Paneer bhurji

Paneer is very much like cottage cheese. It is usually made at home by cuddling milk by adding lemon juice or a little bit of yogurt to boiling milk. In most of the Indian stores in USA, paneer is available in the frozen food section.

Paneer is both tasty and healthy. It is a very popular ingredient used in subzis, parathas, and also many sweets. Paneer is a good source of protein and calcium. It helps in preventing diseases, and even helps in weight loss!

Paneer chunks are fried, sautéed, grilled etc in cooking. It is always better not to fry them in your subzis. I am giving a recipe where grated/crumbled paneer is used along with onion and tomatoes. It is very simple and easy to make. You may add other vegetables like bell peppers peas etc. I used sweet red chiles for the color and flavor. According to your choice, you may chop onions and tomatoes into small or long pieces.

Ingredients:

•      2 cups grated paneer
•      1/2 cup onions (finely chopped)
•      1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
•      1/2 Tsp. chopped ginger
•      2 or 3 green chiles (chopped)
•      1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
•      1/4 Tsp. turmeric powder
•      1/2 Tsp. chile powder
•      1/4 Tsp. garam masala
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Salt to taste
•      2 Tsp. oil

Directions:

1.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
2.      Add jeera seeds.
3.      After a minute, add chopped onions.
4.      Stir well till the onions are transparent.
5.      Add ginger and green chile pieces.
6.      Add chile powder, salt and garam masala.
7.      Keep stirring and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
8.      Add chopped tomato.
9.      Stir well.
10.      When tomatoes are cooked add grated paneer.
11.      Keep stirring for a few minutes.
12.      Add chopped cilantro.
13.      Mix well.
14.      Transfer to a serving dish.
15.      Paneer bhurji tastes nice when eaten hot. Can be eaten with roti, rice or bread.
     
    
    
     
    
    
     
    
    
     
    
    
     

Vaamu aku perugu pacchadi/Ajwain patta raita

Vaamu aku/ajwain leaf is an herb. It is also known as Bishop's weed. The leaves are tender, fleshy with a specific aroma like an oregano or thyme. The plant is native to India and East Asia.

Ajwain leaves like ajwain seeds have many medicinal properties.

For infants and children, the leaves are used for treating colds, coughs and fevers. They are ideal to relieve colic symptoms in babies.

Ajwain leaves are used in preventing and treating stomach disorders like flatulence, indigestion, and acid reflux. They also possess muscle-relaxant action, bactericidal and fungicidal properties.

Over all, ajwain leaves and seeds increase the efficiency of your body system!

The plant can be easily grown by propagating cuttings from original plant. Ajwain leaves are thick, slightly hairy and very beautiful and attractive in rounded shapes.  As they are grown in bunches and look similar to money they are supposed to be very lucky in feng shui!

Unfortunately ajwain leaves are not available in any markets. You have to grow them yourself. In USA, during cooler season, the plant has to be kept inside the house in a warm window.

 

The leaves are used in Indian cooking. Ajwain leaf bajjis (fritters) are very popular in many parts of India. I am giving a recipe for making nutritious and yummy raita/yogurt based. It is more like a salad as the leaves are not cooked and the dish is more like a dip.

Doreen Gillespie made ravioli using ajwain leaf filling, fusion cooking idea!

 

Ingredients:

•      A few ajwain leaves
•      1 cup curd (yogurt)
•      1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
•      2 or 3 green chiles
•      Salt to taste

For seasoning:

•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch hing
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.      Wash and clean ajwain leaves.
2.      Cut them into thin long pieces.
3.      Chop green chiles.
4.      Whip curd without adding water.
5.      Add ajwain leaf pieces.
6.      Add salt.
7.      Add sour cream.
8.      Mix well.
9.      Heat oil in a small pan.
10.      Add mustard and jeera seeds.
11.      When mustard seeds splutter, add hing.
12.      Add green chiles.
13.      Add the seasoning to raita.
14.      Mix well and garnish with cilantro.

