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.

Bathua ka Raita

Simple, flavorsome and easy to make. It is best way to use up any leftover greens after making the 'saag'. Bathua ka raita can be served as a dip and as a simple side dish for those chappatis/parathas, It goes well even with rice, dal and a dry subzi.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup bathua saag (roughly chopped)
• 2/3 cup yogurt
• 1-2 garlic flakes (optional)
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin-chilli powder
• salt to taste

Preparation - Boil 2 cups water in a saucepan. Add the bathau and let it boil for 1-2 mins. Immediately drain off the water and transfer the greens into a bowl of ice cold water. Remove from the water after 5 mins and put in a colander to drain off excess water.

Transfer it to a blender jar and give it a buzz. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining ingredients to the blender jar itself. Add 2-3 tbsp water and buzz for 3 seconds. Adjust consistency if required.

Pour it into small bowls and serve as a dip/side.

Note - Chill for 10-15 mins for a better flavor. Use up on the same day as it tends to lose flavor is refrigerated overnight..

To make roasted cumin chilli powder, dry roast 2 tsp cumin and 2 dry chilis. Allow to cool down before grinding into a fine powder. Use as required and store the rest in an airtight jar.

Inspirational Talks for the Litterbugs Amongst Us

Remember those days. One came back from school, threw the school bag in one corner, the shoes would be sent flying in different directions with one landing on the TV stand while the other lodged itself underneath the sofa. And the socks ? Must have shoved them under the carpet or under some cushion or maybe into the flower vase. The same story was repeated with the toys which wound up in each nook and corner of the house once one was done playing with them.

However, everything was back in order the next day even though one did not have to lift as much as a finger. Before one attributes this miracle to the higher powers, I, the Great Indian Litterbug must give due credit to the one superpower that I possess, the Great Indian Mother ( Now don't they keep quoting "Mere pass Maa hai" which translates into ' I have my Mother' in those Bollywood blockbusters ). Programmed to clean up every mess and if required, even own up to the messy act in the first place, she makes sure that I can get ahead in life without having to shoulder any responsibility.

Whether is it threatening the parents of my classmate (who nose I incidentally broke), fighting with my geography teacher for extra marks ( I did mark the capital of Namibia on the map...just that it was a centimeter off), rebuffing my numerous girlfriends (who had anyways got too clingy for comfort) and even heckling my wife (and her parents), she has the multitasking abilities that can put even a Lumia/Galaxy/iPhone 6 to shame.

Secure in this knowledge, I step out of the house into the outside world. I can happily continue with my ways while someone else takes care of setting things right. 'What if it is beyond the reach of her powers?',  some skeptical folks may question. Worry not, for the mother of all mothers, our very own Mother India aka 'Bharat Mata' is there to take care of matters through her appointed servants (I do pay tax, don't I ?). These are the people who pick up the wrappers, bottles, cans, etc from the streets/parks after I am done with the obligatory duty of feeding myself. They even clean up the beautiful red graffiti that I have put on the walls with my paan-staking effort (nobody appreciates art these days, do they ?). If you happen to remain skeptical, let me inform you that they are even running a campaign called the 'Swacch Bharat' to clean up after me (and the millions of others like me). But what I cannot understand is why they chose someone like Amitabh Ji to be the face of the campaign. Wouldn't it have been better if they had appointed his wife instead ? After all, cleaning up after her son is part of the legacy that a mother-in-law passes on to her daughter-in-law.


This post is written for The Great Indian Litterbug, which is an initiative by The Times of India and is brought to us by IndiChange.

Kolotho Dalma (Coastal Odisha Special)

In Coastal Odisha, if you happen to cook any lentil with vegetables, you end up with a dish that is suffixed with a 'dalma'. So, when I decided to add some veggies to my regular horsegram dal recipe (a western odisha version and my personal favorite), I had to peddle it as 'dalma' to please my husband who is rather fond of this particular category. While there are different versions of the recipe favored by different households, I have used the recipe provided by my mother in law who prefers to ditch the 'ambula' or dried mango / tamarind in favor of an overload of country tomatoes.

