Masala Paneer

Masala Paneer

One of the easiest things to make in an Indian kitchen is fresh "paneer". All you need is fresh milk, lemon/vinegar and you are all set. Fresh paneer cubes are typically used in gravy and one can create an endless variety of dishes like paneer masala, kadhai paneer, paneer makhani-just to name a few! 

Today I will show you how to make flavored paneer that can be served as appetizer or in a gravy. Once you get the hang of making paneer, you can improvise, get adventurous and add any spices you like!

Process:

Whole milk-

Lemon Juice- from 1-2 medium lemons

Red Chilli flakes- 1-2 teaspoon

Cumin Seeds- 1-2 teaspoons

Salt- to taste

1) Boil milk. Once it comes to a roaring boil, add the lemon juice. 

2) Turn down the flame. Once you start seeing the greenish liquid separate from milk solids, turn off the flame. 

3) Strain the paneer into a colander.

4) Keep it in a muslin cloth and squeeze out excess water.  Now hang it on the tap for about 15 mins 

or so till the water is drained. 

5) Take the panner in a flat bowl and add the seasonings. Start to knead the paneer the way you would knead dough. 

6) Incorporate all the seasonings well into the paneer. 

7) Shape the dough into a square. Cover with paper towel and keep something heavy on it for a couple of hours. 

8) Transfer the paneer into the refrigerator and continue to keep the weight on it. 

9) Once it is completely cool, and the dough appears to keep the shape, cut it into small cubes.

10) For serving, pan fry with a little oil or serve as it is.

11) Enjoy and do let me know your feedback in the comments section below!

Divine Rasgullas

Divine Rasgullas

Rasgulla is one dish that is my absolute favorite dessert. I always thought that it was a very difficult task to accomplish! However, as I discovered by reading up several blogs, there is a trick to achieving the perfect rasgulla. I followed recipes given by 3 amazing food bloggers (links provided below) and learnt that it is probably one of the easiest dishes out there. :-)

So here we go!

Ingredients:

Whole milk: 1 litre
Lemon juice: 1-2 tablespoons
Sugar: 1 cup
Water: 5 cups
Rose essence- 1-2 drops
Pista, almonds, elaichi -optional for garnishing.

Process:

1) Boil the milk. Once it comes to a boil, add the lemon juice.
2) At this point you will see the milk curdling and the solids separating from the whey. Switch off the gas flame.
3) Drain the paneer into a colander lined with cheesecloth.
4) Wash the paneer with cold water well so that the taste and smell of lemon is removed.
5) Tie the paneer in the cheesecloth and hang it on the kitchen tap to drain the water.  Keep this for about 30 mins.
6) At this point squeeze out any excess water from the panner. Make sure you don't make the paneer too dry.
7) Paneer should look like the picture below:

8) Now start kneading the paneer into a smooth dough. It should take about 5-10 minutes for this step and the picture below shows how smooth the paneer should be.

9) Once your panner is smooth and oily, start making paneer balls like this.

10) Once the balls are formed, take a deep bottomed pan and add the sugar and water to make the sugar syrup. Once this syrup comes to a boil, start adding rasgulla balls gently in the syrup and cover with a lid.  (If you don't have a big enough vessel, you can cook them in batches). Make sure there is enough room in the vessel for them to cook. 

11) Cook the paneer balls for 12-13 minutes. Your rasgullas should double in size. 

12) Open the lid and place the balls gently into a vessel filled with drinking water. This step stops the rasgulla from cooking further. Your rasgulla may lose their size a little bit and that is OK. 

13) Let the sugar syrup cool down and come to room temperature. (if you like more sweet, you can add half a cup of sugar and a half cup of water into the syrup and let it come to boil again). Add 1-2 drops of rose essence (optional).

Now take out rasgullas, squeeze gently to remove water and transfer them into the sugar syrup. 

14) Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and serve chilled!

15) Enjoy! And please give me your feedback!!

