Chilli Paneer

Paneer is a fresh cheese common in the Indian subcontinent. It is an unaged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Its acid-set form, (cheese curd) before pressing, is called chhena. 

As of now, many would have guessed that I eat veggies very less… and had complaints from friends of not sharing much of Veg recipes. So here it is..Chilli Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) tossed in a flavorful and spicy soy sauce, chilies and vinegar. This is a recipe I tried from an online food video with slight variation from my side. Try this recipe for the weekend and have a great time with family..

Ingredients:

Paneer - 2 cups (cut to cube pieces)

Onions - 1 large (cut to cube)

Capcicum - 1 small each (red, yellow, green, cut to cube- optional)

Green chillies - 3 nos (slit to half)

Garlic - 2 tsp (chopped)

Ginger - 2 tsp (chopped)

Soya sauce - 3 tsp

Tomato sauce - 4 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - ½ tsp

Sugar - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Spring onions - 2 tbsp (for garnishing- optional)

Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp

Water- 4 tbsp

OIl - 3 tbsp (for cooking)

Oil - for frying

For the marination: 

Paneer pieces

Kashmiri chilli powder - 2 tsp

Corn flour - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

- In a bowl, combine the marination ingredients together and mix well. Keep aside for half an hour (make sure the paneer is well coated in the marination).

- Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the well coated paneer cubes to slightly brown in color and keep aside for the oil to drain. 

- In another kadai, heat 3 tbsp of oil. Add ginger, garlic chopped and fry for a sec. Now add onions and fry till translucent. Now add the capcicum and fry till soft. 

- In a small bowl, add kashmiri chilli powder, water and make a liquid paste. Pour the mixture into the sauted onions.

- Now, add the green chillies, soy sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, pepper powder, sugar and saute for a sec for a minute on high flame. Add salt at this stage.

- Once done, lower the flame to medium and add fried paneer cubes and mix well for 2 minutes. (Check salt and spice at this stage and add accordingly)

- Once done, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot. 

- A great side dish with Fried rice or any Chinese dishes.

Note:

- This is a very spicy dish. Please adjust the spice and salt accordingly. 

- The marinated Paneer pieces should be kept aside for at least half an hour or taste. 

- You can replace other veggies from paneer and cook the same dish. 

- I have not added capciscum or spring onions to the dish. Adding them is optional.

Beef Pepper Masala

Today I am posting an easy and one of my son’s favorite Beef Pepper Masala. This is often cooked at my place and my son, hubby and dad loves eating just with plain rice or chapati. This is a very easy recipe with few ingredients. This is my family way of cooking beef with pepper. My grandma used the same ingredients and for sure tastes the same. Try on and sure you will love this dish. Stay home..Stay safe… Happy weekend..

Enjoy food and Live Life :) :)

Ingredients:

Beef - 1 kg (cut to small cube size)

Shallots - 1 cup (sliced)

Green chillies - 2 nos (slit into half)

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 2 medium

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 3 tbsp

Peppercorns - 1 tsp (crushed)

Meat masala - 2 tbsp

Garam Masala - ½ tsp (optional)

Curry leaves - handful

Water - 3 cups 

Salt - to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation:

- Heat oil in the cooker, add shallots, ginger garlic paste, tomato, green chilli, curry leaves and saute for a few minutes. 

- Once the onions have turned translucent, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, 5-6 peppercorns, meat masala and saute till the masala are fried and once we get a good aroma.

- Now, add the beef and mix well. Add salt and water and let the beef cook for at least 4-5 whistle in the cooker. 

- Once done, open the cooker and let simmer on heat for a couple of minutes till water reduces to the desired consistency. Delicious Beef Pepper Masala is done.

- Garnish with crushed pepper while serving the dish (it adds extra taste)

- Serve hot with rice, ghee rice, paratha, bread or chapati.

Note:

- Adjust spice and salt according to taste.

- Cooking the beef in the cooker is again as per the meat we use. I have used boneless lean meat for this dish.

- Adjust the consistency of the dish, to masala or gravy.

- If Shallots (small onions)are not available, you can use big onions 2 nos (sliced).

Chemeen/Prawn Curry

Chemmeen/Prawns kudampuli etta curry, is a simple and delicious non-vegetarian seafood dish prepared in Kerala homes.  This is a finger liking good recipe prepared at home every time (generation passed recipe). This is my way of preparing this delicious dish with slight variations in masala and ingredients. Enjoy this recipe ..Stay Safe..Stay Home..

Ingredients:

Chemmeen/Prawns - 250 gms (cleaned and deveined)

Small onions - 10 nos (sliced)

Tomato - 1 small (chopped)

Green chillies - 2 nos (slit into half)

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp 

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 3 tbsp

Corriender powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - ½ tsp

Garam masala powder - ½  tsp (marination)

Kudampuli (kukum) - 1 small piece 

Curry leaves - handful

Dry red chillies - 4 nos 

Fenugreek powder  a pinch

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Coconut oil - 4 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

- In a bowl, add cleaned prawns, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corriender powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, salt and let marinate for half hour. 

