METHI MALAI PANEER

A very quick and easy delicious Indian paneer recipe can be served in minutes in microwave. Methi or fenugreek, cream and paneer are the main ingredients of this recipe. It is creamy, lipsmackingly scrumptious, soul-satisfying perfect dish among the Indians.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (approx. 225gm) Cottage cheese (Paneer)
1 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
1/2 Tomato (Medium sized)
1 1/2 tbsps minced Ginger
2 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp freshly pounded Black pepper powder
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

COOKING METHOD ON GAS TOP STOVE:
Cut cottage cheese in cubes. Grind Tomato, ginger and green chillies to make a smooth paste.

Heat oil and butter in a frying pan. Add tomato-ginger-green chilli paste, dry fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder and black pepper powder. Fry for 3-4 minutes, till oil seperates from the edge. Now add sugar and salt in it. Stir for another minute.

Add Cottage cheese, sour cream and 3/4 cup of water. Cover the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on low heat. Add Garam masala. Fold well. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with naan, paratha or pulao.


COOKING METHOD IN MICROWAVE:

Cut cottage cheese in cubes. Grind tomato, minced ginger and green chillies together to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Beat sour cream with 3/4 cup of water till gets smooth. Set aside.

Take oil and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl in microoven and heat for 1 minute.

Add tomato-green chilli-ginger paste, dry fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, garam masala, sugar and salt in it. Fold well and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir once in between.

Take out the bowl from oven, add cottage cheese cubes and sour cream mixture in it. Fold nicely with the spices.

Place it inside the oven and microwave it for another 4 minutes. Stir once in between. Spinkle  chopped cilantro on top.

Serve hot with naan, paratha or pulao.

TIPS: I used fresh home-made paneer. Paneer might be used from Indian Groceries also but check its

          softness before used it.

          If you like little more gravy, add little more water.

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Linking to: The Master Chef Contest @ You Too Can Cook - Indian Food Recipes

 

CARROT PINEAPPLE CAKE

This carrot cake recipe is something different. Here I blend the flavor of carrot & pineapple with lemon, which is somehow fantastic. I added raisins and walnuts in it, which give cake a richer taste, goes well with cream cheese frosting. This moist lemon flavored carrot pineapple cake is welcome at birthdays, reunions, parties and all special occasions.

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE-
2 cups grates Carrots
1 cup freshly crushed Pineapple
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder (optional)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
4 tbsps chopped Walnuts/Pecans
1 tbsp Raisins
1/2 cup Water

FROSTING-
1/2 Cup Butter (melted)
1 Cup Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tbsp Lemon Zest
8 OZ Cream Cheese

METHOD:

FOR BAKING CAKE:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt in a bowl.  Beat eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl using a electric hand mixer. Slowly add oil in the mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes in medium speed.

Now, mix flour mixture and water into mixing bowl and again beat for 2-3 minutes, till it turns into a smooth mixture. At this point add carrots, pineapples, vanilla extract, lemon juice, walnuts and raisins in it. Beat again for a minute on slow speed.
Now cake batter is ready.

Set oven to 350 F (180 C). Preheat the oven for 5 minutes. Distribute batter evenly into a 13" X 9" baking pan, which has been generously greased. Place in middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.

Keep pan on a rack for 1 or 2 hour to make cake completely cool. Now cut the cake lenghwise half to make two equal parts.

MAKE THE FROSTING:

Beat butter and cream cheese using a electric mixer on low speed for 2-3 minutes till it gets smooth. Add sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest in it. Beat well. Now it is ready to spread on cooled cake.

To remove cake from baking pan, turn upside down, tap edge of pan with a hard surfaced tray. Place one part upside to down. Apply frosting on the top part spreading it evenly by using spatula.

Place the second part on the top of first part and align properly. using both hands, press firmly but gently, two parts together to get one firm cake. Spread remaining frosting to cover the top of the cake and spreding evenly by using one spatula.

Cover with cling (plastic) wrap and store in refrigerator.

"This recipe goes to Sara's Event Cooking with Love Series, hosted at Torviewtoronto"

Sending this to Show me your HITS - Beets and Carrots - Sangeetha's Event hosted by Tomato Blues

Vardhini's Bake Fest: June'12 Issue this month hosted at Daily Cuppa

Sending this to event: I Love Baking #5

This recipe goes to Let's Cook # 16 - Kids Special

CABBAGE UPPERI

This recipe is slightly different from cabbage thoran. Cabbage contains vitamin A, C, B & E. It is very easilly available and inexpensive. This is a very quick and easy to make authentic cabbage stir fry recipe from Kerala, an excellent side dish with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cabbage (very finely sliced)
3/4 Cup Grated Coconut (fresh/frozen)
1 Medium Sized Onion (finely sliced)
4 Pods Garlic (crushed & chopped)
4 Green Chillies (chopped)
A Pinch of Turmeric powder
10-12 Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Split Black Lentils (urad dal)
1 1/2 tbsps Coconut Oil
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Wash the cabbage and drain it for 15 minutes.

Heat coconut oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When it pops up, add split black lentils followed by garlic, curry leaves and onions.

Fry onions for 3 minutes, till it turns light brown. Add turmeric powder, saute for another minute.

Now add cabbage, green chillies and salt. Mix well. Cover the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Add grated coconut in it. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice and sambar.

