Garlic Cheese Smashed Potatoes | GF meals in 30 minutes

You guys know I love potatoes….I do! I may not share too many recipes with potatoes in them, but the Lord above knows my love for these spuds….and my love for them is shared by my hubby!! Talk about marriages being made in heaven…..for us, it’s more like a spud-farm 🤣🤣🤣😂

Breakfast to dinner, I can live on them. Start your day with some scrumptious Aloo ke Parathe (potato stuffed Indian flatbreads). These are are absolutely awesome and very mildly spiced to start your day with these parathe and you will full almost up to lunch time…I serve them with some home made yogurt, some mango pickle and a lot of butter on top of these….the butter melts all over these piping hot beauties 😍…Mmmmm!

Not looking for something so heavy early in the morning….then you can try my super-yum….brilliant beyond brilliant Baked Potato Wedges 😉 We, the spud-lovers are particularly partial to it and can never share it…hence we make ourselves two whole trays of them, beauties……one for him and one for yours truly 😜

Next, if your looking something Indian…curry style for a proper supper, just go with the Aloo Dum, pair it with some Pooris (fried flatbreads) or Laccha Paratha or even some rice, a quick home style salad (sliced red onions + chopped tomatoes + chopped cucumber + salt + a bit of lime juice) on the side and just step into the food coma …..it’s that good 😍  For something a bit less spicy…look out for my Rassedaar Aloo (potatoes and tomatoes simmered in a thin gravy with little spices),  just a few easy ingredients and it’s ready in under 30 minutes?

You must also try my Aloo Ki Kachori if you love a good North Indian fare 😉 It’s easy to put together and works well for brunches!

Anyways…..that’s a whole lotta potatoes recipes for you guys…not to mention that I’ve not even included a few  here…they are all there in the blog archives ➡️➡️ …go, look them up!

So…about these crisp, gorgeous looking smashed potatoes…well, I have been meaning to share this recipe for a while…I have many other variations for these, but the one which I’ve here today, is like the best way to have potatoes 😍😍 they are just everything one looks for in a side dish … a bit of spice from the chilli flakes (or, you could use smoked paprika), that comforting warmth from the garlic, a bit smokiness as I’ve used smoked sea salt (you could always use regular salt or even plain sea salt)…..spicy becaaaaaause…I’ve added my favourite spice mix in the whole wide world….yeah! Peri Peri spice powder and that last bit off oozing good in the form of Mexican blend cheese  😋 Yes please!!!

Let’s see how can we get you to make these babies….

Yield: serves 2

Equipment: baking tray, measuring cups/ spoons, pressure cooker, cooling rack.

Ingredients:

300 gms baby potatoes

sea salt to taste

1 tsp peri peri spice mix (store bought)

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp garlic powder (use fresh minced garlic if you don’t have garlic powder)

3 tbsp oil

1/4 cup Mexican cheese mix (store bought, easily available in any supermarket or hyper stores)

some fresh green coriander to garnish

Method:

Take 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker, add a pinch of regular salt to it along with washed baby potatoes. Cook them for about 10 minutes or one whistle is good enough. We need to soften them but not turn them into a watery mush!

Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down a bit. Then, grease the baking tray with about a tbsp of oil. Roll the boiled potatoes in the oil on the tray. Spread out the potatoes and use a fork to smash them a bit.

Pre-heat the oven @200’c.

Now, drizzle some more of the remaining oil over the smashed potatoes. Sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, peri peri spice mix, chilli flakes and the cheese and some oil if you like.

Bake these at 200’c for 12-15 mins or until the cheese bubbles and the top of these potatoes turns a bit crisp using both the upper and the lower heating rods/ elements.

Garnish with some chopped coriander and sprinkle some more cheese if you like 😉 Serve these piping hot with some drinks or just as it is!

They will melt in your mouth😋😋😋😋 so tempting…and so easy to put together!

