Paneer bhurji / homemade cottage cheese capsicum fry is a quick and healthy side-dish that can be easily rolled inside chapathi or dosa to make delicious paneer rolls.
Crumbled paneer can be made easily at home as it is a no-flop recipe with just 2 ingredients. Also, there is no waiting time to make shapes/cubes. Once the milk is boiled, paneer will be made just before you finish chopping and sauteing the onion-tomato base for paneer bhurji.
I make paneer every week, whenever I have leftover curd. Homemade paneer is the best in taste and nutrition. Protein-rich paneer is recommended for body builders, dads-to-be, pregnant ladies, lactating moms, babies(9+ months) & kids.
Scroll to see homemade paneer recipe as well as paneer bhurji recipe.
paneer bhurji recipe – Stepwise pics follow the below printable description:
- Full fat milk - 4 cups or 1 litre
- Curd - ½ cup
- Coconut oil - 2 tsp
- Cumin seeds/Jeeragam - ¼ tsp heaped
- Curry leaves - few
- Onion - 1
- Tomato - 1
- Capsicum - 1
- Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
- Chilli powder - 1 tsp(adults) or ½ tsp(kids) or ¼ tsp(toddlers)
- Garam masala - ¼ tsp (optional)
- Salt - ½ tsp or as required
- Coriander leaves - few
- Boil 1 litre full fat milk. Once it rises up, reduce the flame, add a ladle and give a stir so that froth goes down.
- Add ½ cup curd(or ¼ cup more faster curdling) and let the stove be in medium flame. Stir now and then. Shortly, the milk will start to curdle as in the pics.
- Keep stirring and at one stage, the cottage cheese and whey water will be completely separated. The water would have changed from milkish white to greyish(in pasteurized milk as in the pic) or pale yellowish(in case of fresh cow milk). Switch off the stove at this stage.
- Place a cheese cloth or any cotton cloth over a bowl(if you want to save the whey water) or over a colander inside the kitchen sink. Pour the stuff over the cloth so that whey drains down and paneer gets collected in the cloth. Wash the paneer with fresh water to wash away any milk or curd smell.
- Then, collect the corners of the cloth and fold together like a potli. Now, squeeze away the water in it. Do not squeeze till last drop as it might leave the paneer so dry. If you leave more water, paneer will become sticky. Squeeze gently and let there be moisture in it.
- Open the cloth and transfer the paneer to a bowl. Just crumble with fingers to break the clusters. Yields 1.5 cup paneer. Fresh and soft homemade paneer is ready to make paneer bhurji.
- Chop onion, tomato and capsicum , each one. Add 1 or 2 tsp of coconut oil to dry pan and once hot add ¼ tsp cumin seeds/jeera.
- Once crackled, add chopped onions and few curry leaves with lil salt. Fry till onions turn translucent.
- Add chopped tomatoes and fry till oil oozes out. Then add chopped capsicum.
- Fry for 5 mins in medium flame and then add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp garam masala(optional), ½ tsp salt. Saute for a minute.
- Then add paneer and just saute for 2 mins to blend well with masala. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
2.After adding paneer, do not cook for more than 2 mins. Else, paneer might harden.
3.For reheating, steam in a bowl inside idli maker or cooker with water in the base.
Preparation – How to make homemade paneer?
1.Boil 1 litre full fat milk. Once it rises up, reduce the flame, add a ladle and give a stir so that froth goes down.
2.Add 1/2 cup curd(or 1/4 cup more faster curdling) and let the stove be in medium flame. Stir now and then. Shortly, the milk will start to curdle as in the pics.
3.Keep stirring and at one stage, the cottage cheese and whey water will be completely separated. The water would have changed from milkish white to greyish(in pasteurized milk as in the pic) or pale yellowish(in case of fresh cow milk). Switch off the stove at this stage.
4.Place a cheese cloth or any cotton cloth over a bowl(if you want to save the whey water) or over a colander inside the kitchen sink. Pour the stuff over the cloth so that whey drains down and paneer gets collected in the cloth. Wash the paneer with fresh water to wash away any milk or curd smell.
5.Then, collect the corners of the cloth and fold together like a potli. Now, squeeze away the water in it. Do not squeeze till last drop as it might leave the paneer so dry. If you leave more water, paneer will become sticky. Squeeze gently and let there be moisture in it.
6.Open the cloth and transfer the paneer to a bowl. Just crumble with fingers to break the clusters. Yields 1.5 cup paneer. Fresh and soft homemade paneer is ready to make paneer bhurji.
Preparation – How to make paneer bhurji?
1.Chop onion, tomato and capsicum , each one. Add 1 or 2 tsp of coconut oil to dry pan and once hot add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeera.
2.Once crackled, add chopped onions and few curry leaves with lil salt. Fry till onions turn translucent.
3.Add chopped tomatoes and fry till oil oozes out. Then add chopped capsicum.
4.Fry for 5 mins in medium flame and then add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala(optional), 1/2 tsp salt. Saute for a minute.
5.Then add paneer and just saute for 2 mins to blend well with masala. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Goes very well with chapathi or multigrain roti(recipe here) or ragi roti(recipe here).
Tips/Tricks in making paneer bhurji:
- Use homemade paneer immediately or refrigerate and use it within 5 days.
- After adding paneer, do not cook for more than 2 mins. Else, paneer might harden.
- For reheating, steam in a bowl inside idli maker or cooker with water in the base.
Nutritional Benefits in paneer bhurji
Paneer/Cottage cheese – Protein , Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron , Vitamins A,B,D
Capsicum – Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Protein, Vitamins A&B
Awesome looking Paneer bhurji Shyamala. My kids also love Paneer so make this very often.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment Nidhi 🙂