Basil Paneer Tikka

This recipe is a experiment which turned out real good i also tried a similar twist with chicken both the recipes turned out in flying colors everyone at home enjoyed my recipe...this will be a great party item...☺

Ingredients:

250 Grams Paneer/Cottage Cheese

1 Medium Bell Pepper

Fist Full Basil Leaves 

1 Large Onion

1/2 Cup Yogurt

10 Pods Garlic

1 Inch Ginger

7 to 8 Fresh Chillies

1 Tbsp Garam Masala

1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder

Salt as per taste

Oil for frying

We also require Bamboo Skewers or Metal Skewers  

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PrepUp:

1. Cut the bell pepper into half remove the seeds and steam and cube in to equal pieces.
2. Peel and cube the onion into equal cubes as bell pepper.
3. In as fry pan add 1sp oil on medium flame fry the garlic ginger chillies and basil  fry a bit till basil and chillies have roasted a bit remove from flame allow to cool.
4. Add the fried ingredients to mixer jar add yogurt, garam masala and turmeric grind to a smooth paste.
5. Cube the paneer into bite size pieces.
6. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for a  hour before use. 

Method:

• In a mixing bowl add paneer cubed veg add the prepared masala and salt as per taste mix well and marinate atleast for an hour.
• Using the bamboo skewers skew on the onion and bell pepper first then a cube of paneer layer atleast 2 rows and reserve.
• Heat a tava or a iron skillet on medium flame place the skewers one by one add a sp oil and start to pan roast the paneer turning them gently and frying them on all sides add extra oil if needed and roast till it turns golden brown color to all sides...serve hot with lime wedges...Enjoy...:)  

Pizza Samosa

Trust me this was my ultimate experiment was doubtful how on earth is this gonna taste...it was super awesome yaara loved it...tell me who wouldn't love  a hot samosa with pizza flavors and cheese melting inside its like eating double trouble all at once...:P calorie conscious people can close their eyes...:D Whatever toppings are used in pizza can be stuffed into a samosa but make sure the product is chopped into tiny pieces it will be easy for stuffing...:)

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Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Pasta Sauce(please click here for pizza/pasta sauce recipe)

1/2 Bell Pepper (Chopped into tiny cubes)

3 Cubes Cheddar Cheese (Chopped into tiny cubes)

50 Grams Paneer/Cottage Cheese(Chopped into tiny cubes)

Pizza Seasoning / Italian Seasoning 

1/4 Tsp Chilly Powder

Oil for frying

Salt 

Filling: 

• Heat a wok add 2 tbsp oil fry the bell pepper on a medium flame till its soften a bit add paneer chilly powder salt and fry for a minute add the 1/4 sp italian seasoning and fry.
• Allow to cool completely mix in the cheese and reserve. 

For Dough:

1 1/2 Cups Maida/all purpose flour

1 Cup Yogurt 

1 Tbsp Ghee

Salt

Prepare Dough:

• In a mixing bowl add maida salt and yogurt knead the dough if needed sprinkle water add ghee and knead  till the dough is soft cover allow to rest for 1 hour.

Method:

• Roll out the dough into thin chapati using a round cutter cut out into equal rounds.
• Add 1/2 tsp of sauce and top with filling fold and seal the edges. secure the edges using a fork it also gives a cute crimp effect on the edges.
  
• Heat oil in a wok on medium flame fry out the samosa till light golden in color drain the excess oil out on a paper towel.

Serve hot along with chai...enjoy...:)

Waring while serving please tell the person there is hot melting cheese inside the samosa it may burn their mouth...if they eat more than expected I'm not responsible...DHANYAVAD.

