How to make shahi paneer

Wondering how to make shahi paneer? It is actually quite simply to make. This dish is slightly sweet and goes well along with biryani or naan. It is a high calorie rich dish

What you need to make shahi paneer:
Paneer cubes 2 cups
Almond 1 cup
Onion finely chopped
Ginger paste 1/2 spoon
Garlic paste 1/2 spoon
Green chilly paste 1/2 spoon
Coriander powder 2 spoon
Cumin powder 1 spoon
Garam masala 1 spoon
Pepper powder 2 spoon
Black cumin seeds 1 spoon
Yogurt 1 cup
Milk 1 cup
Salt to taste
Sugar 1/4 spoon
Oil 2 spoons
Cilantro for garnish

Method - how to make shahi paneer:
1) Soak almonds in milk for 15 mins and grind it into a paste
2) Heat oil in pan, add cumin seeds and onions to it. Fry until light brown
3) Add ginger, garlic and green chilly paste
4) Add yogurt, cumin powder, garam masala and cook for 2 minutes
5) Add paste made in 1 above
6) Add water and boil the mixture
7) Add salt, sugar and pepper powder
8) Let it simmer for 20 mins
9) Add Paneer and let it cook for 5 mins - keep it covered
10) Garnish with cilantro and serve

Now that you know how to make shahi paneer, try it out and post your comments below. There are other variations of how to make shahi paneer but this is good enough to get you started. Maybe later I will post other how to make shahi paneer recipes.

Sprouts Salad - light meal

This is a very health snack and it can be taken as a healthy meal replacement. Sprouts can be bought from stores or prepared overnight by putting moong dal in warm water. Let it soak overnight or even a day.

What you need:
Sprouts 1 cup
Onion 1/2 cup chopped
Tomato 1 cup chopped
Green chilly 1 finely chopped
Lemon 1/2 piece
Salt to taste
Cilantro and Mint for garnishing

Method:
1) Mix the onions, tomato, green chilly, cilantro and mint together in a bowl
2) Add few drops of lemon juice and salt
3) Mix well and serve

You can add chat powder or Amchur powder to make it more delicious

Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian

Although the name is Chinese this is a more or less an Indian dish. It is spicy and cripy. Goes very well with drinks or just plain Chinese noodles or fried rice.

It is a two step process - one for making fried Cauliflower balls and the second to make the gravy and mix it up

Step 1)
What you need:
Cauliflower - 1 - chopped into eatable chunks
Maida - 2 spoonfull
Corn flour - 2 cups
Chilli & Black pepper power - 1 spoon each
Salt - 1 spoon
Water to prepare batter
Oil to fry

Method:
1) Put the cauliflower is hot water for 5 mins
2) Prepare batter by mixing all ingredients above - keep it in semi solid state - not too thick or thin
3) Dip cauliflower pieces into batter and then fry in pan until light brown and cooked

Step 2)
What you need:
Onion 1 medium sliced
Garlic 3-4 cloves (chopped finely)
Ginger small cube finely chopped
Tomato sauce 3 spoons
Green chili - 2 finely chopped
Chilly sauce 1 spoon
Soy sauce - 3 spoons
Oil 2 sppons
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
1) Pour oil in pan and saute onion, garlic and ginger until onion is light brown
2) Add Tomato, chilly and soya sauce and mix well
3) Add cauliflower and mix well
4) Add garnish

Try it with Chinese hakka noodles or fried rice.

Curd Rice - best digestion dish

Whenever I feel bloated or had a severe dose of spicy food, I turn back to this dish for rejuvenating. Curd Rice is extremely good for digestion and can be had anytime of the day. It can made quickly either in its simplest form or the more exotic type found in southern restaurants. It is most popular in southern India and many a times eaten as the last course before sweets.

