Horse gram Sundal

Sundal is a popular roadside snack from South India (mainly Tamil Nadu). Boiled pulses stir fried with simple spices and garnished with fresh coconut, lemon juice and cilantro, it is high in fiber and low in calories.

And quite interestingly there are lots of variations even for such a simple recipe. Some prefer to make it with the sprouted lentils while others prefer to add grated carrots/beetroot/cucumber to it. The regular version has lots of onions (and sometimes even garlic) going into it while the one made on festive days especially 'Ganesh Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chaturthi' is sans these condiments.

Click here for more horse gram recipes !!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup horse gram /kolotho/kollu
• 1 large onion (chopped into medium sized pieces)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 dry red chili
• a pinch of asafoetida
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• freshly grated coconut/ finely chopped cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the horse gram overnight.

Cook it with 2/3 cup water, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste in a pressure cooker. Allow for 4-5 whistles. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Open the lid and strain the boiled lentils. Do not throw the water as it can be used for making rasam.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok. Add the broken red chilis, urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the urad dal starts turning a little brown, add asafoetida, curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion turns translucent.

Add the boiled lentils and stir fry for 2-3 mins. Adjust the salt if required.

Remove from the wok and garnish with fresh coconut/cilantro. Serve as a healthy afternoon snack .

Note - Add a little lemon juice and finely chopped green chili to add extra zing.  Avoid the onions when making it for Navratri or on any other fasting occasion !!

The day he remembered forever

It seemed to be just another day as I got up at 7:00 am and looked out of the window. There was a thin fog hanging around and the chirping of the birds was matched the cacophony of the vehicles as the early commuters were already on their way to office in order to avoid the rush hour traffic of Bangalore. I nudged my husband to wake up and gave him a fleeting kiss before getting out of bed. 14th February seemed no different. And one cannot expect it to be any different when you have been married for six long years.

As I picked up the newspaper, I just wished for a genie to pop out of somewhere and make the morning tea for both of us while I savor the news. And suddenly I could see two hots cups of tea right in front of me. I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I was awake and it was still there. Putting down the newspaper, I tentatively reached for one cup and took a sip. It was real and just the way we liked it. My husband ambled in and expressed his surprise when he saw that the tea was already made. I smiled back without any further exclamation. As we sat and sipped the tea, I thought of making something special for his lunchbox and wished for an encore of the magic that I had just seen. Miraculously, it happened yet again. As I walked into the kitchen with the soiled tea cups, I saw that half of my work was already done just the way I had wanted.  After all, no magic can replicate the love that one can add to a dish. I thanked the higher powers as I finally finished packing his favorite lunch of choley-bhatura and kheer.

Once he was off to office, I did a quick rethink of the small celebration that I had scheduled for the evening. Though I had already bought the gifts, I decided to make best use of this special power till it lasted. I quickly surfed through Jabong, Myntra and Watchkart to check out the great stuff on offer. Once I was done with the selection, I wished for all of it to magically appear in front of me. Though these retailers do offer home delivery on the same day for selected products, I had an early date on my mind and did not want anything going wrong.

Then I called up my husband to ask him to come home earlier than usual saying that I had a special date in mind. By 3 p.m., I was ready for the date. I had decked up in a beautiful Vero Moda sleeveless dress and a pair of golden sandals . The door bell rang as I was putting the final touches to my makeup. As I opened the door, my husband looked surprised with my makeover. Without letting him into my little secret, I gave him the gifts and asked him to change. The Tommy Hilfiger shirt looked great with the Calvin Klein jeans and the cream and brown Fossil chronograph watch was something that he had been eyeing for sometime. It was a pleasure to see him look so happy.

Without waiting any longer, I took his hand in mine and wished for us to be transported to the beaches of Goa. And the next moment we found ourselves standing on the pristine white sands with the waves dancing at our feet. I explained to my bewildered husband that I had been bestowed with special powers and I could make things come true with something as simple as making a wish. We walked on the sand for a long time discussing about the things we could do with the magical powers and then settled down as the sun disappeared on the horizon. It felt like the early years of our relationship where we could just be ourselves without any responsibilities weighing us down. Then as we started feeling hungry, I wished for a table to be set up on the beach itself and all our favorite dishes to appear on it. We chatted and ate under the stars for a very long time. But I had secretly started eyeing my watch for I had a feeling that this power would disappear at the stroke of midnight. Maybe it stemmed from my fascination for fairy tales (Cinderella to be precise) as I kind of loved them as kid but I could not shake off that feeling.

