Kadai Paneer-Indian Cottage Cheese and Capsicum cooked in Tomato gravy !

Kadai or Kadhai refers to Indian wok.And today's recipe Kadai Paneer is supposed to be cooked in a Kadai.This is a simple and tasty paneer dish cooked in spices and tomato.The additional flavor of capsicum (simla mirch) gives twist to the dish.On to the recipe.

Ingredients

400 gm Paneer diced into medium pieces
1 large capsicum diced (Better if you go for 3 colours of capsicum.Take portions of three)
2 large tomatoes,finely chopped
1 small piece of ginger,chopped finely
1 green chilly,sliced
4-6 garlic crushed
2 tsp kashmiri chilly powder
2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kasuri methi powder
oil/ghee as required
salt,to taste
handful of chopped coriander to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a kadai and roast the crushed garlic for one minute.Add ginger,green chilly and saute till the raw smell vanishes.Now add the capsicum pieces and coriander powder.Mix well and add the chopped tomatoes,chilly and garam masla powders to this.Saute well till this turn to  a thick paste.Add paneer pieces to this followed by kasuri methi and salt.Slowly mix and simmer for 5-8 minutes till the gravy thickens and oil clears on top.Finally sprinkle the chopped coriander and switch off the stove.Serve with Roti/chapathi.

Bebinca - Multi-layered Sweet from Goa !

These days I am being haunted by memories..Especially of food.Sometimes a nice piece of literature or music or even an acquaintance from the past brings back those sweet and sour memories..The other day I happen to meet an acquaintance from Goa.A place where I stayed for almost four months.The evening walk coupled with some shopping on a daily basis from an old bakery was my perfect day there.One of those evenings I tasted Bebinca,just as any other food without prejudice.But it was the beginning of an addiction..So tempting is the luscious taste it emanates while in mouth that I packed many small bebincas on my journey back.As usual during my return I didn't forget to collect a nice cookbook from Goa.The Essential Goa Cookbook of Maria Teresa Menezes.Luckily it turned out as one of the best books in my collection of regional Indian recipe books so far.

Maria Teresa calls Bebinca as the emperor of Goan confectioneries.I think Bebinca deserves that.This multi-layered sweet is kind of wonder and an experience not to forget..Beware,it's lot of calories as well !

Coming to Bebinca recipe,I may have to start with a disclaimer.This recipe demands lot of work and patience.Basically it's the perfect blend of egg yolks,coconut milk,sugar and flour.The coconut milk should be very thick and the batter preparation should be keen.The cooking involves two parts.The first one being the setting of batter or steaming and then baking.This may take couple of hours,but worth it.The traditional Bebinca calls for 15-20 perfectly baked layers.But mine is only eight.Whether you try yourself or not,you have to taste this wonderful sweet at least once in a lifetime ...

Ingredients

1 cup very thick coconut milk
1.5 cup thin coconut milk
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour/maida
8 egg yolks
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder or cardamom powder
pinch of salt
3/4 to 1 cup ghee
silvered almonds to decorate
water as needed
a baking pan of "6 diameter,2 1/2 high

Method

Make a sugar syrup boiling sugar and 1/4 cup water to one thread consistency.Keep it lukewarm.In a large bowl slowly combine flour and thick coconut milk.To this add sugar syrup and mix well.In another bowl beat the egg yolks and then slowly add this to the flour mixture.Slowly mix the thin coconut milk and prepare a batter of medium consistency.Be careful not to make it thin.Finally add the salt and nutmeg/cardamom powder to the mixture and keep.Now grease the baking pan with ghee and pour enough batter to coat the pan.Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degree and boil water in a steamer.First, place the pan inside the steamer and cook till the batter is set.Now shift this to oven and put the upper element on.The layer should turn to a golden brown colour and cooked well.The upper element or grill will be the better option for this.This will take 8-10 minutes.When the layer is cooked to golden brown,take it out and brush with ghee.Now repeat the process of pouring,steaming and baking till the batter finishes.Allow it to cool when finished.Demould and keep in fridge for better results.Decorate with almonds and serve.Enjoy!

Vennai Puttu - For Indian Cooking Challenge !

This month's Indian Cooking Challenge is something very unique-a traditional sweet from Tamil Nadu-Vennai Puttu.This is an authentic recipe shared by Priya ,which she inherited from her beloved Grandma.Made of Rice and Jaggery,this humble sweet has nothing to boast off .On to the recipe...

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice,soaked for 3 hours
1/2 cup grated jaggery
handful of chopped coconut
1/4 cup cooked chanadal
half tsp cardamom powder
water,ghee/oil as required
handful of cashew nuts

Method

Grind the soaked raw rice into a fine paste adding enough water.The batter should be of Idli consistency.Prepare jaggery syrup adding 1/4 cup of water.Strain and keep aside.Now in a heavy bottomed vessel boil two cups of water.Add the rice batter to this stirring continuously.Reduce the heat to minimum for sometime and stir well so that lumps will be less.Cook this till the raw smell of rice disappear.Now add the jaggery syrup,cooked chana dal and cardamom powder.Mix well and roast till the entire mixture turn to a ball.At this stage add the chopped coconut and switch off the stove. Shift this to a greased plate and decorate with cashew nuts.Let it cool completely.Cut the Vennai Puttu into shapes and serve with tea.

Palak Paneer - Cottage cheese cooked in thick spinach gravy !

It's absolutely wonderful to watch the kids showing interest in healthy food.In a way it's relief for most of us.Thanks to my daughter's new- found passion for this beauty called Paneer ! I somehow try to keep the interest on.The result you can imagine.My kitchen is open to all kinds of experiments with paneer.This is one of my favorite too.Palak Paneer.The succulent paneer is cooked in a spinach based gravy and served hot.What more to ask for ? I think this is something we are not going to get bored with.Here is the recipe of Palak Paneer from my kitchen.Do try.

Ingredients

3 bunches of palak/spinach
200 gm paneer,diced
1 large onion,chopped
1.5 tsp ginger,chopped
1 green chilly,chopped
1 large tomato, pureed
1 large onion,sliced
25 gm cashew nuts,soaked
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp kasoori methi powder
1/2 cup water
1tbsp oil or butter
salt as required
1/4 cup fresh cream to decorate (optional)

Method

Put palak in boiling water (blanch) for 3-5 minutes and drain.Grind this to a fine paste and keep.While blanching palak,the colour should not change.Now heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and roast sliced onion till transparent and grind together with soaked cashews to a fine paste.In a medium skillet heat the remaining oil (or butter which is open to your choice.The authentic recipe calls for either butter or ghee though.) and roast chopped onion,ginger and green chilly till the onion turn brown.To this add chilly,coriander,cumin,garam masala and kasoori methi powders and saute till the raw smell disappears.Add pureed tomato and roast till the oil appears on top.Now add the palak paste,onion-cashew paste,salt and half cup of water to this and bring to a boil.Add paneer pieces and cook in medium heat till the gravy thickens and a nice aroma spreads out.This may take 5-7 minutes.Serve with roti/chapathi/rice etc.You may decorate with fresh cream while serving.