Paneer Fried Rice

I am very fond of fried rice and have always wanted to try the restaurant style fried rice at home and now it happened. I had tried the simplest version and there are some more variants. Something I learnt for the first time is, in restaurants they cook the rice previous day and refrigerate it to get that non-sticky crisp form. Though I made paneer fried rice, veg fried rice just a subset of paneer fried rice or in other words Veg fried rice + Grated paneer = Paneer fried rice J

Ingredients:

1.       Pre-cooked basmati rice – 2 cups

2.       Carrot – ½ cup finely chopped

3.       Bush beans – ½ cup finely chopped

4.       Spring onion – 1 bunch (green and white part chopped separately)

5.       Grated paneer – ¾ cup

6.       Oil – 2 tbsp

7.       Vinegar – 1 tsp

8.       Pepper crushed – 1 tsp

9.       Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1: Heat oil in a wide pan and sauté white part of spring onion in that, add carrot and beans and sauté in high heat for a minute.

Step 2: Sprinkle salt, pepper and drizzle vinegar. Keep tossing.

Step 3: Add spring onion and paneer and toss well.

Step 4: Now add cooked rice with more salt as required and adjust vinegar and pepper. Toss in high heat until the rice gets heated up.

Step 5: Serve hot with gravies or sauce.

Matri

Though matri is a common snack in north India all round the year, during Diwali every other household prepares this crispy, flat, round, deep fried savory either bland or spiced. Matri is traditionally prepared from maida but due to its glutenous nature wheat flour and bengal gram flour are also used. One can see in the market galis of Delhi, the displayed tins of several variants of matris outside the shops. People buy it like groceries in kilos as matris have a very long shelf life; customers pick their choice by tasting them for spice and breaking them to ensure freshness.

Ingredients:

1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Atta - 1/2 cup
3. Salt as per taste
4. Baking Soda - 1tsp
5. Carom seeds - 1 tbsp
6. Ghee - 2 spoon
7. Oil for frying

Method:

Step 1: Add all said ingredients except oil and mix into a soft but stiff dough with warm water.
Step 2: Leave the dough to sit aside for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Roll into large roti like circles not too thin and prick with a fork on the surface of circles, this prevents matries from puffing.
Step 4: Cut them into small circles with a bottle lid or cookie cutter.
Step 5: Deep fry them in simmered stove to get crispy matris. Crispier the matri, longer its shelf life. Let it cool down before stocking in air tight containers.
Step 6: Serve with pickles or salsa or raita along with hot tea.

Gobi Muthiya

Gobi muthia is a Gujrathi tiffin item prepared with cabbage. Muthias are generally steamed though they can be deep fried for crispy snacks. We get to enjoy the cholesterol lowering benefits and cancer prevention properties that are obtained only on steam cooking cabbage. This is an appetizing dish for those who do not like cabbage very much.

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1/2 head
2. Bengal gram flour - 2 tbsp
3. Ginger - 1 tsp grated
4. Fennel seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Cumin powder- 1 tsp
6. Green Chillies - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped
7. Coriander - 1 tbsp chopped
8. Oil as required
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10. Seasame seeds - 1/2 tbsp
10. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
11. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

Step 1: Wash and chop cabbage;  sprinkle some salt over it and keep it closed for 10 minutes. This leaves out water and makes the cabbage soft.
Step 2: Mix the flour to give binding to the dough.
Step 3: Add chopped chilies, cumin powder, fennel seeds powder, ginger and coriander and mix the dough well. Add few drops of water if required to get it to a moldable consistency.
Step 4: This dough can be rolled into small oblong shapes and steamed in steamers or idli cookers.
Step 5: To season the steamed muthias: Chop the muthias into bite sized portions; heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, seasame seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and toss the muthia pieces into the tempering.
Step 6: Garnish with coriander and serve hot plain or with green chutney.