Cabbage Paneer Bhurji (No Tomato) is a scrambled, protein forward side dish you can make in about 25 minutes. Each 1 serving has 271 calories, 18g protein, and 6g fiber.
Most versions of paneer bhurji lean on tomatoes for color and a wet chutney for flavor. This one skips both. Turmeric gives it color, green chilies give it heat, and the cabbage does double duty: bulk and fiber, without adding real calories. This is a dry bhurji, not a curry. The cabbage releases a little moisture as it cooks, so it's not bone dry, but there's no gravy here. It's meant to sit alongside other things, not carry a meal on its own.
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Key Ingredients
- Paneer: the protein base, grated or crumbled so it scrambles instead of sitting in cubes.
- Cabbage: the fiber driver. Three pounds sounds like a lot, but it cooks down and barely adds calories.
- Green chilies: the only heat source here, since there's no red chili powder or tomato.
- Whole spice tempering: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves for the base flavor.
Instructions Overview
The full steps and photos are in the recipe card below. Quick version:
- Prep: Prep the paneer, chilies, cabbage, and onions.
- Temper: Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves in oil.
- Sauté: Sauté the onions and chilies, then stir in turmeric and salt.
- Cook the cabbage: Add the cabbage, cover, and cook until softened.
- Add cumin and coriander powder: Stir in cumin powder and coriander powder.
- Add the paneer: Add the paneer, mix, cook a few more minutes, and garnish with cilantro.
How to Use It
You can eat it on its own if you like, but it's built to mix and match:
- Stir it into upma
- Use it as a dosa topping
- Serve it as a side with rice and curry or pappu
- Tuck it into a wrap or sandwich, or serve alongside roti, chapati, or paratha
Here's what one Erra Karam Dosa (half the recipe's listed serving) and cabbage paneer bhurji add up to together:
| Recipe Name | Serving Size | Calories | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paneer and Cabbage Scramble | 1 serving (210g) | 271 | 18 | 6 | 17 | 18 |
| Erra Karam Dosa | 1 serving (80g batter, 2 dosas)* | 142 | 5.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 24 |
| Total | - | 413 | 23.5 | 10 | 21.5 | 42 |
*Serving size adjusted from original recipe
The dosa row above is scaled to a single dosa, not the recipe's full 2 dosa serving.
Freezing and Storage
This scramble freezes really well since there's no egg or dairy based sauce to break down. Let it cool, portion it into a Souper Cubes tray, and freeze until solid.
Once frozen, pop the portions out into a freezer bag or airtight container. It keeps for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm a frozen portion in a pan with a splash of water, or in the microwave, until heated through.
If you make this, tag me on Instagram @thalimethod. Ratings and reviews on the recipe card genuinely help this show up for other people searching for the same thing.
Paneer and Cabbage Scramble
Equipment
- 1 Large pan or kadai
Ingredients
For Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) peanut oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) mustard seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon (4.5 g) cumin seeds
- 20 (1 g) fresh curry leaves
For the Scramble:
- 2 medium (330 g) onions - diced
- 10-15 (30 g) green chilies - finely chopped - medium-spicy variety needed more than a typical hot chili would; adjust to taste, this is the only heat source since there's no red chili powder
- 3 lb (1,360.78 g) cabbage - chopped into small pieces, diced if possible
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon (9 g) salt - adjust to taste
- 1 lb (454 g) paneer - grated, food-processed, or crumbled by hand
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) cumin powder
- 2 tablespoon (0.8 g) cilantro - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Prep:
- Grate, food-process, or crumble by hand the 1 lb paneer. Finely chop the 10-15 green chilies.
- Chop the 3 lb cabbage into small pieces, dicing if possible.
- Dice the 2 medium onions.
Cook:
- Heat 1 tbsp peanut oil in a pan. Add 1 ½ tsp mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds and 20 fresh curry leaves.
- Add the chopped 10-15 green chilies and diced 2 medium onions. Sauté until the onion turns translucent.
- Add the ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1 ½ tsp salt to the onions. Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped 3 lb cabbage.
- Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage softens but still has a little bite.
- Sprinkle the 1 tsp cumin powder over the cooked cabbage and stir.
- Add the 1 lb paneer and 1 tbsp coriander powder.
- Mix gently so the paneer breaks up further and coats in the spices. Cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes until warmed through.
- Garnish with 2 tbsp cilantro and serve.
Freeze It:
- Let the scramble cool, then portion it into a silicone freezer tray or freezer-safe container.
- Freeze until solid, then pop out the portions and transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Keeps well for up to 3 months.
- Reheat a frozen portion in a pan with a splash of water, or in the microwave, until warmed through.
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