Paneer Bhurji (Crumbled Fresh Cheese with sautéed Onions)

Yesterday I was combing my hair and I noticed that baby Prisha was staring intently at me. As soon as I looked at her she gave me a big smile, yawned and fell back to sleep. I couldn’t help but smile as well. As I continued combing and braiding my hair I suddenly remembered that this is one of my earliest memories of my mom as well. She had really long and beautiful hair back then and she used to comb and tie it up while singing songs to me. I always used to watch her in awe as she would do it so passionately. Never actually thought that one day I too will have a little someone who will be doing the same thing. 

Baby Prisha is now almost 3 months old. Can you believe it? It seems only yesterday I was writing about my pregnancy. Time just flew in these last weeks. 

We have successfully trained her to sleep through the night. I must say following that feed, wake, sleep schedule was tough initially but now it seems like the right thing to do. She is a happy baby and except the days when she is cranky (because of who knows what reason) we have had no major difficulty in these last two months. She wakes up around her feeding time, eats, plays then takes a nap. She especially enjoys her bath time and loves watching the newborn programs on TV. Recently she has started smiling a lot and it fills our heart with love and content. 

Our weekly cooking is also coming along nicely. Because we don’t have to worry about cooking everyday, we are able to rest and take care of each other in a better way. If you are a Costco member, I would recommend getting a pack of readymade roti. They are super easy and quick to make on a skillet and taste amazing. 

So this week, Debarshi asked me if I can prepare my Paneer Bhurji. This is a simple and easy recipe and doesn’t take much time or effort to prepare. While living in Delhi, this used to be my go-to dish every time I would have paneer at home. If you are a fan of homemade paneer, this dish is perfect as it uses crumbled paneer. Try the recipe then post your photos and comments using my hashtag #lifewithoutalu

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 1 ½ tablespoons
• Ghee - 1 ½ tablespoons 
• Cumin Seeds - ½ teaspoon 
• Red Onion - 1 medium size
• Garlic – 3-4 cloves 
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Green Chili – 1-2 (optional)
• Tomatoes - 1 medium size
• Turmeric Powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Coriander Powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Garam Masala Powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Paneer – 2 cups, crumbled
• Salt - as required (about ½ teaspoon)
• Cilantro – a handful, washed

Directions:

• Finely chop the onion. 
• Chop the tomatoes. 
• Chop the cilantro. I use my food chopper for all of this. 
• Make a paste of Ginger, Garlic and Green Chili. I use my Nutri Bullet for this.
• Now heat a pot over medium high heat.
• Add the canola oil and ghee in it. After about 15-20 seconds add the cumin seeds in it.
• When the seeds crackle, add the red onion in it. Fry till it turns golden in color.
• Now add the ginger, garlic and green chili in it. Turn down the heat to medium and fry for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Now add the tomatoes. Turn down the heat to medium low and fry for another 5-7 minutes. 
• Add the spices (turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder and Garam masala powder). Stir to mix. Fry for about 10 minutes or till the oil separates.
• Now turn down the heat to low and add the crumbled paneer. Taste and adjust the salt.
• Mix well and fry for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer to the serving bowl.
• Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot with roti.

Love Paneer? Try these dishes as well:

• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• Butter Paneer (Indian Recipe: Fresh Cheese in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Debarshi’s Amuse Bouche
• Paneer Alu Pulao (Rice with Fresh Cheese and Potato)
• Mamma’s Mixed Vegetables
• Chanar Dalna (Bengali recipe: Fresh Cheese and Potato Curry)
• Amritsari Chole (Delicious Chick Pea gravy with Fresh Cheese)
• Homemade Pizza with Paneer, Tomato and Basil
• Mamma’s Matar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in a tomato gravy)
• Shahi Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in a creamy gravy)
• Easy Air Fryer Paneer Tikka