My husband had sensed the change in me. He attributed it to my being tired and asked if we should return. So, I made a final wish for us to be transported back. Only when we had reached the safety of our sweet little home, I shared my concern with him. He laughed it off saying that one does not need any special powers to attain happiness and that is something that we could always have as long as we are together. He thanked me for the special evening and said that he would remember it forever.

The next day when I woke up and wished for the tea to appear by magic, I realized that my powers were gone. But my loving husband had very sweetly woken up and made the tea for both of us.

This post has been written for Baggout's Blogging Contest on Valentine's day. Baggout provides awesome deals on Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong, Snapdeal, Amazon and 100+ online stores.

Banana Stem Cutlets (Kadali Manja Bara/Tikki/Cutlet)

How many of you were disappointed when Gautam Gulati went on to win Big Boss Season 8 while Karishma Tanna was literally left stranded ?? Yeah, even Pritam went home with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakhs. India has once again proved that it prefers sons over daughters. While it is a much debated topic that Tanna's chances were adversely affected by her relationship with Upen Patel, Gautam escaped unscathed though he had a fling with a much older Diandra. The 'maa ka beta' or Mamma's boy images worked well with the audiences while that of a much independent woman ditching her old boyfriend for a new one obviously did not click. This is one debate that could go on and on but I would very much like to hear what most of you think about it . Do share your comments on this page.

And these banana stem cutlets are the perfect snacks to munch on while discussing about this development. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup finely chopped banana stem 
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 2-3 pinch turmeric
• 2 tsp besan
• 1/2 tsp cornflour
• 4-5 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves for garnishing
• a handful of peanuts

Cooking - Dry roast the peanuts on a pan. Remove and keep aside till they cool down. Crush them lightly t break into smaller pieces.

Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions, ginger and garlic. Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the banana stem pieces along with all the spice powders. Cover with a lid and cook for 12-15 mins till it becomes soft.

Allow the mixture to cool down slightly before transferring it to a grinder jar. Give it a whizz or two.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the besan, cornflour and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and then divide into 5-6 equal parts. Shape each portion into a flattened disc. Roll it gently over the crushed peanuts.

Heat a non-stick tawa and drizzle the remaining oil on it. Place the discs on the tawa and cook on both sides till tiny brown spots begin to appear.

Serve hot with some chutney or raita.

Quikr just got Better !!

If you have ever had the chance to sell your stuff online, then you would have come across folks who agree on a set price over the phone but once they come over to check the goods in question, short term amnesia sets in. The expressions on their face range from anything from alarming to accusing to even disbelief when you mention the quoted price. Having faced such a situation earlier, I can tell you that you tend to feel pretty outraged during such moments. And I guess even some of the genuine buyers might have faced such a situation at times. But Quikr being a leading player in this classifieds segment has puts its finger on the exact problem and come up with a great solution in terms of Quikr NXT.

Unlike phone calls which cannot be recorded (unless you happen to be one of the detective types) and every minute detail memorized, this chat feature has a great advantage that every conversation is recorded in the form of a chat history. This reduces the chances of a mix up occurring when one is negotiating with multiple buyers/sellers. And one can also share the additional photos (if required) during a chat session in case an interested buyer asks for it. I once sold an old Microwave on Quikr and an interested buyer (a lady) was very particular about the temperature, cooking modes, preset cooking menu settings on it. But since I had clicked the photo at a distance, these details were not clearly visible and I had to spend a lot of time explaining the things to her over the phone. And when I saw this latest feature on Quikr, I realized that it could have saved me a lot of trouble had it existed back in 2012.

Since one can immediately connect with others using the chat App, it nixes the chances of any buyers/sellers calling you up at odd hours. This is something that can get very annoying at times especially when people call you during a meeting or even when you are catching up on your beauty sleep on a Sunday morning. One can log in at one's convenience and connect with the desired folks. However after logging off, one does not have to wait endlessly for any callers or even worry about missing a call.

