Spinach with Cottage Cheese (Palak Paneer)

Yet another Spinach recipe! Do I like spinach so much? Not really. It’s just a little coincidental (and a small manifestation of my wish to eat more of healthy green vegetables!)

This recipe of Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cottage Cheese) comes from the Punjabi cuisine. A cuisine that’s full of - healthy, rich and heavy preparations - because it was made for the men-women doing exhaustive physical work in the farms (mostly wheat laden!). They wanted a diet that can help them keep up their energy levels in the farms or other places which required great amount of physical efforts. Most of the recipes in Punjabi cuisine make a generous use of white butter, ghee(Indian clarified butter) and paneer. The farms also gave them access to fresh ingredients all the time - eating mostly seasonal and fresh produce.

This recipe balances the salty-bitterness of Spinach with near-bland-to-lactic taste of Indian Cottage Cheese aka Paneer. The Spinach is a powerhouse packed with a lot of iron, calcium and good amount of dietary fibers. Spinach has a cooling effect on the body and makes a good vegetable for the hot summer in India. It should be definitely on the diet of people suffering from constipation, anemia, urinary diseases and night blindness. Paneer is packed with lot of proteins, minerals, carbs, and calcium and phosphorous.

I have cooked this recipe in a heavy bottom copper-clad narrow opening pan known as Handi in India. The narrow opening makes sure the flavors don’t escape and the heavy bottom helps in slow cooking. I am sure the cooking technique makes the different in how the recipe tastes!

For folks out there with lactose intolerance, substitute paneer with tofu.

OK let’s get busy cooking it!

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Ingredients:

• A bowl of cooked spinach (blanched)
• 100gm Indian cottage cheese (more if you like)
• 10-15 garlic cloves
• 3-4 red chilies
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of asafetida
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• A pinch of nutmeg powder
• 2 tbsp white butter

Steps:

1. Heat oil in the pan
2. When the oil is real hot lower the heat
3. Add a pinch of asafetida and mustard seeds
4. When mustard seeds pop add the cumin seeds
5. Add the garlic cloves and fry them till they turn light brown
6. Then add the cubed paneer, turmeric powder, chili powder and the ginger garlic paste
7. Fry the paneer till it becomes a little golden brown on the edges
8. Stir in the pre-cooked spinach and mix it well with the other ingredients in the pan
9. Add white butter and mix it well
10. Cover and cook for 10 minutes
11. Turn of the heat - add the fresh cream, garam masala and pinch of nutmeg powder. Stir well and keep it covered till served.

Serve with Indian bread (makke di roti - corn flat bread or chapati - wheat flat bread). Add a little water during cooking to serve with rice.

Bon Appétit!

Chilly Stir Fry

This is one of the simplest recipes and goes well will most of the meals as a great side dish. The chilly used for making this recipe is on the lower side of Scoville scale. My mom makes this whenever she finds fresh chillies in the market. My grandmother makes similar salted-stir-fried recipes with vegetables like brinjal and bitter gourd. Stir frying with just a little bit of salt out the natural flavors of the vegetables very well. You can try it with the veggies that you like!

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Ingredients:

* 2-3 Chilies (the long ones)
* Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
* Pinch of salt




Steps:

1. Cut the chillies in 1" long strips or squares or whatever shape you like. You can also choose to half them along the length.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
   
3. When oil heats up, add the cumin seeds and fry them till they are golden brown.
   
   
   
   
4. Add the cut chilly and fry it for 4-5 minutes (or till the chilly is a little tender). Usually when the chilly is done the skin will get a little wrinkly.
   
   
   
   
5. Chilly stir fry is ready.
6. Serve it with any meal as a side dish. (I like it with rice and dal.)
   
   
   
   

Enjoy!

Pomfret and Pink Perch Fry

Fish fry makes a great side dish for any meal. Some like it crispy and some like it soft. No matter how, it just makes the meal complete. It also adds a great deal of nutritional value to the meal. For brainy people fish is a must have thing in regular diet.

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Ingredients:

* 1 Pomfret and 1 Pink Perch (or any other fish that you like)
* 1 Banana leaf
* 4 tbsp oil

Ingredients for marinade:

* Dry Red chillies - 2 tsp
* Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
* Aniseed - 1 tsp
* Cinnamon - 1 " piece
* Cloves - 5
* Black Pepper -8
* Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
* Ginger & paste - 1 tbsp

Steps:

1. Except ginger and garlic, dry roast all the ingredients for marinade
2. Grind the dry roasted ingredients and mix with ginger garlic paste (maintain thick consistency)
3. Wash the fish under running water and slit them.
   
   
   
   
4. Apply the marinade to the fish and keep aside for 1-2 hours
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut the banana leaf in size enough to wrap a fish
6. Treat this leaf over heat to tenderize it, so its easy to wrap
7. Wrap the fish completely in this leaf and tie it with a cotton thread
   
   
   
   
8. Heat oil in a nonstick pan
9. When the oil is hot (you can see fumes), place the wrapped fish in the pan
   
   
   
   
10. Fry on both the sides for 8-10 minutes based on whether you like it crispy or soft. The frying time also varies from fish to fish.
    