 

 

 

 

Sandita sweet and sour chutney(Mexican sour gherkin sweet and sour chutney)

In my experiments with sandita I tried making sweet and sour chutney. In fact, you may try this recipe with dondakaya also. If dondakaya is slightly ripe also, it can be used. If you do not have sandita, go ahead and try with dondakaya.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

•      2 cups sandita (cut into pieces)
•      1 Tsp. mustard methi powder
•      Small ball (about an inch diameter) of tamarind or
•      1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
•      1/4 Tsp. turmeric powder
•      2 green chiles (according to taste)
•      2 Tsp. jaggery (optional)
•      1 or 2 Tsp. chile powder (optional)
•      Salt to taste
•      2 Tsp. oil

Directions:

1.      Clean and cut sandita into discs or small pieces.
2.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
3.      Add sandita pieces and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
4.      Keep stirring.
5.      Add green chiles also and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
6.      Remove from heat.
7.      Add tamarind, let it cool.
8.      Add turmeric, methi mustard powder, jaggery, and salt.
9.      Transfer all these to a grinder jar and process.
10.      Add 2 or 3 spoons of water, if needed.
11.      Tastes nice if the chutney is slightly crunchy and not too soft.
12.      Sandita chutney is a good side dish for rice, rotis, idli dosa etc.

 

Paneer paratha (Paratha stuffed with grated paneer/cottage cheese)

Parathas are very popular and staple food from North India. Basically they are Indian flat bread made of whole wheat flour. They are thicker than rotis and also they are kind of shallow fried in oil.
Stuffed parathas like aloo paratha, gobhi paratha, mooli paratha, peas paratha are all very popular in Nortth India. Parathas are eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are served along with yogurt, pickle and raita.

In this post, I am giving the recipe for paneer paratha. Paneer is very much like cottage cheese. It is usually made at home by cuddling milk by adding lemon juice or a little bit of yogurt. In most of the  Indian stores in USA, paneer is available in the frozen food section.

Paneer parathas are made in 2 or 3 different ways. Some people prefer paneer along with other spices, whereas some others like plain paneer without any spices.

Even while making, one way of making them is pressing 2 equal size rotis with stuffing in the middle. Other way is using one roti and pack the stuffing inside and then roll the paratha.

 

         Paneer filling                                                                                          2 equal size rotis


                                       

 

Filling spread on roti                                                                                       Covered by 2nd roti

 

                                                             Paratha using one roti

Ingredients:

•      1 or 2 cups atta  (whole wheat flour)
•      1 Tsp. salt
•      Less than one cup water
•      4 to 5 Tbsp. oil

For filling:

•      1 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese)
•      Salt to taste
•      1 Tsp. chile powder (optional)
•      1/4 Tsp jeera powder (optional)
•      1/4 Tsp. garam masala  (optional)
•      1/2 Tsp. aamchur (optional)

Directions:

1.      Take atta in a wide plate, add salt mix it adding a little water to make a ball.
2.      Save some atta to be used for rolling parathas.
3.      Just enough water has to be added, otherwise, if it is too watery, you cannot roll the parathas.
4.      Add 2 teaspoons of oil and knead the dough well.
5.      Cover with a wet cloth and set it aside for about half an hour.
6.      Grate paneer into another plate.
7.      Add salt and chile powder and mix well.
8.      If you want the filling to be with all the masalas, add all the powders to the paneer and mix well.
9.     Taking the dough, make small balls, about one and half inch diameter balls and cover them again with wet cloth.
10.      Dust the rolling surface generously with atta.
11.      Roll one of the balls into a five inch disc, set aside.
12.      Roll another disc of the same size.
13.      Spread some paneer filling on one of the discs.
14.      With your fore finger, wet the edge of the roti lightly.
15.      Cover the roti, with the second one.
16.      Press the edges together.
17.      Roll the paratha lightly.
18.      Heat a thick pan and carefully transfer the stuffed roti to the hot pan.
19.      Keep moving the paratha a few times, and flip it.
20.      Keep turning and when the paratha is half cooked, spread some oil on the top.
21.      Reverse and spread oil on the other side also.
22.      When you see brown or light black spots appear on the paratha, paneer paratha is ready.
23.      Serve it with a little butter and yogurt, raita and spicy pickle!

