) – 1 tsp.
Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder) – 1 tsp.
Garam Masala Powder – ¼ tsp.
Red Chili Powder (Lal Mirch Powder) – ½ tsp.
Turmeric Powder (Haldi) – ¼ tsp.

Note: If you do not have coriander powder at home, then you can easily make the coriander powder. Get few of the fresh coriander seeds and crush them to powder.

Whole Spices:

Bay Leaf (Kadi Patta) – 1 leaf
Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) – 4 to 5 pieces
Cinnamon (Dalchini) – 1 inch
Cloves (Laung) – 2 to 3 pieces
Green Cardamom (Elaichi) – 1 or 2 pieces
Fenugreek Seeds (Kasuri Methi) – 1 tsp.

Note: You can use ¼ tsp. of thyme for the replacement of Bay Leaf. If you do not have green cardamom then skip using them but do not substitute with the black cardamoms.

The Method for Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe:

It is very simple to make the restaurant style paneer Bhurji gravy at home. You just have to mash the paneer and then prepare the gravy.

Pre-Preparation for Paneer Bhurji Gravy:

Wash and Chop Veggies:

Take all the veggies you are using.
Wash the medium sized onions.
Rinse and finely chop these onions.
Wash and clean the tomatoes.
Finely or cube chop the tomatoes.
Clean the green chilies with water.
Deseed the green chillies.
Finley chop or slit chop them.
click here to buy chopper.

Make Ginger-Garlic Paste:

Take ½ inch fresh smelling ginger.
Also, take the few pieces of garlic cloves.
Finely grate the whole ginger.
Roughly crush the pieces of cloves.
Add them to the mortar pestle.
Make a smooth paste from them.

For the detailed steps, check – how to make ginger-garlic paste.

Mash the Paneer:

Now, start the process to mash the paneer.
The take the whole paneer block from fridge.
Allow it defrost, and then cut in the required amount.
Immerse this homemade paneer in a warm water.
Wait for a while and let the paneer become tender.
Once it softens, crumble it with hands.
You can also mash the paneer block with a masher.
After you have crumbled the paneer, get a bowl.
Transfer the mashed paneer to a bowl.
Keep this bowl of paneer aside for few minutes.

Note: Soak the paneer in water only if you are using the frozen paneer. If you have fresh paneer then no need to soak in water, directly crumble it. You may also grate the paneer. For the better results, while grating the paneer, it is recommended to use the chilled or frozen paneer.

Steps for Paneer Bhurji Gravy:

Take a pan, and add 2 tbsp. of butter or 2 tbsp. of oil in it.
Heat the pan and let the butter melt or let the oil crackle. (buy non-stick pan online)
Now add all whole spices you are using for the paneer Bhurji gravy.
Begin to add with 1 medium sized bay leaf.
Fry it for some time and then add the 2 small cardamoms.
Stir the cardamoms and add a 1-inch cinnamon stick. (break before adding)
Then add the 2 or 3 pieces of cloves along with some black peppers.
Sauté till they become fragrant and start releasing the aroma.
It will take a minute or two for the spices to cook properly.
To this mixture of whole spices, add the finely chopped onions.
Sauté until they become translucent and change their color to light brown.
Once onions are cooked, add the chopped green chilies.
Also, mix in the Ginger garlic paste into this pan.
Again sauté for some time till the pungent smell vanishes.
Then add the chopped tomatoes to the pan.
Wait till the tomatoes are cooked completely.
Sauté until they become soft and releases the oil.
So after few minutes, you will see oil separating from the sides.
At this step, you know it’s the time for spice powders to be added.
Thus, add coriander powder and the cumin powder.
Also, add the red chili powder and turmeric powder.
Mix these spice powders well with each other.
Cook the entire mixture of the whole spices and powders for 2 minutes.
Now keep the flame low and simmer the mixture.
Then, add fresh and homemade thick curd.
As soon as you add curd, stir it briskly.
You must stir the mixture continuously to avoid curdling.
Pour in some water into the pan and mix well.
Now simmer the gravy mixture for roughly about 5 minutes.
When the curry is properly cooked, add crumbled paneer.
Mix everything well. Properly combine crumbled paneer with the gravy.
Sprinkle the pinch of salt as per the taste into the curry.
Also, add Garam masala and mix well.
Then add the crushed Kasuri Methi and stir the gravy.
Simmer the paneer Bhurji gravy for around 2 to 3 minutes.
Once the gravy is sufficiently cooked, lower the flame.
As it attains the required consistency, then switch off the stove.

And the delicious Paneer Bhurji Gravy is ready to eat.

Note: Add the Curd in the small intervals. And while adding the curd, stir continuously to avoid curdling. Once gravy is done, you can add cream or yogurt. This will make your paneer bhurji gravy super smooth.

Additional Information:

Calories: 457 calories
Total Time: PT25M
Serves: 5
Date Published: 2016-12-18

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Although the word used here is gravy but actually I have finely chopped the vegetables here. If we sauté them properly they become soft and mushy, it gives a texture as if they were pureed. You can crush the veggies and also make their paste. If you sauté the whole spices in butter/oil, then it will infuse aromatic fragrance in the dish. I have added crushed Kasuri Methi to enrich the flavors and the aroma of the dish.

The mixing of fenugreek leaves in the gravy instantly enhances the taste of any Punjabi dish. Here fresh curd is added to the dish but you can use lemon juice also. Instead of paneer, the Soya paneer or tofu can be used. This scrambled paneer gravy dish is different from normal paneer snacks. Here, you first have to make the onion-tomato base gravy and then directly add the crumbled paneer.

