Methi Malai Paneer is a delicious Indian gravy cooked with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and fenugreek leaves in a creamy sauce. It is served along with roti or anyIndian breads. This is a simple recipe and can be prepared quickly for a party or for everyday dinner or lunch. Whenever I go to the Indian store, I don’t forget to pick a bunch of methi or fenugreek leaves. I love to make some methi dal or a gravy for my roti and rice. It has a lot of medicinal values and is nutritious. Enjoy the curry with roti or phulkas.

Ingredients:

• Chopped onions – 2 cups
• Puree from 2 big roma tomatoes
• Fresh methi leaves (Fresh fenugreek leaves) – 3 cups
• Fried paneer – 1 cup (8 oz or 200 gram)
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 tbsp
• Garlic cloves – 3
• A pinch of asafoetida
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Chili powder – 1 tbsp
• Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – 3 tbsp
• Chicken masala or Chicken curry masala – 3 tsp (I used Shakthi masala, any brand would be fine.)
• Amchur powder – 1/2 tsp
• Unsalted Cashew nut – 2 tbsp
• Unsalted Almonds – 2 tbsp
• Milk – 3 to 4 tbsp
• Heavy cream – 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

1. Heat oil and ghee in a non-stick or regular pan and add a pinch of asafoetida followed by finely chopped garlic.
2. Add onions and a little salt and saute until onions are soft and cooked.
3. Soak cashew and almonds in milk for 10 minutes and grind it to a paste.
4. Now add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, chili powder, chicken masala. If you do not have chicken masala, you may substitute it with kitchen king masala.
5. Cook for a minute and add 2 tbsp of kasoori methi by crushing it between your palms. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat.
6. Add a little water and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Add fresh cream and when it starts boiling add cashew and almond paste and let it cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add 1 tbsp of kasoori methi and fried paneer.
9. Add some water and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot with Roti or Pulao.

© Nithu for Spicy Tasty, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: gravies, side-dishes, veggie

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Paneer is a fresh cheese which is popular in India. It is used to make dishes from curries to dessert. It can be made at home easily with just milk and some lime juice or vinegar and gives a rich and creamy taste when added to dishes. It is also called Chhena and is available in stores.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

8 cups of 2% milk yields around 250 to 300 gram of paneer.

Ingredients:

• 2% Milk – 8 cups
• Fresh lime juice – 4 tbsp (can substitute with 2 tbsp of vinegar)
• Warm water – 3 tbsp

• Milk starts curdling and start separating. If not add some more lime juice.
• When it is completely separated, there will be whey (light green liquid) and cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• Line a thin cloth or cheese cloth over a colander and place the colander in a bowl or vessel.

• Strain the curdled milk and separate paneer and whey. Transfer whey to another container and save it.

• Gently wash the paneer with ice cold water to get rid off the citric acid taste in the paneer.

• Tie the ends of cloth and squeeze water from paneer and hang it for half an hour.
• Paneer is ready.

For making paneer cubes:

1. After hanging the paneer for half an hour, place it on a wooden board or a plate and keep a heavy weight on top of it. Let it stand for an hour.
2. Cut into cubes and use it for your curries.
3. You can use a vessel filled with water for the heavy weight.

Uses of Whey: Whey is the left over water from cheese preparation. It contains protein and other nutrients. Whey can be used for kneading chapathi dough, can be used in curries and gravies instead of water. Whey can also be used in the preparation of rasgulla for making the sugar syrup.

© Nithu for Spicy Tasty, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese used to make delicious dishes from curries to desserts. It has a rich and creamy flavor. Paneer can be bought at super market or made at home. I bought this big block of paneer from an Indian store. It was refrigerated not frozen. Ask your store keeper if you can’t find it.

Coming to this dish, my mom and I love to watch cooking shows. She got this recipe from one of the Tamil channels’ cooking show and asked me try it. The recipe was really interesting with the way, the paneer was used. I made a few changes to the original recipe and tried it. It passed with flying colors. Unlike the original recipe, I wanted it to be bite size since that will be easy to serve. Hope you all like it. Here you go…

Preparation time: 75 minutes

No. of servings: 20 to 23 cutlets

Spice level: 3 out of 5

Ingredients:

• Block of fresh paneer – 12 oz or 340 gram
• Bread crumbs
• Oil for frying

For tomato chutney:

• Medium size tomato – 1
• Dry red chili or red pepper – 2
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)

For mint chutney:

• Fresh mint leaves – 1 cup
• Green chili (2″ size) – 2 (adjust to spice level)
• Salt – 1/8 tsp (adjust to taste)

For stuffing:

• Boiled potato (med size) – 1
• Chili powder – 3/4 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)
• Chopped cilantro – 2 tbsp
• 1 carrot – thinly shredded
• 1/2 beetroot – thinly shredded

For batter:

• All purpose flour or maida – 1/2 cup
• Water
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

Cut the big block of paneer into two halves.

Again cut each half along it thickness. Now you will have four slices of paneer.

Cut them into bite size pieces as you see in the picture.

To prepare mint Chutney: Grind mint, green chilies and salt together with a little water to form a fine, thick paste.