Love,

Shreya💕

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Schezwan Noodles | Indo Chinese Street Food

We Indians love our ‘desi’ Indo-Chinese….we may pretend to apprecite the gourmet, Asian-style spreads at the most sought after restaurants…but you’ll find us literally stuffing our faces with these street style noodles…or fried rice and some cornflour laden, soy sauce soaked manchurian gravies more often than not😍😍😍😂 and I am no different, I am in love with our ‘desi’ Chinese which is absolutely no where close to the authentic cuisine but what the heck?! It’s just too yummy to part with….and it’s one of my favourite things in the whole wide world 🤗 There! I said it!

So, having said that…what would you expect from me if I have a few packets of Hakka noodles sitting in my pantry and one hungry husband on a weekend ….with no plans to step out because the man ain’t in the mood to drive 😩 I make some street vendor style Schezwan Noodles…spicy….loaded with veggies…full of flavours and absolutely lip-smacking good😍😍😍 besides, it gets done in about 30 minutes…what’s not to love👌🏼

Actually, it’s better than your favourite take-out as this is healthier because of the veggies and I’ve added very little oil. Spicese, yes…added a whole lot of spices while making it as we prefer it to be hot! 😁 So, if you’ve been a person who starts sneezing and coughing at the first bite of anything spicy…tone this recipe down a couple of notches and you’ll survive 😉 I have used my homemade Schezwan sauce here and I did serve this with some quick Schezwan paneer….basically, everything was Schezwan 😑🤔 how’d that happen?! 😜

Enough said! Start cooking…pronto!

Yield: serves 2-3

Equipment: a large heavy bottomed wok, measuring cup/ spoons, a pair of tongs.

Ingredients:

2 packets of Hakka Noodles (boiled as per the instructions on the package)

1+1/2 cups julienned carrots

1 cup julienned cabbage

1 cup julienned capsicum

1 cup finely sliced red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion whites

1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion greens

salt to taste

1/4 cup Schezwan sauce

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp noodle Masala (Indian grocery stores carry it, else skip it and add black pepper powder)

3 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp red chilli sauce

1 tsp vinegar

3 nos. whole red chillies

1 tbsp tomato ketchup (optional)

Method:

In the wok, heat oil until nice and hot. Then add the ginger, garlic, whole red chillies and spring onion whites. Sauté these on high flame until the garlic turns golden. Then add all the veggies along with salt and noodle Masala (black pepper). Keep mixing well and sautéing on high flame for the next 2-3 minutes.

Next, add the sauces – Schezwan, soy, chilli. Add vinegar and ketchup too. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Now tip in the boiled noodles (ensure that the noodles are al-dentè). Use tongs to mix the veggies with the noodles and be gentle. You don’t want to break any of those gorgeous noodles. Once everything is looking good, add the spring onion greens and give them a last mix. That’s it, serve them piping hot! Done😉

You can add any veggies if your choice or add Proteins of your choice…like shredded chicken or some sautéed prawns if you like seafood.

Doesn’t that make you drool?! 😃 …you should make some👆🏼

Love,

Shreya💖

 

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Bombay Aloo Masala Sandwich | Spicy Potato Sandwich

Sandwiches are a staple street food in Amchi Mumbai….be it vegetable toast sandwich or a plain Chutney (salsa) sandwich…the options are endless and oh so yummy! 😍

I personally love the vegetable cheese grill sandwich! It’s like the best of both worlds…you get veggies and if you are a cheese lover like me…it’s just so good with that cheese within and on the outside😍😍😍😍….a side of some potato crisps/ chips/ wafers…and some ketchup😋

Similarly, there is another hot favourite among most Mumbaikars….the spicy, aromatic and very delicious Bombay Aloo Masala Sandwich…make it as a toast sandwich or a grilled one…it’s amazing! Aaaaannnddd…..it’s my hubby’s favorite 😘

This is a regular breakfast or evening snack at our place…and my Mom’s recipe for the filling/ Aloo Masala is super duper yum!

I usually use brown bread to make them…you can use regular white sandwich bread or any multigrain bread if your choice. I had once even used a Homemade Herbed Focacia bread for this sandwich and it was so good!

Anyways…let’s get you started on the recipe..

Yield: can be used for upto 6-7 sandwiches with generous amount of the potato filling.

Equipment: a non-stick pan, measuring cups/ spoons, grilled or toaster or a pan to grill or toast the sandwiches, a bread knife to cut the sandwiches into portions.

Ingredients:

5 nos. large potatoes (boiled and mashed)

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp finely chopped green chilli

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (capsicum)

2 nos. finely chopped tomatoes

salt to taste

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp Pav bhaji Masala

1/4 tsp amchur powder (raw mango powder)

1-2 tsp water (if needed to correct the consistency)

2 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

butter as needed to grill/ toast the sandwiches

Method:

To make the filling:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, hing and chopped green chillie. Sauté for a minute.

Next, add the chopped onions. Sweat them for a few minutes. Then add the capsicum. Sauté again. Tip in the tomatoes followed by the salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, ginger-garlic paste. Mix well and cook these together until the tomatoes turn mushy and the raw smell of the ginger- garlic paste goes away.

Next, add the mashed potatoes along with the Pav bhaji Masala. Also add the amchur powder and mix well. Turn off the flea me. Add chopped coriander leaves and give them all a final mix. That’s your filling done! Keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To make the sandwich:

Take 2 slices of bread. Slather both the slices with butter. Sprinkle some chaat Masala (optional) and spread a thick layer of the potato filling. Heat the griller/ toaster…spread some butter on the griller plate and place the sandwich on it and let it crisp up on both sides. Serve hot with some chips/ crisps and ketchup!

You can add some veggies to this filling recipe or even minus a few things if you wish. Do try it…it’s lip smacking 😍

Love,

Shreya💖

 

Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce – Glutenfree and Vegan

It’s always better to have a go to pasta sauce recipe…this one here, happens to be mine😊 Especially during these hot summers days….when cooking up a storm isn’t exactly someone’s dream…having this ready in the refrigerator or the freezer can be a lifesaver! 😄

There are days when I go through the entire ritual of sautéing some exotic veggies like some American sweet corn, broccoli, some snow peas and a bit of bell pepper along with some crushed garlic to go with my pasta…and then are days when all I want to do is dump the sauce with some boiled pasta and give it a quick stir and I serve it without any fancy-shmancy garnishing…just a bit of grated cheese and I am all sorted🤗

And hence, happens my quick macaroni with some spicy, vegan-Glutenfree arrabbiata sauce! Just like that….and obviously it’s one of my favourite meals👌🏼😍

This sauce can also be used for topping up your bruschetta along with some slices of olives or just some crumbled feta cheese…..some capers, if like little bursts of salty..briny flavours….see..I have given you some ideas for your next girls’ night in…or if you’re a dude reading this here…make a bruschetta platter for your buddies as you watch the latest season of IPL ’17….or impress a lady friend with your sauve kitchen moves😉

I use this sauce for my chip-n-dip platters on movie nights with my fella…it’s healthy and definitely delicious! Follow this easy recipe for some healthy Wholewheat crackers to go with this sauce.

**Coming to how you would go about storing this sauce. I make a slightly larger batch and refrigerate it and it stays fresh for almost 10-12 days. I don’t add salt while this sauce especially when the purpose is to store it. To freeze, simply cool the sauce and pack them in small ziplock pouches and freeze them. The freezer sauce needs to be thawed at room temperature for about an hour before using it. Always remember to season it using the stored sauce. When making the sauce for immediate consumption, then do add salt as per taste.

Now, on to the recipe….

Yield: serves 2-3 persons

Equipment: a heavy bottomed saucepan, measuring cups/ spoons, a ladle, hand blender.

