Paneer Bhurji Gravy

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Paneer bhurji gravy is a spiced and easy to prepare scrambled cottage cheese in a gravy or curry base. This flavorful gravy is made with onions, tomatoes, spices, herbs and curd (yogurt). The recipe comes together in 25 minutes and makes for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pair with roti, paratha, naan or bread to mop up this delish savory gravy.

paneer bhurji gravy recipe

Generally the classic Paneer Bhurji is a dry or semi dry dish. This gravy or curried variation is less popular and made slightly differently. The recipe is fairly simple, easy and you don’t need to grind or puree any veggies.

I share my mom’s recipe of making this bhurji with a gravy or curry (also known as tari or rassa in a few Indian languages).

What sets apart this paneer bhurji gravy recipe is the frying of whole spices first and this is what gives the dish an aromatic flavor. Fresh curd (yogurt) is also included in the curry that adds a touch of creaminess and a slight tang.

I also use butter for sautéing, but you can use oil. We also add green peas to this recipe at times. Wherever possible, I have mentioned substitutes in the notes section of recipe card.

Serve this paneer bhurji gravy with roti or paratha. This spiced curry also goes very well with bread or pav (dinner rolls).

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Paneer Bhurji Gravy

1. Crumble 200 to 250 grams paneer/cottage cheese and set aside. If possible use fresh homemade paneer for best results.

For frozen paneer, follow the instructions of prepping paneer listed on the pack.

crumbled paneer in a bowl

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter or any neutral tasting oil in a pan. You can also use ghee.

butter in a pan

3. Add the whole spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 5 to 6 black peppercorns and 2 small tej patta or 1 medium to large tej patta.

Fry until the spices become aromatic and splutter.

spices added to butter in the pan

4. Add ½ cup finely chopped onions.

chopped onions in the pan

5. Stir and mix very well.

mixing onions with butter

6. Sauté the onions until light golden on medium-low to medium heat.

sauteing onions

7. Add 1 green chili (finely chopped) and 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.

ginger-garlic paste and green chili added to onions

8. Saute for a few seconds or until the aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

sauteing ginger garlic paste

9. Now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.

chopped tomatoes added to the pan

10. Mix very well.

mixing tomatoes with onions spice herb mixture

11. Sauté stirring often till the tomatoes soften, become mushy and you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala.

sauteing tomatoes

12. Add the following spices:

  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

This recipe does not make for a very spicy gravy. For a more spicy taste, add more green chillies or red chilli powder.

ground spices added

13. Mix the spice powders very well with the rest of the ingredients and sauté for a minute on a low to medium-low heat.

ground spices mixed

14. Lower the heat or switch off the heat. Now add 3 tablespoons fresh curd (yogurt). You can choose to skip curd if you don’t have it handy.

Make sure to use fresh curd and not sour tasting curd.

curd added to masala

15. As soon as you add curd, stir quickly and briskly till all the curd is incorporated with the rest of the onion-tomato masala.

curd mixed with the masala ingredients

16. Then add ½ cup water and mix well. For a thicker gravy, add less water.

water added and mixed to make gravy

17. Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. You can add about 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves at this point.

coriander leaves on the gravy

18. Mix and stir again.

coriander leaves mixed with the gravy

19. Bring the curry or gravy to a simmer on a low to medium heat.

gravy simmering in the pan

20. When you see the gravy simmering, add the crumbled paneer.

crumbled paneer added to gravy

21. Add salt as required.

salt added to gravy

22. Mix very well and simmer for about 1 minute on low heat until the paneer is cooked. Do not cook for long or else the paneer will become chewy.

paneer mixed with gravy

23. Switch off the heat and add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and 1 teaspoon ginger julienne.

coriander leaves added to paneer bhurji gravy

24. Mix again and serve paneer bhurji gravy with chapati, roti, paratha or bread.

Enjoy the dish as soon as it is made and while still hot or warm. Reheating the dish can make the paneer chewy or dense.

paneer bhurji gravy served in a bowl


If you are looking for more Paneer Recipes then do check:

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paneer bhurji gravy recipe

Paneer Bhurji Gravy

Paneer bhurji gravy is a spiced and easy to prepare scrambled Indian cottage cheese curry or gravy. This flavorful curry comes together in 25 minutes and makes for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pair with roti, paratha, naan or bread to mop up the delish savory gravy.
5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 3
Units

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 200 to 250 grams Paneer (cottage cheese) – crumbled
  • 2 medium onion or 1 large onion, finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato, finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1 green chili – finely chopped or ½ teaspoon, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 3 tablespoon Curd (yogurt)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves – optional
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves to be added later
  • 2 tablespoon butter or oil
  • 1 inch ginger – julienne for garnish
  • salt as required

Whole Spices

  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 5 to 6 black peppercorns
  • 2 small tej patta or 1 medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf)

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Crumble 200 to 250 grams paneer and keep aside.
  • Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chillies. Keep aside.
  • Crush the ginger garlic in a mortar pestle and keep aside.
  • Also remove the whole spices and spice powders and keep aside.

Making paneer bhurji gravy

  • Heat butter or oil in a pan.
  • Add the whole spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 5 to 6 black peppercorns and 2 small tej patta or 1 medium to large tej patta. Saute till the spices become aromatic.
  • Then add the finely chopped onions. Mix and stir very well.
  • Sauté the onions till light golden stirring often on medium-low to medium heat.
  • Add the chopped green chilies and ginger-garlic paste.
  • Saute for a few seconds or until the aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
  • Now add the finely chopped tomatoes. Mix very well.
  • Saute till the tomatoes soften and you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala.
  • Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder.
  • Stir the ground spices well and sauté for a minute on low to medium-low heat.
  • Keep the flame to its lowest, and now add the fresh curd (yogurt). Ensure that the curd is not very sour. It should be fresh curd.
  • As soon as you add curd, stir quickly and briskly.
  • Then add water and mix well.
  • Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves and mix again.
  • Bring the curry or gravy to a simmer on low to medium-low heat.
  • Then add the crumbled paneer. Also add salt according to taste.
  • Stir very well and simmer for about 1 minute till the paneer is cooked. Do not cook for long as then the paneer becomes chewy.
  • Switch off and add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
  • Mix and serve paneer bhurji gravy with roti, paratha, naan or bread.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Paneer Bhurji Gravy
Amount Per Serving
Calories 349 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 47mg16%
Sodium 93mg4%
Potassium 359mg10%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 820IU16%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 19mg23%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 15µg14%
Calcium 381mg38%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 28µg7%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 24mg6%
Phosphorus 60mg6%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This paneer bhurji gravy recipe post from the archives (June 2015) has been republished and updated on 8 July 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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  1. Dear dassana,
    An update is available for your app.Is there any major change in the app if I update it to latest version.

    1. yashwiin, if the app on your phone is working fine, then no need to update.

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