Protein Power: Quick And Easy Paneer Recipes For Energetic Mornings

We all know that paneer is one of the most popular meals for lunch or dinner at home or in restaurants. For many vegetarians who are always looking for new and exciting dinner ideas, paneer (or cottage cheese) is a lifesaver and packs in protein. 

The popularity of paneer in India has resulted in a multitude of recipes. Paneer may be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without becoming stale. After all, this versatile cheese can be used in a variety of ways. Cottage cheese, or paneer, is claimed to be a good source of protein. Cottage cheese, made from cow's milk, is high in protein and could be a wonderful addition to your vegetarian diet.

Did you know that 100 grams of paneer has 23 grams of protein in it? Breakfast is thought to be the best time to maximise your weight-loss efforts with a high-protein diet. Incorporating paneer recipes into your daily breakfast routine may help you lose weight. Do you want to know how to make the most of this delicious cheese? Take a step this way!

Protein Power: Quick And Easy Paneer Recipes For Energetic Mornings

1. Paneer salad

Making a quick salad is an excellent option when you are short on time. Because uncooked paneer contains the most nutrition (think: lettuce and spinach), you can toss a significant amount of paneer chunks into your salad along with some greens.

Recipe for Paneer salad :

Ingredients :

1. 250 gm Cubed paneer - 250 gm
2.  Grated carrot -1
3.  Finely chopped onion -1
4.  Salt to taste
5. Lettuce loose-leaf - 1 Handful
6. Finely chopped cucumber - 1
7. Finely chopped tomato -1
8. Chopped coriander leaves - 1 Handful
9. Back grapes - ½ cup
10. Black pepper - 1 tsp

Following a few simple steps, you can make this simple paneer salad at home.

Step 1: Toss crumbled paneer, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, tomato, and onion together in a large mixing dish. After you've chopped everything else, dice the black grapes.

Step 2: Season the salad well with salt and black pepper. To ensure that the spice is uniformly distributed, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients.

Step 3: Arrange coriander leaves on top of the dish and serve the paneer salad immediately.

Some Pro tips :

• In the paneer veggie salad, you may also add regular grapes.
• You can garnish the salad with finely chopped dill leaves.
• Paneer salads with homemade paneer are the healthiest.

2. Paneer Stuffed Moong Dal Chila

Moong dal is an excellent source of plant protein. It's perfect for making the country's most popular cheela dish. You may make this moong dal with or without paneer, a high-protein cheese. Protein helps you feel full. You'll be less inclined to overeat if you're satisfied, which will help you lose weight over time.

Recipe for Paneer stuffed Moong Dal Cheela

Step 1: Soak the moong dal (1 cup) and urad dal (12 cups) together for at least 6 hours/overnight before making the Moong Dal Cheela Recipe.

Step 2: Grind the moong dal, green chilies (11) and ginger (1 inch) into a smooth batter with just enough water (1/2 cup) to get the dal to grind. The batter should have the consistency of a pancake batter (do not add too much water).

Step 3: To make the paneer filling, combine all of the ingredients.

1.  Paneer - 1 Cup - Grated
2.  Onion - ½  - Finely chopped
3.  Tomatoes - ½ - Finely chopped
4.  Green Chilli - 1-  Finely chopped
5. Chaat Masala Powder - 1 tsp - For seasoning
6. Salt , to taste
7. Coriander (Dhania) Leaves - Finely chopped

Step 4: Set the mixture aside.

Step 5: Warm a skillet and pour a ladle full of moong dal cheela batter in a circular pattern from the centre outwards, forming a 6 inch circumference.

Step 6: Drizzle oil or ghee all over the cheela batter. Cook the moong dal cheela on a medium heat setting. Brown dots will emerge on the inside and around the edges. Allow for crisping before flipping and cooking the cheela for about a minute.

Step 7: Remove the moong dal cheela from the skillet and lay it on a serving tray, bottom side down. Fill about a scoop of paneer filling along the cheela's middle diameter and fold it tightly lengthwise. Cut the roll into two or three diagonal pieces and top with more chaat.

3. Grilled Paneer

Grilled Paneer is an excellent appetisers for any occasion, whether it's a quiet supper or a dinner party for guests. Grilled paneer is not only delicious and flavorful, but it is also satisfying.

Recipe for Grilled Paneer:

Ingredients :

1. Paneer Cubes -250 gm
2. Tomato Ketchup - 3-4 tsp
3. Red Chilli Powder -1tsp
4. Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil -1 tsp

Recipe :

Step 1. To make the grilled paneer, cut the paneer into the sizes and shapes you wish to cook and serve, then drain the water completely.