It is a very healthy and delicious recipe that provides a good dose of protein and fiber in one go. A word of gentle caution though. Since it is a winter recipe that is used to keep the body warm in the chilly weather, it is best to avoid consuming the lentil frequently during the summer months. However, one can continue to drink the water that is obtained by soaking the lentils overnight as it is perceived to be a cure for kidney and gall bladder stones.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup kolotho/horse gram (lightly roasted & broken)
• 1/4 cup baigana/eggplant (cubed)
• 1/4 cup saru/taro (cut into roundels)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin (cubed)
• 1/4 cup green papaya (cubed)
• 1 drumstick ( cut into 2 inch pieces )
• 1 small potato (cubed)
• 2-3 big ripe tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana (mix of fenugreek, cumin, mustard, nigella & fennel seeds)
• 4-5 garlic flakes
• 3-4 dry red chilis
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 3 tsp rice bran oil
• 1/3 turmeric
• salt to taste

Cooking - Wash and cook the kolotho in a pressure cooker with 2 cups water, salt and turmeric. Allow for 2-3 whistles. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape.

Open the lid and add the vegetables (except tomatoes) before closing it once again. Cook for 1 whistle on high flame. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle a little salt and cook till they become mushy. Add the tomatoes to the contents of the pressure cooker. Put the cooker back on the flame. Adjust the consistency of the dalma by adding some hot water if required.

Heat the remaining oil in a tempering pan. Add the pancha phutana, broken red chilis and curry leaves. Allow it to splutter before pouring it over the dalma.

Serve hot with some white rice and a light stir fry.

Click here for other recipes with horse gram.

Two Step Chicken Curry (An easy chicken recipe)

Sometimes we are too tired to cook up a decent meal and yet are in no mood to order anything from outside. A piping hot chicken curry with some white rice/roti can save the day for the non-veg lovers amongst us. This curry is one of the easiest and tastiest ones that I have ever made. I have christened it as 'Two-step chicken curry' partly due to lack of any imagination and partly because it is a lazy curry that can be made in two steps.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 500 gm chicken pieces
• 1 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
• 1 small tomato (roughly chopped)
• 12-14 garlic flakes
• 1 1/2 inch ginger (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 3 nos green cardamom
• 2/3 tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 dry red chillis ( low to medium heat Kashmiri or Byadgi chilli )
• 3 tsp oil
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp vinegar

Preparation - De-seed the dry chillis and soak them with vinegar and 2-3 tbsp hot water for 2 hours. Drain off the liquid and grind the chilies with 6-7 garlic flakes.

Grind the onion, ginger, 6-7 garlic flakes, tomato, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds and coriander leaves into a fine paste.

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and marinate them with the above paste, salt and turmeric. Allow to rest for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chicken along with the marinade liquid (if any). Stir on high flame for 2-3 mins. Then reduce the flame and allow it to cook (without lid) till the  chicken is almost done (95 % cooked). 

Finally add the chili-garlic paste and stir fry on high for 1 min. Then add 2/3 - 1 cup boiling water, cover with a lid and allow to boil for 2 mins before switching off.

Serve hot with rotis/white rice/jeera rice.

Book Review : Adultery (by Paulo Coelho)

'An attractive woman in her mid thirties is terrified of her humdrum but rather privileged existence. She keeps sinking into the abyss of depression till she meets an ex-boyfriend who is super successful. Predictably a torrid affair follows and then she is possessed by guilt. But it ends on a placid note when she gets back to her husband who accepts her with open arms (and heart). '

The above paragraph is a short summary of what the book is all about. While it opens with a great setting which sets off the mood for the affair that is to follow, it actually fails to strike the right chords with the reader. Not what I would expect from an author who gave us something unforgettable like 'The Alchemist'.

The opening lines certainly raised my expectations (and that of my female friends too). 'Every morning, when I open my eyes to the so-called "new day", I feel like closing them again, staying in bed, and not getting up. But I can't do that.' Then we are exposed to the turning point in Linda's (main protagonist) life. It is a question that changed her life. You feel good at that point as quite a few of us would have experienced that kind of a moment.

But then the story progresses to her first meeting with her ex-boyfriend (Jacob) where she transforms herself into some kind of a porn star. It gets a little jarring because at this point you realize that it is not emotional security that she is after. It is the sheer thrill of living on the edge that drives her. From then it is one crazy roller coaster of emotions which gets to a point where she devises of a scheme to plant drugs to get Jacob's wife out of her way.

It is a little incredulous when she finally attains enlightenment during a paragliding expedition( why of all things in this world ??). The ending of the story is quite lame and certainly very disappointing. It is a little too convenient as if the author just decided to finish the book one fine day and gave it a "lived happily ever after" kinda climax.

