PANEER KADAI GRAVY !!

Ingredients

250 gms Paneer 

5-6 pieces garlic
1 tsp garam masala    
1 dry red chili
3 medium sized onions
1 green chili
4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 bay leaf
3-4 cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 table-spoon ghee or butter
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
coriander leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste





Method :

• Take a grinder and add onion, ginger, green chili, tomato and garlic to it, and blend them to form a paste. keep it aside.

• Take 1 table-spoon ghee in a frying pan and heat it. When it gets heated up, turn the heat to low and add paneer cubes to it. fry them until they get shallow brown. Then, turn off the heat and keep them aside.

• Take 4 table-spoon ghee in a pan and put it over high heat. When it gets heated up, turn the heat to low and add bay leaf, laung, Cinnamon and dry red chili, stir well and fry for 2 mins.

• Then, add onion paste to the pan and put it over low-medium heat, cook until the oil separates from the mixture and it turns golden brown, Stir the gravy every 2 mins. so that it should not burnt from the bottom.

• Then, add turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, fenugreek seeds and salt to taste. Stir it well and cook it over low-medium heat. Add little water if needed.

• Now, add fried paneer cubes stir again, add some water if needed. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins. and turn off the heat.

• Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with naan, chapati, tandoori roti or pulao.

Sambar (southern kerala style) !!

sambaar is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Each state in South India prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.
it is a lentil based vegetable stew.Fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves may be added at the very end to enhance the flavor. Curry leaves in particular are an essential element of authentic sambar; their aroma and flavor provide sambar with a distinct and pleasant herbal essence.Many regions and families of the Indian subcontinent have developed and maintained their own adaptations of sambaar.here is a version of southern kerala sambaar recipe.

Ingredients :

1/2 lime sized ball Tamarind
1 cup Toor Dal (can substitute masoor dal)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 teaspoons oil
Salt to taste
5 small dry red chilies (or to taste)
8 Curry Leaves
5 – 6shallots chopped
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 large tomato
2-3 okra (lady’s finger /bhindi)
2 tablespoons sambar powder
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 cup of mixed vegetables (like green beans, chopped carrot,diced yam,diced ash gourd ,drumsticks,cubed potato ,cubed eggplant)

Directions:

Soak the tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it out, adding water little by little to prepare 1 cup of juice.
Choose a heavy cooking pot. Wash and clean the dal and vegetables. Boil 2-3 cups of water and add the dal, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of oil. As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard. Boil until the dal and veggies are soft . If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery. Or you can use a pressure cooker it will take about 5 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat to medium and pour in the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Take out 1 tsp of this tempering for garnishing .then add the onion and brown lightly. Add the tamarind extract and let boil lightly until the onions are cooked. Add this mixture to the dal and vegetables with asafoetida, tomato,bhindi and sambar powder. Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and tempering.
Serve with plain rice ,idli dosa etc..

Chilli Paneer

Paneer or cottage cheese is an integral part of South Asian cooking. Paneer is a versatile dairy product, it is used in desserts, snacks or for main course cooking. This is one of my favorite cheese either as a spicy side dish or as a filling in snacks.:) 

Paneer chilli is a chinese variation to a typical paneer recipe. I just love Indo -chinese cuisine. 

In this  paneer cubes are batter coated; fried then added to a thick  gravy with sweet and spicy bell peppers and chillies respectively .

Ingredients:

chilli garlic sauce :1 TSP
coriander powder: 1/2 TSp
Corn flour :1 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds :1/2 tsp
curry leaves :as needed
egg : 1
garlic chopped :1 tsp

ginger garlic paste : 1/2 tsp
green chillies : 4 no
lime juice :1 tsp
maida : 1 tbsp
oil : for frying
onion chopped : 1/2 cup
paneer : 1 lbs
red /green /yellow bell pepper: 1 1/2 cup
salt : as per taste
soya sauce : 1 tbsp
water :as needed

Directions | How to make Chilli Paneer

Cut paneer into cubes.
Take a dish add salt,ginger garlic, water,egg and mix well and pour on the cubes mix well and add maida.

Take oil to fry add the mixed paneer into it and fry in very slow flame.

Take a pan add oil cumin,garlic,ginger garlic paste,chopped green chill,onion,coriander powder,little water,chill garlic sauce,red bell pepper,yellow ,chilli powder,soya sauce,curry leaves,salt,lime juice, if you want to add colour u can, now add paneer and mix well,

Finely finish it off with coriander leaves.

Now the deep fried goodness in a creamy spicy sauce is ready to serve .

Enjoy with paratha, Naan ,roti or fried rice !! :) 

with love 

Prasi :)

Baigan masala (Brinjal Masala)

Brinjal is also known as aubergine or baigan.The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. 

Recipe 

brinjals: 2 nos. (cleaned and tops removed and sliced vertically into strips )
Onion: one large, sliced
Thinly scraped fresh coconut: 1/4 coconut
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp.
Chili powder: 1/4 tsp.
Fennel seeds (saunf): 1 tsp.
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

 Before Start cooking ,to the sliced brinjal add some salt and water keep it aside ; rinse and drain it after 10 mints.This process will help to soften it and to reduce the amount of fat absorbed during cooking, but mainly to remove the bitterness of the brinjal. 

Then in shallow fry pan add some oil and fry these sliced brinjal just for 1-2 min.Drain and keep aside.

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai or pan and when hot add the fennel seeds and when they splutter, in goes the sliced onions.

When they are just about done, say a little browned, add in the powders ( turmeric + chili) and saute it. After 2 minutes, add in the coconut and fry for another 2 minutes.

Now put in the fried brinjals and toss around the masala adding salt to taste and close the pan and cook on slow flame.

Stir in between so that the brinjals doesn't get burnt. If it needs little more oil, do be generous. Cook on slow flame till done. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot rice or chappatis.

Happy Cooking !!