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.

 

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Peanut Kulambu

Peanuts are rich in nutrients; same time heard it’s allergic too. My grandfather use to cultivate peanut in his farm, its harvested close to our vacation me and my cousins will help to remove the peanut from plants, dry then remove the shell its fun time. As soon as we remove the fresh peanut from plants we use to cook them with shell it use to be very tasty missing those fresh one now. But when thinking those childhood memories really feeling so happy and felt like tasted those delicious peanuts. Last week when we went to Indian store found those fresh raw peanuts bought some, like me my husband and kids are also love this peanuts. Even though it didn’t taste like back home peanuts “Some thing is better than nothing” right.

Coming to today’s recipe Peanut Kulambu, first time I tasted this in my periya amma’s places during my India visit, got the recipe and tried first time for a get together and it was a big hit and vanished very quick.

 

 

Ingredients:

Peanut cooked	½ cup
Onion chopped	½ cup
Tomato chopped	1 small size
Bringal	2 small size
Tamarind	Large gooseberry size
Sambar powder	2 tsp
Curry leaves	few
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Salt	as per taste
Oil	2 Tbsp
To Grind:
Cinnamon	½ inch
Clove	2
Garlic	3 big pods
Dry red chili	1-2
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Pepper pods	½ tsp
Split chana dal	1 Tbsp
Poppy seeds	½ tsp
Coriander powder	2 tsp
Coconut	2 Tbsp

 

Directions:

1. In a teaspoon of oil roast all the ingredients (except coconut and coriander powder) in the same order until light brown, finally add coconut and coriander roast for another 2 minutes and turn off and allow to cool.
2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil, splutter mustard seeds when it pops, add onion and curry leaves.
3. Saute until it turns soft, add chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy, cut the bringal length wise and add.
4. Cook until it turns soft, then add tamarind pulp when it starts to boil add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.
5. Allow it to cook for another 4-5 minutes, meantime grind the roasted mixture to smooth paste.
6. Once the raw smell of tamarind leaves add the ground mixture and cooked peanut mix well with enough water and cook until the oil starts to ooze out.
7. Serve this with rice.

 

Note:

• I used fresh raw peanuts, pressure cook with salt for 5-6 whistles then remove the shell and use the peanuts.
• If using dry raw peanuts, soak it in water for about 1-2 days and pressure cook with salt for 4-5 whistles.

Linking to: Gayathri's Announcement page

 

 

 

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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Beetroot Masala

Chetinad style beetroot masala, became a great fan after tasting in one of my friends place. We can change the combination also like cauliflower and potato and even capsicum and potato etc.

Hope my regular readers might think there is no craft or art work today, yep its misalliance this one I planned for traditional week but at last minute I ended up with another one.

Ingredients:

Beetroot	1 medium size
Potato	1 medium size
Onion chopped finely	½ cup
Tomato chopped	½ cup
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Dry red chili	1 -2
Sambar powder	2 tsp
Turmeric powder (optional)	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	few
Salt
Oil

 

Directions:

1. Chop beetroot and potatoes to ½ inch cubes.
2. Heat oil; splutter mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Now add onion, red chili and curry leaves saute until onion turns soft then add chopped tomatoes.
3. When tomatoes turn mushy, add beetroot and cook for 3-4 minutes then add potatoes and continue cooking.
4. After 3-4 minutes, add enough water salt and turmeric powder, sambar powder. Cook until beetroot turns soft and turn off the stove.
5. This goes good with sambar rice, rasam and any variety rice.

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Almond Chutney / Badam Chutney

This is one of the simple side dish, if your kids don’t like to eat nuts feed them this way they can’t figure it out. It looks like coconut chutney but rich and healthy nuts are hidden inside. Most of them think nuts will add up fat but it contains good fat, taking them regularly is good for health. When following diabetic diets, adding nuts in your meal is good, you will not feel appetite for longtime since fat takes long time to digest this is been recommended by doctors too.

Ingredients:

Almonds	½ cup
Grated coconut	½ cup
Garlic pod	1 small
Dry red chili	1-2
Curry leaves	few
Salt	as per taste
Water
To Temper:
Oil	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Asafetida	a pinch
Urad dhal	1 tsp
Curry leaves	Few
Dry red chili (optional)	1

 

Directions:

1. Soak almonds with enough water for 2-3 hours, remove the skin and grind to course powder add coconut, chili, salt, curry leaves and garlic.
2. Grind to course paste with enough water.
3. Heat oil and splutter all the ingredients in the list and add to ground chutney.
4. Serve it with idli, dosa, uppma or pongal.

Note:

• Instead of soaking for 2-3 hours even you can microwave for 1-2 minutes.
• You can reduce the coconut or even leave that, but you will feel a nutty taste and crunchy texture. Since we don’t like that texture I use to add coconut.

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