Palak Paneer Samosa (Cheese & Spinach Samosa)

I'm almost become like a mad scientist experimenting on new flavors and taste keeping in mind it has to have a traditional element...talking about the samosa it was awesome bursting with flavors juicy cheesy and everything yum...who doesn't like palak panner its one of our traditional recipe. incorporating it into a samosa was my ultimate challenge results were super duper...:) 

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For Filling:
1 Bunch Spinach(frozen or blanched drained and chopped finely)
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 Onion(finely chopped)
1/2 Tomato(deseeded finely chopped)
2 to 3 Green Chilies (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Yogurt
50 Grams Paneer (Crumbled)
4 Cubes Cheddar Cheese(Finely chopped)

1/2 Tsp Chilly powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin powder
1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp Pepper Powder

2 Tsp Ghee
1 Tsp Oil
Salt as per taste

• Heat a wok on medium flame add ghee and oil. add the ginger garlic paste fry till raw flavor has gone.
• Add onion fry for a minute add the tomato and chilly fry till tomato reduces a bit.
• Add the powdered spices and fry for a minute add the yogurt and fry a bit.
• Add spinach to the tomato mixture and fry a bit then add the crumble paneer and salt fry for a minute. remove from flame allow to cool completely.
• Add the chopped cheddar cheese and mix well reserve the filling in a bowl.

For the Dough:
1 1/2 Cups Maida/All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Tsp Salt

• In a mixing bowl add maida yogurt and salt start kneading the dough if needed sprinkle water once dough has formed add ghee and knead to a soft dough cover and allow to rest for an hours time.
• Take a portion of the dough and roll out into chapati using a cutter cut the rolled out chapati and reserve.

Method:

• Heat oil in a wok on medium flame to fry the samosa.
• Take the cut out dough rounds and place a spoon full of filling in the middle wet the edges of the dough slightly.
• Fold the dough and pinch in the middle to secure seal one edge of the dough till center and fold the other half to form a triangle.
• Gently drop the samosa into oil and fry till golden brown drain oil and reserve on paper towel.

Serve hot with Chai and ketchup...Enjoy...:)

Paneer-Matar Paratha

In case you missed my Aloo-matar paratha from a few moons ago, this paratha is similar only better, in that it has paneer - my favorite ingredient. I have sung praises of the stuffed bread or paratha in that post so pay a visit if you are super interested! Also I described how tricky it can be for first timer and takes a little practice to get it right. Anyway, addition of Paneer gives this stuffed paratha the added soft texture as well a mildly creamy taste along with the kick of the spiced up peas. This paratha is perfect for those times when you feel like eating a yummy bread and don't really want to deal with making accompaniments. Just enjoy with some spicy Indian pickle, a simple raita or heck even ketchup.

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Tags:Paneer-Matar Paratha

Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer is arguably the dish that most number of people in the world have tasted. I go by the theory that every single soul that lives in the subcontinent has at least eaten it once - over a 1.25 billion people. That may be an embellished way of putting it but probably the best way to express the reality of this dish. One of the most common dish made from one of the most common ingredient in specialty Indian cooking, Paneer. A dish for all places and occasion. Be it a guest or the kids birthday or you simple feel like eating something special to anniversaries and weddings - there is a good chance matar paneer will be one of the dishes served. It sure was something my mother made for my birthday parties every year along with other specialties. It is also omnipresent. Every restaurant obviously offers it but if you ever find yourself driving in the most remote part of the country and pull over to eat in a rinky-dink roadside dhaba, rest assured you can order for a hot plate of matar paneer with roti.
The sweetness of the peas together with the creamy bite of the paneer brought together by a creamy gravy that you can make as mild or spicy as you prefer, just brings it all home especially with a piece of hot Naan.
Again, this dish is made with slight variations by different people. I make it a couple of different ways myself but this version I present is the healthy one where I avoid using cream or butter or cashews altogether which this dish normally calls for.

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Tandoori Paneer Tikka

Paneer has been a very big part of me growing up. Those who are regular here know my obsession with this glorious cheese (if you can call cheese that, that is)! Mention paneer and there will be a sparkle in my eyes.

This dish probably needs no introduction besides its chicken counterpart being more popular. For us vegetarians out there (I have also met some meat-eaters that rave about it) this is an absolute delight on a stick. Appetizers are usually loved by people, so is paneer... add tandoori masala to it and wait there's more roast it all in an oven to get the great tandoori flavor... drooling yet?

