Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer is one of the famous Mughali Cuisine side dish, as the name says Shahi means Royal it’s one of the very rich gravy. I have heard about this but didn’t have any idea how to make. When I am searching about this got lot of confusion then thought ask my friends for original recipe, finally got help from one of my co blogger Vaishali tried her version and it was awesome which I am sharing here. Thanks vaishali for your recipe.

For the next three days I am going to post under Cooking with Colors theme for BM. Valli gave a list of ingredients for colors, when I am going through that felt need to thank God for giving us such a wonderful colors in our food. For the first day I choose white color the given ingredient was Paneer.

 

Ingredients:

Paneer	1 cup
Tomatoes chopped	2 cup or 3 medium size
Cashew nut	7-8
Ginger chopped	1 Tbsp
Garlic chopped	1 Tbsp
Roasted Cumin powder	1 tsp
Kasthoori Methi	1 Tbsp
Chili powder	2 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Fresh cream	½ cup
Cilantro	for garnish
Salt
Oil

 

Directions:

1. Soak cashew in hot water for 10 – 15 minutes. Grind tomatoes and soaked cashew to a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in a pan, fry ginger and garlic with a pinch of hing (optional), then add the ground tomato paste.
3. Allow it to cook for 4-5 minutes, then add cumin powder, chili and turmeric powder. Give it a nice stir, add methi salt and enough water and allow it to cook until the oil start to ooze out.
4. In this stage add paneer and cream mix well and allow cooking when it comes to first boil. Turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro. Serve this with rice or roti.

 

Linking to:  Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#29

Dhokar Dalna/ Lentil Cake Curry

In SNC group this month challenge was hosted by pinky, Dhokar Dalna a traditional Bengali dish, which is nothing but making cakes using dal and adding that to a rich coconut based gravy.

Ingredients:

For Lentil Cake:

Split Chana Dal	½ cup
Split Peas Dal (vada parrupu)	¼ cup
Grated Coconut	⅓ cup
Ginger  and green chilies chopped	1 Tbsp each
Asafetida	¼ tsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Onion chopped finely	¼ cup
Baking soda	½ tsp
Salt	as per taste
Oil	for deep fry
For Curry:
Potato (cut into cube)	2 medium size
Tomato chopped	1 medium size
Onion chopped	¼ cup
Coconut milk	½ cup thick & ½ cup thin
Grated coconut	⅓ cup
Ginger garlic paste	½ Tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Asafetida	a pinch
Bay leaves	2
Green chili	1-2
Cumin powder	1 tsp
Chili powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Garam masala	1 tsp
Cashew and raisin paste	4 Tbsp

 

Directions:

1. Soak both dals for 3- 4 hours, using a wet grinder or mixe grind them to course paste.
2. Before taking the batter out add onion, green chilies and salt give couple pulses (just to mix evenly).
3. Remove and add baking soda and mix well.
4. Heat non stick pan with a tablespoon of oil, add asafetida and then the course dal paste.
5. Cook until it turns to dough and leaves the bottom of the pan.
6. Grease a plate with ghee or oil. Spread the dough evenly and smooth the surface using a spoon.
7. Allow it to cool for few minutes and cut them into desired shape diamond or square and smooth the cut surface.
8. Heat oil for deep frying, when oil is hot enough deep fry those lentil squares until golden brown on both side.
9. Filter the oil and keep it aside.
10. Heat another pan with little oil, fry the cubed potatoes with turmeric and salt until light golden color, filter the oil and keep it aside.
11. In the same oil add asafetida, bay leaves and cumin seeds to splutter.
12. Add green chilies and onion saute until transparent with ginger garlic paste.
13. Once the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves add chopped tomatoes and cook until it turns mushy.
14. Add all dry powders for the curry and cook until the oil oozes out.
15. At this stage add grated coconut, coconut milk and cashew raisin paste in same order and mix well.
16. Then add fried potatoes, salt and warm water for gravy (adjust the water the consistency should be medium not too thick or thin).
17. Give it one boil and finally add another teaspoon of garam masala and curry leaves and turn off the stove.
18. Add the lentil cake to the gravy just before you serve. Serve this with hot rice with a spoon of ghee.

