Mutter Paneer ( with Almond n Cashew Paste )

Mutter Paneer is one the simple dishes which any one can cook.When my husband was longing for a paneer dish, I thought why not tweak a bit and make it really yummy.The result was mind blowing and once you attempt this, you would say a big goodbye to the boring old 'Mutter Paneer'.This dish has almond and cashew paste which makes this extra yummy and lip smaking.You can either make it the dry version or the gravy style, like how they would serve in any North Indian restaurant.The choice is yours.

Here I have made the dry version and added steps of making paneer at home.

Mutter Paneer

Ingredients:

For making paneer -
  Milk- 1.5 Ltrs
  Lemon Juice- 4 tbsp

Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomatoes- 2 medium sized
Peas- 2 cups
Ginger n Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Almonds(Blanched) - 4
Cashew - 4
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

For making paneer


1.In a heavy bottomed pan,boil milk ,till its just about to boil over.Reduce the flame and add 4 tbsp of lemon juice.
2.Keep stirring the milk .This would result in curdling the milk.Now you will see that the whey water and the paneer  are getting separated.
3.Remove from fire and allow the contents to come to a room temperature.Take a thin muslin and pour the liquid thru it, to separate the paneer and the whey water.(See pic below)
4.Press the paneer to remove excess water and refrigerate for 1 hour before you use the paneer for the making the dish.This is basically to firm up paneer.

5.Blanch the almonds and grind in into a very fine paste along with the cashew.Set aside.
6.Finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
7.In a kadai/wok, heat 4 tbsp of oil,saute the onions,tomatoes,ginger garlic paste on a medium flame till the tomatoes are tender.
8.Add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,cashew-almond paste,salt to taste and 1 cup of water.
9.Cook with the lid on for 10 minutes and lower the flame.
10.Add the peas and cook covered for another 10 minutes till all the water has evaporated.This is the step where you can decide if you want a gravy or a dry dish.
11.Cut the paneer into bite sized cubes, and add them into the kadai, and cook for another 2 minutes.
12.Garnish with garam masala and remove from fire.
13.Serve hot with naan or roti.

Tip:

1.If you don't want to use cashew and almond paste,the dish can be garnished with  1/4 cup of cream.
2.Don't throw away the whey water, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days, and used for kneading the dough for making rotis.This would give you very soft rotis.

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Chicken Korma(Quick Method)

After moving abroad, without the mixie/mixer-grinder, I really need to think of a work-around with recipes which require grinding masalas in the mixer. Same was applicable when I wanted to make vegetable korma or the chicken korma. This is a very quick method which you can finish making in 15 minutes flat. Goes well with rotis, or toasted bread.

A life-saver recipe for any office-goer who longs for a ghar ka khana at the end of a busy day.

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

Chicken(cut into small pieces)-250 gms
Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 3
Fennel Seeds/Sombu - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder- 1/4 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Coconut Milk- 1/2 cup
Fresh Cream-1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1.Thinly slice the onions and tomatoes. Clean the chicken and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
2.Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan. On a medium flame, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add fennel, cinnamon stick and cloves and sauté the onions and tomatoes till the tomatoes are softened.
3.Now add the red chilly powder and chicken pieces, sauté on low flame for 5 minutes.
4.Now add the 1/2 cup coconut milk,1 cup water, and salt to taste. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
5.Just before removing the pan from fire, add 1/4 cup of cream.
6.Stir well and serve hot with rotis or toasted bread.

Quicky lip-smacking Chicken korma is ready !! 

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Modak/Modagam(Deep Fried Method)

In my earlier post, I had posted the recipe of a steamed modak.This Ganesh Chaturthi, I made two different varieties the steamed ones and the fried ones.The fried modaks are usually not made in the South India, but I have seen a lot of Maharashtrians making it.So I looked for a good recipe and attempted it this time.My Hubby's joke ' Even our Lord Ganesha gets variety this time! '.

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1/4  cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking Powder- 1/4 tsp
Coconut(Grated) - 3/4 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder- 1 pinch
Cashew(broken into bits)- 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - to deep fry+2tsbp

Method:

1.Combine all purpose flour, 2 tbsp oil,salt, baking powder, and enough water to make a soft dough.

2. Apply some oil on the dough,cover and keep aside.
3. In a wok/kadai,heat 2 tbps of ghee and add the broken cashew bits till they brown a bit.
4.Add grated coconut,crushed jaggery and cardamom powder and cook for another 5 minutes, till the jaggery has liquidified.
5.Cook for another 10 mins till the water had evaporated and it becomes a semi-solid mass.
6.Turn off the heat, and allow it to come to room temperature.
7.Make equal sized balls of the dough and coconut jaggery mixture.

How to Make Modaks:

8.Flatten each of the dough balls with the help of a rolling pins to form a small sized poori.
9.Now keep this flattend poori in the middle of your palm and keep the coconut jaggery mixture in the center and envelop the poori from all sided to form a small packet/potli.
10.The upper portion of the dough has be given a form of a peak.This is the way a modak is made.

