When I think of my school and college days, I often recall the fun of sharing tiffins with friends. We all eagerly await our lunch break to pass around boxes loaded with a wide variety of treats. We knew which dishes were the speciality of which friend's mother. Accordingly, you were expected to get more of it to feed your entire group! From heavenly theplas and crispy bhindi sabzi to aromatic chicken curry and neer dosa, memories of my friends' tiffins are still fresh in my mind, all these years later. As for me, I had to ensure I took along extra servings of my mom's yummy paneer bhurji with pav. Paneer bhurji is a rather experimental dish and there are several versions of it (although the differences are slight). If you want to cook irresistible paneer bhurji, here are some tried-and-tested tips to remember:
Also read: These 5 Simple Tips Will Ensure Your Dahi Puri Turns Out Perfectly Irresistible
Here Are 7 Tips For Beginners To Make Paneer Bhurji Perfectly At Home:
1. Choose the paneer carefully
Paneer Bhurji Cooking Tips: Select the paneer according to your preferred texture. Photo Credit: iStock
A melt-in-the-mouth feeling is often the hallmark of a well-made paneer bhurji. And in order to achieve that, you need to select the paneer carefully. Go for malai paneer or a slightly firmer kind - provided it is freshly made. If the paneer is over-processed/ packaged for some time, it may have lost much of its softness. However, there are some who prefer paneer with more ‘bite' in their bhurji. In that case, opt for a solid consistency that will get cut into neat pieces.
2. Add green peas, corn or capsicum
Green peas, parboiled corn kernels or small pieces of capsicum can help give volume to the dish. They also lend an additional layer of texture to the paneer bhurji, making it more delightful.
3. Finely chop the ingredients
A bhurji is different from a sabzi preparation. In a bhurji dish, the ingredients are expected to be minced together. As such, they should be finely chopped before being mixed and cooked. This especially applies to the paneer, onions, tomatoes, chillies and capsicum (if using).
4. Use powdered cashews and almonds in your bhurji
Paneer Bhurji Cooking Tips: Different ingredients can enhance the texture of your bhurji. Photo Credit: iStock
Cashew and almond powder will give an incredible richness to your bhurji. You must have heard of almond or cashew paste/ powder being used while cooking shahi gravies The same logic applies here. Since paneer bhurji generally has a tomato-onion base like many of those gravies, this ingredient can also help take it to the next level.
5. Add malai (cream) to your bhurji
Malai is another ingredient that can improve the texture of your bhurji. It makes it thicker and creamier, while also binding the other elements. Malai can also help you get a less oily bhurji, the benefits of which we shall discuss below.
Also Read: 5 Creative Uses For Malai You Never Thought Of
6. Avoid adding too much oil
Paneer Bhurji Cooking Tips: You can also use the bhurji as a sandwich filling. Photo Credit: iStock
Whether you're cooking your bhurji in ghee or oil, avoid adding too much of it. Firstly, because the addition of malai already provides extra fat. Secondly, if you're careless with the oil, you might end up with paneer gravy and not bhurji. If you're planning to pack paneer bhurji for tiffin in the form of a roll or a sandwich, excess oil can lead to sogginess and also downgrade the overall taste.
7. Roast the kasuri methi
A final culinary secret we're letting you in on the simple act of roasting kasuri methi. This ingredient already packs a flavour punch that makes any dish instantly tastier. Roasting it on a low flame first further enhances its potential. Once done, crush the methi particles with your fingers and sprinkle them over the dish.
How To Make Paneer Bhurji At Home | Easy Recipe For Paneer Bhurji
As mentioned earlier, there is no one way to make paneer bhurji. Exact ingredients, techniques and even serving methods can vary. But that is also what makes it such a useful dish to master. If you want a detailed recipe for your reference, click here.