    
    
    
11. Remove the fish from the pan and carefully open it as the wrapped leaf may have some oil in it.
    
    
    
    
12. Ready to be served with any meal as a side dish. Enjoy!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Happy eating!
    

Stir fried Raw Banana (Vazhaikkai Vadhakal)

Yet another simple and yummy recipe from Tamil cuisine.

A stir-fried vegetable made with raw banana. Most of the Indian houses in old days had a banana tree planted in the back yard, so the banana's were readily available (and they were easy to cook!).

In the Indian culture the banana tree symbolizes the 'fertility'. Every part of the tree is useful. The ripe banana is one of the best sources of calcium and dietary fibers. Raw banana, banana flower and stem are used in cooking. The banana leafs are used in religious ceremonies as well as to serve food traditionally. Isnt that quite impressive?

Okay's, lets move on to the recipe.

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Ingredients:

* Raw banana - 1
* Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
* Split black gram - 1-2 tsp
* Asafoetida - a pinch full of
* Curry leaves - as much as you like!
* Chilly powder - 1 tsp (more if you like it hot!)
* Salt to taste




Steps:

1. Cut the raw banana into small cubes and soak it in salted water so they dont turn black




2. In a nonstick pan heat vegetable oil and add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop




3. Add the split black gram and fry it till it turns light brown or golden.



4. Add the curry leaves and fry for a minute (more if you like them crispy, be careful not to burn them!)



5. Add the cut raw banana and stir fry it for a 1-2 minutes.




6. Cover and cook till the raw banana turns tender (usually 5-7 minutes)




7. Add chilly powder & asafoetida and mix well



8. Stir fry for 2 minutes and the stir-fried raw banana is ready! Serve with Indian bread or rice & dal.





Happy cooking and eating!

Keerai Sundal (Spinach Fry)

This recipe comes to you from the southern state of India known as Tamilnadu. Its easy to prepare, quick to cook, and healthy to eat!!!


Ingredients:

* A bunch of Spinach
* Mustard seeds, Turmeric powder, Asafoetida, Salt and Sambhar powder(optional)
* Vegetable oil




Steps:

* Wash and drain the spinach leaves.
* Chop them finely (Since we dont make paste or puree its good to chop finely)
* Stir in the chopped Spinach, Turmeric powder and Asafoetida in a non-stick pan




* Once the Spinach is tender and most of the water is gone, add a little salt (be careful as the Spinach has a salty taste naturally)




* In a separate pan, heat the oil
* Add Mustard seeds to the hot oil and let them pop
* Transfer the cooked Spinach in this pan and cook for 5-8 minutes (or till the Spinach is done)



* Serve with hot chapatis or fulkas (Indian bread made from wheat flour)





For complete step by step photos of this recipes - Keerai Sundal

(Taken from the book - Samayal by Viji Varadrajan)

Sarson da Saag (Mustard greens with Spinach)

Ingredients

* 2-3 bunches of Mustard greens - chopped



* 1 bunch of Spinach - chopped



* 2 tbsp of Ginger garlic paste
* 4-5 sliced cloves of Garlic



* 3-4 slit Green chillies
* 2 tbsp Corn flour
* 1 tsp Cumin seeds
* 4 tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)


Preparation:

* Cut & clean the Mustard greens and Spinach leaves.
* Cook in a pressure cooker or steamer - separately (use little water)
* Puree to thick consistency



Steps:

* Heat desi ghee in a non stick pan
* Add finely chopped onion and fry a for a little while
* Add the ginger-garlic paste, sliced garlic and the cumin seeds - fry for a little while
* Add the corn flour and mix it well with the other ingredients
* Add the slit green chillies and fry a little
* Add the Mustard greens & Spinach puree and mix well
* Let is cook for 15-20 minutes - keep stirring in between
* In a separate pan heat desi ghee and add red chili powder to it
* Spread it over the cooked green vegetable and cover for 2-3 minutes for the flavors to get trapped.
* Sarason da Saag is ready. Serve it with Makke di Roti (Indian bread made with corn flour).

Prawns Masala

Ingredients:

* Prawns - 1/2 Kg. (I have used medium sized Tiger prawns)
* Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped
* Tomato - 1 big - chopped or diced or wedges
* Coriander - 1 tbsp. (for garnishing)

Spices (Powdered)
* Red chilly - 2 tsp
* Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
* Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
* Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
* Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Spices (Whole)
* Black pepper - 8 to 10
* Cloves - 4 to 5
* Cinnamon - 1" piece
* Allspice - 5 to 6

Steps:

* Rub 1 tsp chilly powder and a little salt to the Prawns. Let them marinate for 20 minutes.
* Heat cooking oil in a pan and fry the whole spices. Fry them till they crackle and release fragrance.
* Add finely chopped onions and fry them till golden brown.
* Add chopped tomatoes and fry them till they are soft.
* Add powdered spices (turmeric, red chilly, coriander & cumin seeds and garam masala) and mix them well.
* Fry this mixture till they start releasing the oil.
* Add the prawns and stir them well so they are nicely coated with the spices.
* Stir fry them for 3-4 minutes.
* Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes (till the prawns are tenderly cooked - overcooking will make the prawns hard & chewy)
* Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve with hot rice & lemon wedge.




For step by step photos of this recipe - Prawns Masala Photos