Recipe Source:

1) http://cookingshooking.in/sponge-rasgulla-recipe/

2) http://spusht.blogspot.com/2013/10/rasgulla-paneer-balls-in-sugar-syrup-indian-dessert.html

3) http://cafegarima.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/rasgulla/

Dal Fry

Dal Fry

A simple meal of dal-chawal is what I crave for most days. There is something very satisfying about this particular dal that I have been making for years. I can't even remember how I first got this recipe. :-) It is certainly not my original recipe. Over the years I have made so many tweaks that it feels like my recipe. I have heard from friends who have tried this dal that it tastes like "haleem" or "dacha". A simple combination of Moong and Masoor gives it a rich, earthy and satisfying taste. It does not take too long to prepare and can be had with parantha, roti or rice. So, here we go!

Ingredients:

Moong dal-1/2 cup
Masoor Dal-1/2 cup
Onion- 2-3 medium, finely sliced
Tomato- 1-2 medium, chopped
Ginger- 1 medium piece
Garlic-2 big cloves
Fresh Coriander- handful finely chopped
Lemon-1

For tempering:
Cumin seeds- 1 tablespoon
Haldi- 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder- 2 teaspoons or to taste
Garam Masala- 1/2-1 tablespoon or to taste

Pure Ghee- for tempering and garnishing

Process:

1) Wash the dals and cook them together with a pinch of haldi, salt and some jeera. I cook them on stovetop- since these dals are light-it doesn't take it too long to cook. You can cook the dals in the proessure-cooker also.
2) Take the ginger, garlic and a teaspoon of jeera and pound it nicely in a mortar and pestle. This is my secret trick to get the real flavors of jeera mixed with ginger-garlic instead of using a processor to grate it. Once you do this, you will never go back to making a ginger-garlic paste in a mixer. :-)
3) Start working on your tempering in a non-stick pan. Heat the pan and add a tablespoon or so of ghee. You can also use oil for tempering but make sure you put at least a little bit of ghee on top to get the real "dal fry" flavor.
4) Once the ghee heats up, add cumin seeds, haldi, hing, ginger-garlic paste and let it fry for a minute or so. Then add the finely sliced onions (leaving a handful of onion for later)  and let it fry really well-till golden brown.
5) Add red chili powder, garam masala and chopped tomatoes. Let this cook really well, till the tomatoes get mushy.
6) Add this mixture to the cooked dals and mix well. Let the dal cook for 15-20 minutes or so. The longer you simmer it, the better the flavors will be.
7) Add the rest of the garam masala, red chili powder, chopped coriander, and lemon juice. Continue to keep the dal on simmer. (Check the taste of the dal and add seasonings according to taste).
8) In the same pan where you made the tempering, heat up 2-3 tablespoons of ghee and fry the left over sliced onion till nicely browned, with a pinch of red chili powder.
9) Pour the onion mixture on the cooked dal and switch off. You can either garnish each serving with some browned onion or pour it over the entire dal.
10) Enjoy!! :-) Please let me know your feedback if you try this recipe!


Note: this tasted super awesome with Rumali Rotis. You can certainly have it with parantha or plain phulka as well. I used this recipe by Priyanka Varma:

http://cookwithpriyankavarma.blogspot.com/2014/06/rumali-roti-thin-flatbread.html

Super Delicious "Guilt-free" Dahi Vadas

Super Delicious "Guilt-free" Dahi Vadas

The thought of dahi-vadas reminds me of growing up in Delhi and enjoying countless varieties of chaats.....out of which dahi-vada was my absolute favorite! One thing that I miss living in the USA is the ability to just go out there and have any kind of street food, whenever you want!

Being a mom and a working professional, time is always a luxury. There are never enough hours in the day to get your work done. And cooking dishes that require you to stand by the stove-top for hours is not my idea of spending my weekends! Add to that the fact that I am unable to stand the smell and taste of fried things (not sure why!), forces me to try out my favorite dishes in a way that they are healthier and not so time consuming. 

