Paneer Bhurji (Scrambled Spicy Indian Cottage Cheese)
This is a very quick, elegant and simple side dish to make to go with rotis (Indian flat bread), puris (Indian fried bread), and naan. The star of this dish is paneer or homemade cheese, which is made by boiling, and curdling whole milk with lime juice or vinegar. The taste is very mild, and it’s a soft cheese. I prefer to make it at home whenever I make this dish. I learned how to make this by watching my friend Anu, when my son was in first grade. After she showed me how to make it, she made really soft rotis, put some of it inside a fresh roti, rolled it up and gave it to my son. And he fell in love with it! I started to make it then, and my daughter is now a huge fan of this dish too.
Servings Prep Time
4people 30 – 60mins
Cook Time
15mins
Servings Prep Time
4people 30 – 60mins
Cook Time
15mins
Ingredients
  • 1tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1number Medium onionWhite or red fine
  • 5Numbers Medium tomatoesGood to use tomatoes that hold the shape a little bit, and not become completely mushy
  • 2numbers Green chiliesAdd more or less per taste. Serrano, jalapeño or thai hot chilies all work
  • 2tbsp Oil/gheeExtra lite tasting olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee
  • 1tsp Minced gingerOptional
  • 2cups Paneer1 block of store bought paneer, or paneer made from 1/2 gallon of whole milk
  • 2tsp Salt
Instructions
  1. Crumble the paneer and keep aside; chop the tomatoes, green chilies, onions and cilantro finely
  2. Heat the oil/ghee in a wide pan or kadai
  3. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the cumin seeds and let splutter until fragrant
  4. Add the onions, green chilies, and ginger if using; add 1/2 tsp of salt for the onions and fry till onions turn translucent
  5. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 tsp of salt, and cook for a few minutes, until the oil starts to separate. This means the tomatoes are cooked
  6. Now add the crumbled paneer and gently mix, take care not to smush it.
  7. Cook for just about two minutes. If the paneer is cooked too long, it tends to become hard
  8. Add the cilantro and turn the heat off
  9. Pair with soft rotis, puris or toasted bread
Recipe Notes

I first had this when my friend Anu showed me how to make fresh paneer (Indian cottage cheese), and then this dish. She also made soft rotis and rolled it up with some paneer bhurji. My son, who was in 5 or 6 years old then, fell in love with it. Both my kids have loved this since, and always ask me to make it whenever they come home. Although store bought paneer works, I really prefer homemade paneer for this dish.