To prepare tomato chutney: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add the dry chilies. After a minute, add cut tomatoes and salt. Fry till the tomatoes are completely cooked and mashed. Remove and cool. Grind it to paste.

Take a bowl, peel and mash your boiled potato and add red chili powder, cilantro and salt. Mix well.

Mix the shredded carrot and beetroot in a bowl.

To prepare batter: Mix all purpose flour or maida with water and salt and make a thin batter. Taste your batter for salt and add if required.

Keep your bread crumbs ready in a plate.

Now from your paneer slices, take two of them (of same size).

Spread mint chutney on the first slice and tomato chutney on the second. Now a spoon full of mashed potato on to top of tomato chutney and some  shredded carrot and beetroot on top of mint chuney.

Bind them together. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the paneer slices.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Now that the paneer sandwiches are ready. Let’s fry them.

Stir your batter and add little water if it has become thick. Dip the sandwich in batter and drop it in breadcrumbs.

Roll and let the breadcrumbs stick to it. and fry it in hot oil till it becomes crisp and brown.

Fry the rest of the paneer sandwiches and serve it with ketchup or hot sauce or ranch or any of your you favorite sauce and enjoy.

Note: Serve hot but not too hot cause it hurts your tongue. If you have left overs and if you serve for the next day, heat it in a conventional oven for 5 to 10 mins before serving. If not heat it over a hot pan.

I would like to submit this recipe to LGSS (Let’ GO Stuffed Series)

© Nithu for Spicy Tasty, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Time of Preparation : 1 hr
Spice level : 3 to 4
No of Pieces : 30

Ingredients:

• Green Chillies (Finely chopped) – 3
• Onion (Finely chopped) – 1 cup
• Ginger (Grated) – 2 tbsp
• Carrots, Beans and Peas (Boiled) – 1 Cup
• Potatoes (Boiled and mashed) – 2 Cups
• Paneer (Grated) – 1 Cup
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder (Freshly ground) – 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – for frying
• All purpose flour / Maida – 1 cup
• Bread Crumbs – 1 cup
• Chopped Coriander – 3 tbsp

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the green chillies.
2. Then add the onions and fry till they become translucent.
3. Add the grated ginger and fry for two minutes.
4. Then add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and salt.
5. Fry for two minutes and add the boiled vegetables and potatoes and mash them completely.
6. Then fry them in medium heat for 10 minutes and add the garam masala followed by grated paneer.
7. Fry them for 5 minutes and add the chopped coriander and let it cool.
8. Make rolls of the mixture whichever shape we want to have.
9. Make a paste with maida by adding water.
10. Coat the rolls first with maida paste and then with the bread crumbs.
11. Fry them till they turn golden brown.
12. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

© arthi for Spicy Tasty, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Recently, I’ve become very fond of paneer. I am either making lot of paneer dishes or I am trying to clean up my refrigerator by cooking all the paneer bags sitting in my fridge

Chilli Paneer is one of the popular Indian dish you will find in most of the Indo-chinese restaurants. In my college days whenver we go out for dinner I used to order this. It’s one of my favorite dish.

Surprisingly, it is also one of the easy-and-quick dishes to whip up when you are short of time.

Ingredients:

• Paneer cubes : 2 cups
• Oil : 2tbsp
• Garlic : 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Ginger : 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Green Chilies : 4 (finely chopped)
• Lime juice : 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder : 2 tsp (optional)
• Onion :  1 (Medium and finely chopped)
• Corn flour : 3tbsp
• Maida (all purpose flour) :1 tbsp
• Salt : according to your taste
• Coriander Leaves : 2 tbsp (for garnishing)
• Curry leaves : 4-5
• Bell Peppers : 1 1/2 cup (I’ve used red and yellow peppers – cut into cubes)

Combination of Sauce :

• Soy sauce : 1 1/2 tbsp
• Red chili sauce : 2 tbsp
• Red wine vinegar or Regular vinegar : 1 tbsp
• Tomato sauce : 2tbsp

Method Of Preparation:

1. Combine the corn flour and maida in 2 tbsp of water to make a loose paste.
2. Marinate the paneer with corn flour paste and green chilies.
3. Shallow fry the paneer till it becomes brown in color.
4. Heat oil in a pan add chopped garlic and sautee for a few minutes.
5. After that add ginger. Fry it for 4-5 minutes in simmer heat.
6. Now add chopped onions and curry leaves, fry them for 3-4 minutes or till the onion becomes translucent.
7. And add the coriander powder fry them for few minutes by adding little water.
8. After that add the bell peppers and let them sit in the heat for 4-5 minutes.
9. Now, add all the sauces and fried paneer. Cook them for 3-4 minutes in high heat.
10. Finally add the remaining corn flour paste in to the mixture.
11. Let the mixture gets thicken and garnish it with coriander leaves and lime juice.
12. Remove from heat and serve it hot with chapathi or naan.

If you like paneer dishes like me, check out this recent Paneer Sandwich recipe Arthi posted.

© admin for Spicy Tasty, 2010. | Permalink | 47 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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