Palak Paneer

Hi Readers,

This is a traditional north Indian cottage cheese gravy. The main ingredients as per the name are cottage cheese and spinach. Cottage cheese is cooked in a spinach based gravy. Since, Spinach and cottage cheese both are very nutritious, this dish is one of the healthiest gravy. It uses much less spices unlike other Indian gravies. In most of the north Indian states spinach is not cooked with Onion, but garlic is a most. However, in Odisha we do cook spinach and other green leafy vegetables with Onion. In this recipe also I have used Onion. Yes, this is optional and you can skip adding it.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

Spinach 2 large bunches

Paneer (cottage cheese) 200 grams

Green chillies 2-3

Garlic 8-10 cloves chopped

Onion 1 medium chopped (optional)

Oil 3 tablespoons

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Fresh cream 4 tablespoons

Method:-

Remove stems, wash spinach thoroughly in running water. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes. Refresh in chilled water.Squeeze out excess water. Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chillies. Grind spinach into a fine paste along with green chillies. Dice paneer into one inch cubes.  Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add chopped onion and garlic and saute for half a minute. Add the spinach puree and stir. Check seasoning & add salt. Add water if required. When the gravy comes to a boil, add the paneer and mix well.  Finally add fresh cream. Serve hot.

Reshami Paneer Tikka

Hi Readers,

Last Saturday, was really a cool day. I had prepared Paneer Tikka as a starter. It turned out to be really tasty. My husband was happy with all the dishes and really loved this appetizer. Its a great appetizer and takes really less time to prepare. You just have to marinade things before and you can prepare instantly before your meal. It takes max 15 mins to prepare one plate. Here is the recipe for your use.

INGREDIENTS

Cottage Cheese/Paneer(In Pieces)    250 gms

Capsicum(Diced)    1

Onion(Diced)    1

Tomato(Diced)    1

MARINADE

Hung Curd    1 Cup

Red Chilli Powder    1/4 tsp

Garam Masala    1/4 tsp

Bhuna Jeera    1/2 tsp

Chaat Masala    1/2 tsp

Black Pepper Powder    1/4 tsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

A pinch of orange red color      (Dissolved in water)(optional, I had skipped this as I don't like artificial color in food)

Turmeric powder  1 tsp

Salt as per taste

METHOD

1. Mix all ingredients of the marinade.

2. Add Panner and vegetable pieces to it.

3. Keep aside for half-an-hour.

4. Arrange marinated Paneer and vegetables on a toothpick or skewer.

5.Grill for 10 min. Re-position it and brush with oil/butter.

6. Again grill for 10 min till golden brown from all sides.

6. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve with mint and coriander chutney. 

7. You can add in about 1 tbsp of fresh cream, to give it more lustrous texture. 

Paneer Jalfrezi

Hi Readers,

I tried Paneer Jalfrezi for Lunch yesterday. It is quite easy dish compared to other Paneer dishes. It is basically a stir fry of vegetables with Paneer and the main distinguishing factor is the manner in which vegetables are cut. All of them are chopped into finger like strips. Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 large onion, halved and finely sliced

1/2 tablespoon ginger paste

1/2 tablespoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

salt

1 small green pepper, quartered, de-seeded and sliced (150g)

2 ripe Tomatoes, quartered and sliced

150 g paneer, cubed

3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped (=cilantro)

Method:-

Heat oil in a skillet and fry cumin seeds for one minute.

Add onion and fry on low heat until soft. Add more oil if necessary.

Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a few seconds until well blended.

Sprinkle in the spice powders and some salt and cook on low heat until the oil begins to separate in about 3 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Add the sliced pepper pieces, stir and simmer gently until they are nearly done but still hold their shape, for about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and paneer and cook for about 2 minutes until soft but not mushy; the tomatoes will begin to soften at once because of the salt that has already been added.

Check the seasoning (you may need to add a little bit more salt, take off the heat and serve hot, sprinkled with fresh coriander. 

This is a part of main course that served with rice preparations or with roti, chapati or paratha. 

Chole Palak Paneer Curry

Hi,

This sounds quiet interesting right.This is in fact one interesting curry, that has lots of nutrition enriched ingredients in it. It has lots of protein from both the chickpea and Paneer/tofu and has Vitamin A from Spinach. This is yummy item that will be liked by any age group, and especially is liked by young children.

Ingredients :- 200 gm chickpea soaked overnight and boiled partially.
                     100 gm Paneer/Tofu
                     1 or 2 bunch of Spinach leafs
                     2 tsp Chole Masala
                     1/2 tsp Chat Masala
                     1 Onion finely chopped
                     1 green chilli finely chopped  
                     1 & 1/2 tsp Garlic ginger paste
                     1 tsp cream
                     1 tsp turmeric powder
                     Salt as per taste
                     2 tsp oil
                     1/2 tsp cumin seeds
                     1 tomato chopped

Method :- Heat a pan over medium flame. Add Cumin seeds, When it starts to splutter add the green chili, onion and cook till onion starts to turn pink. Now add ginger garlic paste and cook till the smell is removed. Add chopped tomatoes and cook to make a paste. Add turmeric powder, salt, Chole masala, Chat Masala, Chick pea and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and let it cook for 5 mins. In between mix it so that it does not stick at the bottom. When Chickpea is cooked, add Paneer or Tofu and Spinach, and cook for another 3 mins. Remove from flame and add the cream to it and serve hot with rice or roti.