Ingredients:

3 cups blanched and roughly chopped tomatoes (choose ripe tomatoes)

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

salt to taste (I used sea salt)

freshly cracked black pepper to taste

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed

a few fresh basil leaves (or use dried)

2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

some warm water if needed to correct the consistency

Method:

Heat oil in the pan, once it is hot enough, add crushed garlic and onions. Sweat these until the onions turn translucent and the garlic turns a bit golden. Then go in the roughly chopped chopped blanched tomatoes.

Keep the flame on low, season with salt, chilli flakes, cracked black pepper, rosemary and oregano. Keep stirring these together for a few minutes to ensure the flavours blend well. Add some warm water at this stage to correct the consistency (I added about 3/4 cup), mix well and cover with a lid and let the sauce cook for about 10 mins on low flame.

Open the lid after 10 minutes, the sauce should be done by now. Turn off the flame, let the sauce cool off a bit. Then using a hand blender, blend the sauce as much as you prefer. I like my sauce a bit chunky so I don’t go overboard with the blending.

If you are making a pasta dish immediately, just add this entire sauce to about 2 cups of boiled macaroni or penne and give them a good toss. Garnish with some finely chopped fresh basil leaves and some grated cheese!

**scroll above to read about how to store this sauce.

Do try this sauce soon…you know what? This even works as a great pizza sauce😉😉

Love,

Shreya💖

 

Sindhi Kadhi and Karare Aloo and a lazy lunch scene

Weekends are for slow starts… we truly believe that! Nothing makes me rush through my weekends…I simply choose not to get fussed and bothered about much. I pretty much hit the snooze button on Fridays…say around noon 😜 and try to finish all my commitments before Friday..😜 Trust me, no one can even catch me on the cell! Besides, it’s just the two of us….the boons of being a couple with no kids ….no responsibilities! I mean, we love kids…but I guess this works for us better👌🏼

So when I decide to cook on a weekend…that’s if I do plan on cooking on weekends..I look for comfort food apart from being quick and absolutely fuss-free. Yes, I am not a kitchen person when I am on the snooze-mode. More of a couch potato…..who literally loves her potatoes 😍 Hence, I will share a very delicious recipe from my Mom’s kitchen of Aloo ki Bhujia or as my hubby chooses to call it, Karare Aloo 👌 (No onion no garlic). Such basic ingredients with absolutely stunning flavours. I can practically live on this! This recipe is typically a U.P. Style of preparation…but one can find variants of the same being made across India.

Sindhi Kadhi….again a personal favourite since childhood, I can have it by the gallon! Give me some steamed rice …a bit of my Mom’s Karare Aloo along with a few ladlefuls of her lip smacking, tangy Sindhi Kadhi…and I’ll probably love you forever! 😂…yeah…my love sounds cheap…but it’s really difficult to make a teeny space in my heart…..so it’s not a bad deal actually!

Look how luscious this kadhi looks….a roasted chickpea flour base is given lots of flavour using tamarind pulp, some whole seeds and dried red chillies add to the punch…..the best part it again had no garlic ….onion, yes, but that is a must for the sweet aRoma that it gives to the kadhi (curry).

A side of some home style onion and tomato salad with lots of lemon juice and a dash of salt along with a glass full of chilled Masala Chaas (not in the pictures above…as I’d already chugged that down while I shot for this post 😉) completes this meal!

Let’s start with the Karare Aloo…

Yield : serves 2

Equipments: a heavy bottom wok, measuring cups/ spoons, a spatula.

Ingredients:

3 nos. large potatoes (peeled, washed and cubed)

4 tbsp mustard oil (this tastes best in mustard but feel free to use any oil of your choice)

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1/2 tsp paanch phoran (mixed seeds) 

salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp each of red chilli pwd, coriander powder, cumin pwd

1/2 tsp amchoor pwd (dry mango pwd)

Method:

Heat mustard oil until it starts smoking** in a heavy bottomed wok. Turn off the flame. Let the smoke subside. Turn on the flame again. Add hing and the paanch phoran. Let these crackle a bit. Add the cubed potatoes. Stir them around in the oil. Add salt and turmeric. Sauté for 5 mins.

