Paneer Bhurji

A sure-shot way to get my son to eat Paneer is to make Paneer Bhurji. It gets made quickly and can be eaten in a number of ways.

You need:

• 250-300 gms cottage cheese / paneer - fresh or frozen
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/2 capsicum finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped / grated ginger
• 1-2 green chillies
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• 1/4 tsp red chillie powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder / jeera powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder / dhaniya powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp full cream
• 3-4 tbsp milk
• Oil
• Salt
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Steps:

• In a pan on medium to low heat, heat some oil, add the jeera seeds and allow it to splutter.
• Add the ginger and after a few seconds add the onions. Fry till pink.
• Add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
• Add the dry spices and mix well. Add the capsicum, mix well and turn off the heat. Keep this covered.

• Crumble the paneer with your fingers. Add it to the onion tomato paste. Season with salt.

• Return to the heat. Add the cream and milk and let it heat up well.
• Check seasonings and adjust as per taste.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Notes:

• If you are using frozen paneer, let it sit in boiling hot water for 30 mins. The paneer will be softer.
• Make an instant wrap. In a roti, add some sliced onions, Paneer Bhurji, salad leaves and chaat masala. Roll up and it's ready to eat. Makes it easier to pack for lunch boxes.
• Use it as a sandwich filling and toast or grill.
• Left over paneer bhurji can be made into a tasty and quick snack / starter. Watch this space for the recipe.

Five-Star Dal Makhani

A simple dish that tastes heavenly. A few lentils, a few spices, a little bit of stirring around and magic is ready.

When I go to an Indian restaurant, I judge their food by the quality of their Dal Makhani. If its not better than what I make, nah, I may just not go back there to eat again !!!

Get your ingredients right and you will have a winner each time.

You need:

• 1/4 cup kidney beans / rajma
• 1/4 cup black gram / full black urad dal
• 1/4 cup split gram dal / channa dal
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 2 tomatoes chopped fine
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• 1" piece ginger cleaned
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• 1 tsp red chillie powder
• 1 - 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 2 tbsp clarified butter / ghee or regular butter
• Salt
• Corriander leaves chopped - for garnishing

Steps:

• Wash lentils well and soak for 6-8 hours. Then pressure cook till soft along with the full piece of ginger.
• Return to the heat and mash till mushy. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Add water if required and keep stirring. Add salt.

• In a pot heat 1 tbsp of ghee and sauté the chopped onions till soft.
• Add the tomatoes and chillies and cook.
• Once the tomatoes have softened, add turmeric and chillie powder.
• Sauté till you get a fragrant aroma and add the lentil mush to it.
• Let it come to a boil. Check seasonings. Take off heat.

• Add the fresh cream and ghee / butter.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

Notes:

• Add more butter or cream for a more rich taste.
• I always feel this dish tastes better the next day. You can make it earlier and do the last three steps before serving.
• If you are going to have it with rotis, let it be a little thicker. Add a little more water if you will be having it with steamed rice.

Aapam and Stew

Aapam is a rice pancake traditionally made in the Indian state of Kerala. I ate it for the first time at my aunt's home. It was absolutely yummy - lovely and soft. The next was when my sister-in-law made it. Took the recipe from her and have since made it a few times. 

One of the dishes that Aapam is served with is Stew. Both dishes are simple and easy to make and delicious.

You Need:

For the Aapam-

• 3 cups rice (the rice you use for making idli/dosa)
• 1/2 of a coconut grated
• 1 cup cooked rice
• Salt

For the Stew-

• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 2 cups mixed veggies cubed - potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, peas
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 200 ml coconut cream/milk
• salt

Steps:

For the Aapam-

• Wash the rice well and soak for 4-6 hours.
• Add rice, coconut and cooked rice and grind to a runny batter (little thinner than a dosa batter).
• Add salt and mix well and store in a closed vessel.
• Allow it to ferment for atleast 10-12 hours.
• After the batter has fermented, heat a small non-stick pan which has a lid to cover it well.
• Sprinkle a few drops of oil on the pan when it heats up.
• Pour a ladle full of batter in the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan. 
• Cover and allow it to cook for about 30 seconds to a minute depending on the size of your pan.
• Open and check. If the top of the pancake looks cooked, remove and serve.

For the Stew:

• In a pan heat the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds.
• When it splutters, add the curry leaves and slit green chillies. Then add the onions and saute till it turns pink in colour.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and saute. Season with salt. Allow the vegetable to cook. Add little water if required.
• When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the coconut cream and make sure the heat is turned to low. 
• Allow it to warm up well. 
• Serve hot with the aapams.

Notes:

• Use old rice while grinding the batter for the Aapams.
• I did not have green chilies at home, so used one red chilie. Adjust number of chilies as per heat you would like.
• You can also make Stew with just onions and boiled potatoes.
• Stew also goes well with Dosas and Uttapams.
• The Appam is actually white in colour. The pictures appear in different shades due to the lighting.
• Extra batter can be refrigerated and used the next day.  

Methi Malai Mutter

I had a bunch of Methi leaves lying in the fridge and I wanted to make something beyond the usual Methi parathas or aloo methi subzi.

I thought of the rich in taste, Methi Malai Mutter. But then, was skeptical, the last time I made it - complete, total disaster. I usually try a recipe at least twice before I give up on it. At my second attempt, I managed to make sure everyone at home relished it.

