Kadhai Paneer

Kadhai dishes, be it Kadhai Chicken or Kadhai Paneer essentially have Capsicum (Green Pepper) as a main ingredient...I am not too sure if the 'Kadhai' term attributes to making it in a Kadhai (wok) or the inevitable capsicum...

I find this recipe so irresistible that I munch away half the paneer before it reaches the dining table ;)

Ingredients

• Paneer - 200 gms cut in cubes (the shape is, however upto you, I infact mash a couple of cubes to give it a nice texture)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Garlic - 5 large flakes - crushed
• Tomato puree - 4 tbsp ( or 3 small tomatoes halved and grated to get the pulp)
• Salt - 1 tsp or as required
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
• Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Capsicum - 1 medium ( or 2 if you need more volume) cut into thin long strips

Method

• In a kadhai, add oil and when hot add the crushed garlic
• Add the tomato puree
• Add salt, sugar, chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala and mix well
• Add capsicum and under high heat stir fry until the capsicum turns in colour to a dull green
• Lower the heat, add the paneer and cook for a couple of minutes until the paneer softens

Tips

• Make sure no water is added. If done properly you will not have to add water. When capsicum is cooked in water, it leaves an unpleasant taste
• You can derive inspiration for stir frying from any street side fast food guy
• At the end while Paneer is being cooked, sprinkle some water and cover for a couple of minutes while it softens

Do onions make you cry?

NO! You probably haven't dated one yet...

It does make me teary-eyed and here's the explanation why...

When an onion is cut, the ruptured onion cells release enzymes which break down nearby sulphur compounds into oxides and acids. These re-form to make a gas. This gas moves into your eyes and then mixes with your tears to form sulphuric acid.

Check out here for some suggestions to have fewer tears.

Aalu Mattar

A little bit of history behind this recipe ;)

When I got married I had the culinary skills of a rat. After a stint with dishes that eventually made way to my garbage, I had a choice either to leave my foodie husband for good or do some serious research and establish myself as a cook. In any case it was too early to give up.

I don't remember where I found this recipe. At that point, I used to browse, gather, print recipes left right and center. It's been 3 years since and this recipe is still very dear to me for it marked my metamorphosis. So let us get going!

For the green peas you can either get them fresh which definitely adds to the taste or settle for frozen peas. In India green peas get cheaper in winter and almost unaffordable in the later months. I store Safal green peas in my refrigerator in all seasons. It definitely comes handy.

Ingredients

• Oil / Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Ginger - 1tbsp finely chopped
  
• Garlic - 1tbsp finely chopped
• Onion - 2 medium chopped fine
• Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
  
• Cumin - 1 tsp ground
  
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato - 2 medium - ripe and firm - finely chopped
  
• Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp - fresh -finely chopped
  
• Potato - 1 large - peeled and cubed
• Peas - 2 teacups
• Water - 1 cup
  
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Method

• In a heavy sauce pan, heat the oil/ghee over high heat until a drop of water flicked into it splutters instantly. Stir in the ginger and garlic, then add the onions and salt
• Lower the heat to moderate and stirring continuously, saute the onions for 7 - 8 minutes, until they turn soft and golden
• Add the cumin, turmeric and chilli powders.
• Stir in tomatoes and 2 tbps coriander leaves. Keep stirring and cook for 5 minutes until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick enough to draw away from the sides and bottom of the pan in a dense mass.
• Drop in the peas and potatoes and mix thoroughly.
• Stir in the water and bring to boil over high heat.
  
• Cover tightly and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer for 10 minutes or until the peas and potatoes are tender.
  
• Sprinkle the garam masala and the remaining coriander leaves.

Tip

• Adding salt along with onions helps speedup the process of sauteing. The salt will help to draw the moisture out of the onion, and will make it cook softer. For more details on how to saute onions click here.