Kadhai Paneer from North India

Howdy (like we say it in Texas), its so good to be back and I’ve been itching to cook some more delicious food with you. Don’t know about you but I’m tired of eating out. After consuming all the delicious but butter laden holiday food, I'm ready for some simple yet appetizing home cooked meals. So lets kick it off with some super healthy, vegetarian, protein-rich meal.

I have had a lot of queries from you all asking me for replacements in dishes. One of the subscribers asked what they could substitute shrimp with since she was allergic to shell-fish. Simple answer is you can use absolutely anything with that gravy. My suggestions for vegetarians would be to go with either potatoes or Paneer (Indian cottage cheese cubes available at Indian grocery stores). You could even use pan sautéed Tofu and for non-vegetarians use chicken or lamb stew meat instead of shrimp. Exploring and experimenting is key with any type of cooking. Get your Chef’s hat on get adventurous, you will be surprised how many new combinations you will discover.

Balti Rajma and Kadhai Paneer

Another question I get asked a lot is whether all these recipes are original and my creations. Well some recipes are original (created by me) and I will mention them as we go. Some are adaptations/interpretations of existing ones with an Indian Fusion twist which will get their due diligence, of course.


You will often hear the words "Kadhai" or "Balti" in Indian cooking. It just means the utensil the dish is cooked in. The traditional method of cooking is by using a Cast Iron, Brass or Copper wok/skillet called a Kadhai and hence the name. This is an image of what a kadhai looks like. Balti dishes are made by using the same kadahi but are served in a Balti or bucket. Sometimes I like to use these to serve food for smaller gatherings.

Kadhai

Balti



This is my mom's way of cooking Paneer. I don't have the exact recipe with me but I am going to make it from how I remember eating it in India when she made it for us. My menu for tonight is Balti Rajma (red kidney beans made Kashmiri stlye, from the northern most parts of India) with the Kadahi Paneer, steamed rice and of-course no India meal is complete without a salad so we have fresh sliced cucumbers and Radishes with a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper.



At some point I will have the recipe with step-by-step instructions for the Balti Rajma. My camera was giving me grief so was not able to film it. Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did...

Recipe: Kadhai Paneer

Ingredients
12 Oz Paneer (low fat from Indian store)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
2 tsp Coriander seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1 tsp Cumin seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
5 Garlic cloves, minced
1" Ginger piece, minced
1 Serrano pepper, slit finely length wise
4 Tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp Dry Fenugreek leaves (Kastoori Methi)
salt to taste
2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped


Method

1. Dice the Paneer and Bell Peppers into big chunks about an inch.
2. Dry roast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds and crush them coarsely. I use my rolling pin and crush them on my chopping board.
3. Heat the oil and stir in the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Cook on a medium flame till its turns light brown in color. Make sure it does not get burnt. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the bell peppers and cook on medium flame till they are a little soft on the edges about 3 more minutes.
5. Add the dry spices: crushed cumin, coriander and caraway, turmeric and salt. Cook for a few more minutes.
6. Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft and blend with the spices really well about 5 minutes.
7. Add the Fenugreek leaves and stir for a minute.
8. Finally, add the sliced paneer and stir it well.  Lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes, you could cover it at this point so all the spices belnd together with the paneer.
9. Sprinkle with Coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rotis.

Step-by-step process,

Dice the Paneer and Bell Peppers into big chunks about an inch.



Dry roast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds and crush them coarsely. I use my rolling pin and crush them on my chopping board.

 

Heat the oil and stir in the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Cook on a medium flame till its turns light brown in color, taking care not to burn it because it cooks really fast in hot oil. It should take about 2 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and cook on medium flame till they are a little soft on the edges about 3 more minutes. I don't like the soggy looking, sickly bell peppers in my food. 
NOTE: Overcooking bell peppers is the worst thing you can do in terms of ruining nutrition value by destroying important vitamins and minerals. It not only compromises the flavor but the visual appeal too. It totally loses its taste as well as color. 
I like mine to be cooked but still hold their crunch, crispness, flavor and color.



Add the dry spices: crushed cumin, coriander and caraway, turmeric and salt. Cook for a couple more minutes till they blend well into the rest of the flavors.

Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the Fenugreek leaves and stir for a minute.

Finally, add the sliced paneer and stir it well.  Lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes, you could cover it at this point so all the spices belnd together with the paneer.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rotis.







Enjoy!!!

Garlic Mushroom Sauté…great side dish to any meal.

No I have not forgotten my Vegetarian friends and this recipe is dedicated to you, you know who you all are :) This is an under 30 minute dish with very few ingredients and super easy to make. It can't get any easier than this...


In our household Mushrooms and Red Bell peppers are a favorite. Cooked as a side like this or served raw with a dip, they are always welcomed with a smile. This medley of shallots, garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers and spinach complement each other to perfection. This is my own creation and not an adaptation of any existing recipe. This can be served with a crusty bread and salad as a simple and quick meal or can be served with daal and roti (naan) as an Indian meal.

