tried & tested recipes

This recipe is from Nita Mehta’s book Vegetarian Wonders.

Actually I am always on the look out for party menus ,recipes which are jhatpat but yet tasty .

Shahi Paneer fitted into this category

My party menu always has a paneer and a mushroom dish to compensate for the absence of Non veg dishes, because I am a pure vegetarian..

The recipe is hassle free, gravy is quick to make and also tasty. It can be made a day before, and paneer can be added before serving.Cream enhances the taste.

So heres the recipe for Shahi Paneer

INGREDIENTS - 250 gms Paneer cut into cut into pieces

For the gravy-

4 Tbsp oil or ghee ————– 1 tsp salt

1 onion chopped —————- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 ” ginger chopped ———– 1/2 tsp pepper

1 green chilli ——————- 1/2 tsp garam masala

5 big tomatoes chopped ——– 1/3 cup cream or milk

1 Tb sp tomato sauce ———- 2 moti elaichi crushed (big brown cardamom)

METHOD-Heat 2Tbsp ghee / oil. Add chopped onion , ginger, green chilli , and moti elaichi.

Add tomatoes cover and cook for 7-8 minutes, till tomatoes are pulpy.

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Remove from fire and cool .

Grind to a puree by adding 1/2 cup water.

Strain the puree.Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan add the tomato puree.Add red chilli powder, garam masala,pepper powder and tomato sauce.

Cook till the gravy is quite thick..

Just before serving heat the gravy add the paneer pieces , also the cream/ milk. Cook for few minutes and serve. Garnish with some grated paneer.

Now a days every one knows how to make a stuffed parantha, even I use to make it my way, until one of my Punjabi friend Bal… told me how to make the mixture for gobhi, and muli . Since the time she has told me I look for an opportunity to make them.

Gobhi Parathas-

Grate the( cauliflower) gobhi florets.Do not steam or cook them . Use them raw mixed with masalas . This is how-

To the grated raw gobhi add the following-

Add grated ginger / chopped green chillis / powdered anardana /some dhania leaves cut finely/ salt to taste/garam masala a pinch/ Mix well.

Proceed as you would with a stuffed paratha.Roll the small portion of the dough in a small puri put the stuffing . Close the mouth apply dry atta and roll.

When you close the mouth of the puri place this side facing down. Roll lightly .

Don’t get scared that it will tear.Keep sprinkling more atta it will never tear. Don’t lift the parantha to change sides . Your rolling pin will look messy and terrible, but just ignore and carry on

Do not worry the gobhi gets cooked well inside.

Serve the parathas with curd and pickle .

These tips were shared by my friend Bal.. and they worked.

Tip-

1. Make the stuffing just before you want to make the paranthas.

2.If you use freshly made dough there are more chances of tearing. Try using the dough which was stored in the fridge the previous day

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STUFFING FOR MULI PARANTHA-

Again use grated radish. Use it raw. add some salt keep for a few minutes. Squeeze the juice.

Now add red chilli powder/ green chillis chopped / ajwain a pinch/powdered anardana/salt to taste/ coriander leaves chopped/ a little garam masala.

The method is same as Gobhi parantha.

This is my entry for Monthly Cooking Tipology -A Food Event, conducted by Sushma of Recipe Source

Updated–This is my entry for Jihva for Tomatoes hosted by Rp.It was very kind of her to let me participate even when the deadline was over.Thanks Rp.There is one more recipe which I had published earlier Tomato curry with pav.Recipe is here

Tomato Saar is like a spicy soup eaten with rice or included in a meal.It goes well with pulao . I make it when I don’t feel like making dal, and need a change from the daily menu.It is a dish from Maharashtra

We love to drink it , as it is especially during winters .Try it . It is a nice change from the usual tomato soup.

Ideally the coconut milk is added but now a days with this cholestrol awareness I omit it .Beet root is for colour.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms red tomatoes

Coconut milk extracted from half coconut (optional)

salt to taste

sugar to taste

1/4 cup beet root pieces (optional)

To be ground to a paste

!/2 tsp jeera

2-3 green chillis

1” ginger piece

2 cloves garlic

For the tadka-

1/2 tsp jeera

a pinch of hing

1 tsp ghee

few curry leaves

METHOD:- Pressure cook the tomatoes along with the beet roots. Puree and strain the soup.

Add the coconut milk plus the ground paste.

Add the salt plus sugar to taste . Make the tadka .Add the tadka and coriander leaves to the soup.

Boil the whole soup well. Serve hot with pulao or plain rice or drink it like a soup

Sorry  friends I did not mention I was going on a holiday. I was in Mumbai for 15 days, and I have reached Pune tonight  .I have access to net  now !!!  Believe me I was missing you all a lot.

Before leaving Delhi I cooked and cooked and made drafts. So now I am going to post them one by one, clever no. 

So heres the recipe.

 Salad Bars are found every where in bigger cities  and probably in smaller towns too. People are getting so health  conscious  that salads  are favorites in restaurants.

Salads are healthy only if low calorie dressings are used.I have given recipes of dressings where hung curd is used. Adding cream to them is optional.

The first time I had one was in Croissant in Mumbai. I even tried making it at home.

I tried to recollect each item that went into it , did the preparation and ended  up  eating it all  for two three days

If you all venture into making this just select a few available items  and not go into detail.

Recently I got salad from a salad bar .This is not my preparation. Only the recipe for the dressing is mine. Obviously they don’t want to leak their secrets.After the photgraph session I enjoyed it thoroughly

INGREDIENTS:-

1. Boiled sweet corn + little lemon juice+ salt +chilli powder. Mix well.

2.Pasta ( Prepared with boiled pasta mixed with tomato concasse +basil +oregano)

3.Paneer cubes

4. Sprouts (steamed), mixed with salt and pepper.

5.Lettuce leaves

6.Cabbage finely cut

7.Kabuli Chana boiled mixed with chaat masala + sal

.

 8  Celery9.Toasted bread cubes

10. Pineapple pieces

11.Olives

12.Tinned cherries

13.Roasted ground nuts

14.Finely cut and boiled french beans, peas and

carrots.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING :-

Mix together 3/4 cup hung curd+ 1/4 cup cream . Adding  cream is optional.

Add 1 Tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp chilli sauce, 1 Tbsp chopped capsicum, 1 Tbsp chopped finely onions.

Also add 1 tsp mustard powder, 3 tsp powdered sugar , salt to taste, 3 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper powder.

SALAD CREAM:-

3/4 cup hung curd + 1/4 cup fresh cream

1 Tbsp Refined oil ( Optional )

1 tsp mustard powder

3 tsp powdered sugar

salt to taste

3 tsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp pepper powder.

Mix every thing.