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Showing posts with label north indian paneer recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label north indian paneer recipe. Show all posts

Friday, May 29, 2015

Badami Paneer

Badami Paneer or cottage cheese cubes cooked in a rich nut based gravy is one dish that invokes sheer bliss. It has an silken texture that just seems to envelope one's entire mouth while the tangy taste of the tomatoes and the mild heat from those aromatic spices join hands to tingle each and every taste bud.

But surprisingly it is very simple and rather easy to prepare. Make this dish for friends and family and have them wondering about the kind of effort that you have put in. Read on for recipe -



















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -


  • 250 gm Paneer cubes
  • 1 medium sized onion
  • 1 tsp Garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger paste
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup coriander powder
  • 1/2 cup cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/5 tsp turmeric
  • 2 pinch garam masala
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4-5 tsp oil/butter ( 1 prefer 1 tsp oil + 3 tsp butter )
  • salt to taste
  • cilantro for garnishing
  • 5-6 cashews
  • 10 almonds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds

Preparation - Soak the cashews, almonds and poppy seeds in warm water for 1/2 hour . Then grind into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Grind the onion separately into a smooth paste

Cooking - Heat the oil and butter in a wok.

Add the onion paste along with the ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry till translucent but no more.

Add the powdered masalas along with the tomato puree. Fry till oil starts to come out from this gravy.

Then add the nuts paste and fry for 2-3 mins. Finally add the warm milk and get it to a boil.

Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency, add the panner cubes. Let it simmer for 2 mins.

Garnish with cilantro before removing from the flame.

Serve hot with jeera rice, rotis or even some delicious butter naan. 


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Navratan Korma ( Without Onion and Garlic )

Navratan Korma derives it name from the nine jewels of Mughal emperor Akbar's court. The dish is supposed to consist of an equal number of vegetable simmered in a sweet and mildly spiced creamy gravy. While the regular version of this recipe makes use of an onion, ginger and garlic paste, I have prepared a no onion- no garlic verison that can be consumed on 'vrat' or auspicious day too.

The have used eight vegetables and paneer along with a paste of poppy seeds, almonds and cashews for the recipe. The vegetables have been boiled in milk instead of water to add richness and sweetness to the gravy. But since milk slows down the cooking process, it is best to have the vegetables half cooked by the time milk is added. Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 cup carrot (small cubes)
  • 1/2 cup capsicum (long strips)
  • 1/2 cup beans ( inch long pieces)
  • 1/2 cup potatoes ( peeled and cubed)
  • 1/2 cup baby corn ( inch long pieces)
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • 200 gm paneer/cottage cheese ( long pieces)
  • 2 large tomatoes (freshly pureed)
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 cardamom 
  • 2 inch long cinnamom stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1/3 cup raisins and broken cashews (mixed)
  • salt to taste
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp ghee


For the paste -

  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 12 cashews
  • 4-6 almonds


Preparation - Soak the poppy seeds, cashews and almonds in a cup of hot water for 1-2 hours. Drain the excess water and peel the almonds before grinding everything into a smooth paste.






Cooking - Heat the ghee and oil in a wok. Add the whole spices followed by the chili, turmeric, coriander and garam masala powders. Roast for 10 seconds before adding the tomato puree. Cook everything till oil separates from the tomato paste.




















Then add all the chopped vegetables and stir fry them till half cooked. Alternately cover with a lid for faster cooking.






Add the poppy seeds and nuts paste to the wok along with a little milk. Mix in. Add the rest of the milk, cashews and raisins. Adjust salt and allow the curry to simmer till the vegetables are completely cooked.



















Add the paneer cubes, kasuri methi ( rub it lightly between palms before adding ) and honey. Simmer for 2 minutes before removing from the flame.

Garnish with coriander leaves before serving hot. Goes best with all Indian flat breads and mildly spiced rice dishes.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Shahi Paneer ( A Truly Royal treat for the taste-buds)

I had not prepared any Panner dish for quite sometime as my husband had got bored with it. So, when I got some from the supermarket last week, I wanted to try out something different from the usual spicy gravies that usually make. After browsing through lots of recipes, I zeroed in on this simple recipe of 'Shahi Paneer' as it looks quite easy and less time consuming. I have avoided tomatoes as I wanted that white look and hence used some extra curd to get that tang into the gravy. But feel free to choose whichever you like.