Add all the other dry spices except amchoor powder. Mix well and let the potatoes cook on low flame. Stir them about occasionally. Let them gently crisp up.

I try not to cover the wok when I am making dry version of any veggies. So here too, I haven’t covered the wok with the lid. The potatoes took about 20 mins to cook out completely. They took another 10-12 minutes of cook time to crisp up on low flame and look like what they do! Add the amchoor powder in the end once the potatoes have crisped up.

You can add Garam Masala too in the end along with the amchoor powder but I avoid that in the summers.

**(Use any other oil in the usual way you heat it for everyday use, only mustard oil needs to be heated really well).

These potatoes are best enjoyed piping hot…from the wok to the plate kind of thing…☺☺

On to the Sindhi Kadhi….just the way my Mom makes it.. disclaimer….it may not be authentic but this is how we have been eating it all these years..if any one out there knows a different or a more authentic version, do let us know and we’d  love to try it out too☺️ and probably even publish the same with recipe credits on PolkaPuffs!

Yield: serves 2-3

Equipments: a wok, measuring cups/ spoons, a lid, a ladle.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chick pea flour (Besan)

water as needed

3 tbsp refined oil

1/2 cup sliced, fried onion

1/2 cup sliced, fried potatoes

1/4 cup sliced, fried okra (bhindi)

salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

4 tbsp fresh tamarind pulp

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp each methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) and jeera seeds (cumins seeds)

a sprig of curry leaves

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

2-3 nos. whole dry chillies ( I used ber mirch, the fat, round ones)

Method:

Heat oil in the wok, once it’s hot, add the hing, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, whole red chillies and the curry leaves. Once these begin to crackle, add the Besan (chick pea flour) and keep stirring it continuously on low as it may stick at the bottom and burn.

This needs to be roasted with the oil and the other ingredients for a good 6-8 minutes or until the Besan changes it’s colour and gives out an earthy aroma.

But be careful to keep this on low flame and stir it constantly. Once it has been roasted, add water as per the consistency you’d like to have for this while serving with rice. I added about 1+3/4 cup as this kadhi thickens a lot as it cooks out. Also, season with salt, red chilli pwd and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cover with a lid and let it come to a boil, that will take about 6-7 mins on medium flame.

Open the lid, add the fried veggies and also the tamarind pulp. Add more water if the kadhi has reduced a lot (I added another 1/4 cup at this stage). Cover once again with the lid and let it cook for a further 10 minutes on low flame.

This is what it looks like once ready. Rich colour and an amazing aroma…mmmm…yum!

That’s it, turn off the flame and serve it piping hot!

Meals like these are so so good! Go ahead…do try this out and let us know how you liked it☺

Love,

Shreya💗

 

 

Onion Rawa Masala Dosa – Udupi Style

We rarely make South Indian food at home…my hubby ain’t too fond of it and I can’t just make it for myself even though I love it too much! But then there are days when he happily agrees to his one and only favourite from the cuisine –  Onion Rawa Masala Dosa with spicy, tangy Sambhar…he isn’t too keen on coconut chutney…so I happily skip that! 

Such meals happen over the weekends for brunch…I am not complaining as it’s so easy to put together Rawa Dosa and Sambhar! Making the Masala isn’t difficult too….trust me, I can put them together in under 45 mins start to finish 😃 

Last year I had shared the recipe for plain  Rawa Dosa, now you’d think, what’s the difference…we simply need to add the potato masala and that’s it. No, there is a difference, at least in the way I make it. The batter is different which ensures more crisp dosas that can hold the Masala well without becoming soggy and heavy. 

