Cooking Cheaper Indian food & My Dal recipe (the real thing too!)

[Deleted User]

sharon7 wrote: »

Hello does anyone have a recipe for chilli paneer at all? Thanks x

Hi Sharon7, it took me a little while to translate the 'recipe' out of my head and into type but here we go

Paneer in a Chilli~Masala sauce - you will need a blender or food processor for this recipe

Serves 2 as a main course, more as a side dish

• 1 pack Paneer (usually 250g)
• 2 Onions
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1" cube Ginger
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1-2 tsp ground red chilli ('lal mirch')
• 1 tsp ground garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric ('haldi')
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp Ghee (or unsalted clarified butter)
• 1 tbsp light vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp full fat milk
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• Hot water on standby
• Salt to taste

Cut the paneer into square or oblong pieces around 3/4 inch and set aside. Chop one of the onions finely.

In the blender/processor finely chop to a thick paste one of the onions, the ginger and garlic. Remove this paste. Then puree the two tomatoes in the blender/processor.

Heat the butter in a large shallow pan, add paneer and the other onion and fry till they change colour slightly, remove from the pan and keep to one side.

In the same pan then add oil and fry the onion-ginger-garlic paste until the 'raw' smell goes. Add the ground almonds, a little water and fry for 2-3 more mints, then add milk and yogurt and cook till all the liquid is absorbed.

Add the blended tomatoes, chilli, garam masala and turmeric. Add hot water - around 3/4 pint but adjust as you see fit. Add the set-aside paneer and onions and stir gently. Add salt to your taste. Bring to a brisk simmer, stirring carefully. When the sauce looks thickish, and some oil/butter rises to the surface (usually about 10-20 minutes) then it's done!

[Deleted User]

And an alternative chilli paneer recipe, dragged out of the recesses of my head

Chilli Paneer - a dry Indo-Chinese dish popular in restaurants in India and Nepal as a starter

serves 3-4 as a starter/snack dish

• Paneer - around a 250g pack
• 1 1/2 tsbp Cornflour
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain white flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2tsp salt (or less)
• 1 tsp (or more) ground red chilli
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 red or green pepper, sliced into about 1" cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1" cube fresh ginger
• 1-3 green chillies, sliced
• 1-3 tsp hot red chilli sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• Light vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 tbsp light vegetable oil
• extra salt to taste (optional)
• chopped spring onions (optional)
• chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Wash and chop the pepper into medium sized cubes, finely slice the onion. Finely slice or chop the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the green chilli(es)

Cut the paneer into smallish cubes - about 3/4 inch.

In a bowl, mix the corn flour, plain flour, salt, red chilli powder and baking powder. Add some tepid water, enough to make a thin coating batter. Put the paneer in this & let it marinate for about 10 minutes.

Carefully heat some light vegetable oil in a deep heavy pan (no more than 30% full). Fry the paneer cubes in batches until browned and crispy & let it drain on kitchen paper on a heatproof plate. Keep warm.

Heat the 1tbsp veg oil in a shallow pan on a high setting, add the cumin seeds and let them 'pop' for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger & garlic & stir fry for half a minute or so. Add the and chopped peppers, onions and keep stir-frying. Then add the green chilli(es). Keep frying!

After a couple of minutes, add the soy sauce and hot chilli sauce, let it all steam and splutter away.

Then add the fried paneer cubes and let it all mix and get really hot (just a couple of minutes)

Serve straightaway, maybe garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves

sharon7_2

Thank you so much - will give both a go

[Deleted User]

shandyclover wrote: »

Hi Joolzred!

I haven't read the entire thread so forgive me if I'm repeating here.

Do you have a recipe for mo mo's? Hubby and I lived 8 months in Nepal doing volunteer work back in the mid 90's. I never forgot the taste of these. :j I think they are actually Tibetan, and non veg. Most of my family are vegetarian now, but both hubby and I eat meat occasionally and if I could replicate these he'd be thrilled.

Thanks

I occasionally make momos but they always taste better in Nepal it's the one thing I do on my first full day in Pokhara when we visit - go eat momos for lunch on Lakeside! You can get veggie, buffalo, chicken varieties over there.

Will post up a 'recipe' when I get some more spare time but from memory the wrapper is simply plain white flour & water and the sauce should have some 'timbur' (pronounced teemurr) in it - but that spice is virtually unbuyable outside Nepal.

sharon7_2

joolzred wrote: »

Hi Sharon7, it took me a little while to translate the 'recipe' out of my head and into type but here we go

Paneer in a Chilli~Masala sauce - you will need a blender or food processor for this recipe

Serves 2 as a main course, more as a side dish

• 1 pack Paneer (usually 250g)
• 2 Onions
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1" cube Ginger
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1-2 tsp ground red chilli ('lal mirch')
• 1 tsp ground garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric ('haldi')
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp Ghee (or unsalted clarified butter)
• 1 tbsp light vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp full fat milk
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• Hot water on standby
• Salt to taste

Cut the paneer into square or oblong pieces around 3/4 inch and set aside. Chop one of the onions finely.

In the blender/processor finely chop to a thick paste one of the onions, the ginger and garlic. Remove this paste. Then puree the two tomatoes in the blender/processor.

Heat the butter in a large shallow pan, add paneer and the other onion and fry till they change colour slightly, remove from the pan and keep to one side.

In the same pan then add oil and fry the onion-ginger-garlic paste until the 'raw' smell goes. Add the ground almonds, a little water and fry for 2-3 more mints, then add milk and yogurt and cook till all the liquid is absorbed.

Add the blended tomatoes, chilli, garam masala and turmeric. Add hot water - around 3/4 pint but adjust as you see fit. Add the set-aside paneer and onions and stir gently. Add salt to your taste. Bring to a brisk simmer, stirring carefully. When the sauce looks thickish, and some oil/butter rises to the surface (usually about 10-20 minutes) then it's done!

Hello

I made this for lunch today and it was lovely. Even my mum liked it and she's very fussy with her indian food

Thanks so much

S

[Deleted User]

sharon7 wrote: »

Hello

I made this for lunch today and it was lovely. Even my mum liked it and she's very fussy with her indian food

Thanks so much

S

You're very welcome Although the Paneer recipes aren't very MSE, LOL!

[Deleted User]

Apropos of the news today about eating 7+ portions of veggies a day - quite easy to do if done in an Indian style!

Dals = 1, salad/raita = 1, an onion, garlic, ginger & tomato based sauce = 1

That's 3 without really trying!

Ladyluck1

Thanks for these recipes!
Need to do some whole spice shopping before I start I think

pink_princess

Do you have any recipes using moong dal washed? A friend gave me a big bag of it and except fritters I'm at a loss how to use it:o

[Deleted User]

pink_princess wrote: »

Do you have any recipes using moong dal washed? A friend gave me a big bag of it and except fritters I'm at a loss how to use it:o

Go to page 1, post #1 of this thread and make some tarka dal, moong dal is perfect for this