So, I had been craving these dahi-vadas for a looong time and finally decided to bake them and see what happens. I was not sure if the texture will be good or not. So I decided to make a trial batch with just one cup of urad dal. The results was amazing!!!! I am in love with this recipe that recreates the traditional recipe with just one change- it replaces the frying with baking! SO here we go:

Ingredients: 

Urad Dal- 1 cup
Grated ginger- 1 teaspoon
Baking soda- one pinch
Yogurt- 3 cups

To Taste:
Red chili powder
Cumin powder (fresh roasted)
MDH Dahivada Raita Masala (optional- you can also make your own mix of kala namak, dhaniya powder, jeera  powder, if you don't have this particular masala mix)
Tamarind-Date Chutney (store bought)
Sugar-1/2 tablespoon
Salt

Oil- About 1/2 tablespoon to coat the muffin pan.



Process:

1) Wash and soak the dal in cold water and keep it overnight.
2) Next day, drain the water and grind it to smooth paste using a food processor or grinder.
3) Add the grated ginger and salt to the batter.
4) You can refrigerate this mixture if you are not making the vadas right away.
5) Make sure the batter is at room temperature when you are ready to make the vadas.
6) Preheat the oven to 350F.
7) In the meantime, take a muffin pan (I used a non-stick mini-muffin pan to get the desired shape) and coat each mould with oil.
8) Now add a pinch of baking soda to the mixture, mix well with a spoon and drop a spoonful of the the mixture into each mould. Make sure to not completely fill the mould. I filled each mould to about half-way to ensure the vada cooks well. 
9) Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes- till you see a golden color on the vadas. Halfway through, in about 25 minutes, flip the vadas over so that the other side gets browned as well. Insert a skewer into a vada to ensure that it is cooked before taking it out of the oven.
10) Whip the yogurt well with salt, raita masala, chili powder, sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
11) Just when you are ready to serve, take a bowl of drinking water and dip the vadas in int for a few minutes.
12) Take them out, squeeze gently to get the excess water out. Place 3-4 vadas in a serving plate,  pour the spiced yogurt on top.
13) Drizzle the tamarind chutney and sprinkle a pinch of roasted cumin powder and chili powder.
14) Enjoy!!

Protein Packed Kebabs!!

 Protein Packed Kebabs!!

Who wants to have a delicious, melt-in-your mouth vegetarian kebab?? Everyone in my family!!:-) It is perfect for a after school snack, an appetizer for a party or a complete meal if used as a patty for a burger!

So presenting my recipe of a very simple preparation using boiled kala chanaa and potatoes-that's it!!! Sounds simple? For sure it is-let's take a look at the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Boiled Kalaa Chanaa- 2 cups ground coarsely. 

Boiled Potatoes- 3 medium

Red Chilli Powder- 1 teaspoon or according to taste

Dhaniya Powder- 2 teaspoons

Chaat masala- 1 teaspoon

Black salt- 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon

Chopped Mint leaves- handful

Chopped Coriander leaves- handful

Process:

1) Soak the kalaa chana overnight. The next day, cook the kalaa chana till soft but not mushy. I cook it in a pressure-cooker. Allow it to cool completely and drain all the water. I usually refrigerate the chanaas and make the kebabs the next day or so. This was you can be sure that they are completely cool and dry when you are ready to prepare the kebabs.

2) Boil the potatoes on stove-top or microwave and allow to cool.

3) Coarsely grind the chanaas in a mixer. Make sure the texture is coarse and not a complete paste. 

4) Add the boiled potatoes to this mixture. 

5) Add all the spices mentioned above and mix well. Taste and adjust salt or spice according to taste. 

6) Heat a non-stick pan and make medium size patties/tikkis of the mixture. 

7) Smear a little bit of oil on the patties/kebabas and taws-fry till they appear golden on both sides. 

8) Transfer on a serving plate and sprinkle some chaat masala. Serve with ketchup, tamarind chutney, raita, onion rings or other condiments of your choice.

9) Enjoy!! (The above mentioned ingredients will make 8 medium sized kebabs). 

Challah Bread

Challah Bread

What an amazing feeling it is to bake a bread that you have been dreaming of for years!! I recently bought a baking book for my husband as his birthday present. We both love to cook together but baking is certainly his forte! Yes-lucky me!!:-) My hubby can bake all kinds of amazing and delicious desserts!! Me, not so much!:-) I have always been intimidated with baking and somehow felt that anything I try to bake-it will be a disaster!