Apart from the above features, the number privacy feature is something that is most desirable when you are a woman. It ensures that your phone number does not fall into wrong hands which reduces the chances of any prank callers disturbing you later. Definitely a great feature when it comes to ensuring the safety of women. This feature is also very effective when dealing with people who tend to play the gender card when striking a bargain. For example, when the seller is a woman, people think that they can try and avail more discount. To test this theory, my husband and I had uploaded pictures of the same TV using different email IDs. Though we had quoted the same price initially, there was a difference of a thousand rupees in what the buyers were willing to pay us. And needless to say, they were ready to pay more in my husband's case. This problem is effectively solved by the Chat feature where one can carefully choose an neutral/unisex login name .

Three cheers to Quikr for introducing three awesome features !! This post is written for Quikr .

Bathua ka Paratha

Another recipe with leftovers !! By now most of you would be aware that I tend to add the remaining veggies to make a paratha, so this one is no exception :) ...

Read on for the quick recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bathua or chenopodium leaves 
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinch cumin powder
• 3 tsp oil/white butter 
• salt to taste

Preparation - Blanch the bathua leaves and keep aside to drain excess water.

Add the blanched leaves, crushed garlic flakes, flour, salt, chili powder, cumin powder and 1 tsp oil/butter to the food processor. Blitz it while adding a few teaspoons of water at a time.

When all of it just comes together, take the mixture onto a floured working surface. Knead it into a smooth dough. Rub a little oil all over it and cover with a moist cloth or a bowl. Keep aside for 15-20 mins.

Divide the dough into 3-4 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a circle of about 2-3 mm thick.

Cooking - Heat a non-stick tawa. Put the paratha over it, apply the oil/butter and cook on either side for 2 mins.

Serve hot with some pickle and more white butter (makhan) if you are in the mood for some indulgence.

Top 5 Dessert picks for Valentine's Day !!

Valentine's day might be a fortnight away but the cacophony leading up to this day has started to affect our equilibrium. 'Plan a V-day getaway', 'Treat your loved one to a lavish spread', 'Gift a diamond to your special one' and so on. Makes me wonder if all that marketing hoopla has actually taken the romance out of the day. There is so much pressure to impress, outperform the others and make a statement that people tend to forget that love can happen even over a shared cup of coffee ( or even Chai for tea addicts like me ).

I always prefer to enjoy a special dinner at home on the day. And I ask my husband to help with cooking the non-veg dish as that is what he knows best. A special dessert follows and yes we do exchange gifts if we have had the time to buy some.

Here are some desserts that I would love to make on V-day ( No red strawberries for me ) -

1. Chocolate-Gajar Halwa-Gulkand Truffles

Though time consuming, these pop-in-the-mouth lovelies are worth the effort. A fusion recipe, it combines the best of Western and Indian desserts.

2. Chocolate Kheer

No Valentine's day celebration is complete without chocolates. So, why no incorporate some into another luscious Indian desserts and voila you end up with a double whammy !!


3. Paan and Gulkand Kheer

Another delicious Indian dessert with a quirky twist !! The delicate flavours of the Paan and Gulkand make it utterly irresistible .


4. Shahi Tukda

This royal dessert is perfect for the special day.  Give it a lovely twist by using a cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes from the bread !!

5. Tiramisu

A classic Italian dessert that spells comfort . Add some whipped cream and strawberries to make it even more special !!


Stay tuned as there is more to come .....

Chicken Bharta

Chicken Bharta is one of those easy recipes that taste great even though you do not put too many spices in it. Though it gets a little time consuming as one has to boil the chicken first, carefully shred it once cooled and finally cook it with the spices, tomatoes and egg yolks, the wonderful melt in the mouth texture is worth all that effort. As the meat has been cooked on the bones, it has that wonderful flavour that most boneless chicken recipes lack.

And the best part is that it yields a delicious 'Shorba' or chicken soup as a by-product ( or atleast the stock that you get while boiling the chicken makes the task of preparing a 'Shorba' very easy ). Will get to that recipe soon enough. But first read on the recipe that has been a blockbuster hit with everyone in my house  -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

For boiling the chicken -

• 200 gm chicken (on the bones)
• 1 small onion (peeled and cut into 4 halves)
• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4-5 black pepper corns
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

For the final dish -

• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp chicken curry/tandoori chicken masala
• 2 pinch garam masala powder
• 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• 1 boiled egg
• 1 tbsp fresh cream(optional)
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and cook the chicken pieces in a pressure cooker along the the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, salt and 2 1/2 cups water.

