Paneer Peas Masala | Mutter Paneer ~ Side Dish for Chapati

When you hit on a combination that works out wonders, I am sure we end up using that combination in as many variations as we can come up with! That's true with Peas and Paneer. You can never go wrong with combining these two together for a gourmet gravy and be sure to win over your guests. 

Couple of decades back, when one wanted to host a party, they made sure there planned a proper vegetarian and a non vegetarian dishes, keeping in mind the crowd pleasers. If I remember right, it used to be Channa Masala with Pooris. Be it lunch or dinner, these two found it's way. However ever since Paneer took the crowd by storm, there is nothing but paneer in any party you attend or host yourself. One can't go wrong in selecting Paneer. 

At one point, I almost wondered if all the dishes ended up being made with paneer. So much so that I decided I had to plan a menu with this star. Anyway coming back to our recent parties, that I have ended up clicking pictures and sharing the menus, I noticed we were back to the spot of making sure we had the Paneer for the vegetarians. And let me confess all of them were hit. 

So even though I have three or is it four, versions of Paneer with Peas or other ingredients, it was so well received.

The other versions be it Mutter Paneer Masala, Matter Paneer or Mater Paneer Masala, each has been a different yet appealing in it's own standards!

Ingredients Needed:

Paneer - 250 gms
Peas - 1 cup
Onions - 2 medium
Tomato puree - 2 cups
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Cashew paste from 10 whole ones
Malai - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder -1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 3/4 tsp
Curds/Yogurt - 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

How to make the gravy

Have Homemade Paneer ready. Since this is homemade you don't need to saute in butter. If store bought, cube and saute in butter.

Soak cashews in hot water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Blanch the fresh peas and keep it ready.

Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute the onions till they turn colour, then add ginger garlic paste.

Next add the tomato puree, fresh peas, cook for few mins in sim. then add cashew paste, blended malai, and all the spices. Simmer till the gravy gets well cooked. This takes about 10 mins.

Then add the beaten curds and mix well. Add a cup of water and bring to boil. Add the paneer at this time and simmer for 5 - 7 mins.

Finally add the butter and remove, you can garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with Naans or chapatis.

This was one of the main dish served for the vegetarians in a party and surely disappeared before I could take a proper picture!

Other Paneer Recipes

Paneer Stuffed Buns | Homemade Paneer Buns

From there are certain things that jog your memory and take you down the memory lane, most of them would be linked with food. There is always something that reminds you of those days gone by and you get fonder for those each moment. Buns, especially savory ones have always been such favorite. When we visit the local bakery, I always look at the freshly baked buns and always wanted to bake at home.

Somehow when I started baking at home, I never got around clicking pictures. And this time again, I made the same dough as for homemade pizzas and wanted to bake these buns for Konda with some Paneer stuffing. There was so much commotion, what with both Konda and Peddu wanting the pizzas, while Chinnu was sulking for Maggi, I ended up with a messy dough, which wouldn't stay it's shape and then short of time, all resulted in me forgetting the vital thing. Brushing with butter and milk to get the golden crust on top. Albeit the lack of the final thing, I decided to go ahead sharing this as it surely didn't lack in taste.

I would surely bake these again with the final touch and change the pictures, hopefully sometime. Even when I was clicking them I was wondering what was missing, but if you can imagine a five minute break that you get between shots and mouth, you would understand my predicament. 

With the new year fast approaching, with kids exam started today, it's been a week to remember. The last few weeks of the year that's been so eventful in so many ways. As always so many memories, best of course would be one of these bakes.Since my hands were too messy, I was glad I had Konda to click a step by step pictures for me. She is very interested in photography and has the P&S that I am no longer using. I am waiting when she will get to handle bigger ones.

Step by Step Pictures

Paneer Stuffed Buns

Ingredients Needed:

For the Dough

All purpose flour / Maida - 3 cups
Dry Yeast - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt a pinch
Olive Oil / Cooking Oil - 4 tbsp
Water to make the dough

For the Paneer Stuffing:

Onion - 1 medium
Paneer, crumbled - 1 cup
Roasted Chili flakes - 1 - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Garlic, grated - 2 pods
Oil - 2 tsp

For the Final Brush

Milk - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

How to make the dough

Heat the milk to lukewarm, add the yeast along with sugar and keep it covered for 10 mins.

In a wide bowl, take the flour, salt and mix well. Then when the yeast has risen well, add to the flour and crumble well. Slowly add the water to knead into a soft pliable dough. Keep adding the oil in intervals, until you get a dough that doesn't stick to your hands.

Pat down well and keep it covered for an hour. Punch and knead again and let it rest for 2 hrs.

How to make the stuffing

Heat a pan with oil, add the grated garlic, saute well. Then add the finely chopped onions. Once they turn colour, crumble the paneer, add salt and chili flakes. Mix everything well.

