Paneer Kulcha Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour/maida
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup curd/yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking pwd
water for kneading
3 tsps sesame seeds
2 tbsps butter/ghee

For stuffing: 

Mix all the ingredients and make small balls
1/4 cup grated paneer
1 onion finely chopped
2 finely chopped green chilies
1 tsp chaat masala
pinch of red chili pwd
salt to taste

 Method

1 Sieve flour, baking pwd and salt. Place the sieved flour on a wide plate. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour sugar, milk, yogurt and slowly combine, to form a soft dough. Cover with damp cloth and let it rest for 2 hrs.
2 After two hrs, knead the dough gently for a mt. Dust the working surface with some flour, pinch a large lemon sized dough and roll into a small thick roti. Place a ball of stuffing in the center of the roti and enclose it from all sides and roll into a ball.
3 Dust the working surface with flour and roll the ball into a 6″ diameter thick roti. Sprinkle few sesame seeds on top and lightly roll with a rolling pin. Prepare rotis with rest of the dough.
4 Heat an iron tawa, once hot, place the kulcha and cook for 15-20 secs on high flame. Brown spots begin to appear. Flip over and cook the other side for another 15-20 secs. Drizzle some ghee or butter and roast for a few seconds on each side and remove.
5 Serve hot with any curry of your choice like Methi Matar Malai or Nilgiri Chicken Korma or Amritsari Chole.

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Potato Roast

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 3, large
• Rice flour - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red chili powder - 3/4 tsp
• Fennel seed powder - 1/4 tsp (saunf) optional
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp,finely chopped

Method

1. Pressure cook potatoes. Pour two cups of water in the cooker. Place washed potatoes in another vessel and place in the cooker. Do not add water. Place the pressure cooker lid and cook on high flame up to 2 whistles. Cook on simmer for 8-10 mts. Turn off heat. Allow the pressure to reduce and open lid. Cool, peel and cube the potatoes.
2. Place the cubed potatoes in a bowl, add the rice flour and toss to coat well. Keep aside.
3. In a small bowl, add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and saunf powder. Keep aside the spice powder mix..
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Reduce flame to low, add asofoetida and the spice powder mix and stir so that they mix in the oil, just a few seconds. Do not burn the spice powders.
5. Immediately, place the potato cubes that have been been tossed in rice flour. Stir to mix with the spice mix.
6. Cook on a low flame until the potatoes form a crisp exterior, approx 8-10 mts. Stir once in a while.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

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Thandai

Ingredients

• Almonds - 1/3 cup
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsps
• Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp (khus khus/gasagasalu)
• Melon seeds - 2 tbsp (magaz)
• Fennel seeds - /2 tsps (saunf/sompu)
• Green Cardamom - 5 (elaichi)
• Black peppercorns - 3/4 tsp (kali mirch/miriyalu)
• Sugar - 8 tbsps (adjust according to taste)
• Milk - 1 1/2 lts
• Water - 3/4 cup
• Rose essence - 1/2 tsp OR Dried rose petals (1 tsp)
• Saffron - few strands (kesar/kumkum puvvu)
• Pistachios - fistful, crushed

Method

1. Soak almonds in water for 2 hours. Soak melon seeds in water for 2 hours, Soak poppy seeds in water for 2 hours.
2. Boil milk, add sugar and allow to dissolve. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off heat and allow to cool. While milk is boiling, peel almonds and place in a bowl.
3. To this bowl, add the drained melon seeds, drained poppy seeds, cashew nuts, fennel seeds, pepper corns and green cardamom.
4. Grind all these ingredients to a paste. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind further to a smooth paste.
5. Add the ground paste to the milk-sugar mixture and mix well. Place lid and leave aside for 15 mts.
6. In a large bowl, strain the mixture. Keep the strained liquid aside. To the residue (almond spice mixture) add 1/2 cup water and strain again into the large bowl.
7. Add saffron strands and dried rose petals or rose essence to the strained liquid and mix. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
8. At the time of serving, pour into serving glasses. Top with crushed pistachios, slivered almonds and one or two saffron strands.
9. Serve thandai chilled.

