Saturday 26 November 2016

Kadai Paneer

One of the easiest and simplest paneer recipe....Do try it..
Ingredients

Paneer Cubes: 200 gms
Onion: 2
Capsicum: 1
Tomato: 1 Big
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coriander Seeds: 2 Tea Spoon
Dried Red Chilly: 3 - 4
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 Table Spoon
Kasuri Methi: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Fresh Cream: 2 Table Spoon
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Hot Water: 1/2 Cup
Salt

Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Method

Chop the capsicum and 1 onion to bite size cubes
Finely chop the other onion and keep aside
Dry roast coriander seeds and dried red chilly for 5 minutes in medium flame
Let it cool down and grind it to a powder.
Chop the tomato and put it in a mixer and puree it
To a kadai pour 1 table spoon of oil and add ginger garlic paste
Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add finely chopped onion
Saute until it starts to change color
Now add the masala powder we made and garam masala powder.
Saute until the raw smell of the masala is gone.
Add the pureed tomato and salt
Cook until oil starts to leave
Mean while to a pan add a table spoon of oil and add the cubed capsicum and onion
Saute for a good 5 to 6 minutes and keep aside
Once the gravy is ready add sauteed onion capsicum and paneer cubes
Combine well and add hot water.  Cover and cook in low flame for 4 to 5 minutes
Add chopped coriander leaves, fresh cream and kasuri methi
Combine well and switch off the flame
Serve hot with rice, roti, naan etc
Note:
Adjust spice levels accordingly
If you are using frozen paneer put the paneer in hot water for some time so that it becomes soft
If you wish to you can shallow fry the paneer cubes before adding to the gravy

Wednesday 23 November 2016

Vegetable Biriyani

For my Vegetarian friends!!!!
Ingredients

Biriyani/Basmati Rice: 2 Cups
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Cloves: 3 - 4
Cinnamon Stick: 1 Inch Piece
Bay Leaf : 1
Cardamom: 3 - 4
Water: 6 Cups
For Masala
Onion: 1
Potato: 1
Carrot: 1
Green Peas:  1/2 Cup
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Garlic: 5 - 6 Cloves
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Tomato: 1
Chopped Mint: 2 Table Spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 2 Table Spoon
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tea Spoon
Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Ghee: 1 Table Spoon
Salt
For Garnish
Bread Slice: 1
Cashew nuts/Raisins: Few

Cooking Time :30 Minutes
Method

Wash and soak the rice and keep aside for 10 minutes
Chop the bread slice to small piece
To a pan pour 2 table spoon oil and fry the bread pieces, cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside
To the same pan add 1 more table spoon of oil and add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add sliced onion
Saute till the onion becomes soft and add chopped tomato and cook for 4 to 5 minutes
Now add chopped potato, carrot, green peas 1 table spoon of mint and coriander leaves, salt and garam masala powder. 
Add little water and cover and cook
Once done switch off the flame and keep aside
Drain the soaked rice and keep aside
Keep water for boiling to cook the rice
Add cinnamon stick, clove, bayleaf, cardamom, salt, garam masala powder and turmeric powder
Once it boils well add the drained rice and let it cook well
Once the rice is cooked drain out excess water 
Spread a layer of rice in a biriyani pot
Sprinkle some mint leaves, corinader leaves and fried bread, cashew nuts and raisins
Spread some of the masala on top
Repeat the same process of layering the rice and masala
Finally drizzle ghee on top
Cover and cook in low flame for 5 minutes and switch off the flame
Serve hot with raita and pickle

Monday 21 November 2016

Malai Kofta

A perfect vegetarian dish for any occasion!!!
Ingredients
For Kofta
Boiled and Mashed Potato: 1 Cup
Grated Paneer: 1 Cup
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Cumin Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 Table Spoon
Corn Flour :1 Table Spoon
Salt: As Required
Oil: As Required
For Gravy
Onion: 2
Tomato: 2
Shah Jeera/Sajeerakam: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Cashew nuts: 10 - 12
Fresh Cream: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 Table Spoon
Kasuri Methi: 1 Tea Spoon
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt: As Required
Hot Water/Milk: As Required

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Method

Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes and then grind it to a paste and keep aside
Making Kofta
To a mixing plate or bowl add all the ingredients mentioned under for making kofta other than oil
Combine well
Take small portions out of the mix and roll it to balls
You can either deep fry the balls or use an appe pan and fry the koftas
Here i am using a appe pan / paniyaram pan
Pour 1 drop of oil in each hole of the appe pan
Place the koftas and cook in low flame by turning sides as necessary
While flipping the koftas you can put a drop or two of oil
Fry until the koftas are light brown in color
Keep the koftas aside
Making gravy
To a pan pour a table spoon of oil and add ginger garlic paste
Saute for 2 to 3 minutes and add sliced onion
Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add chopped tomato
Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder
Saute till the raw smell of the spices is gone
Switch off the flame and let it cool well and then grind it to a fine paste
Pour a table spoon of oil to a pan and add the shah jeera.
Once it crackles add the ground paste
Cook for a good 8 to 10 minutes in low flame
If the gravy is too thick add hot water or milk to achieve the desired consistency
Once done add cashew nut paste, coriander leaves and fresh cream
Combine well and switch off the flame.
Slightly crush the kasuri methi and add it to the gravy
When you are about to serve slightly warm the gravy and add your kofta balls and serve with rice, roti, naan, ghee rice etc
Note:
For the recipe of paneer Click Here
If you wish to you can add some boiled and mashed carrots, beans, green peas etc while making koftas
Adjust the spice levels accordingly

Saturday 19 November 2016

How to make Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese at home

Make Paneer Butter Masala or Shahi Paneer or any of your favorite dish!!!!
Ingredients

Full Fat Milk: 3 Liters
Lemon: 2

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

I have used 2 big seedless lemon.
Squeeze the lemon and keep aside.  You will need about 3 table spoons of lemon juice
Pour milk to a pan and let it boil
Once the milk boils well reduce the flame
Add the lemon juice and let the milk curdle well and switch off the flame
Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes
Now using a muslin cloth strain the water from the milk solid
Pour some cold water and rinse the panner well so that there are no traces of lemon juice i it
Squeeze out all the water and tie the cloth and hang it for 30 minutes so that all the water drips out
Place the paneer with the cloth on on to a flat surface or plate and keep some heavy object on top
I used 2 chopping board and kept the panner in between them and placed a water can on top
Let the paneer rest for 1 to 2 hours.  By the time it will be set
Take the set paneer out of the cloth and cut the paneer to desired shape and size as per your wish
Store in air tight container in fridge and use it to many your favorite paneer dishes.  But finish it off in 2 or 3 days

Note:
You can use vinegar or curd to curdle the milk
You can use the whey water for making dough for chapathi