What you need:
1) Rice 1 cup (not basmati, regular rice)
2) Water 3 cups to cook rice
3) Cold Milk (optional, if you don't want milk just use some curd mixed with water)
4) Curd 1.5 cup
5) Salt as per taste
6) Coriander (finely chopped)
7) Green chilles (finely chopped) 1/2 to 1 piece depending on taste
9) Mustard seeds 1 spoon
10) Chana dal 2 spoons
11) 1 spoon oil

Method:
1) Cook rice with water in either microwave or cooker. It is ok to leave it soggy and not drain out all water
2) Add milk to rice and mix well. Let the mixture cool down.
3) Add curd to rice after it cools down and mix well. Preferably break the rice so that it forms a uniform mixture. Don't make a paste out of it though.
4) Add one spoon oil in pan on low flame
5) Add mustard seeds and chana dal. Stir until dal is brown in color
6) Add green chillies and salt to taste
7) Add rice/curd mixture and mix well for 2 mins on low flame
8) Let it cool and garnish with Coriander

In addition to make it health you can add peanuts, cashew nuts, grapes and chopped vegetables like carrot.

Rasam

Rasam is a type of dal which is very watery and is usually had with Rice. Very popular is South India and is considered very good for digestion. Rasam is somethings served like a soup or appetizer.

What you need:
1) Tamarind paste 1 spoon
2) 1 Tomato finely chopped
3) 3-4 cloves of garlic
4) 1 Green chilly
5) 1/4 spoon tumeric powder
6) Salt to taste
7) 1 spoon oil
8) 4 cups of water
9) Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
10) Coriander and curry leaves (3-4 each)
11) Rasam powder 2 spoons

Method:
1) Heat oil, add garlic, chillies and tomato to it. Cook for 2 minutes
2) Add Tamarind, tumeric powder, mustard seeds to it.
3) Add Water and cook until it comes to a boil
4) Add Salt and rasam powder
5) Let it boil until it gives a nice aroma. Don't overboil - it should be watery

It is best served with plain rice and papad. 

Curd Raitha (curd and veg mix)

Raitha is a side dish popular in India and it is very simple to make. Raitha can be prepared in various formats - boondi, onion, sev, etc. Boondi and Onion/Tomato Raitha are the two most popular and here is the recipe for both

What you need:
1) 1 cup curd (yogurt)
2) 1 Onion & 1 Tomato or 1/2 cup Bhoondi
3) Salt to taste
4) 1/2 spoon black pepper
5) 1/4 spoon red pepper
6) 3-4 finely chopped coriander leaves
7) 1/2 water

Method:
1) Mix curd and water in a bowl. Stir until they form a uniform mixture
2) Chop 1 onion & 1 tomato into small pieces
3) Mix Onion/Tomato along with curd
4) Add salt, pepper and mix well
5) Garnish with coriander

Replace Onion/Tomato with Bhoondi when preparing bhoondi Raita. This goes along very well with Aloo parantha or Veg Biryani

Vegetable Biryani (Rice)

Usually prepared at dinner time, biryani is popular in South India and Hyderabadi biryani is famous for its flavor. This recipe is a simpler version of Hyderabadi biryani and takes much less time to make. Hyderabadi biryani is best for non-vegetarians because it adds exact flavor to the meat. This recipe does not use meat and is completely vegetarian.

What you need:
1) 2 Cups Basmati Rice - preferably long grained
2) 1 medium chopped Onion - leave it long instead of small pieces
3) Ginger/garlic paste 1 spoon
4) 3-4 green chillies
5) 1 cup mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrot, beans, cabbage, corn)
6) Mint leaves (4-5)
7) 2 spoon Garam Masala powder
8) Black pepper 1/2 spoon
9) Tumeric powder 1/4 spoon
10) 1 spoon lemon juice
11) Salt to taste
12) Oil 3 spoon

Method:
1) Sauteed onion in oil until light brown.
2) Add ginger paste  and green chillies along with finely chopped mint leaves
3) Add garam masala powder, turmeric powder and pepper
4) Add vegetables and fry for 2 minutes
5) Add rice, salt to taste and lemon juice
6) Add 2 cup water
7) Cook until water evaporates at slow flame. You can also use rice cooker instead.
9) Mix well and garnish with mint leaves

It is best served with Curd Raita and plain curry.

