Paneer Makhani

I bookmarked the recipe that I found at Edible Garden.  It is meant to be a microwave preparation.  However, I found the recipe involved mixing ingredients every two minutes and thought it might just be simpler making it on the stove top.  And it was !  And guess what - no use of cream.

Ingredients:
Paneer - 150 gms - cut into cubes
Tomato - 1 large - chopped
Ginger - 1" chopped fine
Butter /Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Tomato sauce/ketchup - 1 tsp
White melon seeds - 1 tbsp ( I used almonds - blanched )
Kasuri methi -large pinch
Milk - 1/4 to 1/2  cup
Sugar - a big pinch
Chilie powder - to taste
Salt - to taste

Soak almonds or melon seeds in warm water.  In case of almonds, I removed the skins

Heat a pan, add the chopped tomatoes and ginger with a quarter cup of water.  Once the tomatoes are softened, cool, and then grind to a fine pulp

Heat the pan once again, add the ghee and oil, followed by salt, chilie, garam masala.
Mix well
Add the tomato pulp and a spoon of tomato ketchup
Mix away.
If required add a little water and let it simmer

Meanwhile grind the melon seeds / almonds.  One may even substitute with cashew nuts.  Make a smooth paste with a little water

Add this to the tomato mixture
Followed by kasuri methi ( dried mint leaves).  The mixture will thicken.
Now add the paneer cubes
And the milk - add sufficient quantity - so you may not need to add all of it

Simmer.
Remove from heat.
Garnish with ginger julienne

The gravy will thicken as it cools.  Keep that in mind.

Very simple and very tasty !

Chili Paneer

An Indo-Chinese dish that A made.  I for one always believed that paneer (cottage cheese ) should not be converted to any Chinese dish. But I think I was proved wrong with this one.

Ingredients:
Paneer - Cut the paneer into small blocks
For the Batter
 of 3-4 tbsp of cornflour , 1 egg (optional), ginger-garlic paste 1/4 tsp, salt, pepper

Capsicum - 1 - sliced
Spring onions 1- chop
Garlic - 4-5 chopped
Green chilies - 1 chopped finely
Soya sauce - 1 tsp
Chili-garlic sauce - 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 2 -3 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Honey - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Spring onion greens - garnish

Oil for deep frying and another 2-3 tbsp for the curry.

Make a batter with the ingredients mentioned with a little water to coating consistency
Dip paneer into the batter and deep fry on medium heat till golden brown.
Keep aside.

Take a wok
Heat oil.  Add the chopped shallots, garlic and green chilies.
Sauté
Followed by the sliced bell peppers
Once that begins to turn colour ( allow a little bit of crunch to remain if you like it that way ! )
Add the sauces, powders, vinegar and honey
Coat it well.  Keep awhile
Now, the deep fried paneer.
Throw in the spring onion greens.
A quick toss of the pan ( I cannot do this )

And serve.

( All the ingredients here can be varied according to taste and spice-tolerance)

Methi Chaman

When someone who does not eat paneer ( yes, there are some like that!!) came home after a dinner and said that he had some delicious Methi Chaman, I was delighted.  I immediately looked up a couple of recipes, rushed to the supermarket and got into the kitchen willingly.  Here is what the dish looked like.. and it was good to eat too.

Ingredients:

Methi (Fenugreek leaves)- 1 bunch 

Palak - Spinach - 1 bunch
( roughly 4:1 of Spinach is to Methi)

Butter - 1-2 tsp

Onion - 1 small - finely chopped

Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2 according to taste 

Chilie powder - to taste

Fresh Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
- 200  gms - grated

Ginger - 1/2"

Garlic - 4 pods

Kasuri Methi - a dash of it
Fresh cream - 3-4 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Remove the leaves of the Methi and Palak.  Wash well and drain.

Blanch them in hot water to which a little salt has been added for a couple of mins.

Drain and cool.

Make into a purée - keep aside

Grind the green chilies, ginger and garlic to a paste

Take a wok.  Add a mixture of butter and oil.