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Tandoori vegetable paneer pizza ~ all homemade!

love Italian food. Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic - flavors that have stood the test of time - just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food. When there is a mention of Italian food the first thing that comes to mind is of course the ever-popular Pizza. You guessed it, I love Pizza... a lot. Regardless of crust or toppings - pan, hand-tossed, deep dish, Brooklyn style, thin-crust even the bread and bagel pizza :). A soft chewy bread loaded with veggies and other toppings with a generous helping of cheese! Just can't stop raving. Coming to the US, I had my first ever pizza at Pizza Hut a few years ago... and boy.. I was completely hooked :-) India - at the time - was still coming of age as far as Italian food was concerned so I'd had pizza a couple of times, but this was different. Ahh the good old days.. we used to order delivery, be total couch potatoes and sit in front of the TV for hours watching the 24 hour marathons of Law and Order.

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Methi Matar Malai with a Fragrant Saffron Cumin Scented Pilaf

ppears that my last few posts have been about making dishes with my favorite ingredients. Here's a dish featuring another one of my very favorite, fresh Methi or Fenugreek. To give you an idea how much I love it, whenever I am at our local Indian grocery I eagerly scan through each one of those yellow wooden plank boxes sitting randomly on the floor where the nail is still sticking out from where the lid was forcibly pried off, secretly hoping to find one such box with bunches of fresh methi leaves stacked up. When I lay sight on such a box, my pulse does go up a few beats a minute, I kid you not. Hubby is well aware and when he goes grocery shopping by himself and get me a couple of bunches, he sure earns a few points ;) I also grow them in my backyard as well to have a limited yet regular supply. Last but not the least, I always keep a box of Kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves in my pantry just in case I run out in my backyard and the stores don't have it either, proof enough? lol.

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Chilli Paneer dry/Paneer cheese in a spicy chilli soy sauce

o tantrums and food have any relation for you? Well, in my case, growing up they had quite a lot to do with each other. This is what my dear mom used to cook especially for me when me - the brat - used to tell her "mom, you don't love me anymore", count to her all the occasions when I was refused an ice-cream, a barbie doll, Shahrukh's poster and the bestest most expensive dress in the mall! She knew how to get me back to behaving normally... lol.

I love Chinese food but I have a certain (very strong) bias towards Indian-Chinese (aka indo-chinese) cuisine. We Indians have had a long-lived love affair with Chinese food. Long before pizzas, burgers and junk food became popular, it was Chinese food that most of us wanted when we craved something exotic and different. One may argue that Indo-chinese is not really chinese food as it is not very close to authentic chinese food. It has been totally adapted and re-flavored to suit an Indian palette. But hey, that is what fusion food is all about, right? Who knew the marriage of a little soy sauce with Indian spices could be so delicious! A big bright star of the Indian Chinese cuisine, featured on almost every menu of an Indian restaurant, be it upscale or roadside.

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Mung Dal Paneer Samosa/Lentil and Paneer Stuffed Pastries

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amosa or Singhada (as we call them where I come from) always makes me nostalgic. I remember buying and treating on hot samosa from school and college canteen (which to me still is the best I have eaten till date) almost every other day. For the time when I was enjoying these crispy goodies - atleast for sometime - it would help me forget the dread of science and math classes! When at home, I remember when guests would visit during evening tea, serving samosa with tea was almost a given. My brother (a well known samosa fanatic) would keep waiting and dropping hints on what a great idea it would be to get some hot samosas. Papa, pretending to catch the hint, would hand him a ten rupee note. He would run over to the halwai shop at the corner of the street and get a dozen fresh out of the fryer for everyone ~ ahh! Can you believe samosas were 75 paise each back then!

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Saag Paneer Calzone/Spinach Paneer Curry Calzone (whole wheat)

love Italian food! Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food .
Our (indians) love for indo-chinese is well known but another cuisine that has come in from across the shores and become a part of the cuisine... is Italian. With its pastas and pizza and other goodies and use of herbs, five star restaurants as well as hole-in-the-wall stores near every street now have some kind of “pizza” on their menu! It keeps the essense of pizza that is a thick bread smothered in tomato ketchup topped with melty cheese, but almost always has a local (desi) touch to it whether it be use of paneer or chicken! Lots of fusion recipes have been born, you can easily find panner pizza even butter chicken pizza in any pizza hut franchise in india - I have few on my blog too. This time around I took my classic saag paneer recipe and tucked inside a calzone and the result was a beautiful marrige of two of my favorite cuisines - a fusion food heaven!
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Paneer

n popular demand in the form of a number of queries via comments and several emails, here I am with my very own recipe for Paneer. This should not come as a surprise as I believe I have made myself a reputation of sorts for my love of Paneer through the numerous paneer based dishes on my site. The idea of making any basic ingredient for me is exhilarating. It is such a rewarding and stress relieving experience. With my love for paneer, making my own has a special place in my heart and my kitchen. It is one of those beautiful things which you never really know until you actually do it.

