Paneer in White Sauce Gravy

Hi All, due to constraints in ingredients, had to come up with something with no tomatoes or garlic and surprisingly this one came out really well. Even though it did not have the usual "Masala" ingredients to make a typical Paneer Side, this was refreshingly mild and different. My kids absolutely loved it so, here it goes

Paneer in White Sauce Gravy

INGREDIENTS

Paneer: 1 Cup diced into medium cubes

Green Chillies: 2 slit

Onions: 1 medium chopped

Dhania seeds: 1 Tsp

Black Cardamom: 1

Star Anise: 1

Bay leaf: 1 medium

Cinnamon Stick: 1 small

Cashews: 10-15 soaked in 1/2 cup Milk

Milk: 1/2 cup or full fat 1/4th cup

Kasoori Methi: 1 Tsp crushed

Garam Masala: 1 Tsp

Butter and salt as required

Water: 1/4 cup

Black Pepper: Crushed 1/2 Tsp ( if needed)

Paneer in white Sauce Gravy

MAKING

Heat Butter in a kadai or pan. Once heated, add the Dhania seeds, Green chilli's, Star Anise, Cinnamon stick, Bay leaf and Black Cardamom. Once this mix turns aromatic, add in the chopped onions. Keep sauteing, until the onions turn translucent and the raw smell is gone. Switch off the gas, remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, and black cardamom and grind the rest into a fine paste using a blender.

Now heat the same pan/kadai again, add butter. Once heated, add in the onion gravy paste and saute it for a couple of minutes in low flame. 

Meanwhile, grind the cashews in milk such that the cashews has been ground fine with milk and is now a semi-liquid cashew milk. 

Once the onion gravy has been sauteed, add in the paneer cubes, cashew milk and required salt. Allow this to cook for at least 5-10 minutes in low flame with 1/4th cup water. This allows the gravy to cook into a thicker consistency. 

Finally, add 1 tsp of Garam Masala and mix it well. Switch off the gas, add in the crushed Kasoori Methi and Crushed Black Pepper (if needed).

That's t, delicious Paneer in white sauce gravy is ready. Serve it hot with Naan's or Rotis. 

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Adding Black Pepper is optional.

You could make it without onions as well. 

Fresh Cream will make it more tasty and the right consistency

I used 2% milk and it came out well

SHAKKAR PARA( Sugar Diamond Biscuit)

Hi all, it's been a while. It was great to celebrate Diwali after a year of Covid and lockdowns. The feeling of wishing family and friends, to be able to greet neighbors, to be able to spend quality time as a family was priceless. Decided to make some sweets and savories. This one snack came out really well and it was my favorite from the lot. Something easy, tasty, and simple to make. So, here it goes

SHAKKAR PARA ( Diamond-cut Sugar Biscuit)

INGREDIENTS

All-Purpose Flour( Maida): 1 Cup

Sugar: 1/2 Cup

Cardamom powder: 1-2 Pinch

Salt: A pinch

Baking Powder: 1/4th Tsp

Rice Flour: 1-2 Tbsp ( If needed)

Oil for Frying

Water to make the dough

Shakkar Para ( Diamond-Cut Sugar Biscuit)

MAKING

Mix all the above dry ingredients and mix well. Then slowly add water as needed to make a semi-thick dough. The dough consistency should be like the dough to make Rotis. If in case, your dough sticks to your hand, then add the rice flour to the dough. This adds crispiness to the biscuit and also helps in getting the right consistency to the dough.

Now, heat oil in a Kadai. while the oil, is heating, make a ball out of the dough and roll them out using a rolling pin like you do for Rotis. Use a knife to cut diagonal strips lengthwise and also horizontally to get a diamond shape.

Once the oil is heated up, drop in the diamond cut dough and dry them until the biscuits turn golden brown. Take them out and place them in a paper towel to drain out any oil left from frying.

while the biscuits are frying. You can make other diamond cuts ready from the dough.

Delicious, crispy diamond-cut Shakkar Para are ready to eat. 

TIPS/VARIATIONS

You can add more sugar if you need more sweetness to the para

You can also add besan if needed

The dough consistency is very important to get it right

Cardamom powder gives a delightful flavor

Baking powder puffs up the biscuits.

