PANEER PEPPER MASALA

 PANEER PEPPER MASALA

We eat paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) fairly often in my house. It is a common ingredient in our Indian vegetarian cooking. One of the reasons is that paneer has numerous health benefits. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for different dishes made with paneer, such as:-

• Paneer Masala
• Tomato and Paneer Soup 
• Paneer Lababdar
• Paneer Jhalfrezi

As you know, it is suggested we have black pepper during the winter months as it boosts immunity. It is therefore an important ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines and home remedies.

I had paneer at home so made this delicious Paneer Pepper Masala which I have adapted from Paneer Pepper Masala in Edible Garden, a food and recipe website run by Nags. 

In making this dish, I reduced the spice levels to suit our taste. We loved it and I hope you will like it too. 

Ingredients:-

• Paneer, 200 gms
• Medium-sized Onions, 2
• Green Chillies, 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Fennel Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Whole Black Peppercorns, 1 tsp
• Soya Sauce, 1 tsp
• Tomato Ketchup, 2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, for garnish

Method:-

Cut the paneer into cubes and keep aside

Peel and thinly slice the onion and slit the green chillies

Coarsely crush the peppercorns 

Finely chop the coriander leaves 

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and when it gets hot add the sliced onions and fry till they become golden brown in colour

Add the green chillies and sauté for 1 minute

Next add the ginger garlic paste, mix well and sauté till the raw smell goes 

To this add the turmeric powder, fennel powder, and the freshly crushed black pepper and sauté for a couple of minutes

Add the soya sauce and the tomato ketchup and mix well, 

Add 1/4 cup of water and salt to taste and mix well

To this add the paneer cubes, and curry leaves, mix well and cook till the paneer gets well coated with the masala 

Cover and cook on low flame for 3-4 minutes till the masala becomes dry and dark in colour 

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve Paneer Pepper Masala with peas pulao or rice or rotis. 

GOAN FISH CURRY

 GOAN FISH CURRY

Before I got married, we were strict vegetarians in my parents' house. Over the years, I began to eat non-vegetarian food once in a while and began to cook it too. Later, this dropped and we used to eat out more often than I cooked at home.  

Due to the Covid we haven't been going out so I decided a few days ago to make Goan Fish Curry. This is because we love prawns and other seafood and have fond memories of annual trips to Goa! I was delighted to get cleaned and ready to cook Black Pomfret delivered at home by Big Basket. In Goa, pomfret is known as Paplet. 

Apart from tasting delicious, Black Pomfrets have many health benefits as well. They are high in fatty acids besides having lots of Vitamin B 12 which is good for the nervous system.

This Goan Fish Curry was delicious and we enjoyed it for lunch with hot steamed rice. I have adapted this recipe from the video by Chef Varun Inamdar of Get Curried.

Fresh Fish from Big Basket! 

Happy to see My Story in Facebook Page for "Cooking With Shobana" for this - Goan Fish Curry In The Making - was well liked. I am sure you will like the dish too ! 

Ingredients:-

• Black Pomfret, 500 gms, or about 7-8 slices 
• Green Chillies, slit, 2, for the final touch! 
• Water, 2 cups
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste: 

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies,  5
• Tamarind Paste, 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies, 2 
• Ginger, 1 " piece, 
• Garlic Cloves, large-sized, 3
• Medium-sized Onion, 1/2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Black Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash, peel and roughly chop the ginger 

Roughly chop 2 green chillies 

Slice the onion

Wash the fish slices 3-4 times in water

Apply turmeric powder and salt to the fish slices and keep aside to marinate for about 15 minutes 

Dry roast the Byadgi red chillies, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and coriander seeds in a kadhai for a couple of minutes and then allow this to cool 

In a mixer jar, grind together the fresh coconut gratings and the dry roasted ingredients, along with tamarind paste, green chillies, ginger, garlic, sliced onion and turmeric powder initially in a pulse mode till the ingredients get crushed. Then grind the ingredients once more, adding the required amount of water to a smooth paste

Heat a thick bottomed kadhai and add the freshly ground paste, 2 cups of water and salt. (Remember that some salt has already been added to the fish while marinating)

Mix well, cover and cook the curry for about 10 minutes by when you will find that the masala would have released oil 

To this add the marinated fish slices and again cover and cook for about 6- 8 minutes or till the fish gets fully done

You can check whether it is well cooked or not by piercing the fish slices with a toothpick 

Take care that the fish is not overcooked otherwise the fish slices could break up

Lastly, add the slit green chillies 

Switch off the gas and transfer the curry to a serving bowl

Serve the Goan Fish Curry hot with steamed rice 

BESAN WALI ARBI

BESAN WALI ARBI

Colocasia is called Arbi in Hindi, Kesavuna Gedde in Kannada and Alvamande in my mother tongue, Konkani.  Many dishes  are made across India using colocasia/arbi. I too make dishes using arbi from time to time.