It is one such simple recipe to follow which can be tried even by hostel students or is best to make when you are staying alone. This delicious and mouthwatering dish is simple, easy to cook, and less time-consuming. So, follow the simple steps and recreate the restaurant style Paneer Bhurji with a tweak of tasty gravy at home in minutes.

Remarks:

You would nearly require half an hour to prepare the restaurant style Punjabi paneer Bhurji gravy at home.
This paneer Bhurji gravy recipe can be doubled or tripled.
You can also make a paste of onion and tomatoes.
You can add any other veggies of your choice as well.
It is always advisable to use the fresh, hygienic and homemade spice mix powder. (Learn to make the Garam masala powder.)
For the creamier texture, you can add the whisked heavy cream.
Adjust the red chilies powders and the proportion of green chilies as per your taste palates.
For the minor crunch, you can add the chopped or the pureed form of nuts.
Use water only if you do not want the dry textured Bhurji.
For the vegans, you may use Tofu as an alternative to paneer.

Garnishing:

The Paneer Bhurji Gravy is highly fragrant and aromatic when it’s being cooked. The strong smell of sautéed spices makes it very tempting. But with proper plating and interesting garnish, you can make your Paneer Bhurji Gravy look attractive. Mentioned below are the few ideas:

Ladle the Paneer Bhurji Gravy fancy serving bowl.
Serve the Paneer Bhurji Gravy in the brass serving bowl.
You can also transfer Paneer Bhurji Gravy in the fancy oval plate.
Transfer the hot Paneer Bhurji Gravy into any nice looking bowl.

You can also garnish the paneer Bhurji gravy with:

Green Coriander Leaves
Heavy Cream
Grated Paneer
Onion Rings
Lemon Wedges

Suggestion Serving:

The tasty and spicy Paneer Bhurji Gravy goes well with plain paratha or any stuffed paratha.
Serve it warm with butter roti or the Tandoori Roti.
Even the Punjabi butter Nan will taste delicious with it.
Even you can serve it with some plain rice or Jeera rice.
Serve it with light-weight summer Kachumber Salad.
Serve any type of Raita as a side dish along with it.
Have this Roti and Subzi with Lassi. It would become a heavy-weighted meal.
If you want, you can eat the paneer Bhurji with any type of bread as well.
For the fans of paneer, you can even try steamed Paneer Pulao which is rich in taste and flavors.
To make it a complete meal, serve it with any one of the sweet dishes.

Quick Tip

The stuffing can be reused to make Paneer Bhurji Sandwich or Paneer Wrap.
The leftover paneer Bhurji gravy can be used to make paneer dosa.
You can use Cayenne Pepper instead of the red chilli powder.
The most favorable vegetable to add would be the fresh green peas.
You can skip adding chillies if making for the kids.
If you are making a paste of spices, then you can simply mix it in the gravy.
You may any nuts like cashews, walnuts, and almonds.
Instead of buying Curd from the market, you can prepare curd at home.
If the fresh curd is not available at home, then you can substitute it with a pinch of lime juice.
If you like buttermilk then skip curd and add buttermilk.
You may vary the flavor of curd and use almond curd or any dry fruit curd such as cashew yogurt.
You can use the readymade tomato puree as well. It will take less time.

The dried paneer Bhurji is something which you can have with roti or paratha only. But when you make paneer Bhurji with the base of masala curry, then you can have it alongside any kind of steamed and spicy rice dish. My husband is very fond of various delectable paneer delicacies. He also prefers rice more than Phulkas roti or paratha. So I mostly make gravy version of paneer Bhurji so that both the purpose is served.

I know you might be tensed because making paneer Bhurji that too in a gravy will increase your work. But don’t worry as always I am here with a simple yet tasty recipe of paneer Bhurji gravy. Here, you only have to crumble or grate paneer and simmer it with the masala curry. There is a perfect blend of flavorful spices in this Indian form of scrambled paneer dish.

If you are a beginner and want to surprise your family by making some awesome paneer dish then you can surely try this paneer dish because it’s easy as compared to other dishes. Also, it’s always preferable to have home-made dishes because of the factors like hygiene, fresh veggies and excess use of oil. It’s an excellent dish of paneer when you are looking for options of quick tummy filling meal.

Jain Paneer Bhurji Gravy Recipe:

There is the Jain version of this delicious Punjabi vegetable gravy dish. It is also very easy and simple to make. If you have few things already prepared before the hand, then it is very much time saving. This is paneer Bhurji recipe is pure Jain recipe. The same paneer dish is made with no Onion and no Garlic in it. Even though there is no garlic nor the onion, it still retains the original taste of the Punjabi dish.

At times, it a bit challenging to prepare the super delicious and yummy Punjabi gravies in the pure Jain style. There may be chances that you may lose the authentic zest of the Punjabi gravy dish. But even if you are making it for the first time, then do not hesitate. The gravy would turn out to be very tasty and delicious. It would be more flavorful and tastier than the original Paneer Bhurji recipe.

You can use the red bell pepper to replace the taste of the pungent onions in the gravy. You can also add a pinch of Asafoetida which replicated the flavors of garlic. These small additions would make your gravy really very awesome. If you do not eat onion and garlic, then Jain Paneer Bhurji Recipe is what you must try. Follow the recipe steps and make your favorite Punjabi dish in the Jain version.

Ingredients Required for Jain Paneer Bhurji Gravy:

For Cashew Paste: