Tofu Bhurji Recipe | Soya Paneer (Tofu) Recipes

'Soya Paneer' also known as 'Tofu' is a healthy alternative for paneer though the taste of tofu would not match the taste of paneer exactly.As Tofu has less calories I usually buy it often and use it in various recipes like Tofu-Alu Paratha, Chili Tofu, Grilled Marinated Tofu ,Tofu Bhurji, Cutlets(Tikkis), Kebabs etc.Tofu is basically bland in taste and hence it can absorb the flavors beautifully.Today I am sharing a simple Bhurji recipe with tofu,I have prepared it in a similar fashion like how I prepare Paneer Bhurji,just that you need to pep it more with extra seasonings and spices to make it more tasty.

Check out few Tofu recipes in my blog.

• Chilli Tofu
• Tofu-Alu Paratha

Tofu Bhurji Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup crumbled/grated Soya Paneer / Tofu - hard variety

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped
1 Tomato,finely chopped

1 small Capsicum, chopped

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/3 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp Chopped Coriander

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn pink.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
• Now add finely chopped capsicum and fry for a minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute until it becomes slightly mushy.
• Now add garam masala,pav bhaji masala,red chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
• Add crumbled tofu and salt and give a good mix and saute for a couple of minutes.The mixture should be moist and not dry,add a tbsp of water if required and cook for a minute.
• Add the butter at the end and mix it properly.
• Switch off the flame and add lemon juice,chopped coriander and mix it.

Serve it hot with toasted bread/pav and also with some sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Notes:

1. Tofu comes in a sealed pack in India. I usually wrap it in a kitchen towel for some time to remove the excess water from it.
2. It can be placed in a chapati and make it into a roll and serve for kids.
3. This can be used as a filling for parathas,Samosa,Bread rolls.
4. You can add colored bell peppers along with capsicum in the recipe.
5. Instead of Pav bhaji masala you can even add Kitchen king masala in the recipe.I suggest you add this for sure as the tofu is bland it really needs some masala to pep up.
6. Replace tofu with paneer and follow the same proceed to make paneer bhurji.

You can stuff the tofu bhurji in between two toasted bread sliced to make a healthy Tofu Sandwich.

Technorati Tags: tofu bhurji recipe, soya paneer recipes, tofu recipe, side dish for rotis, side dishes with tofu, north indian curries

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Babycorn Capsicum Soup | Clear Soup Recipes

A bowl of hot Soup with warm garlic bread or a bowl of pasta is always a comfort food for me in the monsoons. Though I prepare soups often they never find their way to my blog as I usually prepare it for dinner and I find it difficult to click photos in the night. Few days back, I had prepared this soup along with pasta for a quick weekend lunch and hence I got the opportunity to click the soup !!

I love any kind of soups like thick, clear or rich milk based ones where as DH prefers clear soups or vegetables shorbas and hence I prepare mostly thin soups according to his preferences. Baby corn and capsicum makes an amazing combo in various forms such as Stir fry, curry , gravy, pulao or soup. I just love this combo and never get tired of it. This is a very easy clear soup which can be prepared in a matter of minutes.Try this and enjoy the hot soup with your family.

If you are interested check out other Babycorn-Capsicum combos like Babycorn-Capsicum Stir fry, Babycorn-Capsicum Gravy.

Also check out other Soup recipes:

• Creamy Broccoli Soup
• Creamy Cauliflower Soup
• Pumpkin-Carrot Soup
• Spinach-Orange Soup

Babycorn Capsicum Clear Soup Recipe:

Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | Total time: 25 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Soups- Appetizers

Ingredients:

3-4 Baby corns, thinly sliced into rounds

1 small Capsicum, seeded and finely chopped

2-3 small Garlic pods, finely chopped

1 tbsp Corn flour

3-4 cups of Vegetable stock or 1 veg Maggi soup seasoning cube

1 tsp Vinegar

1 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tsp Pepper powder(or to taste)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Olive oil/Butter

Method:

• Heat olive oil/ butter in a deep bottomed pan and add finely sliced garlic and saute it for a minute.

• Add thinly sliced baby corn pieces and fry for 2 mins and then add chopped capsicum and fry for a minute.

