Creamy Paneer and Baby Corn Masala

I was over excited when I saw some bottled baby corns in a super market. I have never seen anyone selling this delicious vegetable where I am staying right now. Thanks to my best friend "Hamsi" for suggesting this store. I have never dealt with this vegetable before. First time made Chilli Baby Corn in Hamsi's house a few days ago. I love the taste of this yummy vegetable and this is another stuff which I am going to experiment with in next few days.!!! And ya, my sweetheart also loves it. So, I thought of preparing a gravy for my masala flaky parathas. I googled a lot of recipes, combined many recipes and ended up with "my own version" of this dish.
This gravy is very rich, creamy and delicious. In short, my first experiment with this vegetable was a great hit at my place.

So, here I am posting the recipe of the same.

Ingredients

To grind

• Onion - 1, roughly chopped
• Tomato - 1 , roughly chopped
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 3 cloves (If too small, take 4 or 5)
• Green chillies - 3 or 4 (according to your spice preference)

To Soak and Grind

• Cashews - 8 or 9
• Almonds - 8 or 9 (De-skinned )
• Melon seeds - 1 tblspn
• Warm milk - 1/2 cup

Other Ingredients

• Oil/ butter - 1 tblspn
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Onions - 1, finely chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Yoghurt - 1/4 cup
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Kitchen king masala - 1 tsp
• Dried fenugreek leaves/ kasuri methi - 1 tsp, crushed
• Cream - 1 tblspn
• Coriander leaves- to garnish

Method

To Grind

Grind all the ingredients under "To Grind" heading in the ingredients list in to a fine paste. Add little water if necessary. Make sure the mixture is not too watery. Keep aside

To Soak and Grind

• Take some warm milk in a bowl and combine cashews, almonds and melon seeds. Let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Then grind in to a smooth paste. Keep aside

How to Proceed

• Heat 1 tsp of oil/ butter in a pan. Shallow fry the paneer cubes until it becomes golden brown from all the sides. Remove from the pan. In the same pan, add 1 mre tsp of oil/ butter and shallow fry the baby corn until it is golden brown here and there. This step is completely optional.

• In a bowl, combine well beaten yogurt, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and kitchen king masala powder. Mix well and keep it aside. Let it sit for 20 minutes

• Heat the remaining oil/ butter in a pan and add cumin seeds. When it starts changing the color, add onions. Saute till it becomes transparent. Add salt and sugar.

• Now add the onion, tomato paste, 1/4 cup water. Mix well.

• Cover the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Keep stirring every 5 or 6 minutes. It will become dry and the raw smell of the onion and tomato will vanish away. Make sure to keep the heat in medium.

• Now add the yogurt mixture and some water. Let it come to one boil.

 

 

• Now add the cashew, almond and melon seeds paste

• Add the crushed kasuri methi

• Add the fried paneer and baby corns. Give it a stir. Cover the lid and let it cook for 20 minutes in a medium-low flame. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning at the bottom. Let the paneer and baby corn absorb all the flavors from the gravy.

 

• Open the lid and check whether the baby corn has cooked well. If not, cover the lid again and cook for some more time. If it is done, check the consistency of the gravy and add the cream.
• Cover the lid again. Cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes before transfering in to the serving dish.
• Now, serve garnished with coriander leaves and some cream(optional).
• It goes well with chapathi/naan/roti/phulka or even with any mild pulaos.

 

Notes

• To de-skin the almonds, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. Try to peel off the skin. you can easily de-skin them

Stuffed Gulab Jamun Subzi

I don't know how this idea popped up in my mind!! I wasn't even sure how it would turn out at the end..!! But to my surprise, my hubby totally loved it and he asked me to prepare this often hereafter. I was so happy that my experiment was not a failure this time.. lol!!

These are simply stuffed gulab jamuns immersed in onion tomato gravy. I used ready made MTR Gulab jamun mix. They are stuffed with boiled potato, peas and peanuts along with some spice powders. I shallow fried them after stuffing in a pan. You have totally 4 options here;
 1. Shallow fry it, as it did
 2. Deep fry in oil (very low heat)
 3. Bake them in the oven (@ 200 deg C until its brown)
 4. In appe pan - Fill the cavities of appe pan with 1/4 tsp oil and cook them on all sides.

Here I will explain in detail, the way I did this time.

Ingredients

For stuffing the jamuns

• Any ready made gulab jamun mix - 200 g
• Water - to knead the dough
• Salt - 1 to 2 tsp
• Boiled and mashed potato - 1 cup
• Onion -  big, chopeed finely
• Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped finely
• Green peas - 1/4 cp (boiled or frozen or canned)
• Peanuts (fried) - 1/4 cup , roasted
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 3 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup chopped finely
• Oil for shallow frying

To be ground

• Onion - 1 big , roughly chopped
• Tomato - 2 , roughly chopped
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Cinnamon -  1 small piece
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 3 (or according to your spice level)
• Cashew - 1 tblspn (You can also substitute with melon seeds with equal quantity)
• Water - 2.5 cups

Other Ingredients

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Cardamon - 1 no
• Star anise - 1/2
• Bay leaf - 1 , broken
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 2 tsp
• Garam masala/ kitchen king masala - 1 tsp
• Dried fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp
• Curds - 1 tblspn, well beaten
• Cream - 2 tsp (Optional)
• Coriander leaves - finely chopped to garnish

Method

 For stuffing the jamuns

• In a bowl, add the ready made jamun mix, salt, water and knead them well to form a smooth dough (as you do normally for making the jamuns).

• Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lets work on the stuffing. Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic and onions. Add salt. Saute till they are brown.
• Add all the spice powders ; Chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Now add the boiled green peas and boiled and mashed potatoes. Give it a good mix and mash them again using the back of your spoon. 
• Let everything get combined. If you feel the mixture is too watery, add some bread crumbs and mix well.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.

 

• Divide them in to equal portions and make a small gooseberry sized ball out of them. Keep aside

• Take a portion from the jamun mix and make a lime sized ball. Flatten it with the help of your fingers.

• Place 1 potato ball on it and seal from all the sides to make a ball.

• Repeat the same for all.

 

• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry these jamuns

 

• Keep turning the sides for every 30 seconds to avoid burning and to get even cooking on all the sides.

 

• Drain using kitchen towel and keep aside
• Cut in to halves (if you prefer) after it cools down completely.

 

 For the paste

• Combine everything under "To be ground" heading in the ingredients list in a vessel over a medium heat. 
• Let it simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely and grind it to a smooth paste. Keep aside

How to proceed

• Heat oil in a pan and add star anise and cardamom. Fry for few seconds and add the ground onion tomato paste.
• Add 1/2 cup water, cover the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Add coriander powder salt and sugar.
• Crush the fenugreek leaves and add to this. Add garam masala powder, curds and cream.
•  Bring this to just one boil and then turn off the heat. 

While Serving

• Do this just before serving. Fill your serving dish with the gravy. Make your own design on it using a teaspoon of curd / cream.
• Place the stuffed jamuns on it and garnish with coriander leaves. 
• Your jamuns will remain crispy if you do this step just a moment before you serve the dish.

 
Try this and let me know your feedback.

Paneer Butter Masala

Previously I have posted how to prepare Paneer Makhani. Today, I am going to show you how to make Puneer butter masala. There are very few differences between the preparation of those two, but has a lot of difference in taste.

I used pressure cooker to prepare the basic gravy for this dish, which brings all the difference. This gravy can be used not only for this particular dish, but you can add any veggies or meat and it will taste just awesome.

Ingredients

For the gravy:

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Star anise - 1/2
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1 small piece
• Garlic - 4 cloves , cut into 2, each
• Cashews - 1 tblspn (8 - 10 nos)
• Almonds - 1 tblspn (8 -10 nos)
• Onion - 1 cup, roughly chopped
• Tomato - 1 1/2 cup, roughly chopped
• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 nos
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Coriander leaves - few
• Salt - according to taste

Other Ingredients

• Butter - 1 tblspn
• Bay leaf - 1
• Paneer - 200 gms, cubed
• Capsicum - 1/2 cup, cubed
• Salt - 1 tsp (if necessary)
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Honey (Optional) - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Curds - 1 tblspn
• Cream - 1 tblspn (Optional)
• Dried fenugreek leaves - 1/2 tsp, crushed
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Paneer cubes - to garnish

Method

For the gravy:

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and cumin seeds. Fry for a minute. You will get a nice aroma from the all the spices. Now add cashews and almonds and fry until cashews starts changing its colour.
• Add onions and salt. Saute till it becomes translucent. Add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and green chillies.
• After a minute of frying, add the tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder and coriander leaves (chopped). Mix everything well. Close the pressure cooker lid. Do not add any water. The water released by onion and tomato itself is enough to cook everything.
• Allow it for 3 to 4 whistles. Let the pressure release by itself and then open the lid. Let the mixture completely cool down.

• Grind this in to a very smooth paste. Make sure you don't get any chunks of cashews or almonds after grinding. Everything should be blended perfectly.
• Your basic gravy is now ready

How to proceed?

• In a pan, heat butter and add the prepared gravy. Keep the heat in medium. Add 1/2 cup of water to it. Add capsicum. Let it cook in a medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. The gravy will splutter while cooking. So keep the lid closed.
• Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your hands and add to it. Add garam masala powder, sugar and honey and mix well.
• Whisk the curds well and add it to the gravy. Add cream.
• Add the paneer cubes. You can add it directly, or, alternatively, you can shallow fry them in oil/ butter and then add.
• Cover and cook for a minute and switch off the heat. Keep it closed for 10 mins.
• Transfer it to the serving dish, garnished with cream / curds, coriander leaves and paneer cubes.

Creamy curd rice

Ingredients

• Rice - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 tblspn
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Cream - 1 tblspn
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp(or to taste)

For tempering

•  Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustatrd seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 nos, chopped finely
• Ginger - 1 tsp, minced
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Cashews - 10 nos
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

• Cook rice until soft. Mash it slightly with the back of your spoon.
• Add milk, salt and sugar to it and mix well. Add the yoghurt and keep them aside.
• For tempering, heat oil in a pan. Crackle mustard seeds. Add urad dal, cashews, green chillies and ginger. (you can even add raisins)
• When the cashews just starts changing its color, add red chillies and curry leaves and turn off the heat. 

• Pour this mixture immediately to the rice.
• Finally, add the cream and give it a good mix.
• Your creamy curd rice is now ready.