Paneer Makhanwala

Its a cottage cheese cubes made with milk, mild spices and cashew paste. Its a North Indian delicacy slow cooked in medium flame with lots of love and patience. I generally include this in my menu for the vegetarian lot in the group and also for my husband who is a vegetarian. This goes well with rotis and laccha paratha.

Ingredients

1) Panner - cut in cubes - 1/2 Kg ( Panner is cottage cheese, dip panner cubes in milk and keep aside for 1/2 hours)

2) Big size onions - 4 - chopped

3) Ripped tomatoes - 4 - chopped

4) Ginger garlic paste - 2-3 tbs

5) Cashew paste - 1/2 cup ( Dip cashews in milk for 1/2 hours and then make paste out of it)

6) Cloves - 2-3 , Tej Patta - 2-3 , Jeera - 1 tbs

7) Desi Ghee - 2-4 tbs

8) Coriander - fine chopped

9) Salt - to taste

10) Turmeric powder - 2 tbs

11) Refined oil - 4 big tbs


Method

1)   In a pan, put oil and add onion to cook till light brown, Add tomatoes and cook till oil separates. Cool and grind to make paste. The paste will be orange in color.

2) In a big kadai, heat oil and put all the khada masala along with jeera. Add the onion tomatoes orange paste , ginger garlic paste and cook for about 10-15 mins. Add cashew paste and some milk.

3) Once this is cooked properly, add panner cubes dipped in milk. Add the remaining milk as well.

4) Slow cook on low flame for another 15-20 mins.

5) Serve hot.

Sarsoon Ka Saag

Sarsoon Ka Saag is the authentic punjabi household food that’s eaten during winters. Sarsoon is the hindi word for mustard leaves. Sarsoon ka saag is eaten with Makki ki roti and raita. (Any type of raita). In Punjab, people make sarson ka saag in large quantity and eat when ever they want to. When ever it’s served, its tempered with fresh desi ghee and garnished with fresh makhan. This is the most authentic saroon ke saag ki recipe, straight from my mothers kitchen.

Ingredients:

1)      Sarsoon bunch – big one – 2

2)      Palak bunch – medium – 1

3)      Methi bunch – medium - half

4)      Bathuaa bunch – medium – 1

5)      Green Chilli – hot dark green – 4-5 – depends how hot you like

6)      Onion paste – out of 4 medium size

7)      Garlic flakes paste – 10-12 medium size

8)      Salt to taste

9)      Whole red chilli – for tempering – 4

10)   Desi Ghee (Clerified Butter) – for tempering – 4 big spoons

11)  Onion – 2 – Cut into Julienne for tempering

12)   Makki Ka atta – 2-3 medium spoon

Method:

1)  Wash and cut all the leafy vegetables properly. First wash and then cut, otherwise all the vitamins and minerals are also washed away with water.

2) In a pressure cooker, add all the leafy vegetables, onion paste, garlic paste, some water, salt and pressure cook for 15-20 whistles. Let the cooker cool on its own and then open the lid.

3)      Now , keep the cooker on the gas flame and stir and keep sprinkling the makki ka atta till it comes together. Don’t put the lid on the cooker. And keep mixing the saag. The maximum atta you can put in this is 2-4 medium spoons and this is just for binding the saag together. Cook this for about 35-50 mins on a slow flame.

4)      Now, tamper with cut onions, desi ghee and  whole red chilli.5)      Garnish with fresh makhan or cream6)      Serve hot with makki ki roti and raita.

Please message or email me if you want to know the recipe of Makki di roti.