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.

Vegetable Kurma for RV's CWS Event

I fell in love with RVs blog even before I visited the Blog. I mean when you are clicking a link that says Food for 7 Stages of Life you are but just floored!! And the blog didn't disappoint either. Its both pleasing to the eye as well as a treasure house of a variety of recipes and not to mention events.

I wanted to take part in a lot of the previous events but as you can see I haven't been very regular in my postings. This time when I saw CWS -Coriander seeds, I had loads of recipes in my mind, but I never got around to making any of them.

This recipe was calling out to me because I had a couple of slices of Pineapple in my fridge.I had made it the first time from a Nita Mehta Cookbook.I love the sweet sour taste that pineapple imparts to any gravy, be it Chinese or Mughlai.The deep fried cauliflower just adds to the bevy of taste that this gravy provides with the crispiness its vegetables, tanginess of the fruit, the richness of the paste and not to forget the aroma of the spices.Its light yellow colour is as pleasing to the eyes as the taste is to the taste buds!!

While I was making it I thought why not this recipe for the event. So here is my submission for the Cooking With Seeds - Coriander Seeds hosted by RV of Food for 7 Stages of Life and the event originated at Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes.


Vegetable Kurma/Khurma/Khorma

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables - 2 Cup - Cut and Boiled (I use Potato, Carrot, Green Peas)
Cauliflower - 1/2 Cup - Florets cleaned well and deep fried till slightly golden
Pineapple - 2 Rings - Cubed
Onions - 2 medium - Chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1 Tbsp (You may also use Garam Masala Instead)
Sugar - 1tsp (Optional)
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1-2 Tbsp

Mix , let soak for 10min & grind into Paste:



Today's Star - Coriander Seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Cashew nuts - 10-12 nos
Poppy Seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp (You may also use fresh ginger & garlic)
Coconut grated - 2 Tbsp
Cardamom Whole - 3
Curd/Yogurt - 3/4 Cup


To Make :

1. Heat oil and fry the chopped onion till golden.

2. Add turmeric, stir for less than a minute for the raw smell to disappear.

3. Add the ground paste and cook covered till almost dry.

4. Add the Kitchen King Masala and cook for another 1 minute

5. Add a cup of boiling water followed by the mixed vegetables (You might add the water in which the vegetable is cooked.)

6.Add salt to taste

7. When the curry almost reaches a consistency of your choice, add cauliflower and pineapple bits.Let cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add sugar if the curry is too sour. It should be more tangy than sour


Preparation Time : 15min

Cooking Time : 15min

Serve it hot with any kind of India bread or even slightly flavoured rice like Jeera Rice or Peas Pulao

PS: Hi Folks, do do deep fry that Cauliflower. It brings in a whole new twist to the taste rather than just boiling it.

Veg Bread Upma

I have a memory card full of snaps of my creations.I am cooking and clicking but the posting doesn't seem to be happening. Just checked out Divya's Dil Se...post and realised today is the last day for entry to her "Show me your Breakfast", so i thot, why not start right now. So I just clicked today's breakfast and am posting my first recipe and joining in the first event all at once...yipeeeeeeeee!!

Bread Upma was chanced upon on a wednesday at Room No.53, Ladies Hostel, Pondy by a bunch of hungry girls after having finished the eggs for bfast but not able to chew on the hard bread. somebody said lets tear it into pieces, somebody said lets heat it, another said let add some onions and we made something not only edible but delicious to the taste starved hostel souls and since then wednesdays were awaited eagerly.

This version is of course a long way away from our first discovery, but that's the beauty of cooking....i got an idea of a variation as i was cooking the upma this morning.

Anyways, here goes the recipe:

Veg Bread Upma(Serves 2 or 1 very hungry soul)

1.Bread - 5 slices - i usually take the first & last slices and the edges leftover
2.Onion - 1 medium - chopped
3.Green Chilli - 1 - chopped ( you may leave this out of you have young kids)
4.Ginger - 1 Small piece - chopped fine
5.Carrot/Beans/Cabbage/Corn - 1cup - grated or finely chopped - you may add any 1
or all or more as per your choice and availability
6.Seasonings - Salt/Pepper/Garam masala - to taste
7.Oil - 1 tsp
8.Ghee - 1 tsp

To make

1. Tear or shred the bread into bite sized pieces
2. Heat oil, add onion, green chillies and ginger. Saute for 1 min
3. Add vegetables(I added grated carrot/Finely chopped beans & sweet corn)and salt,
mix and cook on low fire with lid.
4. When a little tender, add the bread. Mix well
5. Adjust salt and sprinkle pepper and garam masala to taste
6. Top with the ghee for the flavour and aroma.
7. Your Veg Bread Upma is ready to serve.

Preparation time :5 mins
Cooking time :10 mins

Enjoy your breakfast and I am off to Divya's for the event.