Chilli naan with spicy paneer butter masala

Such a comforting food- naan with paneer gravy. Makes you forget all your worries and simply indulge in the exotic flavorful spices. Most of the people I know love paneer (cottage cheese)- You will love it more when it comes in a rich, spicy tomato gravy- dunk the coriander and chilli naan in this gravy and enjoy an exquisite taste of flavors!

Chilli & Coriander naan-

Ingredients-

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

warm water to knead the dough 

1 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

chopped coriander leaves (1 cup)

finely chopped green chilli pieces (about a tsp) 

Preparation- 

• Dissolve yeast in a small cup of warm water with sugar. Set it aside for five minutes (allow it to froth)
• In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour. 
• Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water. 
• Add warm water and work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes soft and elastic.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour)
• Once the dough has risen, knead it gently for few minutes on a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough into medium sized balls.
• Take one dough ball and flatten it to a small circle- sprinkle coriander and chilli pieces in middle and fold the dough into a pouch (with filling in middle).
• Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape.
• Work on the rest of the dough in a similar fashion and place it on a baking tray.
• Brush it lightly with butter and pop them in a pre-heated oven for baking.
• Bake till it is puffy and golden brown in color (@200 degree celsius)

Paneer Butter Masala- (restaurant style)

Ingredients-

250 gms paneer (cut into cubes)

Butter (for cooking)

** Tip- You can fry paneer before mixing it with the gravy. Normally, I use it raw.
If your store paneer is hard and rubbery, chop them in cubes and put them in hot water for a couple of minutes, allow it to soften- then use them in cooking.

For the gravy-

Bay leaf-1

Clove-1

Cinnamon stick -1 (about one inch)

Broken dried red chilli pieces-1

Coriander seeds crushed (1 tbsp)

Chopped tomatoes (3)

One medium sized onion (chopped)

Crushed and chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream- 1 tbsp

Kasoori methi leaves crushed (1/2 tsp)

Preparation- 

Heat 3 tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, red chilli pieces and crushed coriander seeds. Fry them for a minute. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute them for few seconds. Add tomatoes with red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the ingredients till oil leaves the masala. Puree the mixture. Heat about a tbsp of butter in another pan. Add the pureed mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Add paneer pieces and salt. Add a cup of water and cook the paneer on a low flame for 5-8 minutes. Add kasoori methi and cook the paneer mixture for couple of minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cream. Serve hot with naan!

Mushroom Mattar Paneer

Thick, rich gravy based dish with peas, mushroom and cottage cheese- Who wouldn't love it? It is really flavorful and works great with rice/roti.

Ingredients-

250 gms cottage cheese (cubed)

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)

1 medium sized onion (chopped fine)

1 tomato chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 tsp grated ginger

3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

1/4 cup cream

Salt (according to taste)

Oil for cooking

Green chilli (1 chopped)

Spices used for flavor-

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

dash of fenugreek leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 small bay leaf

1/2 piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Coriander leaves chopped (for garnishing- according to taste)

Preparation-

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Fry for a couple of seconds (they will start to sputter). Add cinnamon & bay leaf- allow the oil to absorb the flavor.
• Add garlic, ginger and green chilli pieces- fry for a couple of minutes.
• Mix onions and cook them till they begin to turn golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and cook on a low flame till they become mushy.
• Mix chilli powder, coriander powder, dash of cardamom, garam masala and fenugreek leaves.
• Continue cooking on a medium flame till the oil separates.
• Add a bit of water to make it a bit saucy.
• Add mushrooms, peas to the sauce and adjust salt according to taste.
• After 5 minutes of cooking, add cottage cheese and blend well.
• Pour in the fresh cream and mix well.

Paneer Kathi rolls!

Saturday evenings before the telly always requires some kind of finger food- Yup, something finger looking good! Introducing, Paneer kathi rolls- Cottage cheese cooked with Indian spices and tucked in rotis/flat Indian bread. Well, to make things easier I used tortilla soft wrap and tucked my paneer for a quick snack.

What do we need?

1 cup paneer (cottage cheese)

one medium sized onion sliced

one green bell pepper (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
3-4 tortilla wraps

I gave it a twist by marinating my cottage cheese in a yoghurt base-

For marination, we need-

1/4 cup yoghurt
red chilli powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
ginger-garlic paste (1 tsp)
garam masala (1 tsp)
kasoori methi leaves (1 tsp)- Dry fenugreek leaves
gram flour (1 tsbp)

How did I put together?