Rating 2.5/5 (only for the sake of those awesome opening lines). Read at your own peril.

Biotique Bio Berry Plumping Lip Balm

Lip plumpers are products that are supposed to give a bee-stung effect to your lips so that they appear fuller and smoother. Now which woman does not aspire for Angelina Jolie's famous pout ?? But what kept me from trying out plumpers are that they are expensive products and give a mild burning /stinging sensation when applied. So, when I saw the Biotique Bio Berry Plumping Lip Balm in a shop near my home, I grabbed it with both hands. It is priced at just Rs 99/- and is free from chemicals (as per the brand's claims).

Read on to find out how it fared on my scale -

Pros -

1. Priced economically (Rs 99/- for 4.1 g)
2. Free from chemicals ( therapeutic product as per claims )
3. Hygienic bullet application ( certainly better than the earlier tub )
4. Smooths out the fine lines on my lips
5. Gives a mild plumping effect
6. Provides moisture to lips for 3-4 hours.
7. Tasteless and very mild smelling. But gives a light tingling effect.
8. Looking at the older reviews on beauty blogs, they seem to have relaunched the product with a new look and improved formula.


Cons -

1. It is very mildly tinted. Does not show up on pigmented lips.
2. Works best when applied under a lipstick/lip polish.
3. The bullet is too long and sticks out of the tube. The cap was already soiled with some of the product when I purchased it.
4. The formula is a little stiff/hard so one needs to rub it 2-3 times on the lips (but the good thing is that it will last longer).


Rating - 4.25/5 . I find it quite useful as it is transparent and takes care of my lip lines. I regularly apply it under any other lip color I am using. Will repurchase for sure.

Pasta with Kasundi Sauce (Low-calorie snacking !!)

Pasta and Kasundi ?? Whoever would have thought of such an unlikely pairing !! But let me tell you that it works incredibly well on my Indian taste buds. And even before you ask me why I thought of the combination, let me remind you that I have been looking forward to maintaining a healthier lifestyle from this year. That translates into cutting down of fattening food like cheese. Moreover, it being so cold these days, I wanted something hot and spicy to warm me up.

While I could have gone with a regular Marinara sauce, It felt like too much effort. Moreover, the flavors are heavier as compared to this recipe. Since I already had a bottle of tomato Kasundi (recipe at the bottom of this post) sitting in my fridge, it hardly took any time. The trick is to balance the flavors of the fresh tomatoes and the kasundi so that neither one dominates. And yeah, do not forget the peppers. I used the spicy Guntur variety which I personally prefer as compared to the Jalapenos and Habaneros. We do have a lot of good native varieties of peppers/chillis in India which are just waiting to be discovered. And they turn out to be quite economical as compared to the imported varieties.

Read on for the lip-smacking recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-18 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup pasta (chifferi rigata)
• 1 large fresh tomato ( chopped into small pieces )
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red chili pepper (Guntur variety)
• 1 tbsp coriander roots (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp tomato kasundi (adjust as per preference)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• salt

Cooking - Heat water in a large saucepan. Once it gets to a boil, add enough salt so that it tastes quite salty (almost like sea water). Throw in the pasta and cook on medium to high flame till al-dente (cooked yet firm). Retain 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.

Dissolve the kasundi in 2 to3 tbsp of pasta water.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped garlic, red chili and coriander roots. Fry till the garlic turns golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover with a lid for 30 seconds. Once the tomatoes get a little soft (but still chunky), add the cooked pasta along with the kasundi. Sprinkle some more pasta water if it gets too dry. Cook for 1-2 mins before removing from flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Note - Click here for the recipe of Tomato Kasundi. Adjust the amount of pepper as per preference. 

(Z)its just not my day !!!

For someone who had battled with pimples/zits for the better (read worse) part of my life, any mention of the topic is enough to trigger the floodgates of memories. Right from the early teenage days when one just started to discover the other sex (and it suddenly become important to look good), it was my faithful companion till my mid-twenties. And finally when we parted ways, it left behind a trail of destruction in the form of scars and potholes on my face.