Some arbi dishes which are featured in this blog include:-

•  Khatti Arbi ka Salan, 
•  Crispy Arbi, and 
• Kurkuri Fried Arbi.

Today's recipe is for a dish in which the arbi is shallow fried after being coated in a mixture of besan (Gram Flour) and spices.  This is served as a side dish with the main meal.  I have adapted this from Besan Wali Arbi by one of my favorites, Nishaji. 

Tip: While choosing arbi, go for the big sized ones and not the tiny ones. 

Ingredients:-

• Arbi ( Colocasia), 400 gms
• Besan ( Gram Flour), 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Amchur, (Dry Mango Powder), 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Oil, as required for shallow frying the arbi 
• Salt, to taste 
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish, 1 tbsp 

For Seasoning:-

• Ajjwain ( Carom Seeds), 3/4 tsp
• Green Chilli, 1-2 finely chopped 
• Ginger, 1/2 " piece, finely chopped/grated  
• Lemon Juice, from 1/2 a lemon 
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp 

Method:-

Wash the arbi thoroughly and pressure cook for 1 whistle adding the required amount of water 

Take care to see the arbi does not get overcooked

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked arbi and allow it to cool

Once it is cool enough to handle, peel the arbi and cut it lengthwise in to half. Keep aside

In a large plate, mix well together besan, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, Kitchen King masala and salt 

Take the arbi pieces one by one and coat them with the mixture of besan and spice powders so that they are evenly coated on both sides

Heat oil in a wide non-stick pan and when it gets heated add the half the quantity of the coated arbi pieces, and shallow fry on medium heat, flipping them from time to time, them till they turn crisp and are well roasted 

Remove these from the non-stick pan and keep aside. 

Repeat this process for the remaining coated arbi

In the same pan, heat oil and on medium heat add the ajjwain and sauté for a few seconds

Next add the slit green chillies, finely chopped ginger and half of the finely chopped coriander leaves and saute

To this add the shallow fried arbi and mix well

Switch off the gas and then squeeze the lemon juice and mix well

Finally garnish with the remaining coriander leaves 

VELLA DOSAI

 

VELLA DOSAI

Today's recipe is for a dosai made with jaggery! Yes, that's right. It is a sweet dosa popular in Tamilnadu which can be served for breakfast or as a snack. We prefer to have this as an evening snack. 

In Tamil, jaggery is called Vellam, hence the name for this dish. Jaggery is called Bella in Kannada, Gur in Hindi and Godda in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Another advantage with today's recipe is that it can be made fast as the batter need not be fermented. 

Please note that the amount of jaggery used will depend on your individual taste. Some like things very sweet, others less so. However, too much of jaggery can result in the dosa getting burnt or getting stuck to the tawa.

Also the colour of the dosa will depend on the colour of the jaggery used. As you know, the older jaggery tends to give off a darker colour. 

You may notice that this dosai takes longer to cook than the regular dosai. It is advisable to make the dosai using medium/low flame. 

The Vella Dosai can be eaten as it is without any accompaniment. If you wish you can serve it with some ghee or butter. They are best served hot off the tawa. 

Ingredients:- 

• Vellam ( Jaggery), grated,  a little more than 1/2 cup
• Rice Flour, 1/2 cup
• Wheat Flour, 1/2 cup
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder,  1/4 tsp
• Salt, a pinch
• Ghee, as required to make the dosais 

Method:- 

In a vessel mix the grated jaggery with 1/2 cup of water and heat till the jaggery melts

Remove from flame and allow it to cool

Filter the jaggery solution to get rid of impurities if any

In a large bowl, mix together the rice flour, wheat flour, coconut gratings and cardamom powder with the jaggery solution and a pinch of salt

Make sure the ingredients are well mixed and no lumps are formed 

Now add the required amount of water to make a dosa batter which is not too thick or too thin 

Rest the batter for 10-15 minutes

Heat a tawa and lightly grease it with ghee 

Lower the flame and pour a ladleful of the batter 

Spread the batter lightly in a circular motion to make a dosai 

Drizzle ghee around the dosai and roast till the edges get done 

Next flip the dosai and roast the other side by adding more ghee as required

Serve hot 

RAW BANANA FRY

RAW BANANA FRY 

Raw/Green Bananas are often used in our Indian cooking. Raw Bananas are called Vazhakkai in Tamil, Balekayi in Kannada, Aratikaya in Telugu and Kaccha Kele in Hindi. 

