Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer

My daughter has discovered her love for all things Paneer, which is quite a relief since my husband is not very fond of paneer and I felt bad making paneer just because I like it. Now I can use her as an excuse to make paneer at least once a week.

But with great power comes great responsibilities..now what was that for? Anyways all I wanted to say was since I now make paneer more regularly I needed to find more recipes to try out. Typing paneer into google search put up quite a few options but this recipe of Sanjeev Kapoor caught my fancy maybe beacuse it was different from the usual red/orange gravies that I make for paneer

I tried it out and felt this recipe is a keeper. So I am reproducing the recipe here with my few changes:

Shahi Paneer


Serves : 4

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer/Cottage Cheese - 200gms
Onion - 2 quartered, boiled and ground to paste
Cloves - 2
Peppercorns - 6
Bay Leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 2 inch
Green Chillies - 2 slit long
Ginger-garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1tsp
Cashewnut - 10 soaked and ground to paste
Dahi/Curd/Yogurt - 1/2 C
Cream/Milk - 1/4 C
Saffron - A pinch to be soaked in the above cream/milk
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

To make

1. Cut Paneer into bite size pieces - cubes/rectangle/triangle - and let soak in warm water

2. Heat oil, add the dry masala - cloves, cinnamon,peppercorn and bayleaf. When fragrant add in the slit green chillies. Follow it with the boiled onion paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell disappears.

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone.

4. Add the kitchen king masala and cook for 1 minute. Add in the curd and and cook till the mixture is dry.

5. Add the cashew paste, saffron induced milk/cream, paneer(without the water) and salt to taste.

6. Cook in low heat for 2 mins. Top off with cardamom powder and take off the heat.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins


Notes & Deviations :

1. Soaking paneer in warm water reduces cooking time and helps add in the paneer into the gravy at the last
    moment.

2. Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe doesn't ask for Kitchen King. He suggests Garam Masala. However, since we
    are using whole masala and the cardamom powder I didnt want to use garam masala as well. Adding
    Kitchen King brings in a slight colour change but I love the flavour it imparts

3. If you think the cream/milk could curdle, you may add the same after taking the curry off the heat.

4. Take care not to brown the onion paste or any other ingredients so that the curry would be white/cream in
    colour



Make this dish to add a new colour and taste to your dining table. It will add the royal touch that the name promises.

Tried and Tasted - The Singing Chef

Last time when I participated She was hosting it and this time its her blog that is featuring in the Tried & Tasted Event for March 2010 hosted by Divya of Dil Se, an online event started by Zlamushka


To me,Raaga - The Singing Chef is much much more than a blogger that I love to follow. I am sure I wouldnt have enough words to explain but I would like to try. I first met her almost 12 years ago to the date when I & my father went to our Institute for GD & Interview. An apprehensive father and an eager daughter were pacified by the words of this charming and confident girl

I had a taste of what was coming when she wrote to me personally to let me know the results even before I got an intimation from the Institute. She welcomed me whole heartedly into her course and her room, which was the domain of students of that particular course. I soon changed my course,she let me continue in the room but not before extracting the promise that once she leaves I would allow only a junior from her course into the room(Ps: I did keep my promise Raaga!!)

Friend, giver of surprise gifts(I still have the family snap that you laminated for me),generous donor of yummy food that she used to bring from home almost every weekend and perhaps the most popular girl on campus - u have to see to believe the number of friends she has - which should not be a surprise as she takes so much effort to remember every little thing about you and work so hard to keep in touch....one couldn't have asked for a better Room-mate on one's first stay away from home.

I still remember the time she took me home during a break.Her Mom is a world class cook.She makes the most impressive variety of food and all of them finger - licking good. I still remember the little "katoris" of yogurt at the end of the meal. My readers can imagine how yummy the food must have been if today after 11 years I can still remember even the yogurt Aunty made.

I missed out on the chance to savour Raaga's cooking on my last visit to her city but her blog tells me she must be as good a cook as her Mom, if not better.S is a very lucky guy!!

Ok before I turn my Food blog to a Mush blog(sorry readers, I just couldn't help myself)let me turn to food. I have made a lot of recipes that Raaga has posted because they are so attractive and at the same time so simply done. However, this one was made after I read Divya's announcement so managed to capture some pictures before it was polished off.

Soya Makhani




I knew I would make this one as soon as I saw the post. I love Makhani gravy and Soya Nuggests was something I would never have associated with the gravy.

I am re posting the recipe here so that I can keep it for my future reference as I am sure to make this one again and again.

Serves : 2 (as Single side dish for rotis)


Ingredients :

Soya Nuggets - 1 cup (Prepared as instructed)
Onion - 2 medium - made into a paste
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 large - pureed
Milk - 1/2 - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp/To taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Tbsp (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
Salt - To taste
Honey - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp


To make :

1. Heat oil and fry the onion paste till almost dry.

2. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and stir for 2 minutes till the raw smell of the paste is gone.

3. Add the chilli and turmeric powder. Stir for a minute

4. Add the tomato paste and salt, mix well and stir for 2-3 min till almost dry.

5. Slowly stir in the milk, bring to boil.

6. Add Soya Nuggets, when thoroughly immersed in the gravy, mix in the Kasoori Methi and Honey. Adjust seasoning.

7. Mix well and serve hot.


Preparation time - 15 min

Cooking time - 15 min


Variations I made :

1. Used fresh ingredients instead of the readymade masala which I am sure will cut down both the preparation and the cooking time.

2. Added more milk to increase gravy

3. Added honey to bring in the sweet and silky feel of Makhani gravy


This recipe is a keeper and the gravy is a good base for a lot of other stuff like Paneer, Green Peas, Mushroom and even the humble potato.

Thanks Raaga for this recipe and the great many that you have shared with us through your blog!!

PS: The logo for this event was designed by Ksenia who blogs at Tales of a Spoon.