 

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Katharikai Curry / Eggplant Gravy

For the second day of wedding occasion theme I choose Sri Lankan food, I have a Sri Lankan neighbor when ever she arrange a party there will be Eggplant gravy in here food list. When I was asking her about this dish I came to know this is one of their important dish in wedding, I tried first but it didn’t taste like one I tasted in here place. For the second time I got the recipe from here and tried it came out well even she approved it, thanks Sri Theevi for sharing your recipe.

 

Poricha Katharikai Curry (Deep Fried Eggplant Gravy) as the name says this gravy is made out of tamarind water, coconut milk and some spice powder and finally need to add deep fried eggplant. It can be served with rice, puttu and idiappam.

Ingredients:

Eggplant (Chinese)	2 big
Onion chopped	½ cup
Garlic	4 pods
Mustard seeds	¼ tsp
Fenugreek seeds	¼ tsp
Chili powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 Tbsp
Tamarind paste	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Coconut milk	3 – 4 Tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Oil	2 Tbsp + Deep fry
Salt	as per taste
For Spice Powder:
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Cinnamon	1 inch
Clove	4
Cardamom	1 small

 

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant length wise (2 inches) and ¼ - ½ inch thickness; soak in water with a pinch of salt until needed (this avoids turning brown).
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, squeeze the eggplant and dry using paper towel or kitchen towel and deep fry until brown. Remove the excess oil using paper towel. Deep fry the garlic also in same oil (until you see brown spots).
3. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds then add chopped onion few curry leaves sauté until golden brown.
4. Add tamarind paste with 2 cups of water and allow it to cook, when it starts to boil add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Cook until the raw smell of tamarind goes and the gravy should be thick, in this stage add coconut milk and allow it to boil once add fried eggplant and garlic, give a gentle stir to mix everything together.
6. Dry roast the ingredients of spice powder and ground that to fine powder using mortar add ½ tsp of this powder to the gravy and turn it off.

Note:

• Instead of deep frying you can bake them, but the traditional method is deep frying it adds taste too.
• To remove excess oil from fried eggplant, cover the eggplant with paper towel and place some weight on top change the paper couple times. This helps to remove most of the oil. If you don't remove the oil properly then the gravy will be oily.
• You can add another teaspoon of coconut milk if you feel tangier. Instead of coconut milk you can add regular milk again coconut milk enhances the taste.
• Curry will turn thick after cooling so cook accordingly, if you feel it’s very thick add boiling water and a pinch of salt for adjusting the desired consistency.
• If you have Sri Lankan chili powder add that instead of chili powder and coriander powder.
• For best taste use home made chili powder and coriander powder.
• When deep frying open windows it use to smell strong.

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27 

 

Moong Paneer

When I was looking for BM #26 cooking from book theme, I came across this recipe from Mallika Badrinath’s delicious vegetation curries. I started to cook with fingers crossed how it’s going to turn out. I never thought moong and paneer will be such a good combination. We all loved this with roti even it’s good for pulav.

 Ingredients:

Whole Moong dal	¼ cup
Paneer (one inch cubes)	250 gms
Tomato paste	2 Tbsp
Onion finely chopped	½ cup
Curd	1 Tbsp
Garam masala powder	1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Group 1
Onion	1 small
Garlic	3 pods
Ginger	¼ inch
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	½ Tbsp
Group 2
Cashew nut	5 - 6
Almond	5 - 6

 

Directions:

1. Shallow fry paneer, in hot oil, once it turns golden brown turn off the stove, drain excess oil and put that panner in warm water until it’s needed.
2. Dry roast the moong dal until nice aroma comes. Wash and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3. Soak group 2 in hot water for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Heat two tablespoon oil, sauté onion when it turns pink add grind masala (group 1)and fry until raw smell leaves.
5. Add tomato paste and cook until oil separates.
6. Add cooked dal and whipped curd and salt, cook for another two minutes.
7. Meanwhile, peel the skin of almonds grind both to smooth paste with little water.
8. Add the grind paste to gravy with garam masala, and cook until thick.
9. Finally add paneer squeezing from warm water and cook for 1- 2 minutes.
10. Add chopped coriander and turn off the stove, serve with rotis and poori’s.

 

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