So, with a lot of courage I decided to try to bake this bread that I had been drooling over for a long time! The newly purchased recipe book "Baking by Better Homes and Garden" had such divine pictures that I was motivated to try this bread!

And can I say what an amazing recipe this is!! If I can bake this, then anyone can- I really believe that!!:-)

I followed this recipe without any tweaks or modifications. So please go ahead and try this and let me know how it turned out for you!

This recipe makes: 3 loaves (48 slices) or 16 mini loaves. I made 3 loaves.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups warm water

Sweetener (choose one):
1/2 cup honey- (I used this option)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 packages active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 teaspoons)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fat (choose between melted butter, vegetable oil or olive oil) * I used olive oil.*
1 table spoon salt
Stir-Ins ( 4 cloves garlic, minced abd 1 teaspoon each of oregano and parsley flakes-crushed)
7 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 egg lightly beaten
1tablespoon milk

Method:

1) In a very large bowl stir together the 1 3/4 cups warm water, the Sweetener, and yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the 4 eggs, the Fat, and salt. Add Stir-Ins. Gradually stir in as much of the flour as you can.
2) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (5-7 minutes total). Shape dough onto a ball. Place in a lightly greased very large bowl, turning once to grease surface of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubles in size- 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (I placed it in the oven with the light on to give it some warmth).
3) Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into three equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a large baking sheet (s).

4) Shaping: Braids- Divide each portion into thirds to make 9 pieces; roll each piece into a 24-inch rope; braid three ropes together. Repeat with the remaining portions.

I shaped the dough into 2 braided loaves and 1 spiral/circular loaf. Arrange on prepared baking sheets. I used one sheet for the 2 loaves and one sheet for the spiral loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubles in size (about 30 minutes).

(I forgot to take pictures while braiding the loaves so I took a picture of the recipe from the book. Hope this helps you to see how to shape the loaves. The bottom right picture shows you how to make the circular/spiral loaf. You can click on the picture to zoom in).

5) Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl combine the 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk, brush over shaped dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes  or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped.
Immediately remove loaves from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy warm with herbed butter!!

Please try this recipe and provide your feedback in the comment box below! Thanks for stopping by!!:-)

Delicious and Protein-Rich Pesarattu

Delicious and Protein-Rich Pesarattu

Do you ever feel like having Dosa for an meal right away but can't because you don't have the batter? Try making "Pesarattu" instead! A quick, easy, delicious and nutritious dosa which is made with green moong dal. You can stuff it with usual aloo masala or roasted onions. I made a quick paneer bhurji and stuffed it in the pesarattu to make it even more healthy. And a "Paneer pesarattu" is something my 11 year old loves as a snack, breakfast or even dinner!!

So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

 Split Moong dal/Green gram - 2 cups cleaned and soaked for 2-4 hours



 Rice- 1/2 cup soaked for 2-4 hours 



 Green chillies - chopped to taste 



  Ginger- 1 medium piece (peeled)

  Salt- to taste

  Coriander leaves - chopped 
or dhaniya powder to taste

  

Oil for pan frying

Method

1) After soaking for about 2 hrs, drain the dal and rice.

2) Take a mixer/food processor and put the dal, rice, green chillies, salt, coriander powder and ginger and grind into a coarse paste. It is typically made into a coarse paste but you can also make it into smooth if that is what you prefer.

3) Add a little bit of water during the grinding and to make a dropping consistency batter. 

It should not be too runny. 

4) Mix the batter well, and heat up a non-stick tawa.

5) Spread the batter on the tawa and make thin dosa, starting by spreading the batter from center out.

6) Sprinkle a bit of oil on the edges to cook it.  Flip it over and cook the other side till you see golden brown spots on the pesarattu. 

7) You can stuff this with aloo masala, paneer masala, roasted onions or plain. 

8) Serve hot with plain yogurt, coconut chutney or any chutney of your choice.

9) Enjoy!

Note: You can also make this with whole moong dal instead of split. In that case you will need to soak the dal overnight and rest of the procedure will be the same.