Allow steam to escape before opening the lid. Strain and keep the stock aside. This can be later made into a shorba.

Carefully shred the chicken into thin long strips. Though it takes time, this step is what gives the wonderfully layered texture to the bharta.

Separate the egg yolk from the white portion.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the onions and fry till they start to turn slightly red on the edges. Add the GG paste and stir fry for 2 mins.

Add all the powdered masalas along with 2 tsp water at this stage. Fry for a minute before adding the tomato. Cover with a lid for 1 minute to soften the tomatoes. Fry for another 1-2 minutes before adding the beaten yogurt.

Rub the kasuri methi between palms to warm it up before adding to the chicken.

Finally, when the oil starts to separate from the masala, add the shredded chicken and fry for for 2-3 minutes before adding a little of the stock. Adjust the salt and cover it with a lid. Allow to cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add the mashed egg yolk and cook for 2 minutes before adding the cream and taking it off the flame.

Garnish with the egg white and some cilantro. Serve hot with naan or rotis.

Shalgam Ki Subzi (Turnip Stir Fry)

It is difficult to find 'shalgam' or turnip in Odisha. Alteast ten to fifteen years back, I had never seen the vegetable being sold in the local markets. So, every time I came across this vegetable in Hyderabad or Bangalore, I would think about trying it out. But since I was not too sure about how it needs to be cooked, I kept postponing it till my vegetable lady egged me on to buy some. 'Didi, you can make it like Ol-kopi, they are similar in taste', she told me. And it turned out to be true. At first I had tried a spicier version just like I do it for Kholrabi  (Ol Kopi or Ganthi kobi). The leftover bits went into the 'Sarson ka saag'. The second time I bought the vegetable, I made a simpler version that works well for chapatis.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 

• 2 medium sized turnips ( peeled and cut into 3-4 mm thick pieces )
• 1/2 of a small onion
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1 dry red chili
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 1 large tomato (finely chopped)
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnishing (optional)

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken red chili and cumin seeds. Once it gets spluttering, add the chopped onion and allow it to turn translucent.

Add the GG paste and fry for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes along with all the powdered spices. Stir fry for couple of minutes till the tomatoes turn mushy and the oil starts to leave.

Add the turnip pieces, mix in and turn up the flame for 2 mins. Add about 1/4 cup water along with the salt. Cook with lid covered for 5-6 mins or till the turnip becomes soft.

Remove from flame and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rotis !!

Check out a spicer version ( Masaledar Shalgam ) here !! ( Prepared it in the same way as I cooked the Kholrabi but did not post a separate recipe )

ASUS is the way to Go !!

It is the morning hour rush. I have to reply to those mails from the sponsors while responding to the multiple queries from the readers. And there are yesterday's posts which need to be shared on multiple social networking sites. All this needs to be done while I prepare breakfast for family and pack a lunchbox for my husband. Talk about multi-tasking. It can be hectic being a lifestyle blogger. But worry not when there is something as versatile and sleek as the ASUS Eeebook X205TS at hand.

Next I find myself stuck in the traffic while driving my kid to school. It is time to catch up with friends and extended family while waiting for the lights to go green. "Hey Rhea Aunty got a new puppy !! Can we too buy one Mama ?", exclaims my 4 year old as he looks a picture that my cousin has shared on FB. I quickly make up an excuse about how his father is allergic to all that fur and close the screen. But not before I have 'Liked' her latest share. People do get offended if they perceive that they are being ignored on a social site. I quickly play a new nursery rhyme that I had downloaded yesterday. It takes care of my restless kid while I drive the remaining distance to his school.

I am back home and now it is time to get down to work. There is a 'Green tea infused Kiwi delight' to be prepared for today's food post. And the latest variant of a 'Ready-to-Eat' brand that needs to be reviewed. As I work on the dessert, I am careful to click the step by step pictures using my ASUS Eeebook. Most readers these days like to get a feel of how the dish shaped up.

