Methi Malai Paneer

Methi or Fenugreek is a flavourful leafy veg which goes well with any veggies.
Methi Malai Paneer is a popular Punjabi dish which is very common in restaurants menu's but I love dhabha style which is more richer,rustic and full of flavours a with desi ghee or butter...yumm.This is my take on this classic dish.

Ingredients:

Methi/Fenugreek leaves-1 small bunch

Paneer-200gms

Fresh cream-4 Tbsp

Jeera/ Cumin seeds-1/2tsp

Turmeric-pinch

Oil/Butter-1Tbsp( I have used oil)+ extra oil for frying paneer

Salt to taste

Sugar-2tsp

Garam masala-1/2tsp

For Grinding:

Onion-1 medium

Green chillies-3-4(according to your taste)

Jeera-1tsp

Garlic-4 cloves

Ginger-1"piece

Cashewnuts powder-1Tbsp

Method:

1.Take quarter cup of cashew nuts and grind them into a fine powder,store it in air tight container.You can use this for thickening gravies.I am using only 1Tbsp of powder for this recipe.

2. Grind all the ingredients into fine paste adding little water at a time.

3.Clean methi by removing only the leaves and discard the stalk,Wash the methi leaves in water,drain and chop them roughly.

4.Heat tsp of  Oil in a pan,add jeera,when it begans to splutter,add turmeric and  chopped methi leaves fry until the rawness of the methi vanishes.

5.Meanwhile cut paneer into bite size pieces  and fry them  lightly with little oil  and keep it aside.

6.Add grinded paste to fried methi fry for 2-3minutes then add 1/2cup of water,salt to taste and sugar close the lid and cook for 5minutes.

7.Now add paneer pieces and garam masala, let it cook for 2 more minutes.

8.Reduce the flame and add cream simmer for minute and take out of the flame.

9.Methi Malai Paneer is ready to serve.you can serve hot with any kind of Indian breads.

Note:
1.For healthier option you can use milk instead of fresh cream.
2.If you are not a fan of paneer and for healthier option you can 
add fried potatoes or mushroom.
3.If you don't have fresh methi,instead use kasuri methi.
4. Basically It is a mild curry,if you are spice lover you can add more chillies for 
grinding or chillipowder while frying methi.
5.Don't over cook,this will hardens the paneer.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhni is a punjabi dish which is nutritious and high in protein.This rich creamy textured dal is slow cooked for hours on charcoal or tandoor.Here is my version of this wonderful dish,is one of the favourite of my family...so enjoy.

Ingredients:
Whole Urad dal-1cup
Rajma/red kidney beans-1/4cup
Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Bayleaf-1
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Cumin powder-1/2tsp
Chillipowder-1tsp
Dhaniyapowder-2tsp
Garammasala-1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Kasoori methi powder-1tsp
Onion-1,finely chopped
Tomatoes-3,finely chopped or grinded
(or you can use ready tomato puree-1/2cup)
Butter-1tbsp
Oil-1tbsp
Fresh cream-4tbsp or to taste
Fresh coriander for garnishing

Method:
1.Wash and soak dals in clean water for 5-6hrs.
2.Cook the dals in pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
3.Heat a oil in a pan,add cumin and bay leaf,when they begi to splutter
add onions and cook until golden brown,now add gingergarlic paste cook for
2-3 minutes,then add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4.Add all powders,butter,salt and cooked dals and cook on a medium low flame for
20-30minutes.
5.Now add cream cook for 2 minutes and garnish with fresh coriander.
6.Serve hot with chappati,naan or rice.

Mosaru Vade/Dahi Vada

 
Ingredients:
Urad dal/uddinabele-1 1/2 cup
Rice flour-2tbsp
Black pepperpowder-1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Soda bicarb-pinch
Oil for frying
Yogurt-1cup
Water-1/2cup
Crushed ginger-1/2tsp

For Garnish:
Chilli powder
Cumin powder
Chaat masala
Fresh coriander

Method:
Clean dal, wash and soak in water for 4 hours. Blend in blender 
using the minimum amount of water required to keep paste
moving freely. In a bowl mix urad paste, rice flour, salt,pepper
and soda mix well. Heat a oil in a kadai.Wet your hands and take
tbsp of batter and drop it in the hot oil Fry until golden brown.
Drop them into water. Let it soak till ready to serve.
Beat yogurt with water. Add ginger and salt according to taste.
Squeeze out water from the vada and add yogurt. Before serving spinkle
chilli powder,chaat masala and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

Channa Batura

Ingredients:
Maida-2cups
Fine rava-1/4cup
Baking powder-1/2tsp
Salt-1/2tsp
Sugar-1tsp
Buttermilk-3/4cup
Oil for frying+2tbsp


Method:
Heat a oil in a kadai..
In a bowl mix  maida, fine rava,baking powder, sugar,salt and buttermilk and knead a stiff dough,if needed use little water to knead.Smear little oil on the dough and leave it aside for 2hours.Divide the dough into equal portions,roll them into balls.Roll out  bigger poori's and deep fry them on high flame till light brown on both sides.