Mix all the ingredients for marinade and toss in the cottage cheese. Set it aside for half an hour till paneer absorbs the spices. In a wok saute onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Add paneer mixture and adjust salt. Cook on a high flame for 5 to 8 minutes. Cook till the mixture is dry and set it aside. Spread the paneer mixture on tortilla wrap and roll up tightly. Enjoy! You can choose to just saute cottage cheese without the marination and use it in your wrap. Get creative and add ingredients according to your choice.

Tomato & paneer aromatic rice

I love basmati rice. The aroma of basmati rice is simply irresistible. Use bay leaves and cardamom to bring out the best from basmati. It is not necessary that you have to go the extra mile of making it exotic- a simple combination of the right spices is all it takes to win you accolades on your cooking. Even if you don't have many ingredients just cook your basmati rice with bay leaves and cardamom to enhance it's aroma!

Ingredients

2 onions sliced
2 tomatoes chopped
2 green cardamom pods crushed
Kasoori methi leaves (I used dry crushed leaves- also known as fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp garam masala powder
Cumin seeds
Garlic & ginger paste
1 Bay leaf
1 small cup chopped cottage cheese
Coriander leaves for garnishing
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
Salt according to taste
Dry red chilli (broken)

Preparation

First step is to cook rice with two cups of water over medium flame on a non-stick pan. Allow the rice to cook on its own and do not stir in between otherwise the long grain of basmati tends to break. Once the rice is cooked just give it a slight toss and keep it aside. In a separate wok heat a liberal dose of oil- add cumin seeds and bay leaf. As the cumin seeds begin to sputter add broken dry red chilli and onions. Fry them till they are translucent. Add garlic-ginger paste and cook them over a medium flame for 5 minutes. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and cook till it is incorporated. Add the cottage cheese and cook for a couple of minutes. Now comes our spices- red chilli powder, garam masala powder, crushed cardamom, kasoori methi leaves. Add a bit of oil and mix the spices. The aroma should get your audience up on their feet literally begging you to serve the food immediately! Adjust the salt and blend this mixture to you cooked rice.

Add coriander leaves and a bit of melted butter to make it more silky. Serve hot and watch the rice vanish with the aroma lingering to make it a memorable meal!

You can really do much more with this rice- add different vegetables to make it look colorful or add cloves/cinnamon to give extra aroma. If you are not fond of cottage cheese/paneer just skip it or fry it befor you use if you don't like the raw taste of paneer.

Yummy cottage cheese!

This recipe is my take on a famous north Indian dish called Kadai paneer. "Kadai Paneer" literally translates to cottage cheese or paneer cooked in a kadai or frying pan. Simply put, you stir fry paneer (cottage cheese) with bell peppers and Indian spices. With right spices and flavors, this dish tastes fantastic and has never failed in wooing my audience. Can be served with rotis/naan or simply toasted bread-

What do we need?

Paneer / cottage cheese (cubed - about 1 cup)
Bell peppers- red, yellow and green- 2 cups sliced (generally green one is used) 
Tomatoes (2- chopped)
Onions (3- sliced)
Ginger (1/2 tsp grated)
Garlic (4 cloves crushed and chopped)
Green chilies (2 -chopped)
Salt (according to taste)
Cumin seeds(3/4 tsp)
Coriander powder (1 tsp)
Garam masala (1 tsp)
1 bay leaf
Cinnamon stick
Red chilli powder (1/2 tsp)
Dash of cardamom powder
Chopped corriander leaves for garnishing

How did I put together?


Heat butter in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, green chillies, bay leaf and cinnamon. Add a dash of cardamom powder for extra flavor. Stir for a second before adding grated ginger, finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes till the onion turns golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook on a low flame till the tomatoes get mushy. Add the spices- corriander powder, paprika powder and garam masala. Continue cooking it on a medium flame till the oil begins to separate. Add bell peppers and saute for about five to seven minutes. Add paneer and cook on a low flame till the paneer takes in the spices. Garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

Cottage cheese bean wrap

Full credit for this recipe goes to my favorite chef Jamie Oliver. I love his recipes and the ease with which he creates culinary magic. Being a vegetarian, I hardly get to cook most of his recipes, but I do get my inspiration from his recipes. One of my friends tried his cool mexican bean wrap and recommended that I should give it a shot. The recipe is pretty simple and I did not follow Jamie's recipe by the book. I tried to add a bit of creativity on my own and here is the verdict- YUM...