How to make the Paneer stuffed Buns

Once the dough doubled it's original quantity, punch it down again and pinch out small balls. Flatten in the middle, place a spoonful of the stuffing and enclose wel.

In a greased baking tray or a foil covered tray, place the stuffed in buns. Let it rest for another 30 mins or so. By then the dough would again rise.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 185 C for 15 mins. Allow it on the wire rack for a while before serving this warm.

Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana Deepak, Priya Suresh, Veena Krishnakumar, Preeti Deo and Jayasri Ravi

Mattar Paneer Recipe 3 | Peas Paneer Masala

When it comes to making quick gravies for Rotis as side dish, there is nothing more simpler than making with Mattar and Paneer. Both these are surely a hit combination and can be served with almost any Indian Bread. Sometimes I remember making a sandwich with this filling as well. 

I have already posted two versions of mattar paneer, one with nuts and one without tomato. Today's version is the most common and the simplest. I wonder how I have not shared this under quick 30 mins cooking. Making about six to eight chapatis doesn't take that much time. So this is one of those quick side dishes that you can make when you come back home in the evenings.

Mattar Paneer

I normally make this for chapatis, but this tastes so much better with ghee rice or vegetable fried rice. I made this with vegetable fried rice

Mattar Paneer

Ingredients Needed:

Paneer - 1 cup
Fresh Peas - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Roasted cumin powder -1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves handful.

How to make Mattar Paneer

Wash and keep the peas aside.

If you are using store bought paneer, stir in a tsp of ghee and soak in hot water.

If you are using homemade paneer, you can simply cut into cubes and saute them in ghee.

Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute finely chopped onions. When they start turning colour, add ginger garlic paste. Cook till the raw smell leaves.

Now add the tomato puree, cook till the tomato is done. Add the spice powders and saute well. Add the fresh peas and saute well.

Add a cup of water and bring to boil. Then add the roasted paneer and simmer for 5 - 7 mins.

Finally just before switching off, add garam masala and coriander leaves.

Serve it with Chapatis

Paneer in Coconut Gravy | Side Dish for Chapati / Roti

When we think of Paneer, it's always either Paneer Butter Masala or any of the other combinations that we would come up with. If we decide not to make the gravy rich and creamy, we might end up using the paneer with aloo or peas or gobi. I know all of these tastes great and makes a wonderful side dish for rotis.

There is another version that Amma makes that's very creamy and aromatic. She uses lot of cardamom and couple of other spices that makes the dish stand out. So in all speculation we thought using something like coconut should not be very different.

So here is your crowd pleaser cooked in a coconut base. And you can take my word, it tastes great with rotis too. If you are one of those who think you can't pair Paneer in any other form you ought to make and taste for yourself.

Ingredients Needed:

Paneer - 250 gms
Onions - 1 cup
Tomatoes, puree - 1 cup
Tomato chopped - 1/2 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chilies - 1 long
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Garam Masala
Coconut paste - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp

How to make Paneer in Coconut Gravy:

If you are using store bought Paneer, cut into cubes and roast in ghee. Else it's not required with homemade paneer.

Heat a kadai with oil, saute onions till they turn colour, add ginger garlic paste and green chili. Add the chopped tomatoes and add all the spice powders. Simmer for few mins.

When the tomatoes soften, add the puree and bring to boil. Add a cup of water and then coconut paste.

Bring to boil, add salt. Finally add the paneer.

Serve with Chapatis

Some may tag this preparation as Paneer Malabari, I don't think this recipe will qualify for that.

Enjoy your week ahead!

Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry Recipe ~ Weekend Cooking!

Last weekend when I made the Tomato Pulao in microwave, I was thinking what should be done as the side dish for the pulao. Hubby dear doesn't like just Onion raitha being served along with the pulaos as they hardly ever spicy. So a spicy gravy is what he expects most times. Normally with the ground masala that we make for the tomato pulao, we make cauliflower curry. But this time thought should make something different.

Amma had made this Koftas with Aloo and Paneer. The curry made a great pair with the tomato pulao. I was sure it would have been ever more delicious if you were to serve this with Naans or even plain rotis. Try this for this weekend, I am sure you will love it!

Saturday is going to be an off and I already have fully packed plans. With the Blogging Marathon getting into its final few days, I still have one more dish to make for the final day. I am sure I will finalise by tomorrow.

Now let's get to the recipe!

Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry

For the Koftas
 

Paneer  1/2 cup
Aloo - 2 medium
Maida - 2 tbsp
Green Chilies - 1
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For the gravy

Onion paste - 1/2 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Curds - 25 gms / 1.4 cup
Cashewnut paste - 10 nos
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

How to make the Koftas

When you make the paneer, it's better if you don't try to make a cube out of it. Just store it as such, since you will anyway need to crumble it for the koftas.

Take everything in a bowl, mix well. The maida and aloo should hold the mix well. Shape them into balls and deep fry, Keep it aside.

