Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients

Paneer- 1 pack

Onions- 2 medium

Tomatoes-3 big

Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp

Cashews- 10 whole

Milk- 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Jeera powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Everest kitchen king masala- 1/2 tsp

Kasoori methi - 1/4 tsp

Oil+ butter -3 tbsp (1:2)

Cinnamon- 1 small piece

Cloves- 2

Cardomom-1

Coriander leaves- a few chopped finely

Salt to taste

Method

Peel the onions and boil them in hot water for sometime until it becomes soft. When cooled ,grind it to a smooth paste. Blanch the tomatoes and puree them.

Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add cinnamon,cloves and cardomom. Add the ground onion paste and fry for some time. Then add the ginger, garlic paste and fry for some time.

Then add the tomato puree. fry till the oil seperates and then add turmeric, chilli, dhania and jeera powders.Grind the cashews into a fine paste and add to the masala.

Add the milk , cover with a lid and cook in a slow flame till the masalas are well cooked .

Chop the paneer into cubes or strips . Add this along with garam masala powder, kasoori methi,salt and kitchen king masala . cook for 5 - 10 minutes or till the oil comes on top.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with parathas/roti/naan.

Note:

You can grind the onions and tomatoes straightaway without cooking in water and blanching them too. But I do this because the onions would be cooked well and there will not be any raw smell. The gravy would be done quickly and the taste would be better too.

If u want more rich gravy u can add half and half or fresh cream instead of milk .

If u need more gravy for parties, u can grind 1-2 tsps of coconut along with cashews.

U can adjust the masalapowders and butter as per your taste.

U can fry the paneer in oil or use fried paneer and add them to the gravy too.

I thank easy crafts and Illatharasi for passing these awards to me( a couple of months before). Thanks guys!!

Methi matar malai

Punjabi cuisine is popular not only in other states of India butallover the world too.Tandoori chicken, stuffed parathas,paneer dishes, lassi,naans, dal curries are my favourite punjabi dishes(sure to be the favorites for most people). I have never been to punjab , don't have a punjabi friend either but love most of their dishes. Taken back by the taste of their rich and creamy gravies, I used to try cooking a few dishes at my home and now many has become regular.I was really surprised to read that punjabis cook rice occasionlly.... Read more abt their cuisine here.

Methi matar malai was one dish I wanted to try for a long time, but I was not sure how it would taste, as methi is a bit bitter,and as I had not tasted this dish before...

But beleive me ....it tasted sooooo good and I liked the richness in it.

This is my contribution to the RCI punjab Hosted by Richa of 'As dear as Salt'.

Ingredients

Methi leaves- 1 bunch cleaned and chopped finely

peas- 2 cups

Heavy or light cream- 1/2 cup

milk- 1/4 cup

oil- 2tbsp

ghee/butter- 1 tbsp

cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp

kasoori methi- 1/2 tsp

kitchen king masala- 1/2 tsp

salt- acc to taste

to grind

onion- 1 chopped roughly

poppy seeds- 1 tsp

cashews- 5

ginger- 1" piece

curd- 1 tbsp

turmeric powder- a pinch

green chillies- 5

cinnamon- 1 small piece

cardomom - 1

cloves- 3

Method

Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, when it turns golden add the ground paste.

Fry for 3 to 5 mins till the raw smell of the onion disappears . Add the chopped methi leaves and peas. Fry for some time and then add the cream+ milk. Allow it to boil and add kasoori methi and kitchen king masala. Simmer the flame , cover it with a lid for 5 to 10 mins till the peas and methi are well cooked.Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

note

U can omit kasoori methi and kitchen king masala if u do not have it, but adding that gives a very nice flavour to the dish and tastes like restaurant food.

Vadai Curry

Idli with Vadai curry is a famous dish in chennai restaurants... I have tasted this yummy dish many times from one of the restaurants near my house in chennai,but have started cooking it only 3 years before. This is a recipe of my friend Renu, who is a great cook. Vadai curry is one of our favourite recipes and i would love to share it with u all.