Ingredients-

1 onion (sliced)
1 cup sliced bell peppers (red and green)
2 cloves garlics (crushed and chopped)
1/2 tsp chilli powder (if you want it less spicy add only 1/2 or a dash)
1 tsp tomato puree
1 small canned tin of red kidney beans (drained and washed)
4 tortillas
1 cup cottage cheese/ paneer (cubed)
1 fresh tomato chopped
dash of crushed black pepper
salt (according to taste)

For the filling-
Saute onions in oil for 7-8 minutes. As they turn golden brown, add garlic, chilli powder, dash of black pepper and fry them for a minute. Add the chopped tomato, tomato puree and kidney beans. Cook them for 10 minutes till the juice has reduced. Add salt according to taste. Take half of this mixture and using a hand blender/mixie grind it to a paste. This becomes our spread on the tortilla. Set aside.
In a separate frying pan, saute bell peppers and cottage cheese. As they turn light golden brown, toss in the other half of the mixture (not used for the bean paste) and fry them for 3 minutes. This is our stuffing.

Final step-
Spread the bean paste on the tortilla. Add around 2 spoons of the filling. Sprinkle some grated cheese (original recipe calls for this, but I omitted it). Roll the tortilla and place them in a pre heated oven (200 degree celsius) and cook them for 15-20 minutes. Serve them with garlic sauce.

Grilled cottage cheese

When it comes to Indian starters, we always think of deep fried brown objects (samosa, pakoda)- I call them UFO's (Unidentified Fried Objects). A simple starter will be grilled paneer or cottage cheese cubes. My simplified version on a very famous north Indian starter- Paneer tikka masala (Grill em and dig in)-

  Ingredients- 

1 cup paneer/cottage cheese (cut them in cubes)

1/4 cup thick yoghurt

1 tsp red chilli powder (paprika powder)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp corriander powder and 1 tsp garam masala (salt to taste)

Preparation- 

In a bowl mix yoghurt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger n garlic paste, corriander powder, garam masala and salt- it must be mixed to a smooth paste. Put the paneer cubes in this paste along with chopped corriander leaves and mix them thoroughly. Cover and keep it in fridge for marination. After a couple of hours, put the paneer on skewers and grill till golden brown. Enjoy them with hot chilli sauce!

Spinach cooked with cottage cheese...

I love Paneer (cottage cheese) and any recipe tastes great with it! Especially if you are not a huge fan of spinach, then try making it with paneer and boy you will love it. This recipe is very popular in northern India. Here is my take on palak paneer- Enjoyyyyyyy

Ingredients- Spinach (about 500 gms), cottage cheese (cubed- about one big cup)

For the Gravy- you need 2 onions (finely chopped), garlic (3-4 cloves-crushed and chopped), grated ginger (about a small tablespoon), medium sized tomatoe (finely chopped)- the spices that go in are- cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, bay leaves, a little bit of ajwain (carom seeds), garam masala, corriander powder, amchoor powder (dried mango powder), dried red chillies (2 pieces) and of course my favorite chopped corriander leaves!   

Preparation is simple- We need to wash the spinach leaves, and boil them a bit in water till they become soft- once they are soft blend them in a mixer to a paste and keep it aside- Now get the gravy ready- In a wok, pour oil (liberal dose), and once it becomes hot add the cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, a bit of ajwain or carom seeds-When the garlic is golden brown add the chopped onions, dried red chillies and roast them till they are golden brown. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and keep mixing the ingredients till the tomatoes blend with onions and becomes a paste. 

Now comes the spices- Put in the garam masala, corriander powder(about a big tablespoon each) and amchur powder (just a dash of it). Cook the ingredients till the masala blends and the mixture starts to become a thick consistency of a gravy. Add salt according to taste. 

Add in the blended spinach to the gravy and cook till spinach loses its raw taste and takes in the spices. Add the bowl of cottage cheese towards the end and cook it on a low flame for around 5 minutes. Before removing it from fire, add a big tablespoon of butter and blend in till the butter melts. Garnish it with chopped corriander! There is a slight variation in this recipe- Usually, the cottage cheese is deep fried (separately) in oil before mixing it with spinach. I simply love to keep the flavor of cottage cheese and mix it without frying it in oil. 

Serve it with hot rotis- yum!