- Heat oil in a chatti, add fenugreek powder, splutter mustard, dry red chillies and curry leaves.    Now add small onions, green chilies, ginger garlic paste and saute well till onions turn soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook well.

- Once done, add water, kudampuli and let cook on medium flame with lid on for 3-4 minutes. Add salt at this stage.

- Now add the marinated prawns and mix well. (Make sure not to break the prawns) 

- Let the curry boil for a minute. Once done, close lid and let cook for 4 minutes. 

- Open lid, add garam masala powder, curry leaves and let cook on low flame till you get a delicious prawn gravy. 

- Once done, off flame, drizzle coconut oil on top of the curry and keep covered for another couple of minutes.

- Spicy and finger licking Chemmeen/Prawns Curry (with kudampuli) is ready to serve with rice, chapatis or appams.

Note:

- Adding prawn head to this recipe is of choice. Adding them is once choice.

- Adjust salt and spice as per taste.

- If small onions are unavailable, you can also use one big onion (chopped).

- This recipe can be served as a thick masala or gravy as your wish.

Mutton Curry (My Style)

Mutton curry, the all time favourite dish. Simple yet delicious, with minimal ingredients, the most amazing dish to all. Try this dish for the weekend, and enjoy with family. Have a great weekend friends.. Stay home..Stay safe..

Ingredients:

For Cooking the mutton:

Mutton tender meat - 500gms (cut medium sized) 

Onions - 2 big (sliced)

Green chilli - 3 nos (slit into half)

Ginger - 1 small piece (chopped)

Garlic - 10 pods (chopped)

Tomato- 1 small (sliced)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Kashmiri chilli powder - 4 tsp

Corriender powder - 2 tsp

Black pepper powder - 4 tbs

Meat masala - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste 

Water - 1 cup

For adding flavour:

Cinnamon - a small stick

Cloves - 4 nos

Green Cardamom - 5 nos (crushed)

Cumin/Jeera - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - a handful

Dry red chillies - 4 nos (slit into half)

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 4 - 5 tbsp

Preparation:

- In a cooker, mix all the cooking ingredients and allow the meat to cook in a

cooker for about 5 whistles and keep aside.

- Once the mutton is cooked, heat oil in a kadai and add jeera,

cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, dry chillies, curry leaves and saute for a sec.

Add the cooked meat, Garam masala powder and saute for a minute or two.

Check salt at this stage and add accordingly.

- Keep frying/sauteing till you get the required consistency of the curry. 

- Garnish with coriander leaves or curry leaves (optional).

- Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Note:

- This curry is slightly on the spicy side. Try adjusting spice and salt as per taste.

- This dish can be made dry or semi dry as per your choice. 

- I have used one cup water. You can add more if more gravy is required.

Mutton Liver Dry Fry

Mutton Liver Dry Fry is a one time dish to be tasted without fail for all Mutton Liver lovers. Its been a long time I had posted and had to think a lot what now? But without doubt, I had an idea of Mutton Liver fry with a little masala for chapathis or pooris. So friends, here is my way of preparing Mutton Liver Dry Fry with very little ingredients and a dish for today's dinner or during this weekend ... Stay Home..Stay Safe...

Ingredients:

Mutton Liver - 500 gms (cut to cube pieces)

Bay leaf - 1 leaf

Cumin seeds - ½ tsp

Cinnamon - 1 stick 

Cloves - 3 nos 

Onion - 2 large (chopped)

Ginger paste - ½  tsp

Garlic paste - ½  tsp

Green chillies - 3 nos (slit to half)

Curry leaves - 2 string

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1 ½  tsp

Meat masala powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1 cup

Oil - 4-5 tbsp

Preparation:

- Cut, clean and keep the liver aside.

- In a cooker, add cut liver pieces, salt, pinch of turmeric powder, pinch of pepper powder, bay leaf, water   and let cook for atleast 6-7 whistles.

- Heat oil in a kadai, splutter cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

- Add onions, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, curry leaves and saute till onions turn brown in color.

- Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, meat masala powder and fry till the raw smell goes.

- Now add the cooked liver and mix well. Add salt and additional ground pepper corns at this stage (optional - for extra spice).

- Let cook on medium high flame for another 5 minutes. Keep sauteing the liver in between. Once done, you will get a dry mutton liver fry. 

- Garnish with curry leaves/corriender leaves and serve with chapatis, pooris, rice and parathas.

Note:

- Add spice and oil accordingly to once taste and like.

- Making this recipe dry or semi gravy is as per your choice.