Mili juli sabzi with Chhena Balls

Chenna is an important ingredient of all Odia and Bengali dish.Many sweet dish and deserts are made from Chenna. Chenna curry is an traditional dish that 

is served in most of the occasions.Chenna balls are easily available in any Halwai shop in Odisha and Bengal. This has a rich taste.

It is somewhat similar to paneer but very very soft andthe important distinguishable fact is it absorbs lots of water and becomes too soft after cooking.

The size of balls almost becomes double after adding to gravy.Normally this soaks all the gravy. 

Ingredients:-

250 gms french beans , chopped
250 gms carrot , chopped
250 gms green peas
250 gms baby corn , cut into small pieces length wise
handful of chenna balls
Few small onions - peeled
Onion - 2 small sized roughly chopped
6 to 7 cloves garlic
1/2 inch garlic roughly chopped
2 green chili roughly chopped
2 medium size tomato roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh cream
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
oil for cooking
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

Method:-

Paste :- Heat oil, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds when it crackles add green chili,chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Saute till onion turns pink remove from flame.
Grind this onion,ginger garlic with the tomatoes and make a smooth paste.
Fry all the vegetables till they become soft or half done.
Drain and keep aside, while preserving the water.
Heat the oil in a kadhai add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, add the paste we have made.Add one bayleaf.
Add the fried vegetables, mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the kasoorri methi and a pinch of garam masala, mix well and cover and cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes, stirring in between to avoid burning.
Remove from the flame, add the cream and mix well.
Serve hot.

Paneer matar bhurji

Hi Readers,

This is yet another variety of Paneer and matar. 

Ingredients :- 1- 200 gm Paneer/Cottage cheese shredded.

2- 100 gm green peas

3- 1 tomato chopped

2- 1 tbsp onion garlic & ginger paste

3- green/ red chili chopped

4- 2 tbsp oil

5- salt to taste

6- 1 teaspoon turmeric

7- cumin seeds

Method :-  in a pan add oil. Add cumin seeds, chili and onion, garlic & ginger paste. Cook till the smell of onion disappears. Add chopped tomato and cook till mixture starts separating oil. Add green peas, paneer, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till green peas are cooked . Server hot with rice or roti. 

Paneer matar butter masala

Hi Readers,

I am sharing a dish that I have modified by adding Matar to Paneer butter masala curry. This is very healthy as it is rich with protein content from both Paneer /cottage cheese and Matar/ green peas. 

Ingredients :- 1- 200 gm green peas 

2- 200 gm Paneer/ cottage cheese cut into thin pieces

3- 1 onion chopped

4- Onion,garlic, ginger paste - 2 tbsp

5- 1/2 tbsp garam masala

6- 1 bay leaf

7- 3 tomato chopped

8- turmeric powder

7- 1 tbsp Kitchen king masala

8- coriander seeds - 1 tea spoon

9- chopped coriander leaf

10- Butter - 10 gms

11- 1 tbsp refine oil

12- salt to taste

13- 1/2 tbsp red chili powder

Method:- Onion , garlic,ginger paste :- Heat oil in a pan, add little coriander. When it starts cracking add roughly chopped onion, garlic and ginger and green chili. Cook till onion turns pink. Remove from heat and make a mixture. 

Cooking method :- Add the remaining oil into the pan. Add the chopped onion and bay leaf & cook till onion turns translucent. Add the onion, garlic ginger paste and cook till the smell is gone. Add chopped tomato, turmeric, salt, garam masala, kitchen king masala and cook by covering the mixture. When tomato is soft and the gravy is done, add green peas ,paneer and butter to it.Add a little water and cook in low flame till peas are cooked. Serve by topping the gravy with coriander leafs.

Paneer Makhanwala

This is an Indian main dish. It uses a number of spices and condiments.

Ingredient :-

250 gms Paneer
200 gms Fresh Cream (Malai)
200 gms Tomato Puree (Tamatar Ka Raas)
2-3 tblsp Butter
2 tblsp dried Fenugreek Leaves (Methi Ke Patta)
1/2 tsp Red chilli (Lal Mirchi) Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
2-3 Green chilli (Hari mirch)
As per taste Salt (Namak)

Method :-

• Melt the butter in a pan, add slit green chillies, tomato puree, kasuri methi, salt, red chilli powder and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
• Add the cream and garam masala powder and cook further for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the paneer pieces and cook for a minute.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Paneer Handi

 This is one of the traditional dish of cottage cheese. Its bit tangy and spicy dish.

Ingredients:-

250 gm Cottage cheese.

2 medium size onion chopped

1 cup curd

1 1/2 tsp garlic and ginger paste

1 medium size tomato chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

2 tsp oil

Procedure:-

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds when its hot. Once the cumin seeds turn brown add onions and fry till they become golden brown in color. Add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,garam masala and red chili powder and cook until it starts to give oil. Then add tomatoes and cook till the masala is cooked. Now, add the curd. Cook another 7 to 8 mins until the masala starts to thicken. Now add 1/2 cup water and bring it unto boil. Add the paneer(cottage cheese) cubes to the gravy and cook for another 5 to 6 mins. The masala should be coated over each cube. Now, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot along with Puri or Chapati.