Cook's Diary

Paneer Kofta Curry

I tried this first time when my in-laws had come home; they were leaving for a pilgrimage from here. I thought of making something special and this delectable dish occurred to me. I browsed for recipe from website and gave it a very brave attempt. It turned out well and each of us like it very much. It was a bit heavy though as I had made kulchas with them.

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

1. Paneer – 1 cup grated
2.       Potato – ¾ cup boiled and mashed
3.       Corn flour – 1 tbsp
4.       Green chili – 1 finely chopped
5.       Aniseeds – ¼ tsp
6.       Salt -1 tsp
7.       Oil for frying
For Gravy:
1.       Tomato – 3
2.       Green chillies – 2
3.       Ginger – 2’’ piece
4.       Garlic – 4 cloves
5.       Onion – 2
6.       Cashews – 10, soaked in water for 30 min
7.       Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
8.       Salt as per taste
9.       Oil – 2 tbsp
10.   Asafoetida – 1 pinch
11.   Turmeric – 1 pinch
12.   Chilli powder – 1 tsp
13.   Garam masala – 1 tsp
14.   Coriander – 2 tbsp finely chopped
15.   Fresh cream – 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients for kofta except the oil and make soft dough. Check and adjust for salt and spices; now roll them into small balls until all dough is done. Remember on frying the kofts would swell a little.

Step 2: Now heat oil in a non-stick pan and either deep fry or shallow fry the koftas, either ways they won’t absorb much oil. Add more corn flour to the dough if kofta is oily and soggy, else continue with the rest.

Step 3: In a mixer take roughly chopped tomatoes, onions, green chilli, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and grind to very smooth paste.

Step 4: Heat oil in the same kadai that you fried koftas (in case you deep fried transfer oil elsewhere retaining 2 tbsp in it), add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Add the masala paste and cover with a lid of 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Now add chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and sauté until the raw smell goes off and oil starts to separate. This might take some 5 more minutes.

Step 6: Now pour in 2 cups of water and add salt. Mix and cover the lid till the gravy thickens, then add the koftas into it and switch of stove.

Step 7: Top it with fresh cream and chopped coriander. Serve hot with any Indian bread of your choice.

Cabbage Pulao

Cabbage gets a big No-No at my mother-in-law's home; yet I am very fond of my mom's cabbage porrial that I can gorge on a big bowl of it at once. And knowing few of its enormous health benefits like, it gives us healthy intestine, it has got antibacterial & antiviral properties and not to mention that it is widely used for obesity treatment. I personally adore this vegetable for it is very easy to cut, cook, eat and are available in all seasons and are also have culinary versatility as in, we can make south Indian, north Indian, Chinese, and most other continental dishes. People don't like cabbage for its smell but pulao overrides this factor, so I attempted cabbage pulao and was honestly good.

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1 small (I used red cabbage this time)
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Basmati rice - 1 cup
4. Water - 1 1/2 cups
5. Ghee/ Oil - 2 tbsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Green chili paste - 1/2 tbsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
9. Cinnamon - 1" piece
10. Bay leaf - 1
11. Coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Chop theonion into thin half circles and chop the cabbage.
Step 3: Heat oil or ghee in the pressure cooker, crackle cumin seeds in it, drop in cinnamon & bay leaf and then add the sliced onion and saute until it becomesnice brown.
Step 4: Add green chili paste, salt and then drain soaked rice and add it to the masala. Roast until spices seep into the rice.
Step 5: Pour water required for the rice to cook and close lid, let a couple of whistles come and turn off the heat.
Step 6: Once the pressure subsides, open and enjoy a wonderful aroma, garnish with chopped coriander and raita to accompany.

Bread Halwa

There are several versions of bread halwa and all of them are very yummy. You can make them with bread crumbs or dry breads or with deep fried bread pieces; use less ghee or more; use milk or not; it turns out differently with these variations yet very tasty. It's a handy recipe for quick desserts.