Healthy Methi Paneer Bhurji made with fresh fenugreek leaves, paneer(Indian cottage cheese), onion, tomato and light spices. Paneer bhurji a popular protein-rich Indian breakfast and side for vegetarians especially. Can be made in less than 30 minutes and includes a vegan option too!
In this healthy and vegetarian Indian paneer recipe, soft paneer is scrambled and tossed in mild spices with onion and tomatoes
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What is Paneer Bhurji?
Paneer = Indian Cottage Cheese
Bhurji – scrambled
Methi paneer bhurji is an easy and quick recipe that gets done in less than 30 minutes if you have fresh home made or store bought paneer available in your fridge.
Methi Paneer bhurji pairs well with flat breads like roti and paratha and I don’t see any reason for it not to be used on top of toast as well.
If you are a vegetarian and trying to lose weight, check out my other healthy paneer recipes for weight loss like healthy paneer tikka, baked paneer popcorn, mushroom palak paneer and low-calorie matar paneer
Paneer for Weight Loss
Paneer is a kind of Indian cottage cheese made of milk and is loaded with healthy fats, proteins and is very low on carbs. It is an excellent protein source for vegetarians who are on a weight loss journey especially.
Paneer is
✅protein-rich and a source of good fats
✅low in carbohydrates
✅good source of calcium
✅easy to do portion control
How to Cook Paneer for Weight Loss
I believe no edible food is bad for health and it is how we eat makes all the difference .
Paneer can experimented with different healthy ways, do not try deep frying it in loads of oil. you can stir fry, bake and add protein to vegetable curries to gets its benefits. Check out this article to know more benefits of paneer for weight loss
This Scrambled paneer is also a good alternative that you can try. Try increasing the nutritional value of paneer bhurji by adding fresh greens like spinach, fenugreek etc. paneer bhurji can also be teamed with vegetables like peppers, carrots, cauliflower etc.
How To Make crumbled paneer at home?
Making soft paneer is much easier than making the actual block. if you have milk that is soon to be expired, do yourself a favor by making this easy methi paneer bhurji.
Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan in medium flame for 5 min and turn the flame to low. add auice of lime or lemon or 2 tablespoons of vinegar. the milk will start curdling separating the solids and whey water.
Scoop out the milk solids and place in a strainer . run it under tap water making sure the paneer is washed well to get rid of any smells.
Press the soft paneer against its surface of the strainer which will drain off the excess liquid., Leave it like that for an hour and use it for making paneer bhurji.
Key Ingredients
Paneer, indian cottage cheese. you will get this in all Indian stores and major supermarkets in the chilled aisles. I normally make this at home, unlike regular paneer block, this recipe calls for crumbled paneer which means it is even more easier to make at home freshly. See below for a easy recipe for home made paneer crumble.
Fenugreek Leaves -usually available in Indian grocery stores. you can even sue frozen or canned fenugreek, also any green like spinach, amaranth works well for this paneer bhurji recipe.
Onions, tomatoes are unanimously used in all Indian curries. you can use red, yellow or white onion. Try to use ripen red tomatoes than raw or sour ones.
Ginger garlic paste – if you have fresh ginger and garlic, just pound them in mortal and pestle or use store-bought paste.If you can chop finely, it works too but crushed or paste is the best.
Green Chillis – you can use red chilli powder if you don’t have or even other hot peppers work fine, we only need subtle spice.
Spices – Indian ground spices like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Most of these ground Indian spices are easily available in major supermarkets across the UK.
Herbs – Indian dishes are almost always finished with fresh coriander leaves. Skip if you don’t like it.
How to Make Methi Paneer Bhurji
If using store bought paneer, soak the paneer in hot water for 10 minutes, then grate it using a grater or crumble using hand. If using fresh home made paneer, you can easily crumble it with hands.
Step 1 : Heat a pan and spray with cooking oil. Crackle cumin seeds ,add finely chopped ginger garlic or paste and sauté until raw smell goes off.
Step 2: Add finely chopped onions, salt and fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft.
step 3 : Add chopped tomato and cook until it turns mushy but still when water remains.
step 4: Add washed and drained fresh fenugreek leaves(or spinach leaves) and mix well, allow it to cook for a couple of minutes until the leaves are wilted.
Step 5 : Add the spice powders including ground turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder and garam masala and mix well, allow it to cook couple of minutes by not burning the spices.
Step 6: I thought of showing the cooked mixture but added the wrong photo, so please ignore it.
step 7 : Add crumbled paneer and mix well allowing the onion tomato mixture to coat the paneer well.
step 8: Sprinkle coriander leaves if desired and add lemon juice. and serve hot with any flatbreads or eat on its own with some onion salad on the side.
Serving Suggestions
Best to have it with hot bread like naan, roti, chapati . you can even have paneer bhurji on its own for a protein rich nutritional breakfast.
Top it up on a toast and serve with a side of mushrooms, more vegetables more filling power and les calories.
Paneer bhurji sandwiches are another great option,.please do not complain again that you don’t have help to cook for your weight loss goals 🙂
Storage Suggestions
Paneer bhurji is made of diary and hence I wouldn’t store it for longer times in fridge. I try to finish it within 2 to 3 day of refrigerating.
this recipe for paneer bhurji is not suitable for freezing.
FAQ
Use crumbled tofu in place of paneer, make sure you press the tofu to drain the excess liquid before crumbling. You may want to add more spices if using tofu.
Depending upon your choice really, we tend to use both but feel free to use one if you can’t tolerate much spice.
spinach, amaranth or any similar green leafy vegetables work fine. You can even add ribboned carrots and chopped peppers for additional nutrition.
The texture will be totally different and I suggest not to. Fresh tomatoes give a unique taste to this dish.
Absolutely, it’s a great source of protein and when cooked with less fat/oils, paneer can be a great option for a protein-rich weight loss meal.
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Methi Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- 200-250 grams Paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese)
- 1 small onion chopped finely
- 2 large ripen tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups fresh fenugreek leaves
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 – 2 green chilli finely chopped or slit
- a pinch of ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon coraiander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayanne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 3 tablespoons coarinder leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a pan and spray with cooking oil. Crackle cumin seeds ,add finely chopped or crushed ginger garlic and sauté until raw smell goes off.
- Add finely chopped onions, salt and fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft.
- Add chopped tomato and cook until it turns mushy but still when water remains.
- Add washed and drained fresh fenugreek leaves(or spinach leaves) and mix well, allow it to cook for a couple of minutes until the leaves are wilted.
- Add the spice powders including ground turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder and garam masala and mix well, allow it to cook couple of minutes by not burning the spices.
- Add crumbled paneer and mix well allowing the onion tomato mixture to coat the paneer well.
- Sprinkle coriander leaves if desired and add lemon juice. and serve hot with any flatbreads or eat on its own with some onion salad on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Hello there, I’m Siri, love food shopping more than perfumes or dresses. At one point I lost control of myself and ate my way until I was near obese. Now, am here to write about my experiences in maintaining a healthy, balanced body and mind. Remember, the best lessons are always from failed people.
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