Paneer Capsicum Chinese Gravy

I found this simple recipe on the Szechuan sauce bottle I got last week and tried this easy-peasy dish. Believe me, except for the looks of the dish, it did come closer to a restaurant gravy in terms of taste, flavor  and consistency. It goes very well with fried rice.

Ingredients:

1.       Capsicum – 1 large

2.       Paneer – 100 grams

3.       Onion – 1 large

4.       Szechuan sauce – 1 tbsp

5.       Garlic cloves – 3

6.       Dry chilies -2

7.       Spring onion chopped – 2 tbsp (for garnishing)

8.       Gingelly oil – 1 tbsp

9.       Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

10.   Vinegar – 1 tbsp

11.   Corn flour – 1 tbsp

12.   Salt as per taste

Method:

Step 1: Cut the capsicum and onion into 1.5” square and paneer into 1” cubes.

Step 2: Heat oil add grated onion and broken chilies to it, add cut vegetables and paneer and sauté for a minute or so

Step 3: Add Szechuan sauce and dilute it with 2 cups water. Now separately dissolve the corn flour in some water and stir into the gravy until it thickens.

Step 4: Add soy sauce, vinegar, salt and stir for a minute more

Step 5: Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with fried rice.

TIPS:

·        * You can shallow fry the vegetables and paneer and keep them aside and add at the last to retain its crisp and color.
*     * I've used home made panner which was a little gooey that is why it has dissolved on sides.

Kanjeepuram Idly

The other day, Priya my neighbor had given this recipe of a traditional dish called 'Kanjeepuram idly', a soft white mildly spiced idly which I really liked. Thank you Priya for sharing your paati's recipe. Later, I learnt from my mother in law that, in her mother's place they have a practice of making a special type of idli on diwali called 'Maraka idly' which shares the batter recipe with the kanjeepuram idli. The interesting part about maraka idlis is that these giant idlis are prepared in large bronze pot shaped vessels, with the help of big muslin cloth in which the batter is poured and steamed. ' However, the seasoning for kanjeepuram idly is so aromatic while maraka idli has a usual tadka. For me, practically kanjeepuram idli is what I prefer.

Ingredients:

1.       Raw rice – 1 cup

2.       Boiled rice – 1 cup (preferably idly rice)

3.       Urad dal – 1 cup

4.       Gheel – 2 tbsp

5.       Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

6.       Crushed pepper – 1 tsp

7.       Dry ginger powder – 1 tsp

8.       Curry leaves – 1 sprig

9.       Salt as per taste

10.   Baking soda – ½ tsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak rice (both the rice together) and dal separately for 2 hours. Grind the dal with enough water first and then the rice. Mix thoroughly both the batter together with salt to in pouring consistency. Leave this overnight for fermenting.

Step 2: Grease dhokla plates or large circular plates with oil to make short cylindrical idlis. Heat water in the steamer or idli pot.

Step 3: Now, heat ghee in a tadka pan, splutter cumin seeds, add crushed pepper & dry ginger powder and throw in curry leaves. Be careful not to burn the tadka.

Step 4: Put the tadka over the batter and mix well. Add the baking soda and mix well again.

Step 5: Pour the batter in the greased plates and steam them immediately. It takes 5-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the plates.

Beetroot Jam

We always choose to buy processed jams for their texture and shelf life. Beetroot jam is something i would persuade you to make at home for three reasons; you'll hardly find beet root jams in stores, they are natural as in no preservatives or pectin or artificial colors, above all it is damn simple. This is the recipe with minimum number of ingredients at least as far as I know so far. 

Ingredients:

1.       Beetroot – 2 large

2.       Sugar – ½ cup

3.       Lemon - 1

Method:

·         Peel and chop the beetroots into cubes; pressure cook or steam cook them until soft say for 3 whistles.

·         After it gets to room temperature, puree them in a mixer jar very finely.

·         In a non-stick pan, pour the puree and mix the sugar and stir it on medium heat.

·         Stir it occasionally in low heat or stir continuously in medium-high heat; this would take at least 15 minutes.

·         When the jam starts to leave the sides of the pan switch of the stove and squeeze juice of a lemon. Stir well and let it cool.

·         Store in an airtight container to use for longer time.