Shahi Paneer

This one is a favourite of Paneer lovers. I am not a fan of Paneer myself, but hubby absolutely loves paneer and can consume it in any form.

This is a rich vegetarian curry and mostly cooked on occasions or parties. Cashewnuts impart a thick texture and distinct sweetness to this curry and one would notice that even though I have not mentioned any sugar in the ingredients, the end result still tastes sweet sour.

I am posting my recipe and hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

250 gms paneer chopped in cubes
4 tablespoon tomato puree
300 ml light thickened cream
100 gms cashew nuts
50 gms chopped ginger
100 ml milk
100 ml water
2 tablespoon Shahi paneer masala
1 pinch nutmeg powder (optional)
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 pinch cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoon light cooking oil
salt to taste

Recipe:
1. Grind Cashew nuts, ginger and milk till it forms a thick paste.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Add cashew paste to oil and cover it.
4. Cook paste till it turns brown.
5. Once paste is cooked, add tomato puree and water to this paste and mix it well.
6. Add to it Shahi paneer masala and mix it well. Let this cook for 2-3 mins till it blends.
7. Now add cream to it and stir it well.
8. Add paneer cubes and rest of ingredients i.e. nutmeg powder, crushed black pepper, salt and cinnamon.
9. Let this cook in low flame till gravy turns darker in colour which means it is cooked.
10. Shahi Paneer is ready to be enjoyed with Naan or pulav.

Bon Apetite. Enjoy Shahi Paneer.

Instant Suji Idlis

These idlis are a instant, healthy idlis made from suji. These days when I'm super occupied, this is what I make to go with green coriander chutney and/or sambhar. The cooking time for these idlis is less then 10 mins. And since they can be made in silicone template for microwave, they can be made without a single drop of oil.

I learnt this recipe from my mum-in-law. She is a super cook herself but with constraints of health she is always on the look out for healthy alternatives.

Ingredients:

2 cups coarse Suji (rawa)
2 tablespoon yogurt (curd)
2 teaspoon ENO Antacid
3/4 cup water

Recipe:
1. Mix all the ingredients together to form thick bater and set it aside for 5-10 mins till it ferments.
2. Use idli template and fill it with bater and microwave for 3 mins.
3. Hot, yummy idlis are ready to be enjoyed with sides of your choice.

Alternatively, dry roasted nuts, mustard seeds and curry leaves can also be added to the bater.

Vada Pav Recipe

Vada Pav is one thing close to my heart as much as Mumbai is. It is one of the things that makes me nostalgic about good old childhood days in Mumbai.
Vada Pav is fast food of Mumbai very similar to Burgers. Mumbaikars can have anything and everything with Pavs. Usal Pav, Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji , Vada Pav.
The preparation for Vada Pav is like any of Chats of North in the sense that it involves lots of small small chutneys and ingredients to make it more spicy and yummy.
The distinct smell of Garlic and other ingredients makes it taste so unique and different.
I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I like eating and ofcourse cooking it!

Bon Apetite

Ingredients:

Red Chutney:
100 Grams dessicated Coconut powder
6-7 medium sized cloves of Garlic
1 Tablespoon red chilli powder
salt according to taste

Green Chutney:

1 bunch cleared coriander
3-4 medium sized cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chilli sliced
3 tablespoon some water
salt according to taste


Potato Vadas:

5 medium sized boiled and mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
4-5 cloves garlic cloves sliced
(optional) 1 green chilli sliced
2 tablesppon mustard seeds
Salt according to taste
200 gms besan
100 ml water
100 ml cooking Oil to fry vadas

and last but not the least Buns (6)

Recipe:

1. Prepare Red chutney by mixing all ingredients in a grinder and set it aside.
2. Prepare green coriander chutney by mixing ingredients in grinder and set it aside.
3. Prepare potato curry for vadas by heating 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and adding mustard seeds to heated oil.
4. Once the mustard starts to sputter, add mashed potatoes, sliced garlic and sliced green chilli to it.
5. Add Turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to it and let it cook till it mixes well.
6. Once the curry is ready, set it aside and let it cool.
7. In a bowl mix besan, water and some salt to taste to make a batter for frying vadas.
8. Make balls of (approximately 5 cms each) the curry prepared in step 6 after it cools down a bit.
9. Heat oil in a pan.
10. Roll curry balls prepared in step 8 in besan batter and fry them in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
11. Once the Vadas are ready, slit buns (Pavs) from the middle.
12. Spread Green chutney prepared in step 2 on Pavs.
13. Place a Vada in the middle of the bun and mash it with fingers.
14. Spread Red Chutney prepared in step 1 on the top of mashed Vada.
15. Vada Pav is ready to be enjoyed hot.

Alternatively, for people who cannot do without hot food, pavs can be heated a bit by placing in between a plain sandwich press.
Also, Vada pavs can be enjoyed with hot fried green chillis.