Paneer Tikka Masala

Heat beats heat or so it seems...  With many visiting and week end meet ups, I've been chilling myself in the hot kitchen ;) Now, time to catch up with my blog. Yesterday's preparation in my kitchen : Paneer Tikka Masala, Dhal Makhani, Peas pulao, and rotis with some yumm ice creams.

Paneer (Cottage Cheese / Cheese) is a regular when we plan for a vegetarian platter (exceptions overruled;). Recent times I tried Paneer Butter Masala and Paneer Tikka Masala. Quick to cook, adaptable to tastes, paneer can be given any tasty shape you want to. Here you go with Tikka Masala.

Ingredients:

• Paneer : 200-250 gm
• Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tspn
• Green Capsicum: 1 medium
• Big Onion: 2 small or 1 medium
• Tomato: 1 medium 
• Green Chillie: 1-2 (as spicy as you like)
• Curd : 2 tbsp (as tangy as you like)
• Oil: 4-5 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder: 1 tspn
• Coriander powder: 1-1.5 tspn
• Chillie powder: 2 tspn (as spicy as you like). I added 0.5 tspn of Kashmiri Chilli powder 
• Pepper powder: 1 tspn
• Soya Sauce: 1 tspn
• Garam Masala: 1/2 tspn 
• Kasoori Methi: 1-2 pinch
• Salt: To Taste
• Coriander Leaves: For Garnishing

Method:

Steps to marinate paneer:

• Cut paneer into cubes or rectangles
• In a bowl, add a tspn of ginger garlic paste. To this add, 1 tspn of Chili powder, 1 tspn of pepper, 1 tspn of coriander powder, 2 tbspn of curd (or as tangy as you like), salt. Mix and allow it to rest in the fridge for 1 hour

Steps to make paneer tikka masala:

• In a small kadai or tawa, add 1-2 tspn of oil. As it heats up, place the paneer cubes and roast them to deep red / brown both sides. I did it in small batches
• In a kadai, add 1-2 tspn of oil. As it heats up, add cumin seeds. As they splutter, add onion along with the remaining ginger-garlic paste. Sprinkle a little of salt and allow the onion to cook till red.
• To this add the sliced green capsicum and saute it.
• Grind tomatoes with chillie to a smooth paste and add the same to the onion/capsicum mix. Add a bit of water, and allow it to cook for a few seconds with covered lid.
• To the above mix, add the powders: turmeric, coriander, chillie (including kashmiri chillie), garam masala, salt (per taste) and add some more water. Allow it to cook for a minute or two.
• Then add the fried paneer cubes to it. Saute it well. I added a tspn of soya sauce to it.
• Garnish with kasoori methi and coriander. Stir and remove from fire.

Serve it hot with hot rotis / chappatis / paranthas or just as a starter. 

Scrambled Cottage Cheese : Paneer Bhurji

It won't be an exaggeration to say that the varieties of food across the world is beyond infinity! But everywhere, the key to please someone's taste budz is entirely dependent on 'the love with which one cooks' and 'how to make cooking simpler' (exceptions are always a rule).

One such dish that you can make in a jiffy yet satisfy many taste budz is "Scrambled Cottage Cheese" a.k.a Paneer Bhurji.

** Cottage cheese is commonly available these days. If not, you can make this at home from curdled milk (or by adding lemon to boiled milk it can be curdled). Just filter it to squeeze out all water, tie it tightly in a cloth or in a big tea filter and allow it to rest. Ensure all water is squeezed before you use it.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Cottage Cheese (Paneer): 1 cup [** See the note above the picture]
• Onion : 1 medium sized chopped
• Green Chillies: 2-3 chopped
• Chillie powder : 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder : 1/2 tspn
• Salt : to taste
• Oil : 1-2 tspn (less oil)

Method:

• In a kadai, add oil. As it warms up, add Chillies & Onion. Fry till golden brown
• To this add turmeric powder and chillie powder (You can add pepper powder as well)
• Add the cottage cheese and shred it well while mixing it. Add salt to taste. Should be cooked in 2-3 mts (max 5 mts)
• Dress it with Coriander leaves or Kasoori methi (dried Methi Leaves)
• Remove from fire and serve hot

You can have this as a starter or as a side dish with hot rotis. Similarly, we can prepare Scrambled Eggs.