The batter which I make for onion Rawa Masala Dosa is different in terms of the proportions of the ingredients used. If you follow the recipe properly, you will get crisp, lacy and crunchy Rawa Dosa.

Let’s learn how, do follow the steps properly, it’s very simple.

For the Dosa

Yield: 4-5 Dosas

Equipment: a non stick pan, a spatula, measuring cups/ spoons, a mixing bowl, a ladle.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Rawa/ sooji (semolina, I have used Bombay rawa)

1/4 cup rice flour

1 tbsp maida (APF)

4 tsp chopped onions

salt to taste

1 tsp crushed peppercorns

1 tsp chopped curry leaves

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1/2 tbsp chopped green chilli

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1 tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)

water as needed

oil to cook the Dosa

Method:

Take all the dry ingredients in the bowl, stir them well. Then add water and make a runny batter (the batter must not too runny but not thick at all). Let it sit for 5-7 mins.

Heat the pan, lower the flame to medium, sprinkle teaspoon of chopped onions. Let them heat for 30 seconds. Then, spread a ladleful of the batter on the pan…and drizzle some oil around the pan. Cook on low heat for about 5-6 mins…you need to cook it that long as it will crisp up..and there is no need to flip over to cook the other side. Once done, it starts leaving the pan from the edges. That’s it, your Onion Rawa Dosa is ready! Serve it plain or with the Masala stuffed within the Dosa😀

(P.S. Stir the batter well before pouring out the next ladleful!)

For the Masala 

Yield: serves 3-4 Dosas

Equipment: a wok, measuring spoons/ cups, a spatula.

Ingredients:

3 nos. boiled potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp oil

a handful curry leaves

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 nos. chopped green chillies

1/4 cup chopped onions

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

salt to taste

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

Heat oil n the wok. Once it’s hot, add mustard seeds, hing. Let these splatter. Then add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Cook them for 2-3 minutes. Then add the onions. Cook these till they turn slightly pink. Add salt and turmeric at this stage. Mix well and add the potatoes.  Ash some of the potatoes as they cook. Ensure everything is mixed well. Turn off the flame. Stuff this Masala within the Dosas and serve piping hot!

P.S. you can add green peas and tomatoes too in the Masala but I don’t prefer their flavour in the Masala for Dosa.

For the Sambhar

Yield: serves 2
Equipment: a pressure cooker, a small pan, measuring cups/ spoons, a ladle.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup tuar/ arhar dal (skinned & split pigeon peas)
2+1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup cubed lauki (bottle gourd, one can add more veggies of your choice)
1/4 cup tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp grated jaggery
2 tsp sambhar pwd (I use MTR)
6-7 curry leaves

For tempering:
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
2-3 whole red chilli
A few curry leaves

Method:
Wash and soak the dal for 30 mins. Add the soaked dal in the pressure cooker with water, salt, turmeric pwd. Add the tomatoes, curry leaves, onions & bottle gourd too. Cook them together in the pressure for 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool down completely before opening the lid. The dal & the veggies must be soft & mushy by now. You can add some water to correct the consistency if needed and boil the dal for about 2-3 mins.

Next, add sambhar pwd and grated jaggery to the tamarind pulp and mix well. Add this mixture to the cooked dal & veggies. Stir well and boil the sambhar for 3-4 mins.

Now to temper the sambhar, heat oil in a small pan. Add all the ingredients listed above ‘for tempering’ to the hot oil and let them splatter for about 2 mins. Add this tempering to the boiled sambhar and mix well. Cover with a lid for a few mins. Serve piping hot with Idli/ Dosa/ boiled rice.

How many of you are drooling out there!? I know I am ….but I guess I will have wait for a few months until I revisit this platter! Until, my man says he wants some too 😘

Love,

Shreya💝

 

Dum Paneer Kali Mirch – restaurant style

Paneer? Haven’t done that in a while now, have we!? Restaurant Style…under 30 mins? Ring a bell? Yeah…..my Reshmi Paneer is one such dish that fits every bill 😉 Tastes great, easy to make and loved by all!! 