Read on for the recipe -






Preparation Time - 30-40 mins

Ingredients -


  • 250 gm Malai Paneer
  • 1/2 cup thick yogurt
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala power
  • 1/4 turmeric
  • 1 tbsp makhan (white butter)/oil
  • a pinch of saffron
  • 3 tbsp warm milk
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste


For the gravy -


  • 1 medium onion
  • 3-4 garlic flakes
  • 1 inch long ginger
  • 5-6 cashews
  • 4-5 almonds
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 green cardamom
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 pinch cumin (jeera)
  • 2 pinch shah jeera


Preparation - Soak the saffron in warm milk for 20 mins.

Boil 2 cups water in a small saucepan and add all the ingredients listed  under 'For the gravy' . Let it boil for 10 mins (else you can use a pressure cooker and cook all the ingredients for 2 whistles on a medium flame).

Allow to cool down before straining the water (do not throw). Grind the cooked ingredients into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Cooking - Heat the white butter / oil in a wok. Add the paste that we have prepared in the previous step. Cook for 5-6 minutes till the oil starts to separate.

Add the coriander powder, chili powder, garam masala and turmeric at this point. Stir fry for 2 mins.

[Note - If you plan to use any tomato puree, add it at this point and cook for 4-5 mins]

Add the yogurt (whisked to break any lumps), strained water, sugar and salt to taste. Boil for 10 mins on a low flame (be careful as it tends to stick to the bottom).

Add the saffron milk and the paneer cubes. Simmer for 2 mins before removing from the flame.

Serve hot with naan or any other Indian bread. Also goes well with white or any mildly flavored rice.


Saturday, August 30, 2014

Matar Paneer (Without onion and garlic)

Sometimes fine recipes are born purely out of need. This Ganesh Chaturthi my husband wanted something different from the puri-buta dali combo that is the staple dinner on festival days. With it being a no onion - no garlic day, I was hard pressed for choice. Then I zeroed in on this 'Matar-Paneer' recipe that I had jotted down in my notebook. It is a simple one with a combination of sweet, sour and spicy flavours without being too rich.

Read on for the recipe -






Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -


  • 200 gm Paneer cubes 
  • 1 1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 big tomato 
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 Kashmiri chili
  • 5-6 almonds
  • 7-8 cashews
  • 10-12 raisins
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 1 green cardamom (powdered)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Kasuri methi
  • 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • a pinch garam masala
  • 1 1/2 tsp honey
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp butter


Preparation - Chop the tomato and transfer into a cooker. Add the raisins, cashews, almonds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, whole red chili and cumin seeds along with a little salt. Add 1/2 cup water. Cook for 2-3 whistles on medium flame.

Keep aside for steam to escape. Once the steam escapes, peel the almonds. Drain the water ( but do not throw it ) and transfer all the contents of the pressure cooker to a blender. Buzz till you get a smooth paste.

If using frozen peas, thaw them.

Add the panner cubes to a bowl of hot water.

Cooking - Heat the butter in a wok. Add the ground tomato-masala paste along with coriander powder, chili powder and garam masala. Rub the Kasuri methi between your palms to warm it a bit before adding to the wok.

Cook for 5-6 mins before adding the paneer cubes and green peas. Add about 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins.

Add the honey and remove from flame.

Serve hot with puris/phulkas.





Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Kadhai Paneer

Kadhai Paneer is a hit recipe with almost all vegetarians and a few non-vegetarian folks too. The peppers and coriander seeds-cloves spicing is indispensable to this dish. While it is supposed to have a semi dry consistency, some of the restaurants serve it with a rich onion-tomato-cashew gravy. I am no fan of the latter and prefer to stick to its dry form which can also double up as a starter. It is quite easy and does not consume much time. One can make the masala powder in more quantity and store in a airtight container in the fridge. For those who dislike peppers, sliced baby corn and carrots can be used instead.


















Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

1 cup soft paneer (cut into triangles)
3/4 cup diced red peppers
3/4 cup diced green peppers
1 big onion + 1 small onion
1 tsp GG paste
1 medium ripe tomato
1 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/5 tsp turmeric
3 tsp rice bran oil
coriander leaves for garnishing

To be powdered -
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 cloves
2 inch long cinnamon seeds
1 bay leaf

Preparation - Chop the small onion into fine pieces. Dice the big onion into chunks.

Peel and chop the tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Dry roast all the ingredients listed under 'To be powdered' till they let off a fragrance. Remove from flame and allow to cool down. Transfer to a mixer and ground into a powder.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the finely chopped onion. Fry till translucent. Add the GG paste and fry till the raw smell goes away.

Add the finely chopped tomato along with the chili powder, turmeric and a bit of salt. Cover with a lid for 2 mins. Remove lid and mash up the softened tomato with a spatula. Add the diced onions and peppers. Cover with lid and cook till it softens a bit.

