PANEER MAKHANI (INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE CUBES DIPPED IN TOMATO BASED RICH GRAVY )

Paneer Makhani is a  well known Punjabi dish. Cubes of paneer  are simmered in a creamy, tomato based gravy.Anyone who is familiar with Indian cuisine, should  not  miss
 this rich flavourful dish....  a must try dish for all paneer lovers.

When we make  Paneer Makhani at home,then the taste  differs  from one place   to   another  because  the  spices might differ from region to region....even from one household to another.Some like to fry and brown the paneer, while some use it raw..today I am going to share the recipe of my version  of  Paneer Makhani, it is partially  influenced  by the recipe of great chef and also my favourite. Mr.Sanjeev Kapoor.
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Author -Moumita
Preparation Time -10 Minutes 
Cooking Time-15 Minutes 
Serving -4
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INGREDIENTS OF MAKING PANEER MAKHANI 

Paneer (cottage cheese)-250 grams(cut into cubes )..you can use store bought or Homemade Paneer.
Oil-1/4 Cup

Green cardamom-4

Cloves-3

Cinnamon-1 inch stick

Garlic Paste-1tbsp

Ginger paste -1/2 tbsp

Green chillies paste-2tsp

Fresh tomato puree or Homemade tomato puree 1 1/2 cups

Salt to taste

Kashmiri red chilli powder -2 teaspoons

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Fresh coriander leaves chopped-1/4cups

Garam masala powder-1 teaspoon

Kasuri Methi or Dry Fenugreek Leaves -1/4 cup (chopped )

Cold  milk-1/4cup(do not add hot milk..As for  tomatoes  the gravy  is little  bit tangy...for  adding  hot milk..gravy will be curdled.

Milk Powder -2tsp (optional )

Sugar -1/2tsp

Flour Mixture...1tsp (add 1tsp Flour into a bowl. .add 2tsp water...and mix..it will help to do the gravy more thick)


HOWTO MAKE TOMATO PUREE  AT HOME 

You will need to have 2 cups chopped tomatoes.
Combine all the chopped tomatoes along with 1½ cups of water in a pan...and boil on a high flame for 10 to 15 minutes or till the tomatoes are soft, while stirring occasionally.Cool ...peel the skin ...and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture. Keep aside.


METHOD OF MAKING PANEER MAKHANI


Mix paneer  cubes  with salt and red chilli powder. .keep them aside for 5 minutes.

Heat two teaspoons oil in a non-stick pan. Add the paneer cubes and fry until light brown of both the sides  .Remove  from heat..and keep on absorbent paper...


Heat remaining oil in a another non stick pan...add bay leaf...cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, garlic paste ,green chilli paste  and ginger paste.. and sauté until oil gets separated.

Add tomato sauce...and cook to continue  for 2 minutes. ..add  tomato puree and cook for  till it reduces slightly and raw smell  of tomatoes goes away.


Add salt, remaining red chilli powder,  coriander powder,kasoori methi and sugar and mix well...cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes.

Add milk powder.flour water mixture....and mix...add chopped  coriander leaves and garam masala powder...mix..

Add milk ..mix properly...switch off the gas..

Serve hot  with any Indian bread  like Naan, Paratha,Tandoori Roti, Tawa  Roti...or you have  it with any rice dish...like jeera rice..
Vegetable pulao and many more.

Veg Manchurian

                                  VEG MANCHURIAN 
 
-:Ingredients  for Veg Manchurian  balls:-

1 cup grated carrot
1 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/4cup finely chopped spring onion
1/4cup finely chopped  french beans
1/2tsp freshly  black pepper powder
2 tbsp all purpose flour/maida
2 tbsp cornfloursalt to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Ginger  Garlic paste
1tsp Soya Sauce

for the sauce:

2 tbsp onion chopped
1 or 2 green chilies/hari mirch
4-5 Garlic  Cloves Chopped
Green Bell Pepper -cut into thin strips
Green  Chillies -3cut into  slits
1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1tbsp soya sauce
1tsp Red chilly Sauce
1tsp Green  Chilly Sauce
1/2tsp Tomato sauce
½ tbsp vinegar - 
1tsp black  pepper powder
salt to taste
sugar to taste
some chopped spring onion for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

How to make veg manchurian balls:

mix all the ingredients listed under veg balls.
keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
shape into small round balls 
Heat  oil in a pan and shallow fry  on medium flame till golden browned 
drain on kitchen tissues and keep aside.

How to Make  Gravy 

heat oil. Add chopped  garlic,fry until  light brown 

Add Chopped  Onions  and Capsicum  
Add green chilies on high flame.
Mix all the sauce except tomato sauce with 1/2cup water...and add 1/2tsp black pepper,mix well and add let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes
add the cornflour paste to thicken the sauce.thicken 
add vinegar, salt, sugar and the fried veg balls.
 stir and simmer for a minute.
Add tomato sauce and remaining  blackpepper powder. .mix well...cook for  1 minute
serve veg manchurian garnished with spring onion greens.

NOTES

1. the best part of any chinese dish is you can change the consistency as per your liking. if you want a thin consistency, add some  water.

2. i have not added any msg to the recipe. if you want ,you can do so. but  msg or mono sodium glutamate is not good for the health.