I like this vegetable because the dishes are easy to make as it gets cooked fast. They are reputed to be an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B-6. They are supposed to be particularly good for diabetics as per this article in NDTV 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with raw/green bananas, such as:-

• Kele Koddel 
• Raw Banana Roast 
• Vazhakkai Podimas

We had this for lunch with rice and rasam and it tasted great! 

Ingredients:-

• Raw Bananas, 2 or about 300-350 gms
• Onion, 1 large-sized 
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

For The Spice Powders Mix :-

• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Roasted Cumin Powder, 1/2 tsp 
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp 
• Fenugreek (Methi)  Powder, 1/8 tsp 
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Slit Green Chillies, 2 
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig

Method:- 

Wash and peel the raw bananas and cut them into roundels and immerse them in water to prevent discoloration.(If the raw bananas are too big in size, you can cut them lengthwise and then slice them)

Finely chop the onion

In a large bowl, mix together the chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander and fenugreek powders along with the ginger garlic paste and salt 

Drain the excess water from the raw banana roundels

Then add these roundels to the mixed spice powders and mix well so that they get well coated 

Set aside for about 10 minutes for it to get marinated 

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds, when they sizzle add the curry leaves and the slit green chillies and sauté for a few seconds 

To this add the finely chopped onions and sauté till they become translucent 

Now add the marinated raw banana roundels, mix well and fry for a couple of minutes 

Next, cover and cook on medium heat stirring from time to time till the raw bananas get cooked and roasted

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Serve as a side dish with steamed rice and sambar/rasam 

THONDEKAYI PALYA ( IVY GOURD STIR FRY)

 

THONDEKAYI PALYA ( IVY GOURD STIR FRY) 

Today's recipe is for a yummy  side dish from my Home State of Karnataka called 'Thondekayi Palya" in which we use Ivy Gourds as the main ingredient. Ivy Gourds are rich in beta-carotene and have numerous health benefits. 

They are called Thondekayi in Kannada, Dondakaya in Telugu, Tindora in Hindi, and Tendle in my mother tongue, Konkani. This vegetable is commonly used all over the country.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other recipes made with Ivy Gourd such as:-

• Tendle Talasani from our Konkani cuisine
• Thondekayi Yennegayi from Karnataka
• Kovakkai Kootu from Tamilnadu 
• Dondakaya Pachadi from Andhra Pradesh 

I have adapted today's dish from Thondekayi Palya from the popular Kannada cookery channel: Gruha Paaka. In cooking the ivy gourd, as I prefer them to be slightly crunchy, I have put 1/3 cup of water.

If prefer them to be more soft, you can add more water. Please note that the coconut gratings need not be roasted before they are ground. 

We liked this a lot - and I hope you will too! 

Ingredients:-

• Ivy Gourd ( Thondekayi), 1/2 kg
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind Juice, 4 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Roast and Grind To A Coarse Powder:- 

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup * not to be roasted 

For Seasoning :- 

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1/2 tbsp
• Chana Dal, 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Oil, 2-3 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the ivy gourd, snip off the two ends and cut the ivy gourd length wise 

In a pressure cooker, cook the ivy gourd in a vessel adding a little salt, turmeric powder and 1/3 cup of water, for 1 whistle 

Make sure the ivy gourd get over cooked. It should be cooked yet remain crunchy

Once the cooker cools, remove the removed ivy gourd and keep aside

Soak a ball of tamarind in warm water for about 10 -15 minutes and extract the juice ( about 4 tbsp) 

In a kadhai, dry roast the mustard and cumin seeds till the mustard splutters. Keep aside

In the same kadhai, add a few drops of oil and briefly roast the Byadgi red chillies . Keep aside. 

In a mixer jar, grind together the roasted mustard, cumin, red chillies on pulse mode

Once the chillies get crushed, add the coconut gratings, and grind to a coarse powder, without adding any water 

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the Kadabi and on medium heat add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and when they splutter add the Urad Dal and Chana Dal and sauté till they change colour

Next add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this add the freshly ground powder, tamarind juice and salt to taste and mix well  ( Remember that a little salt has been added when cooking the ivy gourd) 

Now add the cooked ivy gourd and a little water 

Mix well and cook covered for 2-3 minutes on medium flame so that the ivy gourd gets well blended with the masala

Switch off the gas and transfer the Thonekayi Palya to a serving bowl