Butter Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer marinade:
~500g Paneer
1tsp Ginger garlic paste
2tsp Tandoori masala (or garam masala if u have that)
1tsp chilli powder
3tbsp yoghurt

Gravy ingredients:
1-2 Onions (sliced finely)
2tbsp tomato paste (this is a must, makes a big difference.. worse case you can just use puree)
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp garam masala
some chilli powder
~500mLs heavy cream. If you need even more gravy, you can add more cream or half n half (to feel better)

Method:
Add all the marinade ingredients together and set aside for about an hour
At the end of an hour, either bake it at 350F/180C for about 30min or just shallow fry in a pan with a bit of butter.

For the gravy, fry the onions with the ginger garlic paste until translucent.
Add salt, chilli & garam masala and continue frying until almost golden.
Add the tomato paste/puree and fry until it doesn smell 'raw' anymore
Finally, add half of the cream and heat through (try not to let it boil)
Add the baked/friend paneer and the rest of the cream. Mix and heat through.

For a finishing touch, if u have it, you could fry a bit of dry methi leaves in a bit of butter n add it at the very end.. Gives a very nice touch of flavour.. Also, if u want, u could also add some almond slices/slivers before adding the cream for a nutty bite..


:)

Spicy chicken curry + more pulusu ideas

I totally love the sour/tangy curry!!! it is really yummmy... and i recently realised too that the sugar/jaggery at the end is very imp... When i first made this curry without the sugar/jaggery, Ram's like 'its sour..' i was like 'well, that's the point isint it.' (the name in telugu means 'sour').. but that's when he said its supposed to be sweet :D I thought he was nuts and laughed at him. But then he added jaggery to it the next time i made it and it tasted so much better with the sweetness!!

If I may, can I add that you can do the same curry with any veggie really.. tastes best with raw banana (again, learnt from Ram), okra and tomato.. In the case of veggies, u add them right at the beginning - after the onions brown a bit, add the veggies n fry them till they stop smelling 'raw' :D after that, u continue with the tamarind etc. Megs.. do u know any other veggies that r good for this? i can only think of these..

I tried making a spicy chicken over the weekend.. looked up recipes and mixed up a couple and ended up with this whcih tasted awesome and blew our mouths away.

Spicy chicken curry

Grind together into a paste (with a small amt of water if needed):
Cumin - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Whole cloves - 3
Cardamom pod - 1 small one
Ginger - small piece
Garlic - 2 cloves

Other ingredients:
Chicken  - I used 2 boneless breasts
Onions - 2, chop up as big/small as u want
Green chillies - 3, slit into halves
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (maybe add acc to taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Add the chilli pwd, tumeric pwd and a bit of salt to the chicken and keep aside for about 15-20mins. Meanwhile fry the onions in oil till brown, add the green chillies, chicken and the masala paste. Mix well and add a bit of water if u want gravy.. if u want it dry, dont add water. Cover and simmer till the chicken's done.

It turned out really yummy and very 'authentic' :D

:)

Egg Pulusu (Tangy Egg Curry)

Since this has been quiet since the holidays I thought I'd give it a kickstart again

Yesterday I tried one of my fave dishes from what my mum makes - and finally got it (almost) exactly the way she makes it so pretty excited...plus Saugar liked it, so that's always a good bonus :)

So here goes

(also the other thing about writing it out is so the next time i get my recipe right since it worked this time!!)

Egg Pulusu (Tangy Egg Curry)

4 Eggs

1 large onion - finely chopped

1/2 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

10-12 curry leaves

1-2 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp methi powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Hard boil the eggs

In a pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies.

Once they start to splutter add the onions and fry till translucent

add in the ginger garlic paste and fry for a few more minutes (onions should start to brown)

Add the 1/2 tsp tamarind paste to half a cup of water (seperately) and mix so there are no lumps

Add this to the onions in the pan and increase the heat

Shell the hard-boiled eggs and make small slits in them (four lengthwise slits per egg) - deep enough that the curry can seep through but not so much that they break

once the water in the pan starts to reduce, add the eggs into the pan

Add salt, sugar and the cumin and methi powders

Mix well so the eggs are coated with the masala

Let it boil for 3-4 more minutes or till the gravy is not really watery

Coconut Chicken

Hey Megz...

Here is the recipe of my special coconut chicken curry. When I make it, I usually make lots.. cos we love it! hehe..

Ingredients:

• chicken thighs (~500gms)
  
• for marinade:
• curry powder (3 tbsp)
  
• red chilli powder (1 tbsp)
  
• salt (to taste)
  
• chopped onion (1 large)
  
• chopped green chillies (3-4)
  
• cumin seeds (2 tsp)
  
• curry leaves (4-5)
  
• chopped/grated ginger (2 tsp)
  
• chopped/grated garlic (2 tsp)
  
• tamarind paste (usually about 1-2 tbsp, really depends on how tangy you like your curry)
  
• white vinegar (1/4 cup)
  
• cinnamon powder (2 tsp)
  
• coconut milk (1 can)
  

1. Add marinade ingredients to chicken, rub it in well and keep it for a couple of hours
2. In a frying pan add some oil and bring to heat.
3. Add cumin seeds, cook well.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well (about 1 min)
5. Add chopped onions and green chillies. Brown the onions well.
6. Add curry leaves.
7. Add tamarind paste and vinegar and cinnamon.
8. Add chicken to the frying pan and cook on med-high heat for about 10 minutes
9. Add coconut milk and bring to boil
10. Cook on low heat until chicken is cooked and all ingredients are well incorporated. You may want to cover and cook so you dont loose so much water.. unless you like your gravy thick.

Have fun! :)

s

Easy Peasy Chicken Curry

Oh, and here's the recipe i sent out on the recipe exchange email. It's what I make on the days that i'm really tired and not in the mood for experimentation or anything complicated

 

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 medium sized onions (red would be nice but any type will do)
1 large red or green pepper
1 tsp crushed garlic/garlic paste
1 tsp crushed ginger/ginger paste
1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder/cayenne pepper - dependent on your spice tolerance :)
3 tbsp ketchup
salt

Chop the onions finely. Put them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until a little tender.
Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan. Once heated add the microwaved onions into the oil with the ginger and garlic. Stir to ensure the three ingredients are well mixed and there are no lumps of ginger or garlic. Let the onions cooked till almost browned stirring occasionally.
Chop the red/green pepper into bite sized pieces and add to the onions in the pan. Add the ketchup with the salt and chill powder. Stir to mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the pieces of chicken. Stir to ensure all the spices/veggies coat the chicken well and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes till the chicken starts to turn white.
Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for 10 mins or so (check up to see when the chicken is almost completely cooked).
Once the chicken is almost completely cooked uncover and stir. Keep cooking uncovered for a few minutes till the chicken browns a little.