What’s a better Paneer Recipe than just the regular palak paneer? It is definitely the Palak Paneer Bhurji, a more nutritious variation with the added goodness of spinach or palak in it. Get your usual spices off the shelf, some Indian cottage cheese (paneer) and fresh spinach of the season and make this simple, yet flavorsome dish that is a hit with Indian flatbreads like roti or chapati or paratha.
About Palak Paneer Bhurji
A delicious and wholesome dish, this Palak Paneer Bhurji is made with fresh spinach leaves (palak), Indian cottage cheese (paneer), onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices.
This dish is not only flavorful but also nutritious due to the combination of spinach and paneer, which are rich in vitamins, minerals and protein.
Palak Paneer Bhurji is a delightful variation of the classic Palak Paneer, where the paneer is crumbled or diced and mixed with sautéed spinach, creating a flavorful and nutritious meal.
At home, palak paneer is one of our favorite curries to go with rotis or rice. Usually, I just make a simple version of paneer bhurji.
So thought, why not give a twist to the recipe and add some spinach leaves. It tasted good and went very well with our everyday flatbreads.
Table of Contents
I made this Palak Paneer Bhurji in a similar way I prepare this Paneer Bhurji. Just added some tomatoes in the recipe, which brings in a certain degree of moisture into the dish and it is not very dry.
If you want, you can skip the tomatoes. Also, tofu can be used as an alternative to paneer. You can even use this dish as a stuffing for your grilled or toasted sandwiches and wraps and make for a yummylicious snack like I have done in this recipe of Paneer Bhurji Sandwich. Another similar variation is this recipe of Spinach Rolls.
Palak Paneer Bhurji is a tasty, hearty dish that showcases the versatility of spinach and paneer in North Indian cuisine.
The enticing blend of fragrant spices and wholesome components makes it a favored choice for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, adding a delightful twist to traditional Indian dishes.
Palak Paneer Bhurji is best enjoyed hot and pairs perfectly with a variety of Indian breads such as roti or paratha or Naan or even plain bread.
It also goes well with steamed rice or Jeera Rice. A squeeze of lemon juice just before serving further enhances the dish’s flavors.
How to make Palak Paneer Bhurji
Preparation
1. Rinse 130 grams spinach leaves very well in water. Then, chop them. You will need 2 cups of chopped spinach.
Also, finely chop 1 medium onion, 2 medium tomatoes and 1 or 2 green chilies. Keep aside.
2. Crumble 200 grams paneer and keep aside.
Sauté
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 small Indian bay leaf (tej patta). Sauté till the cumin crackles.
Instead of oil, you can also use butter or ghee.
4. Now, add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
5. Stir and sauté onions on low to medium heat.
6. Sauté until the onions turn light golden.
7. Add ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, stir and sauté till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
Make Onion-Tomato Masala
8. Then, add ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes and 1 to 2 finely chopped green chilies.
9. Mix well and sauté tomatoes on low to medium heat.
10. Sauté until the tomatoes soften and turn mushy.
11. Next, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix well.
Cook Spinach
12. Add the chopped spinach leaves.
13. Mix the spinach leaves very well with the onion-tomato masala.
14. Cover the pan with a lid and on low heat, simmer until the spinach leaves wilt.
15. Check a couple of times while the spinach is cooking.
16. Once the spinach is cooked, you will see some water or moisture in the pan.
17. On low to medium heat, cook till all the water or moisture evaporates.
Make Palak Paneer Bhurji
18. Then, add the crumbled paneer and salt.
19. Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
20. Mix very well and sauté on low heat for 1 minute until the paneer is cooked. Do not cook too much as then the paneer turns chewy or dense.
21. Serve Palak Paneer Bhurji hot garnished with some grated paneer or cheese and a few chopped coriander leaves. Also, drizzle some lemon juice before serving.
Serve it with chapatis or phulkas or parathas. Also goes very well with bread.
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Palak Paneer Bhurji
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tej patta – small-sized
- ½ cup onions – finely chopped, 65 grams
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- ½ cup tomatoes – finely chopped & tightly packed, 143 grams
- 1 to 2 green chillies – chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 2 cups spinach – chopped, 130 grams
- 200 grams Paneer – crumbled
- salt as required
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- few drops of lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Paneer – grated/shredded or grated cheese, optional
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped, optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse spinach leaves very well in water. Then chop them. You will need 2 cups of chopped spinach.
- Also finely chop the onion, tomatoes and green chilies. Keep aside.
- Crumble paneer and keep aside.
Making paneer palak bhurji
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and tej patta. Saute till the cumin crackles. Instead of oil, you can also use butter or ghee.
- Now add the finely chopped onions.
- Stir and saute onions on a low to medium heat.
- Sauté until the onions turn a light brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste. Stir and sauté until the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic dissipates.
- Then add ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes and 1 to 2 green chilies, chopped.
- Mix well and saute the tomatoes on a low to medium heat.
- Saute till the tomatoes soften and become mushy.
- Then add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix well.
- Add the chopped spinach leaves.
- Mix the spinach leaves very well with the onion tomato masala.
- Cover the pan with a lid and on a low heat simmer till the spinach leaves wilt.
- Do check a couple of times when the spinach is cooking
- Once the spinach is cooked, you will see some water/gravy in the pan.
- On a low to medium heat, cook until all the water evaporates.
- Then add the crumbled paneer. Also add salt.
- Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
- Mix very well and saute for 1 minute on a low heat till the paneer is cooked. Do not cook too much as then the paneer will get chewy.
- Serve Palak Paneer Bhurji garnished with some grated paneer or cheese and a few chopped coriander leaves.
- Also drizzle some lemon juice before serving or you can keep it aside. But do not forget lemon juice as the paneer palak bhurji tastes very good with a dash of lemon juice added on top of it.
- Serve with chapatis or phulkas or parathas. Also goes very well with bread.
Notes
- Spices can be added less or more as per your taste preferences.
- Tofu can be used instead of paneer.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Palak Paneer Bhurji recipe from the blog archives was first published on August 2016. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.