• Add 3-4 cups of vegetable stock to it. If you are using seasoning cube add 3-4 cups of water and add the seasoning cube along with it.
• Mix corn flour in 2-3 tbsp of water nicely with out any lumps in it.
• Bring the stock to a boil and then add corn flour mixture and stir continuously while you are adding the corn flour mixture.

• Boil it for 3-4 mins until it thickens and the color of the soup turns transparent.
• Add vinegar, salt and pepper powder and mix it.Switch off the flame.Adjust the seasoning according to your taste buds by tasting it if necessary.

• In the individual bowls add 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves and divide the hot soup equally into those bowls.

Serve the soup hot with Garlic bread / Pasta/ Salad. Add more seasoning to the soup if required.

Notes:

• Do not add lemon juice to the soup pot directly as it might make the soup bitter. Hence add it to the bowl directly before you ladle the soup into the bowl.
• You can replace baby corn with fresh corn or sweet corn and follow the same process.
• You can even prepare the soup in a similar way with mixed vegetables like finely chopped carrots,beans,cabbage and follow the same process.
• If you do not have vegetable stock or seasoning cube you can still prepare the soup in the same manner with out using them but the vegetable stock(or cube) adds more flavor to the soup.
• You can use even knorr seasoning cube instead of maggi cube.

 

Technorati Tags: babycorn capsicum soup, clear soup recipes, easy soup recipes, veg soup recipes, baby corn recipes, baby corn capsicum recipes, various soup recipes, monsoon recipes, quick soup recipes

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Mango Salsa Recipe | Easy Mexican Recipes

 

Salsas and Dips always go well with a platter of Chips, Tortillas and cut Vegetables.I serve the dips and salsa even with khakras,a slightly healthier version when compared to chips.Tomato salsa is the most common variety in salsa but you can make various salsa varieties like Watermelon Salsa,Mango Salsa during their respective seasons. My most favorite one is Mango Salsa.It is a perfect burst of flavors with the sweetness of mangoes which is balanced with the acidity from lemon and the heat from the chillies.

I prefer to use the mango variety called 'Banginapally' to prepare salsa as I love the peculiar taste of this mango which makes the salsa taste even better.But if you do not find that variety you can use any other sweet mango varieties like alphonso,kesar etc.The fibrous mango varieties might not suit as it is difficult to cut them into pieces.I feel that the salsa tastes best when it is prepared bit mushy and hence I cut them into very fine pieces.You can prepare the salsa bit ahead so that the flavors mix well.If you have not tried Mango Salsa recipe,try it before the mango season gets over.

Check out other Dip recipes in my blog which can be paired with chips:

• Cashew Aioli Dip
• Cucumber-Mint Yogurt Dip 
• Guacamole
• Hummus
• Olive Basil Dip

Mango Salsa Recipe:

(serves a small group of 2-3 ppl)

Ingredients:

1 ripen Mango( I used Banginapally variety)

1 Tomato,seeded and finely chopped

1 Onion,finely chopped

1/2 Green Capsicum,seeded and finely chopped

2 Green Chillies,finely chopped

1 tbsp Coriander leaves,finely chopped

1 tbsp Mint leaves,finely chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Method:

• Remove the skin of ripen mango and chop it into fine pieces.I like to make my salsa slightly mushy,hence I cut it into fine pieces.You can even cut the mango into big chunks if you want.
• Remove the eye and seeds of tomato and cut it into fine pieces.
• In a bowl mix chopped tomatoes,onions,capsicum,green chillies and add salt and lemon juice to it and mix well.
• Add chopped mangoes,coriander and mint leaves and mix again.
• Now taste the salsa and add more lemon juice if needed.If your mango is not sweet enough,add a pinch of sugar at this stage.
• Leave it in refrigerator for half an hour for the flavors to mingle.

Serve it with Chips/Tortillas/Quesedillas/Tacos etc.You can even use it as a filling in Canapes or with Khakra chips like I did.

Notes:

1. You can use red bell peppers along with green capsicum in the recipe.
2. I like the taste of Banginapally mango for salsa and I prefer to make mostly with it.It is perfectly sweet and makes the salsa more delicious.If you do not get this variety you can use any other variety too.
3. If your mango is not sweet enough you can sprinkle some sugar in the salsa. 
4. Use jalapeno peppers if you can find them instead of green chillies.