Another way to make paneer paratha:

1.      Divide the dough and make slightly larger balls, about 2 inch diameter.
2.      Roll in a four inch diameter disc.
3.      Put two spoons of paneer filling in the middle of the roti.
4.      Gather the edges and press them together with your fingers.
5.      Close it completely, so that the filling does not come outside.
6.      Spread some dry atta on to the rolling surface and roll the ball into a disc.
7.      Parathas are thicker than rotis.
8.      Roll evenly into a six to seven inch disc.
9.      Cook on a hot pan just as mentioned above.

 

Brussels sprouts with grated coconut subzi

Brussels sprouts is a cool season crop and very popular in Europe and USA. This vegetable was originally grown in Belgium and possibly that is why the name Brussels sprouts! Brussels sprouts resemble miniature cabbages. Unlike cabbage, they grow in bunches of 20 to 40 on the stem of a plant.

Brussels sprouts are low glycemic and nutritious vegetables. They are excellent sources of many vitamins like A, B complex and vitamin K which helps in preventing Alzheimer's disease. Lots of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorous are also available in the sprouts.

Thus, brussels sprouts are incredibly nutritious vegetables and they offer protection from many deficiencies and believed to protect from heart diseases and colon and prostate cancer.

In India, they are not seen in markets, but, in places like Delhi, you can buy them in super markets.
I tried making the subzi using what is available in Delhi, but, as the sprouts are not fresh and they also were not tender, the taste was not at all like the one I made with fresh sprouts in USA. I understand that in big metros, the sprouts are available in the market. So, unless you get really fresh ones in local markets, you do not try this subzi.

 

Ingredients:

•      2 cups brussels sprouts, cut into halves or quarters
•      3 to 4 Tbsp. grated coconut (fresh or dehydrated)
•      1 red chile
•      1 Tsp. chana dal
•      1 Tsp. urad dal
•      1/2 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      A few curry leaves
•      2 Tsp. oil
•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut brussels sprouts into halves or quarters according to taste.
2.      If the outside leaves are very tough, you may discard them. Otherwise, you may cook along with the outside leaves also.
3.      Heat the pan and add oil.
4.      When the oil is hot, add red chile.
5.      After a minute add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds and jeera seeds.
6.      When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves.
7.      Add brussels sprouts and keep stirring.
8.      Add a few spoons of water, (if necessary), cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
9.      Keep stirring in between.
10.      Add grated coconut and let it cook for a few more minutes.
11.      Keep stirring so that the vegetable is not burnt.
12.      Turn off the heat.
13.      Serve hot. Very tasty dish and can be served with rice or roti.

 

Mamidi allam pacchadi (Mango ginger and plain ginger chutney)

I have earlier posted a recipe using Mamidi allam (mango ginger). In this recipe, I have used mango ginger and an equal amount of ordinary ginger to make a chutney, which can be kept for a long time. This chutney also is sweet and sour and has the specific flavor of mango ginger which makes it very special. You get mango ginger in most of the Indian stores in USA. In South India it is easily available during winter.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup mango ginger (peeled and chopped)
•      1 cup plain ginger (peeled and chopped)
•      2 Tbsp. red chili powder
•      2 Tbsp. salt
•      4 to 5 Tbsp jaggery
•      3 Tbsp. tamarind paste
•      2 tsp. methi mustard powder
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      1/2 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1 or 2 red chilis

Directions:

1.      Wash, peel and cut ginger into small pieces
2.      If using fresh tamarind, microwave tamarind along with 3 or 4 table spoons of water for 30 or 40 seconds.
3.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
4.      Add ginger pieces and cook them for about 4 minutes.
5.      Let cool.
6.      Transfer ginger pieces, tamarind, chili powder, salt and jaggery.
7.      Grind till it becomes a paste.
8.      If some water is needed while grinding, add  water that was left from tamarind,
9.      Or add boiled water.
10.      Grind till you get the required consistency.
11.      Transfer to a container.
12.      Add mustard seeds and red chilis to hot oil and add them to the chutney.
13.      It makes a very good side dish for rotis, rice, idli and dosa etc.
14.      If kept in a refrigerator, the chutney keeps for a long time.