The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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Showing posts with label paneer bhurji. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paneer bhurji. Show all posts

July 8, 2019

Paneer Bhurji with Sweet Peppers

Is it possible to dream about a dish? Every time I see pictures of this dish, I start drooling. My family thinks I have issues but I cannot help it. Of course I am talking about Paneer Bhurji!

Ever since my sister and I ate at Ganesh Restaurant in Jaipur, I've been craving it. It's the perfect combination of spices, vegetables and cheese. Don't take my word for it, just take a look at the picture of this yummy dish below:


Dhaba Style Paneer Bhurji from Ganesh Restaurant in Jaipur
The guy at the restaurant topped the curry with fresh butter and more paneer. Just look at how the butter is melting on top of the warm curry. I'm drooling again. We enjoyed this curry with freshly made garlic naan. What more can you ask for?

I've eaten this dish again a few years back at this Indian restaurant that used to be close to my parents' place but it's not there anymore. Why does it have to be so hard to get what you LOVE? 

My mom made tofu bhurji but it wasn't the same for me. Whenever, I look back at our vacation pictures from Jaipur, I think about the food we had and how much we really enjoyed it.

I started craving it again this past weekend and decided enough is enough. I'm going to make it. I researched online and found a few recipes and realized I didn't have the exact ingredients. However, I didn't let that deter me from making it.

There are two "parts" for making this curry. First is making the paste or base and then adding the paneer and other spices and cooking it all together. Below is the list of ingredients with some substitutions since I didn't have all the ingredients from the original recipe:

Ingredients for making the paste or base of the curry:
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 to 1½ tsp crushed red peppers, seeds removed
- 3 cloves
- 3 whole peppercorns
- 2 green cardamom
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
½ inch ginger, chopped
½ tsp of red chili powder
- 2 to 2½ cups wine tomatoes (ripe but firm), chopped


Other ingredients:
1½ cups grated Paneer (I used Nanak brand), grated or crumbled
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin
½ cup onion, finely chopped
½ to 1 tsp red chili powder (or as per taste)
- 1½ tsp dhanjeera powder (coriander and cumin powder)
½ to 1 tsp salt (or per taste)
- 2/3 cup of red and orange sweet peppers, finely chopped (1cm size pieces)
½ to 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp Kasoori methi, crush between your palm
½ tsp garam masala
- 2 Tbsp coconut milk*
- fresh coriander, finely chopped for garnish

Procedure
1) Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once you feel the heat on your palm, add in the spices (bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, red chili powder and crushed red peppers). Saute for a few seconds and then add the ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. 

2) Mix in the tomatoes and cook them till they are soft. Remove from stove and let the mixture cool down. Then puree the mixture. 

3) Wipe down the saucepan and bring it back to the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Once it reaches the temperature, add whole cumin. When they splutter, add the onion. Cook the onion until it's translucent in color. 

4) Then mix in the tomato puree mixture. Cook until all the moisture evaporates. Stir intermittently so the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. It should start leaving the side of the pan. 

5) Next add red chili powder and dhanjeera powder. Mix well and cook for another minute. Then add sweet peppers. Mix well. Add water to make the gravy consistency. Let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes so the peppers get cooked. 

6) Then add garam masala and kasoori methi. Mix well. Next add the paneer and mix again. Simmer for a few minutes. Add more water if needed. 

7) Add the coconut milk. Mix well and cook for another minute. Remove from stove and garnish with fresh coriander. Paneer bhurji is ready to be served. Can be enjoyed with naan, chappati, rice or quinoa. 




Not bad for the first try. I made this for dinner tonight and my husband really liked it. It wasn't dry and was good with garlic naan. It brought back memories from my family's Jaipur trip. Looking forward to visiting again sometime and relive those memories.

Quick Tips
- I think the hardest part of this recipe is that you need all the spices and herbs. It seems like a lot but it makes a difference in how the dish will taste.
- I didn't have heavy whipping cream or malai so I used coconut milk.  I also made a paste out of soaked cashews to give a richer flavor.
- You can also substitute paneer for tofu or scrambled eggs. Check out our recipe for tofu bhurji.

April 29, 2017

Tofu Bhurji with Coriander Naan




I'm reminded of our trip to Jaipur whenever my mom makes this dish. We ate at this local dhaba popular with tourists (and recommended by lonelyplanet) called Ganesh Restaurant. The best dishes were paneer bhurji (pictured below) and garlic & coriander naan. 


We loved eating this dish with freshly made naan 😀. As heavenly as this dish was, it's not the healthiest, considering all the butter that went into making it and floating on top. 

BUTTER MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER, RIGHT? 

It does but you shouldn't eat it everyday. And it's not like we can just swing by this dhaba on our way home. So we decided to make this dish at home.  

Our local Indian grocer, started stocking spice mixes for various dishes. While browsing through the aisle, we found the spice mix for paneer bhurji by Rasoi Magic. My mouth started watering just thinking about it. Since we're cautious of what eat now, we decided to buy firm tofu instead of paneer (Indian cottage cheese).  

I know you're dying to know how we made it...so let's get to it. Here's what you need:

Servings: 4 to 5 

Ingredients
- 1 packet of Rasoi Magic Paneer Bhurji spice mix
- 250g firm tofu, chopped 
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped 
- 1 medium plum tomato, finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 green chilies, diced
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of milk
- a small bunch of fresh coriander or cilantro, finely chopped

Procedure (on the back of the Rasoi Magic packet)
Mix the entire pack of spice mix with the milk to make a paste and put aside. Heat the oil in a pan on low to medium flame. Then add green chili, onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Next add green bell pepper (also known as capsicum), tomato, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the spice mix paste, and fry till the oil separates. Add two tablespoons of water and cook for one minute. Then add the tofu and mix well. Finally add coriander and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot with roti or naan. 

The tofu bhurji tastes just as yummy as paneer bhurji with less calories.  

Rasoi Magic Paneer Bhurji Spice Mix Review: This dish came out really well and it was quite tasty even with the tofu substitute. We found this spice mix very convenient and easy to use and would definitely recommend everyone to give it a try. 
Deep Foods Frozen Chili Coriander Naan: We wrapped the naan in foil and toasted them in the toaster oven. They tasted like they were fresh out of the "clay oven". The naan were fluffy and flavorful. We would definitely recommend all to try. 

I am looking forward to trying more recipes with Rasoi Magic's spice mix now. Have you used this spice mix before? How do you like it? Please share your thoughts.