Check out various recipes with ripen mangoes and raw mangoes here in my blog.

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Stuffed Bell Peppers with Corn and Cottage Cheese

It is not necessary that an exotic looking dish should be complicated to prepare. Today's recipe is one such example.These Stuffed Bell peppers look quite exotic but they are relatively simple to prepare.While the options for the stuffing are endless, I chose a classic Corn-Cottage cheese filling which works beautifully as a stuffing for bell peppers.I have previously posted a Stuffed Capsicum recipe with lentil filling,a typical South Indian variety and also Potato stuffed Capsicum in a rich Restaurant style gravy which pairs nicely with Naans,Rotis and Pilaf varieties.

While the nuts add a nutty crunch,the puffed up raisins add a slight sweetness to the filling and the oozing cheese makes the Bell peppers taste delicious.You can serve these beautiful Stuffed Bell Peppers as an appetizer as a side dish for Pasta,Noodles or flavored Rice varieties with Sauce.It is a nice party dish and goes with anything.

If you are interested check out few Indian style Stuffed Capsicum recipes here:

• Stuffed capsicum with Lentil Filling
• Stuffed Capsicum in rich gravy

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Corn and Paneer(Cottage cheese):

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Red Bell peppers(or yellow)

1 tbsp Oil/butter,for basting

for marinade:

1 tbsp Lemon juice

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

for filling:

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Paneer(Cottage Cheese)

1/2 cup fresh/frozen Sweet Corn kernels,boiled

1 small Onion,finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped Cashew nuts

12-15 Raisins

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

1 tsp Mixed Herbs or Herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp Red chili flakes

juice of 1/2 Lemon

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped

1/2 cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the bell peppers into two equal halves with the stem intact.Scoop out the seeds neatly with the help of a knife.
• In a bowl mix all the ingredients mentioned under marinade- lemon juice,ginger-garlic paste,oil and salt and rub this marinade liberally on the inside of bell peppers and leave them aside for half an hour.
• Mean while take a pan and heat olive oil and add onions and fry until they turn slight brown in color.
• Add chopped green chillies, cashew nuts and raisins and fry for a couple of minutes until the raisins puff up.
• Add boiled corn and fry for a minute and add chopped fresh paneer(cottage cheese) and mix well. Add salt,red chili flakes and mixed herbs and mix well.
• Remove from heat and add coriander leaves,lemon juice and 2 tbsp of mozzarella cheese and mix nicely.
• Remove the extra water from red peppers(which is because of the marinade) and rub oil on the outside of bell peppers.
• Stuff them with this corn-paneer mixture and top the bell peppers with the remaining grated mozzarella cheese to cover the filling.

• Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10 mins.
• Line a baking tray with foil and apply some oil on it.
• Place the stuffed bell peppers on the baking sheet and grill it in preheated oven for 12-15 mins until the cheese melts on top and the bell peppers wilt.Check it in between and bash it with more oil/butter if needed.

Serve them hot with Pasta/Noodles/flavored Rice or as a snack/appetizer.

Notes:

1. You can use mixed bell peppers or capsicum in the recipe.
2. You can add Indian flavors to it by replacing the herbs with Garam masala and Cumin powder.
3. I have used cheese slices to cover the bell peppers as I did not have mozzarella cheese that time.
4. You can grill them in tandoor or on the stove top.If you are doing on stove top place wide nonstick  pan and heat a couple of tsp of oil and place the stuffed bell peppers and cover it with lid and keep on low- medium flame.Let them fry until the cheese melts and the bell peppers wilt.
5. You can use Tofu instead of cottage cheese in the recipe.

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BHURJI PAV RECIPE | PANEER BHURJI PAO

Mumbai - the city that never sleeps...!!

This city is filled with lot of energy and you can see large crowds even at odd times in the night.Many food joints and street hawkers open until late nights. While we are not one of those who love to venture late nights, there are a few times when we go for a party or a late night movie. Many hawkers open their Anda Bhurji stalls and make the sizzling Anda bhurji in their heavy bottomed hot tawas and is usually served with pav. I have not tasted this anytime, as I do not eat eggs (use them in cakes though). I usually prepare Egg Bhurji (Anda Bhurji) for TH sometimes and try to make something else for me. 