Finger-licking Garlic Mushroom Saute

2-4 Tbsp Olive Oil (I use as little as possible)

2, 6 Oz. packs Baby white pearl mushrooms, washed thoroughly

1, 6 Oz. pack Baby brown pearl mushroom, washed thoroughly

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup packed Spinach, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

6 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Crusty bread to wipe up the juices or naan

Method

1.  Heat oil in a pan and add the shallots. Saute them on medium heat till they are translucent takes about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. It will start to turn light brown.
3. Add bell peppers and mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms have absorbed all the oil in the pan, takes about 7-8 minutes. Stir so the heat is evenly distributed.
4. Reduce heat to low and the mushrooms will sweat and leech a lot of juice.
5. Increase the heat again and saute for 4-5 minutes till the juices have almost evaporated.
6. Now add the spinach and stir it. Make sure it is not overcooked and retains its bright green color but  is wilted.
7. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. 
8. Add fresh coriander leaves and cook for another minute. 
9. Serve with a crusty bread or Naan and fresh salad.

Ingredients to make the recipe

White pearls

Brown pearls

Heat oil in a pan and add the shallots. Saute them on medium heat till they are translucent takes about 5 minutes.

Sliced shallots, look just like onions

Added to the oil when hot

Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. It will start to turn light brown.

Added garlic

Add bell peppers and mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms have absorbed all the oil in the pan, takes about 7-8 minutes. Stir so the heat is evenly distributed.

Washed mushrooms and diced red bell pepper

Added to the pan

Soaked up all the oil

Reduce heat to low and the mushrooms will sweat and leech a lot of juice.

Starting to sweat

Juices pooling up

Increase the heat again and saute for 4-5 minutes till the juices have almost evaporated. 



Step-by-step process,

Almost dry

Now add the spinach and stir it. Make sure it is not overcooked and retains its bright green color but  is wilted. 

Finely chopped spinach is added

Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir it well and add fresh coriander leaves and cook for another minute.  

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Add the squeezed juice

Add fresh, finely chopped coriander

Enjoy!!

Ingredients


Recipe: Garlic Mushroom Saute

Savory Shrimp Curry

Malabar Coast, the entire south-western coast of the Indian peninsula. This shrimp curry is a staple from the region.

Coconuts grow in abundance so coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in cooking. Fish, rice and Tapioca are staple foods. Kerala cuisine is richly spicy especially because of the hot spices -chilly, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.

Savory Shrimp Curry from Malabar Coast

Recipe: Savory Shrimp Curry

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive or vegetable oil (I prefer olive)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

10-12 Curry leaves

1/2 Yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 Shallot, thinly sliced

1 Serrano pepper, slit lengthwise into strips and de-seeded.

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Dried red chilli, broken into pieces (optional)

1" Ginger piece, grated

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric

 2 large or 3 small tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp Tamarind paste

1-1/2 cup Coconut milk

1 lb Shrimp, raw, peeled and de-veined (fresh or Frozen)

Salt to taste

Chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Chopped green onion for garnish

Method

1. If using frozen shrimp, put them out to thaw for a hour or so before you start cooking.
2. In a deep wok, heat the oil. When it is hot enough add the Mustard seeds and when they begin to pop add the curry leaves. Stir them in the oil and add the sliced onions and shallot.
3. Cook the onions  ad shallots on medium heat till they are translucent and begin to turn brown on the edges. You can't miss the woody, smoky aroma of the curry leaf and mustard seeds and the sweet caramelized fragrance of the browning onions. This will take about 7-8 minutes.
4. Add the slit green serrano chilli, ginger and garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the dried red chilli pieces (optional), depending on how hot you like your food.
6. Add the dry spice powders namely Turmeric, coriander and Cumin. Add a few drops of water if they look like they are getting burnt. The water helps blend the spices together and prevents scorching.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and the tamarind paste. Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
8. When the tomatoes have softened and blended well into the mixture, add the coconut milk and salt.
9. I like my gravy to be smooth in this recipe. It a weird texture thing in this case. I like the smooth grave with my shrimp and rice. Don't want too many textures to take away from the buttery smoothness of shrimp. So I take a hand blender and blend the whole concoction in the same pan. Please be careful as the gravy will be bubbling hot or you can turn off the heat ad wait a few minutes for it to cool down before you blend it.
10. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.
11. Finally, add the shrimp and let them cook. This will oly take a couple of minutes as the shrimp cook really fast.
12. Just before serving, garnish it with some finely chopped fresh coriander and green onion.

Note: Serve it with freshly steamed white or brown rice.

Step-by-step process,

Basic Ingredients

In a deep wok, heat the oil. When it is hot enough add the Mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add the curry leaves.

Olive oil and mustard seeds

Added curry leaves to the oil

Add the sliced onions and shallot. Cook the onions and shallots on medium heat till they are translucent and begin to turn brown on the edges. You can't miss the woody, smoky aroma of the curry leaf and mustard seeds and the sweet caramelized fragrance of the browning onions. This will take about 7-8 minutes.

Add the slit green serrano chilli, ginger and garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the dry spice powders namely Turmeric, coriander and Cumin. Add a few drops of water if they look like they are getting burnt. The water helps blend the spices together and prevents scorching.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the tamarind paste. Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.

When the tomatoes have softened and blended well into the mixture, add the coconut milk and salt.

I like my gravy to be smooth in this recipe. It a weird texture thing in this case. I like the smooth grave with my shrimp and rice. Don't want too many textures to take away from the buttery smoothness of shrimp. So I take a hand blender and blend the whole concoction in the same pan. Please be careful as the gravy will be bubbling hot or you can turn off the heat ad wait a few minutes for it to cool down before you blend it.

Blended 

Finally, add the shrimp and let them cook. This will only take a couple of minutes as the shrimp cook really fast.

Just before serving, garnish it with some finely chopped fresh coriander and green onion.