Matar Paneer

Homemade Paneer - made from 1/2 gallon milk, cut into cubes
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Yukon Gold Potato - 1 big, diced
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sweet Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomatoes - 4 big, grated
Bay Leaf - 1
Green cardamom - 1
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric
Red Chili Powder - a pinch
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Almond Flour - 3 heaped tbsp
Butter / Ghee - 1 tbsp

Heat a cast iron pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil, sprinkle some turmeric and salt on the cubes of paneer and fry lightly till light brown on the edges. Keep aside. Add the diced potatoes and fry till almost done.

Heat a pan. Add oil, cardamom, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds and add the chopped onion. Mix well and cover and cook for 10 minutes till the onion gets soft and begins to get slightly brown.

Add grated tomato, almond flour, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add a little water and cover and cook. In between remove the lid and mix well for a few times.

Once the tomatoes are cooked and oil floats on top, add the frozen peas and potato. Sprinkle salt and mix well.

Add a cup of water and bring it to boil Once the gravy reaches desired consistency, add fried paneer, garam masala and a tbsp of butter/ghee. Mix well and serve hot.

Paneer & Veg Pulao

Paneer & Potato Curry in Yogurt Gravy

Paneer / Homemade Cottage Cheese - 1 cup, cut in cubes
Baby Potatoes - around 10, cut in half if they are a little bigger in size
(You can use just paneer or just baby potato or a combination of both)
Frozen Green Peas - a handful
Oil
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 6
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Dried Red Chili - 2
Yellow Onion - 1 (big)
Tomato - 1 (big) or 2 small ones
Ginger - 1 inch piece, grated
Greek Yogurt - 1 cup, well beaten
Almond Flour 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Kastoori Methi / Dried Fenugreek Leaves - 1 tsp
Raw Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro for garnishing

Make a smooth paste of tomato, ginger, almond flour and dried red chili in a mixer / blender. Keep aside.

Boil the potatoes in sufficient water till they are half cooked. Remove from water and pierce all over with a fork. Heat a tbsp of oil in a skillet. Add the potatoes, sprinkle a little salt and saute till the potato skins are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the skillet. In the same skillet, add a tsp of oil and add the cubed paneer. Cook till the paneer cubes begin to change color. Remove and drop the cubes in a cup of warm water. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a big pan. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. When the cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add the finely chopped onion, a tsp of sugar and a little salt. Cook on low fire till the onion is soft and begins to caramelise.

Now add the tomato almond ginger paste and cook till oil separates the mixture. Add turmeric powder, garam masala, kastoori methi and frozen peas. Add the fried potato and paneer, mix well, check for seasoning and simmer for ten minutes.

Remove from heat and add the beaten yogurt and mix well. Cover and set aside for a few minutes.

Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve hot with steamed brown rice.

Paneer Bhurji / Spicy Scrambled Fresh Cottage Cheese

Grated Fresh Paneer - 6 oz, (around 1 cup lightly packed)
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Capsicum - 1/2, finely chopped
Carrot - 1 small, grated
Tomato - 1, chopped
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Heat a skillet on medium high. Add the olive oil and immediately add cumin seeds.

Add green chili, ginger and chopped onion and saute till the onion gets caramelised.

Add chopped capsicum and grated carrot. Saute for a few minutes more till the capsicum is cooked.

Add chopped tomato and saute for a minute more.

Now add the grated paneer, salt and garam masala. Mix everything well. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Chanar Dalna / Paneer Curry

Adapted from http://ahaar.blogspot.com/2011/07/chanar-dalna-matar-paneer.html

Homemade paneer - 1 cup, cut into cubes
Warm salted water for soaking fried paneer - 1 cup
Potato - 1, small, cut into cubes
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Peanut Oil- 2 tbsp
Whole Garam masala - 1 tsp (3 cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 6 cloves)
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Green Chili - 2, chopped
Tomato - 2, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Heat a tbsp of oil in a skillet. Add the paneer cubes and saute till light brown. remove and soak in warm salted water.

 In the same skillet, add the cubed potato and a little salt and fry till half cooked and light brown on all sides. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the whole garam masala, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Then add the chopped chili, grated tomato, grated ginger, turmeric, chili powder, cumin and coriander powder. Cook on low fire for a few minutes. Sprinkle water in between if required.

Once oil begins to separate from the masala, add 2 cups of water, sugar and the fried potato and green peas. Cover and cook till the potato is soft.

Adjust salt and add the paneer pieces and cook for a couple of minutes more. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve.

Croquette

Fresh Homemade Paneer - 1 cup, crumbled or grated (or if non vegetarian, 1 lb ground organic chicken)
Yukon Gold Potato - 1
Red Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves, 3 of them sliced and 3 of them grated
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Homemade Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Raisins - a handful
Lemon Juice - half lemon

Egg - 1
Salt- a pinch
Red Chilli powder - a pinch
Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup or Coarse Corn Meal
Peanut oil for shallow frying

Bake the potato in a preheated oven till cooked. Alternatively boil it in very little water till cooked. Cool down and grate it or coarsely mash it. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the sliced garlic cloves and fry for a couple of seconds.

Add the chopped onion and green chillies and cook on medium low heat till the onion gets soft and starts to caramelise. In between, when the onion is half cooked, add the grated ginger and garlic.

Now add the mashed potato, grated paneer(or ground chicken), salt, sugar, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and cook on low fire for a few minutes till the mixture comes together as a smooth dough (or till the chicken is cooked). Mix the chopped cilantro, lemon juice and raisins and keep aside to cool down.

Heat a cast iron pan and add some oil for shallow frying. Beat the egg with salt and red chili powder.

Take a small ball of mixture, press it a little to form a patty. Dip it in the egg wash, roll in bread crumbs and shallow fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve with raw onion, ketchup and mustard sauce.

Shahi Paneer

Paneer cubes - made of 1 litre milk, lightly fried
onion - 1 small, cut into 4 quarters(keep big pieces)
Cashewnuts - 25
Tomato - 1 peeled and chopped
Potato - 1 chopped
green peas - handful
Ginger - 1 inch grated
sugar - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Bayleaf - 1
salt
green chillies - 4 chopped
oil

Put the large pieces of onion and the cashewnuts in a little water in a pan. Boil till the onions become transparent. Pick up the onion slices from water and grind to a paste in a blender. Keep aside. Add the cashewnut pieces and some of the water to the blender and grind to a smooth paste. Keep adding water little by little while blending. Remove and keep aside. Peel the whole tomato (or blanch it in boiling water for a minute and take out the peel)  and blend it in the blender till smooth. Now heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds and bayleaf. Add the chopped green chillies. Then add the blended boiled onion. Cook till the onion becomes pink and oil leaves the sides of the pan. Then add the cashew paste and cook for some time. Add the blended tomato. Add the chopped potato and green peas, salt, sugar and cook on low heat till the potato is cooked. Add a little water if required. Once the potatoes are cooked and the gravy reaches desired consistency, add the fried paneer and toss for a minute. Serve hot.

This is my entry for JFI-Paneer hosted by Trupti @ The Spice who loved me.