Paneer Bhurji is a good alternative for those like me who do not eat eggs. We both love it very much and so several of my weekend breakfast or dinner would feature this simple Paneer bhurji paired with butter laden roasted pav.I would say that it is a simple yet delicious food which you can prepare as breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Paneer Bhurji Pav Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup crumbled/grated fresh Paneer(Cottage Cheese)

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

2 Green chillies,finely chopped

1/2" Ginger,finely chopped

1 Tomato,finely chopped

1 small Capsicum,finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Lemon juice

2 tbsp Coriander,chopped

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn pink.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
• Now add finely chopped capsicum and fry for a minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute until it becomes slightly mushy.
• Now add garam masala,pav bhaji masala,red chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
• Add crumbled paneer and salt and give a good mix and saute for a couple of minutes.The mixture should be moist and not dry,add a tbsp of water if required and cook for a minute.
• Add the butter at the end and mix it properly.
• Switch off the flame and add lemon juice,chopped coriander and chopped ginger and mix it.

Serve it hot with roasted butter ladened pav with some sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Notes:

1. It can be placed in a chapati and make it into a roll and serve for kids.
2. This can be used as a filling for parathas,Samosa,Bread rolls.
3. You can add colored bell peppers along with capsicum in the recipe.
4. Instead of Pav bhaji masala you can even add Kitchen king masala in the recipe.
5. Replace Paneer with 2-3 eggs in the recipe to make the famous 'Anda Bhurji'.Just break the eggs and add them instead of paneer and let them sit for a minute and then run your spatula to scramble them and follow the same process.You can avoid lemon juice for Anda bhurji.

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Sprouts Fried Rice Recipe | Easy Lunch Box Ideas

Fried rice is an easy lunch option for me on weekdays as it is the most convenient one pot meal to prepare.While most of the times I prepare Chinese Vegetable Fried rice as it is the best way to consume lots of vegetables, I also prepare Sprouts fried rice if I have sprouts at hand.It is almost prepared in the same way as we prepare fried rice,but here in this recipe we use larger quantities of sprouts relative to vegetables to enhance the flavor of the dish.It is an ideal recipe even for lunch box.

Moong Sprouts Fried Rice Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice

1 cup whole Moong Sprouts(Green gram)*

1/4 cup Cabbage,shredded

1/2 Green/Red Capsicum,finely chopped

3-4 bulbs of Spring Onion whites,sliced thin

3 stalks of Spring Onion greens,chopped

1 tsp Garlic,finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger,finely chopped

1 tsp Soya sauce

1/2 tsp Vinegar

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method:

• Wash and soak basmati rice for 10 mins.Cook it in a pot full of water over open flame until done and drain the rice or pressure cook the rice with 1 and 3/4th cups of water for 1 whistle and cook for 4-5 mins on low flame.Spread the rice on a wide plate and apply 1 tsp of olive oil to it so that the rice grains remains separate and let the rice cool completely.
• Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a big wok and add finely chopped garlic and ginger and fry well.You should do this rice in high flame,so keep all the ingredients ready before you start and saute the ingredients quickly.
• Add sliced spring onion whites and fry for a minute.
• Add shredded cabbage and finely chopped capsicum and fry again on HIGH flame for 1-2 minutes.
• Now add moong sprouts and spring onion greens and quickly saute for another minute.
• Add soya sauce,vinegar,salt and pepper powder and quickly saute now.I usually add a pinch of sugar now which balances the sauce taste.It is your wish to add sugar or not.
• Add cooled and separated cooked rice and quickly stir fry the rice so that it mixes with the vegetables nicely.Do this gently and take care that you would not mash up the rice.Stir fry or toss it on high flame for 2 mins.

Serve it hot with Tomato sauce/Ketchup or as it is.

* To make Moong sprouts  - Wash and soak whole green gram(moong) in water overnight for 12-14 hrs.Drain all the water and tie the sprouts in a thin muslin cloth and hang it to a stick(or nail) for 15-16 hrs or bit longer until you see the sprouts.Keep sprinkling some water in between to keep them moist.