Almost Soup

What you need
2 coconuts
6 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons ghee
2 curry leaves
To be ground into a paste
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 small green chillies
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method
1. Grate the coconut. Add 6 cups of warm water and blend in a blender. Strain to obtain coconut milk.
2. Heat the ghee and fry the cumin seeds for 1 minute. Add the paste and curry leaves and fry again for 1 minute.
3. Mix the cornflour and coconut milk, add to the paste and boil for a few minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Fried Vegetables

What you need:
3 teacups vegetables (baby corn, capsicums, cabbage and cauliflower), cut into long strips
oil for deep frying
For the batter
5 tablespoons cornflour
5 tablespoons plainflour
1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon Ajinomoto powder (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
To serve
green garlic sauce
schezuan sauce

Method
1. Mix the ingredients for the batter and add enough water to make a thick batter.
2. Dip the strips into the batter and deep fry in oil.
3. Serve hot with green garlic sauce and Schezuan sauce.

Chinese Soup

What you need:

6 teacups clear vegetable stock
1 teacup mushrooms, sliced or baby corn (parboiled)
1 teacup carrots, sliced (parboiled)
10 to 12 whole spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon oil
salt to taste

Method
1. Put the stock to boil.
2. Add the mushrooms and carrots and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the spinach leaves and salt. Boil for few seconds.
4. Trickle the oil on top.
5. Serve hot with chilies in vinegar, chilli sauce and soya sauce.

Cocunut Rice

What you need:
3 teacups cooked rice
2 teacups chopped spinach (palak) or 1 cup chopped suva bhaji (dill)
1 chopped onion
2 chopped green chillies
3 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste
For serving
coconut sauce

Method
1. Heat the oil in a tava and fry the onion for half a minute.
2. Add the green chillies and fry again for a few seconds.
3. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice and salt and cook for a few minutes.
5. Serve hot with coconut sauce.

Bhindi curry with a difference

What you need:
250 grams tender bhindi ladies finger)
1 onion, finely sliced
2 green chillies, slit
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder, freshly ground
4 tablespoons oil or ghee
salt to taste

Method
1. Wash and dry the bhindi. Trim them.
2. Heat the oil in a large tava, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the bhindi and salt and continue cooking for a few minutes.
5. Add the cumin seed, chilli and pepper powders and cook for a while.
6. Serve hot.

Sizlling Sizzler

What you need
8 capsicums
vegetable taka tak

Method
1. Cut the capsicums into two and put them in boiling salted water.
2. After 3 to 4 minutes, take out the capsicum halves and fill with any rice or pullav or any green vegetable of your choice.

Method to sizzle
1. Heat a sizzling cast iron plate or tava until red hot.
2. When you want to serve, put a large leaf of lettuce or cabbage on the red hot iron cast plate so that the food will not stick. Then, place the stuffed capsicums on the sizzling plate .
3. Mix 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of water and spread over the stuffed capsicums to get the sizzling effect.

Tasty Parathas

What you need
1 1/2 teacups plain flour (maida)
1 1/2 teacups wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon melted butter or ghee
a little milk
For the stuffing
1 teacup chana dal
2 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped coriander
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
salt to taste
Other ingredients
ghee or oil

Method for the dough
1. Mix the plain flour, wheat flour, salt and butter. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.
2. Knead the dough very well and keep aside for 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll out into rounds with the help of a little flour.

Method for the stuffing
1. Wash the chana dal and soak in water for 1 hour.
2. Boil plenty of water, add the chana dal and salt and cook till tender. Drain and cool.
3. Add the green chillies, coriander, onion and ginger.

Finally the paranthas
1. Put 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the centre of each dough round and fold like an envelope from all corners.
2. Put the round on a tava with the open edges at the bottom. Cook for a few minutes using ghee or oil. Turn over on the other side and cook again until crisp.
3. Repeat for the remaining rounds and stuffing.
4. Serve hot with curds.