TOMATO MORU CURRY / TOMATO YOGURT GRAVY

Moru curry is made traditionally in Kerala with yogurt or buttermilk as the main ingredient. It is an easy, quick, healthy and comfort food for many Kerallites. Coconut adds some extra flavour. This recipe is simply made by tomato and spiced buttermilk but tastes luscious.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt (thick) 
1 Tomato
1 tbsp grated Coconut (fresh or frozen)
A pinch of Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 Green Chilli (chopped)
1/3 tsp roasted Cumin powder (jeerakam)
1/3 tsp Mustard seeds
A pinch of dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 whole Dry Red Chilli
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 tbsps Water
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and chop the tomato. In a pan, cook tomato, green chilli, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, dry fenugreek leave and salt. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, till tomatoes get fully soften. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Beat yogurt with 2 tbsps water till smooth and mix with tomato mixer evenly. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, when it starts popping, add dry chilli, curry leaves and grated coconut. After a couple of seconds,  add yogurt-tomato mixer in it. Fold well and remove the pan from heat.

Serve with steamed rice accompaning by any dry vegetable dish or fish fry.

Linking to:

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LAU ER KHOSHA BHAJA / BOTTLE GOURD PEELS FRY

Whenever we use bottle gourd for our dish, generally we forget the usefulness of the skins or peels. We promptly throw away those peels to our garbage bins. But here I want to prepare a little different veg fries by this peels. This idea I got from my Mom, who generally saved the peels after preparing vegetables and used those peels for making another side dish. I saved the peels here and made this easy and simple recipe, tastes awesome. Try to have it for yours also.

INGREDIENTS:
4 OZ / approx 115 gm  Bottle Gourd skins/peels
2 whole Dry Red Chilli
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Poppy seeds
2 tbsps Oil (preferably Mustard Oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Bottle gourd skin is obtained after de-skinning the vegetable, wash and chop it in julienne. Here I used 2 cups of julienned bottle gourd peels.

Now add turmeric powder and salt. Toss well. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

Heat Oil in a frying pan. Add nigella seeds and dry red chillies in it. Saute for 10-15 seconds. Now add chopped bottle gourd peels, mix well. Cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Now uncover the pan and add poppy seeds on the top. Stir continuously till peels are tendered, soften and cooked.

Serve hot. Best goes with dal-rice.

TIPS: I made it as niramish (veg) dish, if like to make little more spicy, then temper with 1-2 pods of

          chopped garlic and add little red chilli powder (in addition).

BEETROOT THORAN

This is a simple but tasty colourful thoran made with beetroot. It has a unique flavour. Thoran is a traditional dry vegetable recipe from Kerala, made with grated or finely chopped vegetables by using ingredients mustard seeds, shallots, coconut, curry leaves, turmeric powder, chillies and coconut oil. It is served in the Onam Sadya along with other dishes.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Beetroot
2 Shallots (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup freshly grated Coconut
1/2 tsp grated Ginger
1 Cardamom
1/4" Cinnamon
1 Clove
2 Black Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 whole Curry leaves
1 whole Dry Red Chilli
2 chopped Green chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tbsps Coconut Oil
1 tbsp fresh Lemon juice
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Wash, cut off the edge of beetroot and peel it by a peeler. Chop beetroot finely in small cubes.

Roast cardamom, cinnamon, clove and peppercorn for 1-2 minutes, pound coarsely. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds in it. When they pop up, add cumin seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves. Stir for few seconds and then add sliced shallots. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Now add grated ginger and green chillies in it. Fry for a minutes.

Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and coarsely pounded spices in it. Stir for a minute and add chopped beetroot and salt. Fold well and cover and cook it for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add grated coconut in it and mix well. cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice, fold well. Remove from heat. Tasty beetroot thoran is ready to serve.

Serve hot with steamed rice and moru curry or sambar. May serve with rotis or porothas too.

TIPS: You could also use grated beetroot, that will cook faster than chopped beetroot.
         If like to make more spicy, may add 2 pods of minced garlic.
         Those who dont have fresh coconut, could substitute with dry or desiccated coconut.
         Adding ginger is not trend, but it gives an extra flavour.

Linking this to Show me your Hits - Carrots and Beets. Sangee Event hosted by Anusha

LAU DAL / BOTTLE GOURD WITH MOONG DAL

Bottle gourd when cooked in different kitchens bring out the variety in taste. Here I put bottle gourd in dal, it is a healthy and complete dish. This dal is easy and simple, still delightful. Whenever we feel lazy in these Summer days, always our taste-buds want something light and less spicy with a flavourful aroma, this dal retains with its individuality and cool us off.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup yellow splits lentil (Moong dal)
1/2 lb Bottle Gourd (Lau/lauki)
2 Green chillies, cut in slits
1 whole Red Chilli
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 tsp Mustard Oil
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Salt to taste
2 cups warm water

METHOD:
Roast yellow splits lentil in a skillet till golden brown. Wash it 2-3 times and keep it dry.

Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Cut into medium sized cubes. Set aside.

Put lentils and 2 cups of warm water in a pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure on medium heat. After 2 whistle, remove the pressure cooker from heat and allow to cool naturally. Open the lid of cooker, add bottle gourd cubes, turmeric powder, ginger paste, mustard oil, green chillies and salt in it.

Again close the lid and bring it to full pressure on  medium heat. Put off  heat after one whistle and immediately release steam from the cooker. Keep aside.

Heat clarified butter in a wok. Add cumin seeds, whole red chilli, bay leaf and asafoetida in it. Stir for few seconds. Now pour cooked lentil with bottle gourd and sugar. If required, add little more water. Cook till it starts to boil. Spinkle chopped cilantro on it and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

TIPS: Always wash the bottle gourd before peeling off the thick skin.
          You should be able to see the grains of lentils and bottle gourd pieces should be soft but not
          completely mushy.