11.Heat enough oil in a wok/kadai and fry the modak till golden brown on a medium flame.Drain on a absorbant paper when done.

Deep fried modaks are ready!

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Modagam/Modak (Microwave Method)

Come Ganesh Chaturti,I start dreaming of modaks.The steamed ones being my favourite.
Modak is a sweet steamed dumpling, which is offered to Lord Ganesha.He is also known as Modakpriya,meaning 'the one who loved modaks'.For every Ganesh Chaturti, my mom would make  many batches of these ,and I remember as a kid, I would always pop one as and when I would pass by the dining table. My mom still makes them, but so many miles away,I can only help reminiscing.

Note:The microwave which we have , has a steam option.So I steamed them in the microwave rather than using a pressure cooker.

Modagam/Modak

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Coconut(Grated) - 3/4 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder- 1 pinch
Cashew(broken into bits)- 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

1.Combine rice flour,water,1 tsp of oil, and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
Note: Water : Rice Flour :: 1 : 1 ,ratio has to strictly followed , otherwise the dough will not be in the right consistancy.

2.On a medium flame,cook this mixture,stirring well till it has reached a semi-solid consistancy of a soft dough.
3. Remove from the fire and allow it to come to a room temperature.Knead thoroughly for 5 minutes till it reaches a consistancy that the dough is not sticky.Apply some oil on the dough,cover and keep aside.
4.In a wok/kadai,heat 2 tbps of ghee and add the broken cashew bits till they brown a bit.
5.Add grated coconut,crushed jaggery and cardamom powder and cook for another 5 minutes, till the jaggery has liquidified.
6.Cook for another 10 mins till the water had evaporated and it becomes a semi-solid mass.
7.Turn off the heat, and allow it to come to room temperature.
8.Make equal sized balls of the rice flour dough and coconut jaggery mixture.

How to Make Modaks:

9.Grease both your palms with little oil, and flatten one of the rice dough balls with the help of your finger to make a small disc sized.
10.Now keep this flattend rice flour disc in the middle of your palm and keep the coconut jaggery mixture in the center and envelop the flattend rice dough from all sided to form a small packet/potli.
11.The upper portion of the dough has be given a form of a peak.This is the way a modak is made or you can say a hand-made modak. :D

The same procedure can be done with a modak mould as well , but as I have never tried it nor have I seen my mom making it,cannot comment on how the shape would be.

12.Microwave Steaming:If you have a microwave with the steam option,arrange the modaks on a plate and keep a bowl of water and steam for 4 minutes.

13.Pressure Cooker Steaming:Grease the idly plates with little oil and place the modaks and steam without the pressure cooker whistle for 10 - 12 minutes on a medium flame.

Healthy modaks are ready for our Lord Ganesh to feast on.

Ganpati Bappa Moriya!!!

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Egg Fried Rice

Fried rice is a common staple in oriental cuisine, most of the time termed as fast food. Fried rice can vary in appearance, from a dark brown appearance to a light brown appearance. All depends on what ingredients or sauces you want to add.

Bored of making Vegetable Rice/Vegetable Biryani, the Egg Fried Rice was something that came to my mind for a weekend lunch.It was good for a change, and as I wanted it plain, I did not add any masalas or sauces.As my version was very mildly spiced, we had it with Vegetable korma.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients

Eggs- 4
Rice- 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
Cloves- 3
Onion-1
Garic - 5 pods
Red Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Oil-5 tbps
Salt to taste

Method:(with freshly prepared rice)

1.Cut the onions lengthwise and finely chop the garlic pods.
2.In a wok/kadai, heat 1 tsbp of oil,break the eggs and make a scramble with little salt and red chilly powder.Once done,set it aside.
3.In the same wok/kadai,heat 4 tbsp of oil ,now add the cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for a minute.
4.Now add the chopped onions and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes on a medium flame,till the onions are golden brown.
5.Add 4 cups of water and add salt to taste.
6.Once the water starts to boil, add the rice and cook with the lid on for another 10 minutes on a very low flame.
7.Add the scrambled eggs and mix thoroughly and cook with the lid on for further 15 minutes,till the rice is cooked.
8.Fluff the rice with help of a fork,to avoid the rice from breaking.

Method:(with left over rice)

1.Cut the onions lengthwise and finely chop the garlic pods.
2.In a wok/kadai, heat 1 tsbp of oil,break the eggs and make a scramble with little salt and red chilly powder.Once done,set it aside.
3.In the same wok/kadai,heat 4 tbsp of oil ,now add the cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for a minute.
4.Now add the chopped onions and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes on a medium flame,till the onions are golden brown.
5.On a very low flame,add the left over rice , salt and mix well.
6.Add the scrambled eggs and mix thoroughly and cook with the lid on for further 10 minutes,till the rice and eggs are properly combined.
7.Fluff the rice with help of a fork,to avoid the rice from breaking as the cooked rice would have become even more soft while cooking.

Protien rich egg fried rice is ready.

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