Sunday, April 20, 2014

Paneer 65

Paneer 65 is a delicious snack or starter.It is an all time favorite dish among every one of us especially kids. It is basically batter coated fried paneer cubes.Dating back to ancient India,[1][2] paneer remains the most common type of cheese used in traditional South Asian cuisines. The use of paneer is more common in Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to the prominence of milk in their cuisine. It is sometimes wrapped in dough and deep-fried or served with either spinach (palak paneer) or peas (mattar paneer). Here I just coated paneer with batter mixed with spices .



Ingredients:
  • Paneer 1 packet(nearly 250 gms)
  • Maida 2 table spoons
  • corn starch 2table spoons
  • Vinegar 1 table spoon
  • soya sauce 1 table spoon
  • ginger garlic paste 1 tspn
  • chilli powder 1 Tspn
  • Pepper powder 1 Tspn
  • Salt to taste
  • Water
  • Oil for deep fry

For garnishing: fried onion and green chilli.

Procedure:

  • Slice paneer into cubes if  you take fresh ones,you can directly use it..Here I have taken frozen swad paneer. I take out the paneer from the freezer one hr before cooking.
  • Take a mixing bowl ,mix all ingredients mentioned above except oil.
  • Add water little by little  mix well,until the batter is thick smooth paste.If it is too thick add little more water
  • Slowly combine paneer cubes in this batter,let it rest for 10 mins.
  • Heat oil in a pan or kadai for deep fry.
  • Deep fry paneer pieces,till they are golden brown.
  • Transfer  the paneer pieces  on a kitchen towel,to absorb excess of oil.
  • Garnish with fried onions and green chilli (one small onion and 2 green chillies fried  in a pan)
  • Serve hot with chilli sauce or tomato ketchup of your choice
linking this recipe for fabulous feast friday#11 which is being hosted by usha and pavani




Sunday, April 6, 2014

Sarson ka saag (punjabi special)

This dish originated from the Punjab region of India and is popular all over Northern India. During mustard growing season, green fields of Punjab and North India are covered with ‘sarson ke phool’, the yellow mustard flowers. Green leaves of mustard are used like spinach and made into a delicious sag/saag. It is served by many ‘dhabas’, the roadside truckers’ restaurants. This is typically a Punjabi dish tastes really delicious with Makki ki Roti (Indian maize flat bread) 
In Punjab, you will find makki ki roti and sarson ka saag being served as a breakfast at every other household. The duo makes a heavy breakfast as well as a sumptuous lunch. I  cook paratha which goes well with sarson ka saag. It is a special treat for the people living in the northern parts of India, where wheat is one of the staple foods. Talking about sarson ka saag, the lip-smacking side dish is a reservoir of nutrients, because it is prepared by the combination of mustard greens, spinach two varieties of green leafy veggies that are rich in VitaminA.
It is one of the favorite dish in our home..whenever we go to restaurants on veggie days we prefer sarson ka saag .I thought of trying at home,as I got bunch of  mustard leaves from Indian grocery.
It came out very well thought of posting it in my blog.
Ingredients:

  • Mustard leaves 2 bunches
  • Spinach leaves 1 bunch
  • Onion 1 big finely chopped
  • 2 Green chillies
  • Ginger garlic paste 1 Tspn
  • Garlic 1 spn finely chopped
  • Ghee 1 to 2 tbspns
  • Garam masala1/4 Tspn
  • Corn flour 1 tbspn

Procedure:

  • Wash spinach and mustard leaves  and chop all the greens keep aside.
  • In a large bottom pan bring 3 to 4 cups of water to boil,then add mustard and spinach leaves.
  • Add  few chopped onions and green chillies,Let it cook for 10 mins in medium flame.
  • Drain the water from it and put all ingredients in a blender.Blend till smooth
  • Heat ghee in another small pan, add finely chopped onions fry well until they turn golden brown
  • Now add ginger garlic paste,sauté few mins then add finely chopped garlic.Fry few seconds.
  • Now we can add corn flour,  green purée to the pan  mix well,let it cook for 10 to 15 mins in simmer.
  • Add extra water if the consistency is too thick.
  • Finally add little bit of garam masala and off the stove.yummy sarson ka saag is ready.
  • Have with roti,naan or paratha.







Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Poha moong dal cutlets


Poha is  rice that has been parboiled, rolled, flattened and then dried to produce flake.Poha, made from flattened rice, is an easy-to-cook, nutritious snack. It is often eaten for breakfast as well as brunch sometimes. Beaten rice is a lactose-free, fat-free and heart-friendly food.It is a good source of 11 essential vitamins and minerals including iron. As the flakes are usually pounded using an iron mortar and pestle, the process boosts the iron content. 
                         Split Moong Dal is a type of Lentil ,specially used in India with rice or roti. Split Moong dal is prepared from mung beans only. The outer skin is removed and splited. It makes this lentil yellow in color.Split Mung Beans are a traditional ingredient of Indian cooking, often used in curries. It cooks  fast as in 1-2 whistle in a pressure cooker.





       I tried this recipe first time as it is rich in iron .My husband liked it very much and so did my kids.Thought of posting it in my blog. Here goes below the details on my healthy dish.

Ingredients:





  • Poha 2 cups(beaten rice)
  • Moong dal 1/4 cup(split yellow gram)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped methi leaves(you may use spinach )
  • 1 tbspn of finely chopped coriander
  • 3 to 4 green chillies
  • Ginger 3 to 4 small pieces
  • 1/4 Tspn of sugar
  • 2 Tspn of lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 to 4 Tspn of oil


Procedure

  • Soak the moong dal in water for at least an hour.Then drain it and keep aside.
  • Soak rice flakes in water for just 2 to 5 mins ,drain the water from it(squeeze the extra water by pressing (I used thick rice flakes)
  • Mix all ingredients i.e green chilies,moong dal, ginger,rice flakes in a bowl.Grind into coarse paste (I prefer grinding moong dal first,then add poha and  other ingredients).
  • Transfer the mixture into another bowl add methi leaves( u can use spinach instead of methi) chopped coriander,sugar,salt,lemon juice and mix well.
  • Now divide the dough into equal portions and shape into round balls,and flatten it between your palms.
  • Heat a non stick pan,use 1 or2 spn s of oil and cook 4 To 5 cutlets,till they turn golden colour both sides .
  • Repeat the process to make another batch.
  • Serve hot with tomato ketchup or  any chutney of your choice.