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Raw Banana Kofta

Ingredients

• For Koftas:
• Raw bananas - 2, boil in 3 cups water till soft
• Paneer - 3 tbsps (grated) optional
• Onion - 1, small, very finely chopped
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Ginger - Green chili paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - pinch
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil - for deep frying koftas
• For Gravy:
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Cardamom - 1
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Tomato - 1, large, pureed
• Green chillies-ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - pinch
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsps
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Cashew - 10 (soak in 1/4 cup milk for 15 mts and grind to a paste)
• Fresh cream - 1 tbsp for garnish (or malai/top of milk)
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsps
• Coriander leaves for garnis

Method

1. Cut the end of the raw bananas. Cut each raw banana into two pieces. Do not peel the skin. Boil them 4 cups of water along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder on low to medium flame. It will take approx 20-30 mts based on the size of the raw bananas. Insert a knife into the raw banana and if it goes through smoothly then its cooked till soft. Turn off heat and drain the water. Cool and peel the raw bananas and grate them.
2. In a bowl, add the grated raw banana, chopped onions, grated paneer, ginger green chili paste, coriander powder, amchur powder, coriander leaves, besan and salt. Mix well and if necessary add another tbsp of besan to bind the mixture such that you can make small lime sized balls (koftas). Make small koftas and keep aside.
3. Heat oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, reduce flame to medium and place the balls gently into the hot oil. Deep fry to a golden brown shade and remove into a bowl lined with absorbent paper. Keep aside and make the gravy.
4. To prepare the gravy, heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom and allow to splutter. Add the chopped onions and saute for 6 mts. Add ginger green chili paste and saute for a mt. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt and mix. Add tomato puree and cook for 8 mts. Add cashew nut paste and cook for 3 mts.
5. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer for 7-8 mts or till it reaches the desired curry consistency. Turn off heat.
6. To serve the kofta curry, place the koftas in a deep bowl and pour the gravy over the koftas till submerged. Allow to sit for 7-10 mts and serve warm. Garnish with fresh cream and fresh coriander leaves.

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Paneer Tawa Masala

Paneer Tawa Masala Recipe

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 5

Main Ingredients: paneer

Ingredients

• Paneer - 1/4 kg, cubed, place in warm water for 10 mts and drain
• Curd - 1 tbsp (yogurt) optional
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp (vaamu/ajwain)
• Kasoori methi - 1 1/2 tsps, crushed
• Onion - 1, large, finely chopped
• Ginger - 1/2", finely minced
• Green chili paste - 1 tsp (grind 2 green chilis to a paste)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - pinch
• Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
• Fresh cream - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tsps
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Oil - 2 1/2 tbsps

Method

1. Marinate paneer in curd, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder and 1/2 tsp kasoori methi for 10-15 mts.
2. Heat a pan, drizzle 1/2 tbsp oil and shallow fry the paneer pieces for 3 mts tossing the contents well. Do not burn them. Turn off flame and remove to a plate.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once hot, add cumin seeds and carom seeds and allow to splutter. Add chopped onions and saute for 5 mts. Add minced ginger and green chili paste and saute for 2 mts.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and kasoori methi and mix well. Add tomato puree and cook for 6-7 mts or till oil separates.
5. Add the roasted paneer pieces to the onion-tomato mixture and mix well. Add half a cup of water and cook for 5-7 mts on low to medium flame.
6. Add garam masala powder and fresh cream and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix well and turn off flame.
7. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with roti or naan.

Tips

• Capsicum can also be added. Chop capsicum into 1/2" pieces and saute them like paneer pieces and follow rest of the recipe.
• If you do not have carom seeds, omit them.

Paneer Tawa Masala, a restaurant style paneer dish that is simple and tasty. Quick and easy recipes using paneer especially preparaed for special occasions.

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