Ingredients

Channa dal- 1 cup soaked for 2 hrs

red chillies-2

Cinnamon- 1 " piece

Cloves- 3

Saunf- 1 tsp

Green chillies- 2 chopped finely

Garlic- 4 - 5 flakes chopped finely

Onions-2 medium chopped finely

Tomatoes- 2 chopped finely

Chilli powder-3/4 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder- 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Grind the soaked channa dal with salt and red chillies with very little water to a coarse paste.

Make small balls of the ground paste and deep fry in oil until golden brown.

Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, cloves, saunf garlic ,green chillies and onions one by one and saute till the onions are transparent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and salt. fry till the tomatoes turn mushy, add chilli powder, coriander powder ,garam masala powder,salt and the fried vadais.

Add 1 cup of water to it , simmer and close with a lid. After 5 minutes mash the vadais with a ladle(if u have potato masher use it.)

Add 2 to 3 tbsps of oil and saute for some time till the oil seperates . Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve hot with Idlies or Dosas.

Vegetable Manchurian

Ingredients

For Manchurian balls

Cabbage- 2 cups finely chopped

Carrots- 2 grated

ginger- 1" piece, chopped finely

garlic-2 cloves chopped finely

green chilli- 1 chopped finely

spring onions(scallions)- 1/2 bunch chopped finely

cornstarch- 3 tbsp

maida- 1 tbsp

salt to taste

chilli powder- 1 tsp

oil for deep frying

For Manchurian Sauce

Spring onions- 1/2 bunch chopped finely

ginger- 1/2" piece chopped finely

garlic - 2 cloves chopped finely

green chilli- 1 chopped finely

chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Tomato sauce- 2 -3 tsp

Soya sauce- 2-3 tsp

cornstarch- 1 tbsp ,mix with water to make a paste.

water- 1 cup

salt to taste

oil-4 tsp

Method

Mix cabbage, cornflour,carrots,chilli powder, salt, cornstarch,maida,ginger, garlic and chopped spring onions together in a bowl(preferably with hand and no need to add water as the water from vegetables are enough to bind). Make small balls out of this mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

For the manchurian sauce heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic and the white bottom portion of the spring onions. saute for a minute and add salt, chilli powder, tomato sauce and soyasauce. Add 1 cup of water to it and when it boils add the cornstarch paste.

When the sauce starts to thicken add the manchurian balls and immediately off the stove. Add the top green portion of the spring onions on top. Serve hot with Fried Rice. Check out the fried rice recipe here.

Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is a very common North Indian dish made with spinach and Paneer(Indian cheese).Spinach , needlees to say is a very healthy and nutritious food. Learn more about the nutrient content of spinach here. This recipe is one of my restaurant favourite. I make this at home too in a very simple way. This is a recipe adapted from sanjeev Kapoor's website. It is easy to make with lots of spinach and less spices so that the u get the flavour of the spinach very well.This is my entry to JFI- WBB event: greens hosted by Indira of Mahanandi this month.

Ingredients

Spinach- 1 large bunch

paneer- 3/4 pack chopped into cubes

cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

garlic- 3 cloves chopped fine

milk- 1/2 cup

salt to taste

oil/butter- 2 tbsp

heavy cream(optional)- 1tbsp

green chillies-3- 4 green chillies

bayleaves- 2

kasoori methi- 1/4 tsp

Method

Heat 2 tsp of oil/ butter in a pan and add cumin seeds,chopped garlic and green chillies. when it turns golden brown add washed and chopped spinach. saute for 2 mins .Grind this into a fine paste when cool.

Heat the remaining oil/butter in the same pan and add bay leaves and the ground paste. Add the milk to it. Let it boil and add salt , kasoori methi and chopped paneer cubes. Simmer the flame and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Garnish with cream.

Note

U can replace paneer with Tofu

U can fry the the paneer in butter/oil and soak in hot water too. finally squeeze the water and add to the gravy.

U can add onions , tomatoes, chilli powder and coriander powder to get more gravy.

Check for the recipe of Palak rice here.