Channa masala

Ingredients:
Chickpeas-1 1/2cups
Onion,finely chopped -1 big
Tomatoes,finely chopped-2
Green chillies,slited-2
Ginger garlic paste
Bay leaf-1
Mace-1
Cinnamon-1"stick
Cloves-4
cardamom-2
cuminseeds-1tsp
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Salt to taste
sugar-1tsp
Channamasala-2tsp
Fresh coriander for garnish
Lemon juice/Lime juice-2tsp
oil-1tbsp


Method:
Wash and rinse chickpeas in a clean water for 6-8 hours or better overnight.
then pressure cook them with pinch of sodabicarb up to 2 to 3 whistles.
drain the liquid and keep it aside,reserve the liquid as well.
Heat a oil in a kadai add all the whole spices when they begin to splutter
add finely chopped onions fry them until they are golden brown in colour.
Now add gingergarlic paste,green chillies and tomatoes and sugar cook until
tomatoes are soften now add turmeric,channa masala and salt cook on a low medium flame until the gravy oozes out oil then add boiled chickpeas and 1 cup of reserved liquid,close the lid and leave it to cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.If need more liquid add more reserved liquid.Turn off the heat add lemon juice and garnish with coriander.Serve hot with batura.


Note:If you want more gravy grind fistful of boiled chickpeas,1/2 onion and 1 tomato into fine paste and add it to above mixture along reserved water.

KALE MOTI BIRYANI

This finger licking,flavourful biryani recipe I found from a old magazine long back ago, I am a big magazine Buff:), and I collect the recipes from them.The process is little lengthy but its worth a try...I prepare this biryani often in my house and it has become one of my family favourites.Kale moti  means Black pearl,they look like a black pearls in the dish  truly....In the original recipe potatoes are used along with channa,here I have not used it.If you are fan of potatoes,you can used them...The assemble process makes it very flavourful and aromatic...This can  be done without oven also,assemble in a thick bottom vessel and seal the lid with atta dough(if you have a tight fitting lid,don't worry about sealing)keep on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.Serve this with any raitha or it is amazing on its own...Make sure that channa is nicely cooked...Using ghee makes it very tasty,I have prepared it with oil also but you know you can't beat the ghee....:).Once in a while this is a real treat...

                                       Biryani with a sprinkling of  black channa

Ingredients:
Basmati rice-2cups,washed and soaked for30 minutes.
Salt to taste
Cloves-4 
Cardomom-4
Lemon juice-1tbsp
For kale moti:
Kalachanna/Kadlekaalu,soaked overnight-1cup
Salt to taste
A pinch of soda bicarb
Ghee-2tbsp
Gingergarlic paste-2tsp
Onion,chopped-1big
Chilli powder-1tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Whisked yogurt-3/4cup
Tomotoes,chopped-2
Green chillies,chopped-2
For garnishing :
Coriander leaves,chopped- 2tbsp
Mint leaves,chopped-2tbsp
Green chillies,slit lenghtwise-2-3
Onions,sliced and fried until crisp-2tbsp
Tomato,Sliced-1
Ginger juliennes-1tsp
whisked yoghurt-1/4cup
Garam masala powder-1tsp
A few strands of safforon  soaked in a little milk

Method:
To prepare the kale moti:
Wash the channa,add enough water,salt and soda bicarb and cook in a pressure
cooker until 3-4 whistles.Drain out the water and keep it aside.
Heat ghee in a kadai, add ginger-garlic paste, onions , chilli powder
and turmeric powder,lower the heat and saute for 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat,add curd,tomatoes and green chillies.
Return the pan to the heat.Cook till the ghee floats on top. Then add the boiled chana,
adjust the seasoning and stir well.Saute till done and almost dry


To prepare the rice:
Bring 8cups of water to a boil with salt,whole garam masala and lemon juice. Cook till three-fourths done.Drain out the water.


To assemble the biryani:
Transfer the cooked channa to an ovenproof container.
Spread the chopped corinaderleaves,mintleaves,gingerjuliennes,
green chillies,tomatoes fried onions and pour the yogurt over the channa.
Spread the rice evenly over the garnished channa and sprinkle soaked saffron over.
Cover with a lid and secure with a atta dough to seal the container so that it is airtight
and cook in a pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes at 180'C.
Remove when the steam starts seeping from the side.


To serve:
Break the seal,take out the rice from the container.Put the channa
in a serving dish and spread the rice over.
Serve hot with raitha.

Bhel Puri

Bhel is one of the famous Indian street chaats we are all familiar with,which is prepared with puffed rice (kadle puri or mandakki as we call in kannada).Bhelpuri is soggy compared to Bangalore's churmuri which is a dry version.Difference is papdis and chutneys are not used in churmuri.Bhel can be prepared easily and quickly if you got chutneys in advance...Prepare this only before serving.

