Kadhai Paneer

Kadhai paneer, one of the popular dish of paneer from the state of punjab, India, where Paneer or Indian cottage cheese and bell peppers are the main ingredients, which is flavoured with kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves), ginger-garlic and a blend of light Indian spices makes it a mouth-watering dish. It can be a perfect accompaniment to bread or rice, which will make you satisfied at the end of your meal.


Note : Paneer is available in all Indian stores, can be made at home, too. Check here. So without any more delay................
let's check the ingredients :
Paneer : 1 and 1/2 cup (cut in 1" cube like pieces)
Green Capsicum/bell pepper : 1 (deseed and cut into big chunks)
Onion : 1(medium-cut into big chunks)
Tomato Puree : 2/3 cup
Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Green Chilli : 1 (chopped)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp. or to taste
Kasuri Methi : 1 tsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 3-4 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Heat 2 tblsp. Oil in a pan, shallow fry the paneer cubes until light brown on both sides. Take out from the pan and drop them in a bowl of hot water for 10-15 minutes. This will keep them soft.
  
• In the same pan, heat rest of the oil, add sliced onions and a pinch of sugar and saute till onions turn transculent. Add bell peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add gren chillies and ginger-garlic paste, saute again for a minute or two in low flame.
• Then add powdered spices, dissolving them together in 4 tblsp. of water. Mix well with onion-ginger-garlic paste. Fry the masala paste for 2-3 minutes until oil seperates and coats onions and peppers nicely.
• Add tomato puree, kasuri methi and paneer cubes. Mix well everything. you can add little water(1/2 a cup), depending on how much gravy you want. Add salt to taste. Cover the lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes until peppers are cooked and paneer cubes softens and there should be enough gravy left to coat paneer and peppers well. Note: it's a dry gravy dish.
  
• Check the seasoning and serve garnishing with fresh coriander leaves. Enjoy with hot chapati, paratha or any Indian flat bread, even with rice.
  

Sending this yummy paneer and bell pepper recipe to
AFAM : Bell Pepper, hosted by The most active
blogger I know, Priya of Priya's easy & tasty
recipes this month, event started by Maheswari
of Beyond The usual

Pasta Bolognese with Chicken Sausage

Bolognese Sauce is a meat(beef) based sauce for pasta (Ragù as known in Italian) originated in Bologna, Italy. The people of Bologna traditionally serve their famous Ragù with freshly made tagliatelle(Thick ribbon shaped pasta), but this sauce also pairs very well with other pastas and with Spagheti, too.
The authentic version contains these ingredients : minced beef, pancetta or bacon, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, meat broth, wine, chicken liver can also be added and freshly grated nutmeg and grated parmesan cheese to garnish. It's not a tomato based sauce but a meat based. Traditionally very little tomato sauce is used in this recipe. Main ingredient here is meat.
I created this bolognese sauce with chicken sausages in stead of minced beef as I don't eat beef. It incorporated very well in the sauce as I expected. All the other ingredients I used as in the authentic version requires.



Ingredients :
Chicken sausage : 4-5 nos.
Onion(medium) : 2(finely chopped)
Carrot : 1 (diced)
Celery stick : 1(diced)
Potato(medium) : 1(diced)
Garlic : 2 cloves(grated)
Toamto paste or puree : 2 tblsp.
Fresh green or red chilli : 2(finely chopped)
Chicken stock : 1/2 cup
Salt and black pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg : 1 tsp.
Olive oil : 3 tblsp.
Pasta of your choice (I used Penne pasta)
Dried or fresh Italian herbs(oregano, thyme, parsley& rosemary) &
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for Garnishing

Method :

• Boil water in a heavy based saucepan and throw sausages in that and boil them for 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt in that.

• Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender.

• Heat oil in a pan, fry sausages in that until light brown. Drain on a paper towel. When they are slightly cooled, chopped them finely. Keep aside.
• In the same pan, add onion, garlic and chopped chillies. When onions turn light brown, add chopped carrot, potato and celery. Brown them and then add choppd sausages. Try to mash them as much as you can with the back of your ladle. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato puree or paste, mix well.
  
• Then pour the stock. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boil, half-covered until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add cooked pasta and toss with the sauce. Check the seasoning, add more salt and black pepper if needed.
  
• Now add dried or fresh herbs and toss well with the pasta.
  
