Tandoori Paneer Tava Fry

Hello Friends,

I am sure after seeing the picture in the above blog, you would want to try out the easy recipe of tandoori paneer fry. My intention of my blogs are to create and show you easy recipes. They may not be authentic cuisine of any region, rather they are modified version to suit our needs and timings :) I hope you like them.

For Making Tandoori Paneer you will need :

1. Fresh Paneer. I buy Govardhan paneer, or Milky Mist paneer. I somehow prefer them over Nandini paneer. But that will be your choice. Any one would work. The best paneer I have tasted was in Switzerland. There is no match for it :)  . Also soak the paneer in warm water so that they remain moist and juicy when u cook them as well. I like it that way.

Make large chucks. So that it is easier and quicker to fry them on the tava. Not many people have tandoor or oven at home ;)

2. Dice the capsicum , Onions. You can choose variety of colours in capsicum, like yellow , red, green, orange. Its upto you to choose. Some people like tomatoes. So you can have slices of them as well. But refrain to use it because I am not a tomato fan :)

Cutting, choping, slicing and dicing- these skills you can master with practice. This time I have chosen onion rings and diced capsicum. :)

3. Prepare a masala paste with : 3 Big spoon of curd, half lemon, Tandoori masala(Everest )- 2 spoons large,  1/4 spoon red chilli powder, 1/4 spoon turmeric powder , 1 spoon ginger garlic paste , some salt, some pepper powder.

4. Add the diced veggies and paneer into this mixture and allow to stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours atleast. If you can keep it over night, the marinate will work the best. It will be absorbed well into the paneer and that will enhance the juicy taste of the dish.

5. Finally, just before you wanna prepare the dish, take the marinate out from fridge,  heat up the tava, sprinkle some oil (not for deep fry) , place the vegies and paneer pieces randomly. Fry them on both sides until the colour darkens. You will know it when its done. Take care not to burn them.

6. Serve Hot with chutney/sauce of your choice. Or you can have themjust like that.  I do make use of tooth picks and arrange the fried onions , capsicums , paneer in the way it will look tempting :)

7. Check out how it looks. If you have skeweres and oven, you can make them restaurant style. But them, mera kaam hai, kaam ko kam karna.. :P So frying pan ki jai ho!

My husband and brother are a huge fan of this dish and they insist me to prepare it frequently :) I hope you too have felt hungry , reading through the recipe. So why wait, Try it out and enjoyy the relishing spicy juicy paneer, in my style!

Hariyali Peas Pulav

" What's for dinner tonight? " , I literally have to face this question each evening, but there are a few days when I am prepared with the answer before hand. ;) After watching Narendra Modi leaving many in the parliament with tears, by his speech which was a mixture of drama and substance, I was charged with the words "HOPE". Well , positivity is something that people must not reject at any cost. Where there is the spark of hope, fire of success will set in for sure. The way Namo moved the nation with his speech, I decided to move my hubby with my cooking :P

I know it was a poor joke, but then let me get to the job I am here for. Today I have decided to prepare Hariyali Peas Pulav, Tomato Onion Raitha and Paneer tandoori Fry. The recipe of latter two will be a part of separate blog. (Too much is too bad in a day ;) )

I have prepared this dish for two people, so you need to adjust the ingredients quantity based on the number of people you want to serve.

Ingredients Required:

(For Hariyali peas pulav)

Fresh/Frozen green peas - 1 medium bowl.

1 medium sized onion.

5 Green chillies (I like it spicy ;)  )

1 cup fresh punida leaves

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves.

1/2 cup curd

Garlic cloves - 5  

tiny piece of ginger

(You can use ginger garlic paste instead)

1/4 spoon turmeric

1spoon Garam masala

Cinnamon 1 stick of 2 inches

Bay leaf - 1

Cumin (Jeera) - 1/4 spoon

Butter 1 spoon.

oil 2 spoons.

Lemon -  1/2

Salt - To taste

Capsicum - 1 small.

Rice - 2 cups.

Procedure:

1. Chop Onions length wise.

2. Grind  green chillies + coriander leaves + pudina leaves + ginger + garlic by adding curd in small jar of mixer.

3. Wash rice and soak in water for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Take a pressure cooker. Once Heated, add two spoons of oil.  Cinnamon stick, 1/4 spoon jeera, and sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes.