Step 2. In a separate mixing dish, combine tomato ketchup, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt; then, evenly coat both sides of the paneer slices with the marinade and set aside for about half an hour.

Step 3: To finish, place the marinated paneer pieces on a grill pan coated with oil and cook until golden brown on both sides (at least 7 minutes per side).

Your paneer is now ready to eat. Serve the pieces with some fresh lettuce and green chutney on a platter.

4. Paneer Bhurji

Paneer bhurji is a nutritious dish that can be enjoyed at any time of day. It is made by scrambling paneer and mixing it with a variety of spices, veggies, and butter. Here's how to make paneer bhurji at home: it's simple, delicious, fast, and filling.

 Recipe for Paneer Bhurji :

Step 1: Using your fingers, crumble 200 to 250 grams of paneer (cottage cheese) and set aside.

Step 2: In a frying pan or a kadai, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Instead of oil, you can use ghee or butter. Allow 1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds to crackle.

Step 3: Finally, add 1/2 cups of finely chopped onions.

Step 4: Continue to sauté the onions until they become transparent and tender. On a low heat, sauté the onions.

Step 5: Finally, stir in 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies.

Step 6: Combine all of the ingredients and cook for a few seconds, or until the raw ginger-garlic aroma has gone away.

Step 7: Toss together 1 cup finely diced tomatoes and the remaining ingredients (tightly packed).

Step 8: Place the tomatoes in a skillet over medium-low heat and begin to sauté them.

Step 9: Cook the tomatoes until they are completely softened. You can also add a sprinkle of salt to hasten the cooking of the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes have softened, you will notice oil leaking from the sides of the mixture.

Step 10. 14 teaspoons of turmeric powder, 12 teaspoons of red chilli powder (or 14 to 12 teaspoons of cayenne pepper), 12 teaspoons of coriander powder, and 14 to 12 teaspoons of garam masala are now added.

Step 11: Add the crumbled paneer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the paneer for 1 minute after completely mixing. Cooking paneer for an extended period of time causes it to harden and lose its suppleness.

Step 12: Remove the pan from the heat and add 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly.

You can also serve it with toasted bread.

5. Paneer Sandwich

A spiced paneer sandwich made with coriander chutney and standard Indian spices and herbs can be served for breakfast, evening munchies, or a light meal or dinner. With its vibrant, zesty taste, coriander chutney enhances any sandwich dish. If you don't like warm spiced sandwiches, you can lower the amount of spice and herbs.

Recipe for Paneer Sandwich :

Step 1: In a bowl or pan, crumble 200 grams of paneer. Do not crumble finely. It's fine to use a few small cubes of paneer. Instead of crushing paneer, you can slice it into little pieces.

 Step 2: Pinch of turmeric powder, 14 teaspoons of cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoons of kashmiri red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoons of coriander powder (gro1und coriander), 1/2 teaspoons of garam masala powder, 12 teaspoons of dried mango powder, and 1/2 teaspoons of garam masala powder (amchur powder).

Step 3: Butter the bread pieces and place them on a plate. I used whole wheat bread in this recipe.

Step 4: Spread the chutney on the slices of bread. Sandwich chutney is optional, and you can leave it out entirely. You can also use whatever green chutney you have on hand, such as mint, coriander, or mint coriander chutney.

Step 5: Place some thin onion slices and sliced bell pepper on top of the onion slices. I used red bell pepper in this recipe. However, you can add green or yellow bell peppers or leave them out entirely. Add some chaat masala to the top.

Step 6: Place the paneer stuffing on top

Step 7: Cover with the remaining bread slices, which have previously been coated with butter and sandwich chutney.

Step 8: Place the paneer sandwiches in a sandwich maker that has been warmed.

Step 9:  Cook until golden and crisp on both sides.

Step 10: Remove the grilled paneer sandwiches from the pan and serve them hot or warm with any dip or sauce of your choice. Tomato ketchup, mint chutney, or coriander chutney are all good accompaniments.

However, many individuals, including women, may experience allergies or sensitivities to dairy or other animal proteins. Vegan protein powders, derived from sources like peas, rice, hemp, soy, or other plants, are known to provide a suitable alternative that avoids triggering these issues. Plant protein powders are widely used in pre and post-workout shakes and smoothies for their digestibility compared to animal-based proteins. They are particularly beneficial for people with sensitive stomachs or lactose intolerance, as they can minimise bloating and discomfort. 

According to nutritionist Chahat Vasdev from Gytree, "Plant protein powders are a versatile and nutritious addition to any diet, offering benefits beyond just meeting protein needs."

Why wait? Start adding these protein-packed recipes to your diet or drop this protein powder into your cart to meet your daily protein needs.