Once done, I get back to my desk and switch on my ASUS All In One PC ET2040. There is some heavy duty writing and photo editing to be done for today's posts. The work is done in an hour and my posts are up. I take a fifteen minute break to rustle up some quick pasta with veggies for my lunch. I reach out for my ASUS EeeBook. Even this needs to be shared on my FB page so that my readers get some inspiration to eat healthy. Once lunch gets done, I rush off to pick my kid from school. I do not forget to take my ASUS Eeebook along in case I can manage some spare time.

Kid needs a quick snack once he gets back from school. So, I offer him a sandwich along with some milkshake. The next two hours are his play time and I accompany him to the play area where he can mingle along with other kids and get some fresh air too. Needless to say, the ASUS Eeebook keeps me company while my kid runs around. I quickly surf the net to check out trending food stories and plan out what I need to cook/review for the next day. Another couple of emails are taken care of.

Dinner is being prepared while kid is immersed in his homework. Along from his books, I have made it a habit to teach him through online videos which are colorful and at times interactive. In the meanwhile, husband returns home and it is time for some family bonding. Once dinner is over and the kid is put to bed, he too catches up with his friends using the ASUS Eeebook while I work on the ASUS All In One PC on a new story before we retire to bed.

This post is written for ASUS Eeebook X205AT and ASUS All In One PC ET2040 .

Stupid are the ways of Cupid

Candlelight dinners are passe. Hanging precariously from balconies (a la Romeo) is increasingly out of question what with all the high rises that we live in. These days people are resorting to flash mobs and elaborate set-ups to pop that million dollar question to a loved one.

But mushy romance is not dead. For people like me keep thinking of doing crazy stuff now and then. My story is told in flashback mode, so hold on to your seat belts as I take you back in time.

Countdown begins. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Swoosh.

Year 2009. The pristine white beaches of Goa are witness to many a love stories. And the friendly natives go out of their way to help couple find love in this paradise. It was one such couple whose name was recommended to me by a friend who spent her honeymoon in Goa. But since it was a plan that was a little difficult to execute by myself, I had to rope in a couple of friends too.

A Valentine's day trip to Goa was planned. Once the tickets and hotel reservations had been taken care of, we went about working on the details. And as our plans were very much dependent on the high tide, prayers were sent up to heaven every now and then. Though our to-be hosts had assured us about the punctuality of tide, still I had my fingers crossed.

We reached Goa on Saturday morning and checked into the cottage of our friendly couple. Situated next to the beach, it was the perfect setting for a Valentine's day dinner date. After I had given specific instructions to the couple about the menu that I wanted for V-day dinner, all of us set out to explore the place on our bikes (hired ones to be specific). It was late afternoon by the time we returned. As my then-boyfriend took a siesta ( As a rule, we stop looking into the watch during vacations ), we ventured out to the beach.

The private beach made the task easier for me. A small section of the beach was marked, the trees on which the lights (concealed ones) were to be put were identified and our host volunteered to take care of the music. We planned to split up into two groups on the evening of the big day as everyone wanted the two of us the savor the special moment. I returned to the cottage as our friends and hosts set about with the execution of the surprise. I did not want to be absent for too long in case he got suspicious. From that moment onward, time seemed to pass in a fast-forward mode for me. Everything leading up to that evening remains a hazy memory. Even the flowers and gift that he had got for me did not quite register until later.

The moment finally came. It was a little after sunset and the last golden rays of the sun were kissing the still warm sand. Our hosts had laid out a small table beneath the swaying palm trees. As we walked on the wet sand, the waves gently licked our feet. I noticed that the waves were inching closer to the marked spot and felt my heart beating faster. In another fifteen minutes, it had turned dark and our host switched on the lights and the music started to play. He looked surprised as I suggested that we go and sit down on the table.

As we sipped the delicious cocktail served by our hosts, the waters of the high tide miraculously exposed the heart that had been concealed by the sand. Made with a whole lot of sea shells, it had a red box (also in the shape of a heart) in the center. He smiled as he walked up to it and picked it up. "Open it", I said. It revealed a piece of paper with the words "Will you marry me ?". He looked taken as I asked him if it had stumped him. He took time to reply but finally hugged me and whispered a 'Yes' into my ear. He later told me that among all the surprises that I had sprang on him with my take on gender equality , this one had impressed him the most.

Fast forward. February 14, 2010. Exactly an year later, we got married.


This post is written for Closeup Cupid Games .

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.