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Paneer Methi Makhani

hat to make for dinner tonight? A thought that haunts me immediately after having finished with lunch. Asking hubby usually is returned with "just make anything" or "can we order some takeout" (he is sweet I know)! Hmmm... I usually know I will make rotis but what do I make to go with it. I do try to come up with something new every now and then but being a vegetarian sometimes limits your choices. I face a similar situation when I find myself deciding on what to take for a potluck, or a get-together that would be different and not the same old regular veg preparations.

Now paneer is most everyone's favorite but how many times can you make and serve the same butter masala, jhalfrezi or parathas for that matter. So in my quest for making something different yet elegant, simple yet exotic and healthier than other paneer recipes and of course quick 'n easy, I combined two of my absolute favorite ingredients- paneer and methi. I did not want to make the regular white gravy loaded with cashews and cream so opted for a very easy and quick makhani or butter-less masala version. I was more than pleased with the results and the fact that it was an addition to the list of answers for the eternal question of what to make for dinner :)

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Paneer Dhaniya Kulcha / Paneer & Cilantro stuffed flatbread

ulcha is a soft leavened Indian bread with delicious fillings that can be paired with just about any curry or eaten by itself. So if you haven't heard about them or have not tasted them, do not feel bad. I personally think that they are a little bit underrated and overshadowed by their more popular but very close cousin, the Naan. But if you have never had a Kulcha, I do encourage you to give one a try and you will realize for yourself that the difference is worth the special mention. The bread is exceptionally soft and tender when you break it between your fingers and as you take a bite, the savory goodness of the filling together with the softness of the bread, well.. makes you happy :)
So what is the difference between the Kulcha and Naan - here's what I think - Naan uses yeast in its dough while Kulcha uses only baking powder and baking soda. Naans are usually oblong in shape while Kulchas are round. Both are traditionally made in a Tandoor (earthen clay oven) but kulchas can be made on the stove top too. Both can be made in a conventional oven as well. I make my kulchas in the oven as well as on the stove top. It is popular all over India and in different parts of the world. They are generally stuffed with nuts, paneer, potato, khoya etc however the variety of filling one can stuff inside these Indian flatbreads is only limited by your imagination. Creativity is the name of the game – almost anything and everything goes for filling up these.

If you already like kulcha, good for you, or if you are like me you might have just found your new favorite bread.

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Paneer Pav Bhaji with homemade Pav Buns

umbai is famous around the world as the center of Indian cinema "Bollywood", what some do not know that it is also famous for its array of mouth watering street foods especially the chaats available at every street corner. Juhu beach, especially is the most famous hub - a very crowded place where you often find yourself wading through a sea of people with the sound of the waves crashing in the background often looking for the next yummy food stall that gets your attention among the numerous street food vendors lined up. No trip to this beach is complete without having those delectable chaats they serve there and possibly a healthy dose of pani poories, vada pav, batata, bhel. Watching the vendors mix up the ingredients and cook up your snack to order with sheer abandon - without a care in the world, while keeping a keen eye for anyone who needs that extra little chutney, is a pleasure by itself. These street foods have crossed boundries of the city (and even the country) and are found practically everywhere there is Indian food sold.
Pav Bhaji is another such road-side delicacy. It is a very easy and a kind of street food that is a wholesome meal in itself and relatively healthier (if you minus all the amul butter of course). It is basically kind of a stew a mix of different vegetables in a spicy tomato gravy with loads of butter and eaten with butter soaked pav bread which is used scoop up the bhaji--yum :) This is even served at fancy restaurants and even top chefs boast of having this in their repertoire. A great one pot meal especially with the overload of vegetables in it. Fussy eaters like it and eat up all the veggies mixed in the yummy bhaji.
Usually paneer is not used as an ingredient in the bhaji. I decided to try it out with it. After-all if you saw my Paneer Tawa Masala, when you can mix pav bhaji masala in paneer, why not mix paneer in pav bhaji - makes sense, right? It did to me and it made an already awesome dish abso'freaking'lutely fanstastic. If it was any proof for me, hubby said this is how pav bhaji was gonna be made in this household henceforth, with paneer!