How to make the Gravy:

Heat a non stick pan with oil. Add the onion paste, saute well. Then add the ginger garlic paste. Keep stirring till the mix is well cooked.

Then add the tomato puree, and chili powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Simmer till the tomato is well cooked. Simmer and add beaten curds. Make sure to quickly mix everything.

Finally when the tomato sauce is well cooked, takes about 10 mins, add the cashew nut paste.

Simmer for couple of mins.

Finally add chopped coriander.

How to serve the Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry.

Place the fried koftas in a bowl, pour hot sauce over it and serve right away.

Notes: If you are not planning to eat the dish right away, it makes sense not to add the koftas as it will absorb all the sauces. Just before serving, heat the sauce again, if required, pour over the koftas to serve with Rice or roti.

Have a great weekend!

Paneer Frankie Recipe for Kids | Paneer Wraps with Step by Step Recipe

When I announced Sandwich Mela, I had tall plans of making many of my to do items. As much clichéd I sound to myself, time did fly away and I find myself not having blogged even one for the event myself. This Paneer Wraps was something I should have posted many weeks ago. It is making it's presence only now.

Few years ago, during one of our air travel, I got to eat something called Malabar Paneer Roll. It was a Kati roll, stuffed with paneer masala. It was delicious to say the least. Back home I tried to recreate the same but with Aloo, though the entire thing came out well, the outer layer was little uncooked at the ends. I had packed the Kati roll with Aloo subzi for Hubby dear for his travel. He said it was delicious but I could try cooking it little more at the places where I folded.

Later I wanted to know more about Kati Roll and Frankie, so a little study on this, I came to know there is still so much one has to learn! The delicious Kati Roll, a famous Calcutta street food, are layered parathas, stuffed with different stuffing. Traditionally these were stuffed with Kebabs. Now even if they have deferred from using Kebabs in between, these still go by the name as Kati Roll.

While Frankie is famous in Bombay and is talked much about by CurryFusion in this interesting article. Frankie is supposed to be a staple fast food in Mumbai. The Frankie is an Indian version of a wrap or Burrito. Reading on Kati Roll and Frankie, I can find lot of similarities between Kati Roll and Frankie, as even a Frankie is a roti dredged in beaten egg, and griddled, then piled with variety of filling options.

So going by the assumption of fast food, there really may not be an authentic recipe for the stuffing. you can just do it on the go. Recently we had a Food bloggers meet, where Priya made some Frankie for us. It was a wonderful meet, where we could all taste the fellow blogger's food. As I was busy grilling the pav for the bhaji I took for the meet, I didn't pay attention to the recipe she was sharing with the rest. But it surely reminded me that I ought to post my version of Frankie / Warps / Kati Roll as you might want to call it.

When I had a huge portion of paneer that needed to be used up, this is what I ended up doing.

Step by Step Recipe with pictures for making Paneer Wraps

For the Filling

 For making the outer layer

 To assemble the Frankie

Paneer Frankie | Paneer Wraps
Makes : 10 - 11 wraps

Ingredients Needed to prepare Frankie

For the outer layer:

Whole Wheat flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Cold butter - 2 tbsp (appx, can be less if you want)
Salt to taste
Flour to dust

For the paneer stuffing:

Paneer - made from 1 & 1/2 liter milk.
Onions - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Spice powders to be added:

Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp
Amchur / Dry Mango Powder - 1 /4 tsp
Kala Namak - a pinch (opt)
Salt to taste

To assemble the frankie
Table butter
Rotis/ Outer layer
Stuffing

How to make Paneer Frankie

For the outer layer:

In a wide bowl, take equal portion of wheat flour and all purpose flour, add salt and cut cold butter. Crumble the butter into the flour and continue doing it till it turns crumbly. Then slowly add water and knead to a soft dough. Cover and leave it aside for 10 - 30 mins.

Pinch out small lemon size balls and roll out as you would regular do rotis, dusting with maida.

Heat a tawa, cook on both sides without adding oil.

Continue doing till you are done with all the rotis.

For the Paneer stuffing

Make paneer at home.

In a non stick pan, add oil and onion juliennes. Saute well till they turn brown. Then add ginger garlic pate. Saute well. 

then add tomatoes and continue cooking till the tomatoes done. Add all the spice powders, mix well. Simmer and cook for few minutes.

Add the cubes paneer pieces and combine everything well. The stuffing needs to be almost dry.

To assemble the Frankie

Take one roti, spread butter over it, spoon out the stuffing in the center. Then from one side, fold it over the stuffing and from the other side bring it forward. Close it tightly and cut in center for easy serving.

Cut and serve!

You can even wrap a tissue paper or aluminum foil to hold this in place.

Makes a great dish for carrying for light lunches or picnics. I sent this for Konda's lunch and she loved it so much.