Meti Matar Malai

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

"Methi" or Fenugreek is a wonderful green leafy vegetable full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. It helps cleanse your system, improve your eyesight and increase resistance and immunity level of your body against toxins. And though it is packed with nutrients, there's only one thing which could possibly draw you away from it, and that is it's slightly-bitter taste. I myself had tantrums about eating Methi when I was in my teens, until I discovered the world of methi parathas, methi bhajiyas and of-course... Methi Matar Malai.

It is a very simple one to make with not much pre-preparation and tastes amazing, not bitter at all, slightly on a sweeter side and full of cream.

you will need:-

Fenugreek leaves 1 medium sized bunch

Green peas 3/4 cup

Onion 1 large

Ginger 1/2 inch piece

Garlic 5-6 cloves

Oil 1 tbsp.

Red chilli powder 1 tsp.

Dry mango powder (amchur)/ Chat masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar a pinch

Fresh cream 1/2 cup ( better to use Gharachi SAAY)

Clean the methi leaves (uhhh….it takes hell lot of time and I hate to do it). Blanch the methi leaves in the boiling water and refresh with the cold running water. Press them between your palms and remove all the excess water. ( this will take out all the bitterness from the methi; but if you like the bitter taste; you can use it directly without blanching it)

Now roughly chop the methi leaves.

Wash, drain and blanch green peas. Finely chop onion. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.  

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and cook till they are translucent. Add the methi leaves and sauté. Add ginger and garlic paste and continue to sauté for a minute more. Add red chilli powder and green peas. Saute for some more time. Add amchur powder/Chat masala, sugar and salt. Now add cream and mix it well. Cook for two minutes. Serve hot along with Rice or Parathas.

Awards and Dal Makhani ( Restaurant Style)

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

Dal makhani दाल माखनी is a treasured staple food, originally from Punjab in North India. This dish is a type of daal (boiled lentils or other dried legume/pulse) eaten in India (in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the Bhojpuri area of Bihar). As well as with roti or rice, it is also commonly eaten with either phulkas or rotis.

Dal Makhani is one of Punjabi cuisine's most characteristic signature dishes, and is high in protein--an important attribute in primarily vegetarian cultures. Traditionally this dal is cooked on low flame, for hours, on charcoal, which gives it a rich creamy texture. When cooked at home today, more moderate amounts of cream or butter are often used. When prepared in restaurants, it is cooked slowly on low heat and usually has a large amount of cream and/or butter added.

I've been feasting on this dish at restaurants in India.I was a Delhite ( well not exactly…was in Gurgaon) for some 2-3 years and is always on praise for dishes available in Delhi. Coming back to Dal Makhani, getting the right indgredients and the consistency is important. Dal Makhani is not only eaten with rotis or phulkas, I just simply eat it as it is….. Well that goes to say how delicious it would be.

Also I am very new to blogging....and this is my first award....thank you Rach from Indian food ..... I know its a bit late....but I have this special dish to thank you and would also like to forward it to Malar, Shanti and praniskitchen.

Whole black gram (sabut urad dal) 1/2 cup

Red kidney beans (rajma) 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Sugar a pinch

Tomatoes, roughly chopped 3 medium

Onions finely chopped 1 cup

Garlic, roughly chopped 8-10 cloves

Ginger, roughly chopped 1 1/2 inch piece

Oil 1 teaspoons and Butter – 30 gms

Cumin seeds 1 tsp.

Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Garam masala powder 2 tsp.

Fresh Cream- ¾ cup

1. Soak sabut urad and rajma overnight.

2. Drain. Pressure cook urad and rajma in three cups of water with salt and red chilli powder till completely cooked and soft. 

3. Grind together tomatoes, to a smooth puree. 

4. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour add the onions and saute till they get little brown.

5. Now add the ginger garlic, fry it for another minute or two, then tomato puree and stir. Saute the mixture nicely till oil starts separating.Simmer for five minutes. 

6. Mash the urad and rajma slightly and add to the tomato mixture. Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder and mix. Adjust salt and add little sugar, as the Dal makhani is little on sweeter side. Simmer for fifteen minutes. 

7. Add the fresh cream leaving little for garnishing later and again simmer it for 5 mins. Serve hot garnished with Fresh Cream. 

I would like to add one more name to whom I can forward the award and ie. Sanjeeta.