• Garnish with little extra herbs sprinkling on top of the dish and with greated paremsan, if you like. Serve immediately warm.
  

Sending this amazingly delicious one-pot pasta dish
to Presto Pasta Nights#119, guest hosted by
Pots & Plots , original brainchild of Ruth Daniels of Once Upon A Feast

Mango Kulfi (Low Fat)

Kulfi, is a popular flavoured Ice cream made from Milk originated in India. Unlike western ice-cream, Kulfi takes long time to melt and so, perfect frozen dessert for summer. And you don't need any ice-cream maker and very easy to make at home. Kulfi comes in various flavours, like Pistachio, Mango, Malai(clotted cream), Cardamom, Saffron and nowadays available in other fruit flavours, too.
Kulfi is prepared from a mixture of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Sugar is added and the mixture is further boiled and cornflour-water paste is added, this paste thickens the mixture. The mixture is then cooled, put in moulds and frozen.
I usually make my kulfi with these ingredients, but this time I made it more traditionally with summer fruit - Mango and with only milk, that even from 2% milk only, and it came out really good and I was also guilt-free that me and my family are not gulping so much fat while enjoying our kulfis.



Ingredients : (makes 4 ramekins of kulfi)
Milk : 1 litre(2%)
Alphanso Mango Pulp : 1 cup
Sugar : 1 tblsp.(tablespoon)
Cornflour : 1 tblsp.
Rose water : 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Pistachio & almonds : 2 tblsp.
Saffron : few strands(for garnishing)
chopped Pistachio : 1 tblsp. (for garnishing)

Method :

• Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel(preferably non-stick). Put it on stove and let it boil. When it starts to boil, simmer it and let it boil un til it reduces to half. You must keep strirring it regularly.
• Keep scrapping off the milk skin from the sides and bottom of the pan ever few minutes and put it back into the simmering milk. it is skin that gives kulfi it's distinctive, rough texture.
• Dissolve cornflour in 3 tblsp. of cold water and add the paste to the milk. The whole process will take about 20 minutes.
• Cool the milk for some time till warm, then add mango pulp, sugar(if needed, as tinned mango pulps are quite sweet in taste). If using fresh mango pulp, then add sugar as required. Add chopped nuts, few saffron strands and rose water. Mix everything together and again thicken it for another 5 minutes in low flame.
  
• Cool it completely in room temperature. Then put in popsicle/kulfi moulds or in custard bowls or ramekins, decorate with saffron strands and chopped pistachios. Put the moulds in freezer and freeze it for at least 6-8 hours.
  
• To unmould the kulfis, take out the moulds 20 minutes before serving and keep it in room temperature. It will loosen the edges, then turn the mould upside down on a plate. As I amde my kulfis in a d
• essert bowl, I didn't unmould, just served the bowl.

Sending this to take part in Srivalli's
MANGO MELA......................
Also sending this home-made Indian Ice cream to
Home made Ice-cream making challenge, Homemade#5 - Ice Cream to Ben of What's Cooking?
And to SUGAR HIGH FRIDAYS - FRUIT & NUT, hosted this month by Mansi of Fun &

Baingan Bharta with Bell Pepper

Baingan Bharta is a roasted eggplant dish originated in the villages of Punjab. Baingan Bharta is a healthy dish - eggplant/baingan is the main ingredient here, is low in fat and sodium and high in dietary fiber, vitamins C and B6 magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Eggplant are roasted on open flame in this recipe to get a smoky flavour. Add to that the tomatoes, green chillies and onion and you've a low calorie mighty nutritional punch in one single dish. For this recipe, large eggplants are prefereable, as it has less seeds and easy to roast.
To make a little variation from regular bharta, I added Capsicum/ green bell pepper in it and it tasted really great. I love to cook this dish with mustard oil, as it gives a distinct flavour to this recipe. I would like to share with you the recipe today............ Hope you all also like it