Malai Kofta Curry

Malai Kofta is a rich curry and is my restaurant favourite.This is the way I make malai kofta..Though it takes a bit of time, it tastes wonderful.This is my entry for the JFI 'potato' hosted by Vaishali of Happyburp

Ingredients for koftas

Potatoes- 4 medium
peas- 1/4 cup
paneer(grated)-1/2 cup
chilli powder- 3/4 tsp
garam masala- 1/4 tsp
gram flour- 2 tsp
maida/all purpose flour- 1 tsp
cornstarch- 1/2 tsp
coriander leaves- a few chopped finely
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
For the gravy
Onions- 2 medium chopped into cubes
Tomatoes- 2 or 3 medium chopped into cubes
ginger- 1" piece chopped roughly
garlic - 4 cloves
cinnamon-small piece,cloves- 2, saunf-1/4 tsp
poppy seeds- 1/4 tsp
cashews- 6 to 8
coconut -2 tsp
chilli powder- 1 tsp
coriander powder- 2 tsp
jeera powder- 1/4 tsp
kasoori methi - a few
garam masala/kitchen king masala- 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream- 2 tsp
milk- 1/2 cup
Oil + ghee/butter- 6 tsp
salt to taste

Method

Boil the peas and potatoes together. Remove the skin of the potatoes , add all the other ingredients except oil and mash it . Do not add water. Make small balls and deep fry it in hot oil.
keep it aside.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pressure pan and add cinnamon, cloves and saunf. Then add onions, ginger and garlic pieces. When the onions become transparent add the tomatoes, cashews and poppy seeds. Fry till the tomatoes are mushy.
Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder,jeera powder and garam masala powder. Add little water to this and pressure cook this for 5 mins or till one whistle.
When cooled grind it to a fine paste. Heat a pan and add the remaining oil+ghee. Pour the masala paste , kasoori methi and milk.When it boils add the koftas and remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream on top. Serve hot with chappathis /rotis/phulkas.

Note

U can add chopped cashews to the gravy too.
U can check out Vineela's version of Malai kofta here and Asha's Version here

Kadai Paneer with Bean Sprouts

Bean sprouts are rich in vitamins with low carbohydrates. They are healthy and are used much in chinese cooking. These sprouts have been gaining popularity in recent times .
I wanted to use these in our cooking for a long time and when I saw Nanditha’s ‘twist in a plate’, I thought I could use them.
Everyone would be familiar with kadai paneer. I just love them. This is the usual kadai paneer recipe and I just added bean sprouts for a different taste. It turned out good with soft paneer and crunchy bean sprouts.
This is my entry to Saffron Trail’s WBB#6 ‘Twist in a Plate’.

Ingredients

Paneer- 250 grams
Capsicum- 2 small
Tomatoes-red and ripe ones- 3 large chopped finely
Onions- 1 large choppe finely
Bean sprouts(mung)- ½ cup
Coriander seeds- 3 tsp
Red chilli- 1
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Garam masala- ½ tsp
Kasoori methi- ½ tsp
Green chilli-1 chopped finely
Ginger- 2” piece chopped finely
Coriander leaves- 2 tsp chopped finely
Oil+ghee- 5 tsp
Cuminseeds- ¼ tsp
Cinnamon- 1” piece
Cloves-4
Cardomom- 1
Bay leaves- 2



Method

Cut the paneer and capsicum lengthwise. Grind the coriander seeds and red chilli to a coarse powder.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadai and add cinnamon, cloves ,cardomom, bay leaves and cumin. Add onion, green chilli, ginger and bean sprouts and fry for some time. When the onions turn transparent add the tomatoes , salt and chilli powder. Simmer the flame and cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes or till the tomatoes become mushy and well cooked . At this stage add the coriander+ redchilli powder and capsicum pieces. Close with a lid and cook for 5 minutes . Finally add the paneer pieces,kassori methi and garam masala powder. Cook for a few more minutes and garnish with coriander leaves .
Serve hot with roti/naan.

Avial

Avial is a famous dish in Kerala. There are many ways of making this avial but this is the one I make which I found somewhere in the net. I liked this dish mainly because of the variety of vegetables in it.