Paneer Jalfreji

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

Jalfrezi refers to a dish cooked with peppers and onions. The flavours and color of peppers, onions and the softness of the paneer (cottage cheese) mix with the heady aroma of garam masala to give this unique Mughlai flavour. It's often served with rice, roti, or parathas but my personal favorite is Lachcha paratha. Read on for the recipe:-

100 gms Paneer cubes,

1 large medium chopped (chop them into small square shapes),

3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped,

1/2 inch piece ginger grated or 1 tsp ginger paste,

1 large tomato coarsely pureed,

1 tsp concentrated tomato puree (optional),

1 large green capsicum cut into small square shapes,

4 baby corn (each one cut into 2 to 3 chunky pieces – Optional)

1 tsp Garam Masala,

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 tsp chilly powder,

4 tbsp oil for cooking

salt to taste,

Note:- Before starting the actual cooking immerse the paneer cubes in warm water and leave them in the water until the time you need them. This makes the paneer beautifully soft on cooking and doesn't turn it leathery. I like the paneer cubes fried, but for this recipe you can use them like that only without frying or shallow fry the cubes n that is what I did..

1. Heat the oil in a kadhai and saute the onions ,ginger and garlic for a few mins.

2. Next add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook thoroughly on a medium heat. Add small amounts of water if the mixture begins to stick to the pan.

3. Now add garam masala, chilly powder, coriander powder, salt, little sugar and stir it all in.

4. At this stage add the baby corn(if you are using baby corn) and the capsicum and a very little water . The baby corn and capsicum should be cooked but there should also be a bit of crunch in them. So don't overcook them.

5. At the last stage add the paneer and give the whole jalfrezi one last boil on medium heat and switch off the gas.  Serve hot with parathas or rotis.

Paneer Butter Masala (Restaurant Style)

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.
Believe me, paneer is such a versatile ingredient in Indian cooking, you could make an entire meal using just this, right from appetizers to main course to dessert!
My passions and pleasures when related to North Indian dishes are no end. This weekend ( Friday evening to be specific) I decided to make the eternal favorite Paneer Butter Masala, that velvetty-smooth gravy that has all the goodness of indian spices combined with cubes of cottage cheese and garnished with cream and coriander! Now do I have your attention??! 
Paneer Butter Masala is similar to other paneer gravies, except that as the name implies, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew rather than just cream. You cannot go wrong with this, try it for yourself and see!

you will need:- 

Paneer – 250 gms.

For sauce or gravy:

Onion -1 big roughly chopped

Tomato puree – 2 tbsp.

Tomato -1 medium rougly chopped

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts – handful of them

Heavy cream – 3/4 cup

oil – 1 tbsp

Butter -1tbsp

Sugar/Honey – 2 tsp

Dry Spices:

Whole garam masala – 1 tbsp

Cumin – 1tsp

Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp

Red chili powder- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- ½ tsp

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp.

Salt as per taste   and
Kasoori Methi – 2 tsp.

1. Cut paneer in triangles( or as you desire). Very lightly shallow fry paneer cubes in 1 tbsp of oil. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Add cumin to it.

Then add onions and sauté them, add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes and cashew-nuts. Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder and saute for another minute or two. Take out the Bay-leaf and blend the mixture to a fine paste. Strain it to use further.

Now heat butter/butter-oil (mixture) in a pan and add the strained mixture.

4. Add coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt. Lightly crush the kasoori methi and add it to the gravy. Bring it to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and add honey to it. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add Paneer pieces to the gravy. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

6. Paneer Butter Masala is ready now. Enjoy with fresh naan, paratha or steamed basmati rice.

Matar Paneer

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

Matar Paneer (or Mutter Paneer if you prefer) is such a classic, simple and so basic dish, but its so delicious. The paneer is a firmer cheese so it doesn’t melt, and its  mixed with peas in a rich, creamy tomato sauce. This is one dish that is an extremely popular Indian curry - the origins as far as I know is from the land where paneer has been predominantly used since many years and that is North India.

The reason why I am posting this simple recipe because this is my entry to the lovely Celebrating Independence Day (CID) – 2010 event hosted by Akila from Welcome to Akila's Kitchen.

Read on for this delicious recipe:-

You will need:-

Green peas  1/2 cup

Paneer  100 grams

Cumin seeds 3/4 tsp.

Onion, finely chopped 1 large

Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp.

Green chillies, chopped 2

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.

Red chilli powder 1 tsp.

Coriander powder 1 tsp.

Tomatoes, pureed 2 medium

Salt to taste

Sugar 1 tsp.

Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon

Fresh Cream ½ cup

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon

1. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add onions and ginger-garlic paste.

2. Roast till lightly browned. Add green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.

3. Add tomato puree, salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cook for two minutes.

4. Add green peas and mix well. Cook for two minutes or till peas are done. Add paneer cubes, garam masala powder and stir gently.