5. Add the green peas, ground mixture , turmeric, garam masala and capsicum and saute for couple minutes. Add rice and a spoon of butter and mix well.

   

6. Finally add water. For 1 cup rice - 2 cups water. This is the usual ratio. Since curd also leaves some water. I have adjusted accordingly. Add some salt. and stir.

7. Shut the cooker lid, keep the whistle on and increase the gas flame. For the first whistle. You can reduce the flame for the next whistle. This actually depends on the kind of rice you use. Basmati rice would cook very fast , hence, it is always good to cook them in an open vessel.

8. After 2 whistles. you can switch off the flame and wait until the steam has subsided. You can open the cooker lid and now serve the aromatic hariyali Peas pulav.

9. I served it hot with Paneer capsicum fry and tomato raitha. :) Lemon can be added at the end if you feel your pulav has turned spicy or if you like some tangy taste to activate you taste buds.

                         

Welcome To my Blog

Hello Friends,

Before I post my collection of recipes, I would like to put forward some points that will help all of us to be prepared for any type of cooking challenge that we face in day to day life. Our lives in cities and towns have become very hectic. In olden days, our mums , aunts and granny were bound to the four walls, and they had lots of time to nurture their kitchen.

Our lives, have changed. Today's woman has to balance her home, office, kids, in-laws, parents etc. This does take a toll on her and she barely has time to actually pay attention to her culinary skills. Every woman has the in-built quality to cook delicious meal for her family, but it is the time and situations that make her look and feel unsuitable for cooking!

So all you women out there, and even men who like to make a bachelor meal, students who stay away from home, make your life a bit more easy by planning in advance. I always plan a week ahead. I am a working woman and I do not like to compromise on my dinner menu, even if I reach home late from office.

Everything is possible for a willing heart, so you have to make a little effort and lo-behold, there you can see yourself serving and enjoying the most delicious meal that you have always dreamt of.

Quick tips:
1. Buy all you veggies , spices, curd, butter, wheat, pulses, rice over the weekend. Dont go over to the super market on a weekday after office and drain your energy standing in the long billing counters!
2. Clean up your veggies, and chicken/fish before your store it in your frigde. This will save you time when you are in a hurry to cook.
3. Boil two cups of toor dal on sunday night and store it in the refrigerator. This is extremely useful to make some healthy dal on monday and use dal in making sambhar on tuesday.
4. Eggs are a bachelor's best friend! Keep them handy.
5. Onions, potatoes, tomatoes, green chillies are a must on any kitchen counter. Train your hubby ;) or your kids to pick them every week for you. This will save you the task of carrying them :P
6. Grate a coconut and store it in the refrigerator for making chutney.
7. Dosa batter must be prepared over the weekend and can be stored in refrigerator.
8. If you are planning to have green leafy vegetables, make sure you clean them well in a large tub of water. They contain a lot of mud and dirt. I prefer to cook them on friday dinner time. ( Thanks to weekend holiday for IT)
9. Soak your pulses like rajma or channa before you leave for office in the morning. Your evenings will be lot easier.
10. Have a good quality pressure cooker. I keep one large and one small cooker. A good range of tava, frying pan, a kadhai, a nice set of spatulas,(for gravy, subji, frying, roasting ), good amount of bowls spoons, a good quality peeler, knife, scissors. I prefer steel utensils, and I do have a range of prestige cookware. So its your choice on the kind of cookware range you choose.
11. Remember what is good for your health. Make a right choice. Dont cook something that your neighbor taught you if you are allergic to it.
12. Keep your cook top, kitchen , fridge and sink clean at all times. This will give you the pleasure of cooking. Nobody would want to cook or eat in a messy kitchen. Pay attention to kitchen towels and floor. Wash them regulary. Sanitize well. Keep cockroaches at bay and keep food stuff closed. You dont want to find a lizard in your soup right?
13. Have few air tight containers at home. You would be able to store spices and cooked food for longer.
14. Always use low absorbing sunflower oil for cooking. Olive oil is not for over heating. It is mainly for salads. If you stay in coastal areas , use coconut oil and people who live in cold regions also use sarso ka tel (mustard oil).  Which ever oil you use, restrict the amount.
15. Last but not the least, Mom is the best guide. Call up your mom and get her best recipes so that you can pass it on to your next generation :)

Looking forward to have a great response from you all.