Ingredients:

Puffed rice(kadle puri)-2cups,cleaned

Papdi's-10-12,crushed

Onion-1,finely chopped

Carrot-1 small,grated

Potato-1 small,boiled peeled and cubed

Coriander-1tbsp

Tomato-1,deseeded and chopped

Cucumber-1/2cup,deseeded and chopped

Roasted peanuts-1tbsp

Green chutney-as per taste

Sweet tamarind chutney-as per taste

Chaatmasala-1tsp

Chilli powder-1/2tsp(optional)

Lemon juice-1tbsp

Nylon sev or boondi-1/2cup

Method:

In a clean dry bowl mix all the above ingredients nicely with woodenspoon.
Add green chutney and sweet chutney as required.
Garnish with sev and serve immediatly.

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati rice- 2cups(washed and soaked for 20mins)
Ghee-100g

Bay leaf-1
Green cardamom-6
Black cardamom-2
Star anise-2
Cinnamon sticks-2
Cloves-8
Black pepper-10
Mace-1

Onions sliced-1cup
Green chillies,slit lengthwise-8
Ginger-Garlic paste-2tsp
Chili powder-1tsp
Potatoes peeled and cubed-1cup
Carrots,cubed-1cup
French beans-1cup
Paneer cubes-1cup(fried)
green peas-1cup
Bread slices(fried in ghee)-3(optional)
Mint leaves,chopped-1/2cup
Coriander leaves,chopped-1/2cup
Saffron strands-few(soaked in alittle milk)
Ginger-5cm,julienned

Method:

Heat a little ghee in a pan, add half of the garam masala, saute until it begins to crackle,add the onions and brown them. Add half of the green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder and salt, saute for 5minutes. Then add the vegetables except paneer and stir for a while till they are well coated with masala. Now add enough water and cook till done. Bring plenty of water to boil add salt and remaining garam masala. Add rice and cook till they are half cooked, drain out the excess water.

To Assemble:

Take the pan spread the rice,then spread the vegetables,then rice,sprinkle half of the ginger juliennes, green chilies,coriander leaves and mint leaves,alternating rice ,vegetables and mint leaves until rice and vegetables are finished. In the end sprinkle saffron milk and fried bread pieces.Place a moist cloth on the top,cover with lid and sealed with chapati dough(if the lid is loose),on a low flame cook for 20minutes.

serve hot with raitha

Palak paneer

Palak paneer is one of the favourite dish of my family, it is a authentic Punjabi dish also known as saag paneer.

It has been known for generations that spinach was good for you, but it is really only over recent decades that the proof has mounted up that spinach is packed with benefitical nutrients. According to nutritionists this dark green leafy vegetable, along with others of similar colour, is among the healthiest of all foods. There are not many foods that have such a rich source of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and calcium, as spinach. With such nutrients, spinach is blessed with health benefits that are difficult to ignore.Always cook spinach without closing the lid,because it contains some volatile substances which turns green colour to brown.So it needs to escape.


Ingredients

Paneer cubes-15-20
Onion chopped -1
Gingergarlic paste-1tsp
Salt To taste
Coriander Powder-1tsp
Chillipowder -1tsp
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Garam masala-1/2tsp
Cumin Powder-1tsp
Sugar-1/4 tsp
Oil/ghee-2tsp
Spinach- 1 bunch
Tomatoes-2

For Garnish:
Fresh Cream-1tbsp

Method

1. Wash & drain the water from Spinach. Chop them coarsely.
2. In a pan bring to boil for 8 minutes,Cool & grind them coarsely to Paste.
3. In the pan heat the oil, fry onions till translucent,add tomatoes,sugar and greenchilli cook until they become soft.
4. Add Gingergarlicpaste & fry, mix all the spice powders and salt except garam masala & stir.
5. Fry the paneer cubes in ghee and add the Paneer cubes cook for 2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle garam masala and stir gently.
7. Serve Garnished with Cream on top.

Vegetable cutlet

Ingredients:
Potatoes -2
Carrot ,chopped-1
Beans,chopped-10-15
Spinach,,chopped 1/2cup
Coriander chopped-1/2cup
Moong sprouts-1/2cup
Green chillies-2
Onion ,chopped- 2
Gingergarlic paste-1tsp
Lemon juice-1tbsp
Chilli powder-1tsp
Dhaniya powder-1tsp
Turmeric-1/2tsp
Pepper powder-1/2tsp
Garam masala-1/2tsp
Jeera powder-1/2tsp
Chaat masala-1/2tsp
Corn flour-1 or 2tbsp
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs- as required

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes,carrot,beans,moong sprouts in a pressure cooker
2. Peel the potatoes and mash them.
3. In a kadai heat oil ,fry onions,green chillies,gingergarlic paste, to golden brown colour.
4. Add boiled vegetables ,all masalas,cornflour mix well.
5. Add mashed potatoes,salt mix well.
6. Make a lemon sized balls and roll them in a breadcrumbs .
7. Flatten and give them desired shape.
8. Shallow fry them on tawa on both sides.

Serve with green chutney.