Recipe #40: Mom’s Paneer Bhurji

Paneer bhurji is Indian comfort food at its finest. I finally got my mom to share her recipe and y’all it is AMAZING. I haven’t seen this dish at any restaurants in Austin (to be fair I haven’t been to every single Indian restaurant) and I believe everyone needs to try this dish at least once in their life (but preferably a lot more). Punjabi food is some of the best food around.

If you know anything about Asian mom’s it’s that they never write down measurements, ingredients or anything coherent to make a recipe 😂 It’s part of their charm. The last time she was in Austin, I had her explain how to make it and I wrote it down.

Ingredients:

– 1/2 lb fresh paneer
– 1/3 sweet onion, chopped
– 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
– 1 tsp chili powder
– 1/2 small jalapeño, chopped
– 3 tbsp tomato sauce
– 2 tbsp whole milk
– 1/4 cup peas
– 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add oil or ghee (or combo of the two) to a frying pan on medium heat. Then sauté the onion with ginger for a 2-3 minutes.

Next add in the tomato sauce, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes.

Then crumble the paneer by hand and add it to the pan, stirring frequently. Add in the peas and turn the heat to low.

Last but not least – add in the milk – and this is important – keep a very close eye on it because as soon as the paneer soaks up the milk, take the pan off the heat. It’s best enjoyed with a homemade parantha or naan, but gluten free toast works too 😂❤️

Check out my other Indian recipes, like my chicken tikka masala and my masala lamb burger!