Ingredients :
Eggplant/bringal/baingan : 1(large)
Green bell pepper : 1 (medium-cut in cubes)
Onion : 1 (large-chopped)
Ginger : 1"(grated)
Garlic : 4 cloves(grated)
Green chillies : 2 (chopped finely)
Tomato : 1 (large-chopped finely)
Cumin seed : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.(as per taste)
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin seed powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Mustard oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Slit from the middle upto the stem, keep the stem intact. To roast the eggplant, brush mustard oil all over the eggplant and sprinkle little salt over it and stand it on a burner of a gas stove over a medium flame. After one side is charred(turns black), turn to the other side holding the stem. Do the same thing until all sides upto the bottom of the eggplant is throughly charred and the flesh is cooked. ( It can also be done on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 500F for 0 minutes, but it won't develop quite the right smoky flavour)
• Just after the whole bringal is charred, drop into a bowl of cold water, it helps the charred skin to come off easily. After 5 minutes, take out the skin. Cut the stem out and mash the flesh or pulp thoroughly, (there shouldn't be any lump left) and keep it aside.
• Heal oil in a pan, temper with Cumin seed. When they crackle, add onions. Saute for a minute, then add capsicum and saute with the onions. Theh add grated ginger-garlic, green chillies. Saute again for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Then add tomatoes and saute until tomatoes get pulpy, then add all the powdered spices. Cook until oil seperates from the spices. Add the mashed eggplant and mix well with the spice paste. Season with salt and saute for few more minutes.
• Garnish with fresh corinader leaves.
  

Serve with any Indian bread or rice and as a side dish in combination with Garlic-flavoured masoor dal/Chana dal with eggplant.
Sending this delicious side dish to
Priya @ Priya's Easy & tasty recipes
who is hosting AFAM : Bell peppers this month,
event started by Maheswari of Beyond The Usual.

Reposting for CFK:Green

I'm reposting all my old post on green leafy veges for CFK(cooking for kids) : Green event, started by Sharmi of Neivadyam, this month hosted by Pavani of Cook's Hideout ..........

1. Stir-fry watercress and Radish green

Stir-fry watercress Stir-fry radish green

2. Palong Shak-er charchari (spinach with mix-veg.)

Scrambled Paneer Sandwich w/Focaccia

You all know how my daughter is a paneer fanatic (yes, extremely in love with paneer)...if she could only eat paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese), that would be ideal for her. So I try to make different things with paneer....I usually make Paneer bhurji(scrambled paneer) to have with chapatis as a side dish, this time I added few vegetables to make it more healthier, it tasted real yum...and I made a sandwich(with focaccia-Italian bread with herbs) with vegetable paneer bhurji filling . It was heavenly ..............

Consuming Paneer or cottage cheese(as it contains the milk fat/saturated fat) in daily basis is not a healthy option for adults as well as children, but once or twice a week is not bad at all. It's a great source of calcium and protein.

Veg. Paneer Bhurji Filling for sandwich

Ingredients :
Paneer or firm Tofu : 50 gms.
Carrot : 1/3 cup (chopped)
Capsicum : 1/3 cup(chopped)
Corn : 1/4 cup
Onions : 1 (small-chopped)
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Tomato : 1 (small-chopped)
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
(use vegetable of your choice like, cauliflower, potato, peas etc.)

Method :

• Crumble the paneer or tofu finely with hand and keep aside. Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, add chopped up vegetables and in low flame fry until done with a pinch of salt added. keep them aside.

• In the same pan, heat rest of the oil, add chopped onions, fry until they turn light brown, then add chopped green chillies and tomatoes. Fry until tomatoes softens, now add crumbled paneer or tofu and fried veges. Stir to mix all the ingredients, add turmeric and red chilli powder and season with salt. Mix well and stir for another minute.
  
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Mix well. It's ready to serve.
  

The filling can be served as a side dish with any Indian bread(chapati, naan or paratha). Serve it hot.................otherwise, it tends to harden a bit and don't taste as good when hot.


To assemble the Sandwich.........

• Take a focaccia or any other bread, toast it, apply a layer of butter or margarine.
• Then lay few lettuce leaves. Over that lay a thin layer of paneer bhurji filling, then add some cucumber and tomato slices.
• Sprinkle little black pepper powder and give a big bite.......................

Off course, serve the sandwich hot, not cold..........................

Sending this yummy sandwich to Me and My Kitchen
who is hosting an event named EFM: Breakfast Series
Also on the way to Divya's photo event- Show me your Breakfast

Sweet Potato & Prawn Pulao

That day, I wasn't in a mood to make any elaborate lunch for me and for my daughter after school lunch. I wanted to make something one-pot meal. Then the thing clicked on my mind was prawn which we all love. So I made this prawn pulao. To make it little more wholesome and healthier, I added sweet potato in it. We all know the health benefits of this superfood(yes, sweet potato is considered as a superfood). So, I try to add this vege almost daily somehow in my diet. It blended so well in this pulao....it added nutrients and texture and colour...just loved it. It took me only 1/2 an hour to finish making my lunch. I was happy and the lunch was also satisfying...........