Sauté the green chilie-garlic-ginger paste

Add finely chopped onions, sauté again, do not brown, if required add a little salt to prevent that.

Now add the spinach-methi purée

Stir vigorously for a few mins.  Then add a little water.

Add chilie, cumin, coriander powder

Simmer a while

Add grated paneer ( I mashed it and realise grating would have been a better option)

Add a little more water if the mixture thickens.

Add the garam masala and allow to simmer a little more

The dash of kasuri methi for that extra flavour.

Remove from heat 
Add some of the cream.  Mix.  Put a swirl on top ( missing here)
And serve either hot with jeera rice or rotis

Shahi Paneer

I have always prepared Matar Paneer. This time I wanted something different and found the recipe of Shahi Paneer at Edible Garden -
A little modification - the result follows
Ingredients:
Paneer - 250gm - cut to cubes.
Capsicum - 1 small - cut to 4-6 pieces
Onions - 2medium
Tomatoes Purée- 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1tsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Cashew nuts - 5-6
Almonds - 6 ( soak a while)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Chilie powder - to taste

Sauté onions till brown.
Grind along with cashew, soaked almond to fine paste.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add the paneer and capsicum , sauté , the paneer will get slightly brown too.
Add the ground paste, ginger garlic paste - fry awhile
Add tomato purée.
Add water sufficient to cook the capsicum and also to form a gravy.
Add salt, coriander powder, chillie and garam masala powder.
Simmer till done.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Add cream ( optional ) - not really required.

Paneer Starter

Paneer - cut into cubes , Tomatoes- cut into 4

Take a bowl, place the paneer, tomato

Add dhania powder, haldi, chillie powder, salt, kasuri methi. Mix well

Take a pan, heat, add oil or butter

Place paneer and tomato pieces.

Saute till paneer is brown and tomato is scalded. (capsicum could be used too)

Serve on a toothpick.

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer - 250 gms

Onion - 2 large

Tomatoes - 2 large

Tomato puree - 2 tbsp (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder - 2 tsp - add more depending on personal preference.

Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander for garnishing

Lime juice (optional)

Oil

Crumble the paneer.

Chop onions and tomatoes finely

In a wok take some oil

Add jeera, allow to darken

Add the onion, fry till brown

Add the tomatoes, fry till they become tender.

Add the tomato puree

Add the masala powders - chilli, turmeric, garam masala, dhania

Add salt.

Add the crumbled paneer.

Stir, simmer awhile.

Remove

Sprinkle some lime juice

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot rotis.

Palak Paneer

Serves -2
Palak - 1 large bunch
Paneer - 100 gms
Onion - 1 large
Green chillie - 2
Tomato puree - 4 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Chillie powder - ( optional)
Salt to taste
Whipped cream - 2 tbsp
Oil

Heat a tbsp of oil, add onion, saute till brown.
Add the washed, chopped palak and ginger garlic paste. Add little water. Palak cooks easily. Do not cover.
Once the palak is cooked, put in blender with green chillies and grind to smooth paste.
Put the paste in a wok add the tomato puree and simmer till it thickens.
Add the paneer pieces.
Keep awhile. Remove. Add the whipped cream. Mix. Save a little for a swirl on the top.
Serve hot. Good with anything.

Paneer masala

Fresh Paneer - 200 gms
Onions - 3 medium - chopped
Tomato puree - 100 ml
Red chillie powder - 1 tbsp ( or to taste)
Turmeric - pinch
Dhania powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
Corriander leaves - finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste.

Brown paneer cubes in a little fat
Saute the onions till brown
Grind to paste
Take oil in wok
Add jeera
Add the ground paste and roast along with garlic paste
Add sufficient water to make a thick gravy
Add tomato puree
Add the powdered masalas and the kasuri methi
And the paneer
Salt to taste
The part of the fresh cream and watch the texture change and the taste!!
Garnish with the remaining cream - swirl on top ( I have not mastered that yet)
And the chopped corriander.