Add the paneer pieces along with the powdered masalas and kasuri methi. Add 1/3 cup hot water and adjust the salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Malai Kofta

I am not much of a kofta person as our menu is predominantly non-vegetarian . And paneer dishes are made very rarely, mostly reserved for occasions when we have any of our vegetarian friends coming over. With koftas being quite messy and rich, I usually avoided it in favour of dishes like Paneer Schezhuan or Paneer Tikka. But when a reader requested for a kofta recipe, I had to think hard before coming up with this. I have cut short the time (and also the amount of oil/butter) spent on making the gravy by cooking most of the ingredients beforehand. The tikkis can also be baked in a oven for further reducing the calories. (I tried doing this for 2 of the tikkis and they tasted good)

Read on for the recipe - 


















Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients - 

For the koftas -
200 gm paneer
1 medium sized potato
1 tsp cornflour
a pinch of garam masala
1/3 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
oil for shallw frying

To be boiled -
2 medium sized onion
1 medium sized tomato
3-4 garlic flakes
1 inch long ginger
1 dry Kashmiri red chilli
10-12 almonds (blanched)
1/3 tsp cumin
1 inch cinnamon stick
1-2 green cardamoms
2-3 cloves
salt to taste

Others -

1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp kasuri methi
salt to taste

Cooking - Cook the potato with 1 cup water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

While the potato is cooking, chop the onions, peel the garlic and ginger. Take all the ingredients listed under "to be boiled" in another pressure cooker with 1 cup water. Cook on medium high flame for 7-8 minutes or 2-3 whistles. Keep aside for steam to escape.(let the tomato remain intact/whole while cooking)

Heat oil in a wok for shallow frying.

Peel and grate the boiled potato into a mixing bowl. Also grate the paneer into the same bowl. Add salt, cornflour, chili powder and garam masala. Mix thouroughly and divide into 6-7 portions. Shape each portion into a flattened circle about 2/3 cm thick.

Put the koftas into the hot oil. Fry on both sides till brown. Press slightly against the side of the vessel to drain off excess oil before removing. Keep on a tissue paper to absorb still more oil.

Strain the contents of the pressure cooker. Do not throw away this water. Transfer to a grinder and make a smooth paste.

Heat 1 tsp oil in another wok. Add butter to it followed by the onion masala paste. Cook for 3 minutes before adding some of the strained water. Add honey. Rub the kasuri methi between your palms before adding it to the gravy. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the koftas to the gravy and switch off the flame (only if the curry is to be served immediately else heat the gravy and add the koftas just before serving).

Tastes best with naan/rotis but also goes well with white rice/pulao.


















Note - When making this recipe for special ocasions, chop up some dry fruits ( raisins, cashews, almonds ), lightly fry them in some ghee and stuff them inside the koftas.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Palak Paneer ( Cheese in Spinach gravy )

Palak or spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods available to us in abundance and at an economical rate. Along with a high water content and soluble fibre content, it is loaded with vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc and copper. Also it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

But since it is loaded with pesticides and fertilizers ( common problem with most leafy vegetables as they grow so near to the soil ), one should prefer the organic version whenever possible. I myself buy the 'Gopalan' brand that is stocked by Bigbasket.com.

I try to keep on incorporating it my diet and often come up with new combinations. But today i am sharing a popular and all time favorite recipe 'Palak Paneer'. Read on :



















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 350 gm paneer, 1 bunch of spinach ( 2 1/2 - 3 cups ), 2 medium sized onion, 1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1-2 green chillli, 1/2 teaspoon jeera-lanka powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 2 tsp Fortune Rice Bran oil, butter, salt to taste, turmeric.

Preparation - Cut the paneer into cubes.

Remove the stems from the spinach and chop roughly. Cut the onions into large pieces.


Cooking - Heat water in a pan. Add salt and turmeric and bring to a boil.

Add paneer cubes and boil for 5-6 minutes. Drain water and keep aside.


















































Boil fresh water in another pan. Add the spinach leaves and boil for 1-2 minutes. Drain the water and wash in cold water. Keep aside to drain off all the water.

Heat oil in a wok. Add half of the chopped onions and fry to translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the green chilli and spinach leaves with salt to taste. Fry for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to a blender cup, allow to cool down a bit and grind into a smooth paste.


Add some butter to the same wok. Add the remaining onions and fry till translucent. Add the green paste prepared earlier with jeera-lanka powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.















Add paneer cubes and cook for 2-3 minutes.


















Serve hot with pulao rice/basmati rice/rotis.



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