I love paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and often make it at home from scratch using full fat milk (it is very easy) but I stick to  making Paneer only and only when I am out of veggies and need to get my meals ready in a jiffy! Or if I have some guests and I have planned 2-3 main dishes, Paneer is always one of them.

So when I was out of veggies a few days ago, I made some fresh paneer and decided to make Dum Paneer Kali Mirch (juicy, succulent pieces of cottage cheese cooked with assorted spices, fresh yogurt and black peppercorns). Sounds good? Well, it’s much better than good….it tasted just like the ones we get at Restaurants and the spices were all well balanced.

What I love about this dish is the depth of flavour that the crushed black peppercorns give and at the same time the yogurt ensures a luscious creamy gravy to mop up with some crisp and flaky Laccha Paratha 🤗 …however the Paratha that you see in the picture just above has approximately 24 layers… yeah…I do that sometimes..it was so good with the Dum Paneer Kali Mirch! Just add a salad or some raita…and you have a complete for yourself.

If you are wondering what is ‘Dum‘, it is nothing but a process of slow cooking by covering the pot/pan with some aluminium foil or a dough of Wholewheat around the lid so that no steam escapes from the pot/ pan and all the flavours are locked into the dish.

I am planning to make some Paneer Tawa Masala and pair that with these parathas soon…I’ll probably do a 36 layered one this time around👌🏼

Lets get cooking…

Yield: serves 2

Equipment: a pan, measuring cups/ spoons, a ladle, blender.

Ingredients:

W200 gms fresh paneer

1 nos. large onion

a pinch of sugar

5 tbsp oil

2 nos. black cardamom

1″ stick cinnamon

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1 tbsp ginger- garlic paste

1 tsp green chilli paste

1 tsp freshly crushed peppercorns

salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

5 tbsp thick fresh yogurt

2 tbsp fresh cream (I used Amul)

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish as needed

Method:

Cut the paneer in cubes and set it aside.

Slice the onions roughly. Heat oil in the pan. Once it is hot, add the sliced onions with a pinch of sugar and fry them until they turn golden brown but not burnt.

Remove the onions from the oil and let them cool completely. Once they have cooled down, blend them in a blender until  smooth.

Now, in the same pan which we had used to fry the onions, there is still enough oil. Heat it again, add the cardamom and the cinnamon stick. Let them splatter for a minute. Then add the hing and the onion paste. Cook the onion paste for 3-4 mins. Then add the green chilli paste and ginger-garlic paste. Cook until the raw smell goes away. Then season with salt, add red chilli powder, crushed black peppercorns, coriander powder, cumin powder and Garam Masala. Mix well and cook for 5-6 mins. You can add some water if the spices mixture is sticking to the pan.

Next, add the cubed paneer and the yogurt. Mix well and be careful not to break the paneer. Keep stirring gently and cook them uncovered for 5 mins. Then add the fresh cream and some more water to correct the consistency.

Put a lid and seal with some aluminium foil on all sides. Turn the flame on low and let this cook on ‘Dum’ for about 15-20 mins. Once done, remove the foil, open the lid and garnish with some chopped coriander and serve hot with parathas or Phulkas.😊

Are you drooling yet!? 😋

Love,

Shreya💝

Adapted from NDTV

Matar Kachori | Khasti Matar Kachori

Let’s call it as Kachori Weekends at our place….last weekend it was Aloo ki Kachori and this week, I was keen to make my favourite green peas stuffed Kachoris to devoured with some green Chutney! 👌🏼😁

The market is flooded with fresh, bright green peas. They so sweet and perfect! I have shelled and cleaned about 4-5 kgs of green peas, frozen them in sterilised Ziplock bags to last me for the entire year….more than enough for the two of us! I do this almost every year as I detest the flavour of the store bought frozen peas, they are quite tasteless.