Notes:

• In chinese cooking Ajinamoto(chinese salt) is added to give extra taste,I have not added to it as it is supposedly not good for health.If you would like to add feel free to add 1/2 tsp Ajinamoto along with pepper powder.
• It is always better to use finely chopped ginger and garlic bits in the recipe instead of Ginger-Garlic paste as a bite into crisp ginger adds a nice taste while eating fried rice.
• I recommend you to refrigerate the cooled rice at least for half an hour which helps the rice in holding the shape while frying.
• The entire cooking is to be done over a high flame which helps in retaining the crispiness of vegetables and sprouts and the flavor of the dish,so you should be quick while sauteing the veggies and rice.
• I have used dark soya sauce in the recipe,if you are using light or regular soya sauce increase it to 1 tsp soya sauce.
• You can use bean sprouts instead of moong sprouts in the recipe.

 

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SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO PASTA | EASY PASTA RECIPES

We usually prefer Pastas for our weekend dinners and both of us love the simpler versions of pastas or the pesto based ones more than the tomato or cheese loaded ones.Our most favorite pasta being the Basil pesto pasta and the next comes this Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta.

The preparation process of the Pesto sauce is quite simple as we just need to grind the ingredients to a coarse paste.You can toss the cooked pasta in a good amount of Olive oil with the pesto sauce for a quick pasta,but I love to add some crunch to the pasta and hence I always saute few bell peppers,babycorns,broccoli etc as I like to bite into the crunchy vegetables in pasta.

Sun dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Recipe:

Ingredients:

To prepare Sun dried Tomato pesto:

1 cup Sundried Tomatoes

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Basil

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil(EVOO) + 3 tbsp oil from Sundried tomatoes

1/3 cup Pine nuts or Walnuts

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(optional)

4-5 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp ground Pepper

1/2 tsp Red chili flakes

Salt to taste

To prepare Pasta:

10-12 blocks Fettucini pasta(or any other pasta-2 cups)

1/2 cup Sundried Tomato Pesto Sauce

1 Onion,sliced

3-4 Garlic pods,sliced

1 cup chopped Vegetables(Bellpeppers, Capsicum,Babycorn,Mushrooms)

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp Chili flakes

1/2 tsp ground Pepper

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese(optional)

8-10 Basil leaves,torn

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt to taste

Method:

To prepare Sun dried tomato Pesto:

• In a mixer add sun dried tomatoes, basil leaves,pine nuts/walnuts,garlic pods,pepper,add half the quantity of olive oil,parmesan cheese,red chili flakes,salt and ground to a medium coarse paste.Add the remaining olive oil in stages in between to ease the process of grinding.Do not add water to grind it,the EVOO is enough to grind into a slight coarse and uniform paste.
• Now check for the taste and adjust the salt for the pesto.

To Cook Pasta:

• Cook the pasts according to the instructions of your package or follow this procedure:
• Bring water to boil in a big pot (filled to its half) and add salt,1 tsp olive oil and pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 mins until al dente(cooked and tender to teeth).
• Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of water for later usage.you can even give a cold bath to the pasta by running it under fresh tap water which helps in keeping the pasta separate.

To prepare Sundried tomato Pesto Pasta:

• Heat olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and fry sliced garlic until slight brown and crisp and add thinly sliced onions and fry until they are pink and soft.
• Now add sliced vegetables and saute them for few minutes.
• Add the sun dried tomato pesto sauce and mix well.Add 4-5 tbsp of reserved pasta liquid if required add more to get a medium sauce consistency.
• Add cooked pasta and mix well until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and is warm.Now add red chili flakes,Italian herbs,basil leaves,salt and pepper and mix well.
• Dish it out to the serving platter and sprinkle some cheese over it.Garnish with basil.

Serve it hot or warm with Raspberry Soda or drink of your choice.

 Notes:

1. You can add more Parmesan cheese while preparing sauce in the above recipe to make pasta more cheesy.
2. You can replace fettucini pasta with any of the pasta like penne,spiral,macaroni ,farfelle or any other pasta of your choice.
3. You can add finely chopped carrot,blanched broccoli,thinly sliced mushrooms,blanched asparagus,zucchini to the pasta
4. You can even fill the pasta in a baking dish and cover with grated Parmesan cheese(1/4-1/2 cup) and cover it with a foil and bake it in oven @ 160 degrees for 20 mins until the cheese melts.Serve it hot right from the oven.This would be a exclusive dish for parties especially or for special romantic dinners.
5. For a Vegan version avoid parmesan cheese while making pesto,it tastes even delicious without cheese in it.