Nachos & Salsa

Buy Nachos off the shelf

What you need for Salsa:
3 tomatoes
2 teaspoons chillies in vinegar
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 capsicum
2 pinches ajwain
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
1. Put the tomatoes in hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove the skin and chop.
2. Pierce the capsicum with a fork and hold over the flame until the skin blackens. Remove from the heat, rub off the burnt skin and chop.
3. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 1/2 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

Light dinner soup

What you need
1 teacup cauliflower, cut into big pieces
2 tablespoons chopped lettuce leaves
2 sliced carrots
1 tablespoon chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions without leaves
1 medium sized firm tomato, cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons cooked and dried rice
1/4 teaspoon Ajinomoto powder
2 tablespoons refined oil
refined oil for deep frying
salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil on a high flame and add the cauliflower, carrot, celery, spring onions, Ajinomotto powder and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add 6 teacups of hot water, the tomato pieces, lettuce and salt and give one boil.
3. Pour into a large serving bowl.
4. Deep fry the dried rice on a high flame.
5. Just before serving, add the rice.
6. Serve hot with chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce.

Homemade tomato soup

Here is a quick recipe for good homemade tomato soup.

1) Take 3-4 tomatoes, cut into 4-5 pieces each and add to mixer
2) Add 1 glass of water
3) Run the mixer and check if no tomato chunks remain
4) Rerun mixer if necessary
5) Extract mixture and pour into a vessel
6) Heat vessel, add salt, black pepper to taste
7) Add 1/2 spoon sugar
8) Let it boil for 2 minutes
9) Serve in bowl and garnish with fresh mint/herbs

Try this with khicadi - makes for great sunday evening dinner :)

Spicy Macaroni

Another one of my favorite. Takes about 20 mins to make

1. Take a cup of macaroni, mix with a cup of water and heat in microwave for 12 mins
2. In parallel, cut 1 onion and 1 potato into small slices - this can be optional, don't use if you don't want to
3. Heal 1 spoon oil in pan. Add 1/2 spoon cummin & mustard each.
4. Add 1/4 spoon tumeric powder
5. Add onion/potato to the pan and leave it covered for 5 mins
6. Add salt, red chilli to taste
7. Once the macaroni is done, add to pan and mix well
8. Add tomato sauce/ketchup - 4-5 spoons should be ok, can add more as per taste
9. Mix well and leave covered for 3 mins

I personal use Maggi Hot & Sweet ketchup to give it that right mix of spice and sweet taste that I enjoy

Desi Pizza

Today was lazying in bed and ordered Dominos for lunch. Eating this hot cheesy pizza reminded me about the pizza I make at home. So here goes

1. Buy plain pizza bread from your grocery store
2. Cut 1 tomatoes & onion each into small pieces
3. Take a small bowl and heat one tea spoon of oil
4. Add 1/2 spoon of cummin seeds and mustard seeds to the bowl
5. After the oil heats up add 1/4 spoon turmeric power
6. Add salt & red chilly powder to taste
7. (optional) Add 1/2 spoon chat masala powder for a true desi taste
8. Mix it well and let the onion/tomatoes cook until soft
9. Heat a flat pan and heat one side of the pizza bread until light brown
10. Turn bread and spread the mix prepared earlier evenly on it
11. (optional) Add grated cheese if you want a nice dose of calories.
12. Cover the pan and leave it for 10 mins on slow heat

Nice lovely home made desi pizza is ready to serve.

Curd rice

This is another healthy receipe for lunch or dinner. Great for digestion and can be used for detox

1. Wash one cup of rice with water and add to a microwavable bowl
2. Add one cup of water to it
3. Cook for 15 minutes until it is well done
4. Take one cup curd/yogurt and mix with rice. Add salt/black pepper to taste

Thats it. Have fun