Pimples were the primary reason I adopted a proper skin care routine, gulped down 10-12 glasses of water in a day and controlled my diet to exclude chocolates, pickles, pani-puris, fried food and red meat. I would religiously wash my face 2-3 times in a day and splash it with cold water whenever possible. And I applied everything on my face ranging from Margosa(Neem) paste, Fuller's earth (aka multani mitti), turmeric, sandalwood, gramflour(besan)-curd mixture, tomato, lemon juice and even garlic paste (please do not ever try this..it stings like hell). And yeah, I forgot to add the toothpaste that a friend's sister had suggested. But that is not all. These home remedies were in addition to the countless bottles of Cetaphil, tubes of prescription medicine and strips of antibiotics that I have had to consume. But these remedies/medications would only reduce the severity of the eruptions and that too for a limited period of time.

By now you would have guessed that my life had turned into a living hell. Standing for hours in front of the mirror and wishing those zits to simply disappear, I dreaded to venture outside my home. It was as if everyone I bumped into was bound to peer into my face and ask about it. After hearing about my losing battle with the zits, they would cluck their tongues and impart a few pearls of wisdom about a remedy which magically cured the pimple problems of someone known to them. It was a different story that none of this stuff worked in my case.

After the initial struggle, I kind of resigned myself to fate. Instead of pondering over a problem on which I had no control, I decided to concentrate on extra-curricular activities, reading books and do whatever I could to distract myself. I would give pep talks to myself to deal with the problem of low self-esteem and convince myself that it is just a passing phase. After all, there is more to a person than just looks.

My efforts paid off and by the time I joined Engineering college, my pimple problem had substantially subsided. Yes, there were those scars, and there would be 3-4 of those eruptions on my face at any point of time, but it was manageable. By the time, I was out of college, most of the scars had faded substantially and I heaved a sigh of relief. But my happiness was short lived as I suffered from yet another bad bout of eruptions six months into my new job. The stress of job training and the frequent change of cities had not gone down well with my over-sensitive skin. But this time I came in touch with a good dermatologist. She gave some medications which showed good results within two months and then there were a few sittings of chemical peel and microdermabrasion after the pimples had reduced. Her treatment was remarkably good (the best actually)  and I was delighted because my skin had never looked better.

As my doctor had made it clear that I was in for a long term struggle, I was advised to stick to a mild yet effective cleanser twice a day, regularly apply a medicated cream at night and a medicated sunscreen while going out in the sun. My skin continued to behave well though I would still get a few eruptions at times. But the turning point came with my pregnancy when I had to stop applying all those medicated products. I was scared that the pimples would be back with a vengeance. However the hormonal changes worked in my favor and the pimples just went away by themselves.

The status quo has been continuing for three years now. But I still follow a regular skin care routine which includes a cleanser and a weekly face pack featuring a natural ingredient with known anti-bacterial properties/pimple fighting abilities like neem, mint, clay or aloe vera. Yeah, I do get a pimple once in a while due to some hormonal fluctuations but that is quite rare.

This post is written for Garnier (No Pimples No Marks) and Pure Active Neem Face Wash .

Horse gram (Kulith/Kolotho/Kollu) Rasam

Horse gram rasam has become my go-to drink over the past week even surpassing the favorite ginger tea. Yes, it is almost magical on a sore throat and also helps in digestion. Most of us would be aware of the benefits of rasam and horse gram, so combining these two packs a double punch. Even when it comes to taste!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients -

• a handful of horse gram
• 1 large tomato
• 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

For the rasam powder -

• 1 tsp peppercorn
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp toor dal
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida

For the tempering -

• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• dry red chilli
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 pinch asafoetida
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Dry roast all the ingredients for rasam powder. Allow to cool down and then grind into a smooth powder.
Soak the tamarind in 3 cups warm water for 20 mins. Squeeze out all the juice and discard the pulp.
Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Soak the horse gram for 1-2 hours. Then cook it for 3-4 whistles in a pressure cooker along with 1 1/2 cups water, turmeric and salt. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Use a hand blender to mash up the cooked dal.

Boil the tamarind water with little turmeric and salt in a saucepan. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes till the raw taste goes away.

Add the cooked dal along with the tomatoes at this point. Let it boil for 4-5 mins more.

Add the rasam powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter. Add chopped garlic, curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry for 30 seconds.

Pour the tempering over the hot rasam. Simmer for 3 minutes. Switch off flame.

Serve hot as a soup or have it along with plain rice.

Happy Makar Sankranti

Happy Makar Sankranti/Pongal to all my readers !!