Here's the recipe for my homemade Pav buns.The traditional pav bread as it is called ladi pav in India is a yeasty crusty bread with a soft texture inside. You can use the store bought dinner rolls but I prefer this homemade one.

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Vegetable Seekh Kebab with Green Chutney

he word "Kebab" has always fascinated me. I don't know... just the sound of it is so sophisticated and exotic that whether you have ever even seen it or not, you want to try it when you hear it... and believe me you will love it when you do :) But sadly for me they have always been synonymous with meat based preparations and being a vegetarian I just never could have any. Lately I came to know about veggie kebabs. I was elated by the thought that I could now eat kebabs and tried to recreate these beauties and it was exactly as I though it would be... exotic, elegant and heavenly tasting. These are perfect appetizers for get-togethers and pot lucks. Super easy to make and your guests will definitely go WOW when you serve these. 
You may find several recipes for kebabs if you look around but in my opinion this is an easy and no-fuss version that you will want to make over and over. Also, traditionally they are made in a tandoor or deep fried but I just shallow fry or broil them in the oven so they are very healthy too... lots of veggies and very little oil. As everything that goes in it is already cooked so very little oil is needed.
If you are making a large batch of the kebabs say for a big gathering, you can also bake them on a baking sheet. Just spray the sheet with cooking oil and broil them on high in your oven for 5-6 minutes on each side.
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Paneer Tawa Masala

ot starting with my usual gaga about my fascination with paneer everytime I post a paneer dish, let me cut straight to the chase. The idea occurred to me when I was making my Tawa Pulao dish that I posted a few days ago. Why not make paneer with the same masala combination! This gives the dish the sophistication of paneer yet the charm of street food, making it taste like paneer bhaji chaat (drooling yet?) and equally suitable as a snack as it would for dinner. The other cool thing about this dish is that it is ridiculously easy to make, literally fifteen minutes from start to finish if you had all the ingredients. The fact that you can whip up this flavorful dish in a jiffy makes it a very suitable roadside street food. If you walk the streets in India, you would find road side food vendors with huge iron griddles on open flame cooking this away with reckless abandon for a queue of hungry people that have their eyes fixated on the sheer skill with which the chef tosses the dish around on the griddle while they talk about the movie they just came out of. So without further ado, here goes.

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Paneer Mattar Kadai

Ingredients:

200 Grams Packet Paneer/ Cottage Cheese ( cut into small cubes)

1 Cup Peas (precooked in salt)

1/2 Cup Tomato Puree 

1 Tbsp Chilly Powder

1 Tbsp Coriander Powder

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp Ginger&Garlic Paste

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala

1 Pinch Asafoetida

10 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water ground to paste) 

1/4 Cup Fresh Cream

1 Tsp Kasuri Methi 

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Oil

Lime few drops

Salt to taste.

First Step:

• Soak the cashew nuts in warm water for 1/2 hour and grind to a smooth paste with out adding water i however added cream while grinding. set aside.

Second Step:

• Heat a wok / kadai add butter start frying the paneer cubes in the butter till the cubes turn a bit golden brown all sides drain and reserve in a plate.

Third step:

• In the same kadai add the oil to the reserved butter tip in the ginger and garlic paste and fry a bit tip in the tomato puree and fry tip in the masala chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and fry a bit till the oil separates to the sides add the dry kasurimethi and fry tip in the peas add water and salt stir cover and bring to a boil tip in the fried paneer and stir add the cashew paste bring to a boil add few drops of lime juice and garnish with fresh coriander leafs...serve hot with roti...Enjoy...:)

I  saw the recipe printed on frozen peas packet (safal) and tried it was too good i prepared this recipe last year was not sure weather to post the recipe on blog  since everyone would have seen the recipe and tried the recipe we liked it and I would try this recipe again probably for my dads birthday...it was rich and tasty..:)

I've done detail video demo for this recipe in English do watch and Enjoy...:)