3. remember to fry the veg balls on medium heat. if they are fried on a high heat, then the outside will get cooked and the inside will be not cooked ,and if they are fried on a low heat, they will absorb oil ...balls will  be  very oil.

                            

DALMA (ODIYA STYLE DAL OR LENTIL SOUP WITH LOTS OF VEGETABLES)

                                   

             
Dalma is a famous traditional recipe prepared in Odisha. Whatever is the occasion Dalma is must in an Odia kitchen. It is a very  healthy recipe providing almost all the nutrients required for a balanced meal. It is among the 56 food items (Mahaprasad) offered to Lord Jagannath in the temple of Puri,as there is no use of onion  and  garlic.

Here I have cooked dalma using   with arhar  dal,chana dal and few vegetables..you can cook using any dal and vegetables...choosing  dal and vegetabler are upto you...whatever  dal and vegetables you like,you can choose.

Here three ingredients are important. ..pachphoron, grated coconut and powder of cumin seeds or jeera and  dry red chilli).So do not forget to put these  three  ingredients.

Pachphoron  is the famous  spices in Bengali  and Odiya cuisin.. In Odissa...it is called Pachphutana....All of the spices in panch phoron are seeds. Typically, panch phoron consists offenugreek seed (methi ) , nigella seed , cumin seed , black mustard seed and fennel seed  in equal parts.We do tempering  oil with it to make some dal,sabji etc.

INGREDIENTS 

Arhar or Toor dal -1/2cup
Chana or Bengal Gram or Cholar dal-1/2cup
Papita (Raw Papaya) – 1/4 th of a small  papaya(cut into cubes )
Potato-1(cut into cubes )
Brinjal – 1/2(cut into cubes )
Drumstick -1(cut into 2"long strips)
Beans – 1/2cup (cut into strips)
Pumpkin – 1/2cup (cut into cubes)
Parwal-(2cut into cubes )
Turai or Ridgegourd -1/2 (cut into cubes )
Tomato -1 (cut into slices)
Pachphoron -(take 1/4tsp of each Mustard seeds, Fennel seeds(Sounf) , Fenugreek seeds (methi),Cumin seeds  (jeera) and Kalonji or Nigella seeds or Kalojeera )
Jeera (Cumin Seed)- 2tsp
Turmeric Powder – 2tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2cup
Bay Leaf -2 pc
Dry Chili– 2pc
Vegetable oil – 3tbsp
Ghee or Clarified  butter -2tsp
Salt) – as per taste-


METHOD

Wash the vegetables thoroughly.
Soak the dal in water for about 1 hr.
Fry 3 tsp cumin seed and 2 pc dry chili slightly, then make a fine powder out of it, keep aside.
 Dry roast coconut and set aside.
Boil 5 cups of water in a deep pan. Add the dal, turmeric powder,chilli powder and ginger and cook it.
After 5 minutes add the vegetables to it. Add salt.
When the vegetables are half cooked add the tomato pieces.
Cook it till everything is well cooked.
Remove from gas .
Heat oil in a deep pan.
When hot add the mustard seed, cumin seed, bay leaf and dry chili..let them  splutter.
Add the onion slices, fry it till turns golden brown.
Add the boiled dal and vegetable mixture to it slowly.
Cover it and cook for 5 minutes.
Finally sprinkle the cumin chili powder mix and coconut  on it.
Remove from flame Serve hot with rice or roti.

Kaju Paneer ( Indian Cottage Cheese Cooked in Cashew nuts Gravy )

      
                           

           Kaju Paneer  (Paneer  or Indian Cottage Cheese Cooked  in Cashew nuts Gravy)



Paneer  or Indian Cottage Cheese is   pretty bland on it's own, so whenever  I cook paneer I love to do experiment with it.This time I cooked a simple paneer preparation  with cashew nuts paste. The gravy was so creamy...I am sure you all will love it specially  your kids


Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 15
Servings -4


INGREDIENTS

Paneer -250gm
Onion Paste- 1 medium size ( boiled  and grind )
Ginger Paste -1tbsp
Kaju Paste(Cashew nuts paste ( -1/2cup(soaked in water and grind )
Kismis  (Raisin )-1tbsp (soaked in water and grind )
Green chilli paste -1tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder -2tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar-1/2tsp
Bay leaf-1
Green Cardamom -2
Chinamon stick - 1/2inch
Vegetable oil - 2tbsp
Ghee-1tbsp
Water -1 cup

METHOD

Heat oil and ghee in a pan
Temper the oil with bay leaf, green cardamom and chinamon stick
Add onion paste...fry until light brown
Add ginger paste and green chilli paste ...mix and stir until oil gets separated
Add kashmiri red chili powder, salt and sugar. ..cook for 1 minute ..if required sprinkle some water
Add kaju or cashew nuts paste and kismis or raisins paste..mix and stir..cook for 1 minute
Add 1 cup water..bring it to boil...once the water will start boiling....reduce the flame...add paneer. ..cook for 2 minutes. ..switch off the gas.
Transfer the dish into a serving bowl...the gravy should not be very watery .


Serve hot with any indian bread like roti,chapati,naan or porotha...or you can enjoy it with any rice dish.