Mushroom Paneer masala

         

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients :

1. Button mushroom - 200 grams (chopped)

2. Paneer (cottage cheese) - 200 grams (cut into 1/2" cubes)

3. Onions - 4 (sliced)

4. Tomatoes - 5 (chopped)

5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

6. Coriander leaves - 3 or 4 strings

7. Green chillies - 2

8. Mango / amchur powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Kala namak (black salt) - 1/2 tsp

10. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

11. Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp

12. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp 

13. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

14. Cumin powder  - 1/4 tsp (roasted and ground)

15. Almonds - 6 numbers

16. Oil (for seasoning) - 2 tbsp

17. Kasuri methi - 1 tsp (crushed)

18. Salt - to taste

Method :

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies. Sauté for a while till onions and tomatoes become tender and loose their raw smell. Then add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a little more time. 

2. Transfer the contents into a plate and cool. Then grind to a fine paste and keep aside.

3. Soak almonds in hot water for a while. Deskin and make a paste.

4. Heat a pan and add rest of the oil.

5. When oil becomes hot, add cumin and allow to crackle.

6. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté. Mushrooms will start giving out water. There is no need to sprinkle extra water.

          

7. When mushrooms are half done, add dry masalas such as chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, kala namak and amchur powder. Sauté.

8. Then add ground masala and mix well.

9. Add paneer cubes, almond paste, salt and mix with the masalas. Add warm water to the mixture to bring it to the curry / gravy consistency. Cook till mushrooms and paneer become soft.

     
10. Remove from fire. Add roasted cumin powder, and crushed kasuri methi and mix well.

11. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

                    

Kovakkai Masala (Tendli/IvyGourd Masala)

Time for preperation : 15 minutes

Time for cooking : 15 minutes

Number of servings : 4 

Ingredients :   

1. Kovakkai / tindora - 250 grams

2. Onions - 3 (sliced)

3. Tomatoes - 1 (medium sized chopped)

4. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon

6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

7. Ginger - 1 teaspoon (chopped)

8. Garlic - 4 pods (chopped)

9. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp (roasted and powdered)

10.Coriander leaves - 2 strings (chopped)

11. Oil - 2 tablespoon

12. Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

13. Salt - to taste

Method :    

1. Slice tindora into long strips and keep aside.

2. Place a shallow pan on medium flame and add a tablespoon of oil.

3. When oil becomes hot, add onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves and sauté for a few minutes till onions and tomatoes become tender. Remove from fire and transfer into a wide plate and allow the mixture to cool.

4. Blend the onion tomato mixture into a coarse paste.

5. Heat another pan, and add a tablespoon of oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.

6. Add sliced tindoras and sauté till they are glazed with oil.

7. Then add dry masalas such as chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Sauté till the masalas are thoroughly mixed with the veggies.

8. Add the ground onion tomato mixture and mix well. Sprinkle about 1/2 a cup of water. 

9. Add salt and cover the pan with a lid and cook on low fire till the tindoras are tender, but crunchy. Avoid over cooking.

10. Finally add roasted cumin powder, mix well and transfer into a serving bowl.

11. Serve tendli masala with phulkas and parathas.

Punjabi Chole

   

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Number of servings : 8 

              

Ingredients :

1.Kabuli chana - 2 cups

2. Finely chopped onions - 3

3. Finely chopped tomatoes - 2

4. Chopped ginger and garlic - 2teaspoons

5. Finely chopped green chillies - 3

6. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

7. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons

8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

9. Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon

10. Amchur powder - 1/2 teaspoon

11. Cumin seeds - -1/4 teaspoon

12. Roasted cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon

13. Kasuri methi leaves - a few strings

14. Oil for seasoning - 2 tablespoons

Method :

1. Soak chana overnight and pressure cook the next day in the same water till they become soft.

2. Take a handful of chana, and grind in a blender and keep aside. This paste will be used later to thicken the gravy.

3. Heat a frying pan and add oil. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

4. Add onions and green chillies and sauté continuously till onions are golden brown.

                       

5. Then add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté.

6. Add chopped tomatoes and all the dry masalas such as chilli powder, coriandr powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and amchur powder. Sauté till the masalas blend with onions.

7. Add cooked chana into the masala mixture and mix well.

8. Add salt and enough warm water to bring it to gravy consistency.

9. Finally add mashed chana, roasted cumin powder and crushed kasuri methi and cook for about a minute.

10. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves and  chopped onions.

Matar Paneer

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Servings : 4            

    

Ingredients :

1. Matar (green peas) - 1 cup

2. Paneer (cottage cheese) - 1/2 cup (cut into small cubes)

3. Onions - 2 (sliced)

4. Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)

5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

6. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

7. Coriander powder - 2 tsp

8. Almonds - 5 nos

9. Oil - 2 tbsp

10. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

11. Coriander leaves for garnishing - a few strings.

Method :

1. Heat a shallow bottomed pan and add 2 teaspoons of oil.

2. When oil becomes hot, add sliced onions and sauté.

3. When onions become transparent,add chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste one after the other and sauté for a while till tomatoes soften, and masalas loose 

their raw flavor.    

4. Remove pan from the stove,transfer the mixture into a plate and cool. Then blend the mixture along with almonds to a paste in a blender and keep aside.

5. Place another pan on the stove and add rest of the oil.

6. When oil gets heated up, add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

7. Add green peas and sauté for a while. Then sprinkle little water and cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for about ten minutes

                 

8. When peas is half cooked, add the blended mixture and about a cup of water.

9. Then add paneer cubes and required amount of salt. Cover the pan once again with lid and cook for about five to seven minutes on low flame.

10. When peas and paneer are fully cooked, transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.