LAUKI MASALA (SORRAKAI/BOTTLE GOURD) MASALA

Hi All, its been a while, life has turned very busy with a lot of new activities. The recipe I am going to share today has an interesting background. I had not used this vegetable much, I received a big piece from my good neighbor and that's when I decided to make something as a side for my Roti's. Lauki is also called Sorrakai in Tamil and Bottle Gourd in English. It releases a lot of water and is similar to white pumpkin with seeds and a thick outer skin. So, here it goes

LAUKI MASALA (Sorrakai Sabji)

INGREDIENTS

Lauki ( Sorrakai/Bottle Gourd): About 2 Cups diced into medium rectangles/squares

Onion: 1 Medium chopped

Tomato: 1 medium chopped into small cubes

Jeera ( Cumin seeds) : 1 Tsp

Green Chilli's: 2-3 slit into half

Ginger/Garlic: 1 Tsp each finely chopped

Turmeric: 1/8th Tsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tsp

Jeera-Dhania Powder: 1 Tsp

Garam Masala: 1 Tsp

Curry leaves: 8-10

Salt and oil as required

Water: 1/2 cup

Lauki Masala

MAKING

In a kadai/pan, add oil ( 1-2 Tsp), once hot, add in the Jeera, Ginger and Garlic, Slit green chilli's and Curry leaves. Saute for a minute or two before adding in the Onions. Saute again for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent or light golden brown. Now add in the chopped tomatoes, after a couple of minutes add in the Turmeric, Red chilli powder, Jeera-Dhania Powder. Saute for a 3-4 minutes in low flame before adding the diced Lauki (Bottle Gourd/Sorrakai). Saute for a few more minutes, add the required salt and Garam Masala. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Finally add in water and use a lid to close the kadai/pan.

Allow the Lauki to cook until the pieces turn soft and transparent. Do not overcook it to the extent that it gets mushy.

Garnish it with freshly chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

The Curry leaves gives a distinct taste. 

I used Thai Chillies which is bigger, less spicy and more flavorful.

I diced the Lauki into bigger pieces as smaller size has the risk of getting mushy when cooked.

This vegetable releases water hence do not add too much water for cooking the same.

KASHMIRI DUM ALOO

Hi all, had some small potatoes left and decided to make use of it. So I searched online and decided to make DUM ALOO. When I read more on it, got to know that Dum means slow-cooked, and it's a dish from the region of Kashmir predominantly a dish made by Kashmiri Hindus using small potatoes. There are 2 ways of doing it, one without onions or garlic, one with them. Will give you both versions recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Small Potatoes: 12-15 peeled

Kashmiri Red Chilli powder: 2 Tsp

Yoghurt: 3-4 Tbsp

Hing/Asafoetida: 1/2 Tsp

Oil as required

Water as required for boiling and 2 Tbsp for mixing

Salt as required

SPICES to be dry roasted and powdered (2 Tsp)

Fennel Seeds: 1 Tsp

Jeera ( Cumin): 1 Tsp

Cinnamon Stick: 1 medium stick

Cloves: 3-4

Black Cardamom: 1 medium

Black Pepper:3-4

WITH ONION and GARLIC 

All of the below must be sauteed and ground into a nice paste using water

INGREDIENTS

Onion: 1 Medium chopped

Tomatoes: 2 medium chopped

Garlic: 2 pods

cashews: 10-12

Dum Aloo

MAKING

Boil water with a little bit of salt. Once it starts boiling add the peeled potatoes and cook until potatoes are semi-soft. Drain the water and keep the potatoes aside. 

In a shallow pan, pour about 1-2 Tbsp oil and shallow roast the semi-boiled potatoes until they form a golden crust outside. Switch off the gas and set them aside.

Now in a small bowl, mix the 2 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder with 2 Tbsp water and set aside.

Take the same pan with the leftover oil from the shallow frying. Once heated, add 1/2 Tsp Hing. Now add the red chilli powder soaked in water to the pan and saute it in low flame until little bubbles come to form.

If you are making with Onion and Garlic, this is the time to add the Onion-Garlic paste that was sauteed and pureed.

If not, then once the red chilli liquid starts bubbling, add in the 3-4 Tbsp fresh yoghurt and mix it well with the red chilli liquid and cook for a couple of minutes on low flame before adding in the roasted small potatoes.

Allow the small potatoes to blend well before adding the dry roasted spice powder. Cook again for some more time ( 3-4 minutes) with the required salt and if needed some water depending on the consistency of the gravy.

That's it, delicious Dum Aloo is ready. Garnish with a spoon of yoghurt and freshly chopped cilantro.

If you are proceeding with Onion and Garlic Dum Aloo, then after adding the onion-garlic paste, you would add the roasted potatoes, spice powder cook some more with the required salt. Then add the 3-4 Tbsp Yoghurt. Cook for a couple of minutes before switching off the gas. Garnish with the same as mentioned above.

Serve it hot with fried rice or Roti's, Chapati's, Naans or Parathas.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

you can poke holes with a fork in the potatoes when boiling for them to cook all through.

If the potatoes are not the same size, i.e some are bigger, cut them into halves.

you could add green cardamom to the spice mix

you could also use dry ginger powder(1/2 Tsp) when making this dish.

Fresh yoghurt works well, not sour or the less sour the better.