You can check out the other pesto versions of various Pasta varieties here - Basil Pesto Pasta and Spinach Pesto Pasta.

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Babycorn Capsicum Stir Fry | Babycorn Capcium Dry Curry | Babycorn Recipes

Babycorn is my most favorite vegetable.I know I have mentioned that for many vegetables but Babycorn stands the top position in my favorite vegetable list and I do not get bored of it even if I eat the same for a week,such is my love for those baby corns.I like them more because of their slight sweet and crunchy texture.

I like to use babycorns in stir fries,pastas,salad,soups,pulavs,curry,gravies,pakoras etc.Steamed Babycorn-Mango Salad is another favorite of mine which is a popular street food in Bangalore.You can check Babycorn-Capcium Gravy is one of the most popular posts in my blog which got raving reviews from my readers for its taste,if you have not tried it I highly recommend to try that recipe.Today I am posting a simple yet delicious Babycorn Bell Pepper stir fry,I usually add various bell peppers if I have them in hand otherwise I use only Babycorn and capscium in the recipe.This stir fry goes well with rotis or rice or pulav.

Babycorn Capsicum Stir fry(Sabzi) Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

10-12 Babycorns

1/2 Red Capsicum

1/2 Yellow Capsicum

1 Green Capsicum

1 Onion,thinly sliced

4-5 Garlic pods,finely chopped

3/4" Ginger,finely chopped

2 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp Kitchen king masala

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground Pepper or 1/2 tsp Red chili powder

a pinch of Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Cut Babycorn into 8 thin strips of 2" pieces.Microwave them for 2 mins or par boil them on the stove for 3 mins.They should be crunchy and should not become soft after they are cooked. Drain them and keep them ready.
• Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and capsicum and cut them into thin strips of 2" length.
• In a wok/kadai heat oil and crackle cumin seeds.
• Add finely chopped ginger-garlic-green chillies and fry them for a minute on high flame.This process of stir frying will be done on high flame.So you need to be quick in adding the ingredients one after the other.
• Add thinly sliced onions and fry them until they turn pink.
• Add the par boiled baby corns and bell pepper strips and capsicum strips and fry them continuously for 3-4 mins on high flame giving a stir often.The vegetables should not loose their crunchiness and color while frying.So be quick in this process.
• Add kitchen king masala,garam masala,roasted cumin powder,pepper powder(or red chili powder),turmeric powder and salt and continue frying for another 2 mins.Take care not to burn the masalas while frying.

Serve the stir fry hot with Roti/Naan/Chapati/Pulao.

Notes:

1. If you do not have bell peppers,avoid them and use green capsicum instead in the recipe.
2. I personally like to add pepper powder to baby corn stirfry,but you can add red chili powder too.
3. I recommend to add kitchen king masala to this stir fry,it definitely makes it tastier.If you do not get it you can skip it and increase the masalas accordingly.You can even add a big dash of Pav Bhaji masala instead of kitchen king masala if you have.
4. You can add Ginger-Garlic paste instead of chopped ginger and garlic in the recipe. 
5. Adjust all the masalas according to your personal preference.

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KADAI PANEER RECIPE | PANEER RECIPES

The first time I tasted Kadai Paneer was almost a decade ago when my mom prepared it after watching a cookery show.We instantly fell in love with the curry, as it was lip smacking good with all the freshly pound spices which takes the curry to another level, in my view.This recipe was a keeper and it got transferred to all my hand written cook books (only the trusted recipes find their way in my hand written cook book!) over a period of time and I thought this is the time to get its place in my virtual cook book - my blog.You can see my hand written cook book in this picture which I treasure from more than 5 years.

I have modified the recipe a little bit over a period of time.The original recipe used fenugreek seeds in the masala which got replaced with fenugreek leaves in the gravy and also few minor changes in the process of roasting vegetables which yields into a delicious curry.

When I saw the Kadai Paneer recipe in Anu's space, I was very happy to see a version similar to what I prepare at home and of course with a few tweaks, as every one has their own personal touch which makes the recipe special.I liked her idea of frying the vegetables individually and coating each vegetable with the freshly pound spices, which is slightly different in my case as I roast all the vegetables at one go, and coat them with spices in the end.