Ingredients :
Prawn or big shrimp : 15-20 pcs.
Basmati rice : 11/2 cup
Sweet potato : 1 cup (cubed and boiled)
Onions(sliced, long) : 1 (big)
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tblsp.
Garlic(minced) : 2 cloves
Tomato : 1 (medium)
Green or red chilli(sliced lengthwise) : 2
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Black pepper powder : 2 stp.
Coconut milk : 1/3 cup
Bay leaves : 2
Cardamom : 4
Cloves : 4
Cinnamon : 1 stick (1")
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Cashewnuts and raisins : 1/2 cup

Method :

• Marinate shrimp or prawn withlittle turmeric and salt. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. Wash the rice. In a big pan, bowl water to cook the rice. When it start boiling, add coconut milk, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 tsp. of salt and the rice. Cook until rice is 3/4 done. Drain and keep the rice aside.
• In a frying pan, fry shrimp or prawn light brown(about 2-3 minutes on each sides) on both sides. keep them aside. Boil sweet potatoes until tender.
• In another pan, heat oil. Add rest of cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. When they start to change colour and leaves aroma, add minced garlic. Stir for 1/2 a minute, add sliced onions, green chillies and sugar. Now add cashewnuts and raisins. Fry with onions.
  
• Fry until onions turn brown, add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Stir until tomatoes turn pulpy, add all the powdered spices and little salt. Stir fry till oil seperates spices. Now add fried prawns and sweet potatoes. Coat spices well with prawn and potatoes.
  
• Now add rice and mix well with the spice paste stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes in medium heat. Season with salt and black pepper.
  
• Prawn pulao is ready to serve....off course enjoy it hot.........serve with plain raita and tomato-cucumber salad
  

This nutritious rice is going to Monthly Mingle#33-Ravishing Rice, hosted this time by Nags of Edible garden, event started by Meeta of What's for lunch Honey?

Narkel Sorshe Patol (Pointed Gourd in Coconut-Mustard Sauce)

This is another bengali delicacy of Pointed gourd or Patol in bengali. Parwal or patol is mainly available in Summer season particularly in Eastern India (Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Utttar Pradesh). It is a good source of Carbohydrate, Vitamin A & C and also contains some essential trace elements (magnesium, potassium, copper, sulfur and chlorine).
This is a very easy to make and quick recipe and I'm posting this recipe for my dear friend, Suparna of Food Fascination, who loves bengali food very much and tried and loved some bengali patol recipes, too.......So, Suparna It's for you..........




Ingredients :
Parwal/Patol : 3-4 nos.
Mustard seeds : 2 tblsp.
Poppy seed : 1 tblsp.
Green chillies : 1 or 2 (as per taste)
Cumin Seed : 1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Dessicared or fresh coconut(narkel) : 1/3 cup
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.

Method :

• Wash and then trim the edges of parwals. Cut all of them lengthwise in half. Smear a little turmeric and salt on them and fry light brown on both sides. Keep aside.
• Dry grind mustard and poppy seeds with green chillies and a pinch of salt.
  
• In the same pan, when oil is hot, temper with cumin seeds. Add the paste with 3 tblps. of water. Add 1 tsp. of turmeric powder and fried parwals or potols. Cook the mixture and coat parwals well with the paste and stir until the raw smell of spices go away, for about 2-3 minutes. When spice paste dries, add 1/2 cup of water, just to cook the vege. Cover the pan and cook in medium heat.
  
• Pointed gourd cooks very fast. When water almost dries up, add fresh or dessicated coconut and coat well with the gourds. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes in low heat. (It's dry preperation, the spice paste will coat the gourds)
• You are done...enjoy with plain rice.
  

Authentically, it's done by steaming. You can make it in pressure cooker without the whistle attached. Coat the spice paste and coconut with turmeric and salt all over the gourds in a bowl, drop 2 tblsp. of oil and steam it for 10 min. My mom sometimes makes it inside the big bowl of freshly prepared hot rice. She preperaes the paste in a bowl and keeps that bowl into a freshly prepared hot bowl of rice for 1/2 an hour and it's ready. But that way, it becomes little soggy, I like to have it little dry and fried, so I make it this way, my mom also do it this way.