You need:

• 2 cups Fenugreek leaves / Methi
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 2 medium onions diced large
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp Cashew nuts
• 1-2 Green chillies
• 1/4 tsp dry mango powder / amchur
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala
• A big pinch Kasuri Methi / dry fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 tsp red chillie powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Steps:

• Clean, wash and chop finely the Methi leaves.
• In a blender add the onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and cashew nuts and grind to a paste. Add a few tsps of water if required.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion paste and sauté till the raw smell goes, approx 5 minutes.
• Add the methi leaves and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
• Then add the green peas, chillie powder, amchur, kasuri methi and garam masala powder. Add salt. Cook till the peas are soft. Add water if required.
• Add the fresh cream. Make sure the heat is turned to low once you have added the cream. Else the cream might curdle. Heat till warm. Check seasonings and adjust if required.
• Serve hot with any type of Indian flatbread.

Notes:

• I did not add green chillies as my kids do not eat spicy food. Feel free to increase the quantity for added heat.
• If you want to go slow on calories, you can add milk instead of cream.

Dum Aloo

Baby Potatoes, a complete delight to look at. I have been thinking of making Dum Aloo for quite a while now. But almost always have just roasted them or made it into a dry subzi to cut down the cooking time.

I finally decided to get the ingredients ready, oven roast the baby potatoes as a variation and then make the Dum Aloo.

You need:

• 15 baby potatoes
• 3 tomatoes puréed
• 3 tbsp yoghurt / dahi
• 3 cloves
• 3 peppercorns
• 1 brown cardamom
• I" stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin powder / jeera powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder / dhaniya powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• 1 tsp red chillie powder
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts
• 3 tbsp full cream
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt

To grind to a paste:

• 2 onions large diced
• 2 garlic pods
• 1" piece ginger

Steps:

• Wash the baby potatoes well and pressure cook to 1 whistle. Cool and peel and prick well with a fork.
• Preheat the oven to 200degrees C.
• Toss the pricked baby potatoes in 1 tbsp of oil and little salt and spread it in a lined baking tray.
• Bake for about 20 mins or more till slightly browned.
• Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté onions, garlic and ginger till brown. Cool and grind to a paste with the cashew nuts.

• In the same pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves for a few seconds. Then add the ground paste and sauté for 2 mins.
• To this add the puréed tomatoes and the dry spice powders. Stir around for about 2-3 mins.
• Beat yogurt well and add along with salt. Add water to make it a gravy consistency. On a low flame let it come to a boil.

• Add the roasted baby potatoes and cream. Check seasonings and adjust. Let it come to a boil again. Then take off the heat and keep covered for 5-8 minutes for baby potatoes to absorb the spices and flavors.
• Garish well with chopped coriander leaves and little cream.

Enjoy with hot rotis or rice.

Notes:

• You can either deep fry the pricked baby potatoes or stir fry in a pan with 1 tbsp oil as per your taste.
• Add 1 tbsp tomato paste for a redder curry. You can then reduce the yoghurt to 2 tbsp.
• Grind green chillies while making the onion paste if you would like the Dum Aloo to be spicier.

Tomato Soup

Good old Tomato Soup ..... completely yummilicious, great as a starter or as a light meal, quick to make and high on taste.

You need:

• 2 large onions
• I small carrot
• 6-8 tomatoes
• 1 wedge beet root
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Dried herbs (Optional)

Steps:

• Clean and chop all vegetables into big chunks.
• Pressure cook for about 4 whistles.
• Once cooled, blend.
• Sieve into a pot. Add olive oil and season as per your taste with salt, sugar, pepper and herbs. Add water as required if the soup is too thick. Heat till one boil.
• Serve hot with either crisp bread, buttered croutons or garlic bread.

Notes:

• You could leave out the beet root if your don't have it. Your soup will be a lighter colour.
• I had left over bread sides after making sandwiches. I toasted them in the oven at 160degrees for about 15 mins. The kids enjoyed dipping the sticks in the soup. You can also butter them and toast for more flavour. I was just lazy.
• Use butter instead of olive oil in the soup for a richer taste.
• Add cream for indulgence.
• Use white pepper powder if you don't like flakes of freshly ground black pepper in the soup.

Tea Time Vanilla Cake

This cake has special memories for me. A very dear friend baked this cake and sent it over for my kids one day. My fussy little ones asked for a second helping !!! That did it, I just had to try my hand at baking a cake again after close to 20+ years.

I got the recipe from her. I was scared of how it would turn out thinking of all my previous disasters. And viola, I managed to bake a perfect cake :)

Thus began my baking journey. It gave me the courage to try out new recipes.

I have since baked this cake numerous times. Made variations to it also. And each time, the recipe has not let me down.

You Need:

• 2.5 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup cream
• 20 gms butter
• Almonds / Raisins - optional

Steps:

• Preheat over to 200degrees C. Keep your baking dish greased and ready.
• Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder and keep aside.
• Break the eggs into a large bowl and whip them nicely with a hand beater or a stand mixer.
• Now add 2 tbsp of the flour mixture alternatively with 2 tbsp of the sugar into the whipped eggs and continue mixing.
• When the batter thickens reduce to a spoon each.
• Add the vanilla extract and slowly add the cream mixing well. Then add the butter.
• Scrap the sides and give the batter one last mix.
• Pour it into the baking dish.
• Bake at 200degrees C for 40 minutes and then reduce the temperate to 160degrees for 20 mins.
• Allow the cake to cool n the oven for 15 minutes.
• Then turn it out into a wire rack to cool.
• Slice when cooled.

This cake is porous and slightly dry. Relish it with a cup of tea.

Notes:

• For a chocolate version sieve 4tbsp of cocoa powder with the flour.
• If you feel the top of the cake is browning too much while it is being baked, cover with a foil and continue baking.
• I have also made a marble cake with this recipe. Came out excellent. Will post pictures the next time I bake it.
• You can also bake this in a round or square cake pan. I alternatively bake it in a 9 inch round cake pan.