I love the Kadai Paneer semi-dry,I do not like it in a gravy form or a stir fry form.The moist paneer pieces and the crisp roasted vegetables are coatedt with a light coat of aromatic spices and a mildly spiced gravy, the taste of which lingers for a long time.If you taste this one, I am sure you would make it again and again.It is really that good,don't trust me? then give it a try and let me know your views. 

Kadai Paneer Recipe - Restaurant Style:

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

250 gms Homemade Paneer (Cottage cheese) (or store bought),cubed

1 small Red Capsicum,seeded and cubed

1 small Green Capsicum,seeded and cubed

1 small Yellow Capsicum,seeded and cubed

1 medium Onion,peeled and cubed

1 big Tomato,seeded and cubed

2-3 tbsp fresh Curd,beaten

2 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander

1 tsp Kasuri Methi(dried Fenugreek leaves)

1 Bay leaf 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

for the Onion-Tomato masala:

1 medium Onion,chopped

1 big Tomato,chopped

3-4 Garlic pods

3/4" Ginger,roughly chopped

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

1 tsp Oil

for Kadai masala:

1 1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

7-8 black Pepper corns

2 Red chillies

1/2" Cinnamon

2-3 Cloves

Method:

to make Kadai Masala:

• Dry roast coriander seeds,cumin seeds,black peppercorns,red chillies,cinnamon and cloves separately until they turn slightly brown and starts releasing the aroma.
• Cool them and pound it in a mortar and pestle to a coarse masala.You can even grind it in mixer to a coarse powder but I prefer to pound my spices manually for this recipe.

to make Tomato-Onion masala:

• Heat 1 tsp of oil and add garlic,ginger and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add chopped onions and fry until they turn pink.
• Add tomatoes and fry well until the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add turmeric powder,little salt,red chili powder,sugar and cover it and cook well for a couple of minutes.
• Cool the mixture and grind it to a fine paste and keep it ready.

to roast Vegetables:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil and add chopped paneer pieces and fry them until you see light golden spots.You should not fry them for long,otherwise the paneer will become hard.So just fry for a minute on either side.Remove and keep it aside.
• In the same pan add little more oil if required and add the cubed bell peppers and fry for a couple of minutes.Maintain the crispy ness of the bell peppers which is a key taste for the curry.
• Add cubed onions and fry for a minute along with the bell peppers and add seeded and cubed tomatoes at the end and fry for a minute.Take care that onions should be crispy and also the tomatoes should be slightly cooked and not become mushy and also should not loose their shape.
• Now add fried paneer pieces to the pan and add the kadai masala and required salt and mix the vegetables and paneer pieces well until the masala coats all the vegetables and paneer.Leave them aside for sometime.

to assemble the kadai paneer:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and add bay leaf and ground tomato-onion mixture and fry well.
• Add kasuri methi(slightly press it in between your fingers before adding) and required salt(remember you added salt to the veggies and also the ground tomato-onion mixture early).Cook the mixture until it is very thick.
• Reduce the flame or remove the kadai from the flame and add beaten curd to it and cook for another few minutes.The gravy should be thick enough to coat the vegetables,but it should not be of flowing consistency.
• Add the roasted vegetables and paneer pieces(coated with the masala) to the gravy mixture and mix well.
• Add coriander at the end or either garnish the kadai paneer with coriander at the end.

Serve it hot with Naan/Roti/Kulcha/Chapati/Paratha.It tastes very delicious and pair up beautifully with any flat bread or pulao.I served them with laccha paratha.

Notes:

1. Use freshly pound masalas (kadai masala) and do not replace them with either ready powders or Garam masala .The taste definitely differs.
2. Maintain the crispyness of bell peppers and onion while roasting,which makes the bite of them more delicious in the curry.
3. Malai paneer tastes quite good in the recipe.If you do not get hold of malai(soft) paneer,you can keep your paneer pieces soaked in warm water after they are roasted.This will make the paneer pieces very moist.

Check out other Paneer recipes in my blog:

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant style!!

Paneer Modak Peda

Paneer Tikka 

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Jalfrezi

Paneer Sabzi | Simple Paneer Curry

Palak Paneer

Paneer Makhani/Paneer Makhanwala

Grilled Corn-Palak Paneer | Makai Palak Paneer

Matar Paneer

 

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