5. I like Matar paneer gravy with cream added in it. Adding cream gives a richness to the whole dish. ( but cream doesn’t go in the original recipe…well that’s y did not name this as Restaurant style). Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.  

Macaroni in White sauce with Vegetables

Macaroni and Cheese lovers have many differing opinions on what is the perfect way to make this classic dish. Baked is my favorite. Many other people prefer the Stove-top version,like this one that I am posting. Different skill levels are needed to make each version, with the Baked generally being the most complicated and time consuming to prepare. But both versions are oh so good!

This recipe for Macaroni in White sauce with Vegetables is based on first making a white sauce (in French it’s called béchamel), then adding shredded cheese and then chopping colourful veggies.  Anyway read on :- 

You will need :-

Macaroni   100 grams

Cheese, grated 1/2 cup

Butter 1 tbsp

Refined flour (maida) 1 tbsp.

Milk 1 cup

Garlic finely chopped 2 tbsp. ( I like garlic flavour in my Pasta; but you can reduce the quantity of Garlic)

Salt to taste

White pepper powder to taste

Oregano to taste (optional)

Fresh parsley, chopped 1 tbsp. ( optional)

Veggies as per your choice ( I used corn niblets, 3 bell peppers, carrot, Onion)

1. Boil macaroni in sufficient water till al dente. Drain and refresh under running water. Drain and set aside. 

2. Heat butter in a pan. Add maida and sauté lightly, taking care that it does not change colour. Add milk, gradually, stirring continuously so that there are no lumps formed. Add grated cheese and keep stirring. After adding cheese the sauce will thicken further, so add more milk to adjust the consistency. Add salt, white pepper powder and mix.

3. Heat some butter in another pan and add garlic. Saute it for a min. and add oregano to extract the flavour.

4. Add onion and Carrot and saute for a min.Now add the remaning vegetables and saute. Add macaroni. Toss. 

5. Strain the sauce into this pan and mix gently. Add some more cheese (optional). Check for the seasonings.

6. At this stage if you want to bake you can do so till the cheese at the top becomes a light golden. Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve hot.

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया... मंगलमुर्ती मोरया.....!!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया... मंगलमुर्ती मोरया.....!!

Ganesh Festival is that special festival of Maharashtra which is celebrated for 10 days with great pomp all over the state. Before starting any new venture we believe in praying to Lord Ganesh or Ganapati Bappa as he lovingly called in Marathi. It is believed that Ganapati can remove any obstacles that may be a hindrance in your way to success and that is the reason why any new venture is first started by praying to Lord Ganapati.

Although 4 days late, But still I wish you all A Very Happy Ganesh Festival. Yes, the picture above is of the Ganapati idol at my maternal home this year....and we are missing all the fun here in Germany where things are definitely nowhere as exciting as they are; back in Pune :-(........

Special sweets are prepared on Ganesh Festival with the Modaks taking the place of pride but what I have prepared this time for the Prasad is flavoured Pedhas. So people...just read on for the recipe:-

Milk Powder - 2 cups

Milkmaid - 1 tin (300 ml)

Ghee - 1/2 Cup

Saffron few strands (soaked in warm milk)

Cardamom powder - 2 tsp.

Salt - 4-5 grains

Milk - 3-4 tsp.

For more Colours and flavours I used Chocolate Sauce - 2 tsp. and Strawberry Crush - 2 tsp.

(but was very disappointed with the colour that I got after adding the Strawberry crush...but never mind...it tasted awesome)

For decoration I used chopped Almonds..

1. Take a large wide mouthed microwave safe bowl and heat the ghee just until it melts.

2. Now add both the condensed milk and milk powder and microwave on full power for 4 –5 mins stirring after every minute.

3. Now divide the dough in 3 portions and add saffron, in one part. Also add cardamom powder in all 3 parts. Mix with the dough and microwave again for another 4 to 5  more mins. 

4. Similarly mix chocolate sauce and strawberry crush in the remaining two parts and microwave again for another 4 to 5  more mins. 

5. The mixture kind of begins to thicken and also rise up. Be very careful when microwaving the hot mixture. Do not forget to stir frequently.

6. Cool the mixture  for a good 10 mins until it is warm enough for you to handle. It get's the consistency of chapati dough.

7. Now roll the pedhas. If you do this while the dough is still warm the Pedhas will roll into smooth balls.

8. If you feel that the mixture has become too dry to roll out; then add a tsp or two of milk and microwave the mixture again for a minute or two. Then let it cool down a little bit for you to handle it again. 

9. Decorate Pedhas with Almonds or any nuts of your choice....and the Pedhas are ready.