Ingredients

Drumstick- 5 pieces of 3” slit into half
Yam(senai kizhangu)- 1 small piece
Beans- 8
Carrot- 1 medium sized
Brinjal- 2 small
Raw banana- 1
Potato- 1
Curry leaves- a few
Curd- ½ cup
Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut oil- 3 tsp

To grind

Coconut- 4 to 5 tsp
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
Green chillies- 3 or acc to taste
Pepper- ¼ tsp

Method

Cut yam ,carrots, beans, brinjal , raw banana and potato of same length- 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces.
In a kadai add ½ cup of water and add a few curry leaves and drumsticks. Close with a lid and cook for 2 mins. Add all the other vegetables, turmeric powder and salt. Cook in a medium flame till the vegetables are cooked ,without adding much water.
Add the ground paste and cook for 2 minutes. Beat the curd well and then add it.
Finally add coconut oil and a few curry leaves and mix it.
Avial is ready and serve it with hot rice.

Note

U can add many other vegetables like pumpkin, snake gourd, cucumbers, peas, raw mango etc… acc to ur taste.

Stuffed Brinjal Curry

Many of you would know this famous dish from Andhra and I learnt it from one of my Telugu friends, a couple of years ago. She had made it for a party and I loved it so much that I asked her the recipe at once, and tried it the very next week. It was a big hit in our family and its now my husband’s favourite. Even though this recipe has been blogged by many others, I would like to add mine too.Try it out and let me know about it.

Ingredients

Violet brinjals-10 (choose fresh and small ones)
Tomatoes-2 finely chopped
Onions-3 finely chopped
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Green chilli- 1 chopped finely
Oil- 6 tsp
Mustard seeds- ¼ tsp
Jeera- ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves- finely chopped 2 tsp

To grind

Peanuts-6 tsp dry roasted
Sesame seeds-6 tsp dry roasted
Coconut grated- 2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Garam masala- 1tsp
Salt to taste

Method

Wash the brinjals , do not remove the stem , and slit them vertically and horizontally like a plus sign(starting from the opposite end of the stem) without breaking them into halves.

Grind the ingredients to a fine paste. Acc to my friend's recipe the ingredients must be powdered. But as I did not have a good mixie with me when I first tried this ,I had to grind them to a paste. It turned out well and so I always try it out this way. If u want ,u can try it out in powdered form. Stuff the paste into the brinjal slits.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and jeera. When the mustard pops add the onions and green chillies. Saute for some time and then add the brinjals and the remaining paste. Fry for some time and add the chopped tomatoes ,turmeric powder, chilli powder,salt and ½ cup of water. Close with a lid , simmer the flame and keep stirring every 5 minutes, gently without smashing the brinjals.

This takes a long time ( almost 30 to 40 minutes) to cook. Remove from heat when brinjals are tender and when oil floats on top. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice.

Mixed Vegetable Kurma

This is a wonderful recipe I learnt from my MIL . Every Sunday morning my MIL would never forget to prepare Poori and mixed veg kurma. Before marriage I have had only poori kizhanghu( the usual aloo masala which comes with poori) . But when I tasted this kurma with poori I liked it too. I hope u will too…

Ingredients

French Beans- 10 cut finely
Carrot-1 cut finely
Potato-1 cut finely
Peas- ½ cup
(U can use frozen cut veggies too.If u are using so use 2 cups of mixed vegetables which is usually carrot,peas,beans and corn)

Onions-2 chopped finely
Tomato-1 big chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste- 3 tsp
Cinnamon- 1stick
Cloves- 4
Star anise-2
Garam masala powder- ½ tsp
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Salt to taste

To grind
Green chillies-4 to 5 or acc to taste
Coriander seeds- 1tsp
Jeera-1 tsp
Saunf or Aniseed- 1tsp
Cashews -6
Khus khus-1tsp
Coconut 4 to 5 tsp
Coriander leaves- 1 tsp finely chopped

Method
Heat 4 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee in a pressure cooker . Add cinnamon, cloves and star Anise. Then add the onions, saute for some time and add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for some time and add the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes become soft and add all the vegetables. Add salt garam masala and turmeric powder. Then add the ground masala and fry for some time .Add 1 glass of water and pressure cook. Simmer for 5 mins after the 1 st whistle. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with poori or chapathis or paranthas.