Anyhow, with all the green peas around me got me craving for some Nimona (a gravy made with puréed green peas, very famous in Uttar Pradesh and enjoyed with steamed rice and some ghee) with the onset of the winters in December…..I have made it almost every week. And now, with the winter almost on it’s way out…I wanted to make Matar ki Kachori once, as it’s fried..once is more than enough for the entire season 😂

They turned out so crisp and flaky…just the way I love my kachoris. My Mom’s recipe never fails me….be it her Plyaaz ki Kachori or this …just perfect😋

The stuffing is made with fresh, sweet green peas and some spices tasters tangy, earthy as it uses my home made Garam Masala along with loads of ginger…all the flavours of a perfect Northern winter!  There is no onion or garlic in this recipe. The outer pastry is flaky and very crisp as its fried on slow flame…always fry your kachoris low and slow! They cook well and never turn limp and soggy.

You can pair these Matar ki Kachoris with dubkimaar Aloo Tamatar and chutney or just some imli ki chutney…just so yummy👌

Let’s start…

Yield: 9 large kachoris

Equipment: a heavy bottom wok, a slotted ladle, measuring spoons/ cups, rolling board, rolling board, kitchen paper, a small pan, potato masher, mixing bowls.

Ingredients:

For the outer cover:

2+1/2 cup all purpose flour (Maida)

salt to taste

3 tbsp ghee

water as needed

Method:

Take flour in a  mixing bowl, season it with salt. Add ghee and rub it into the flour until the flour resembles bread crumbs. This ensures that the outer cover of the kachori is crisp and flaky. Next, add sufficient water to make a semi stiff dough. Cover the dough and set it aside to let it rest for a minimum of 30 mins.

For the stuffing: 

1 cup fresh green peas

1 nos. boiled potato

salt to taste

2 tsp mustard oil (use any oil as per your preference)

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tsp finely chopped green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

1/2 tsp amchoor powder (dry mango powder)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

chopped coriander leaves as needed

oil to fry

Method:

Mash the boiled potato and set it aside. Potato is used as a binder, if you wish you can avoid it too.

In a pan, heat oil. Once it’s hot, add hing, cumin seeds and green chillies. Let them splatter around for a minute. Then add the grated ginger. Cook it for a minute.

The washed and dried green peas go in next. Season with salt and cook the peas for a few minutes. Then add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, Garam Masala powder. Mix well. Add the mashed potato and mix well with the spices and the peas. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the peas become mushy.

Add the amchoor powder along with chopped coriander leaves next and mix well. Turn off the flame. Cover the pan with the ready stuffing for a few minutes. Then using a potato masher, mash the peas and potato mixtures well. Let some of the peas stay whole, while roughly mashing the others. That’s done.

Assembling:

Divide the dough which was kept aside into 9 equal sized balls.(I could make 9, if you choose to make smaller Kachoris, you can easily make upto 12 kachoris with this much amount of dough). Flatten each ball of dough to a thickness 2-3 mm and diameter about 3″, add 2-3 tsp of the stuffing. Close the dough ball around stuffing tightly and secure the ends so that the stuffing doesn’t spill out while frying. Flatten out the kachori a bit using a rolling board and pin.

Do the same with all the other 8 dough balls as well. Set them aside. Heat oil to fry in a heavy bottomed wok. Once it hot enough, drop 1-2 kachoris at a time and fry on low flame until golfden and crisp on all sides. Remove from oil and drain excess oil on kitchen papers. Fry them all and the serve these piping hot with sides of your choice.

The stuffing keeps well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator if stored in a glass or porcelain bowl. (I avoid plastic)

I am drooling all over again just as I was typing out this draft 😜 But, seriously, do try this one out soon …..so easy to make and very flavoursome!!! You will be making these again and again.

Love,

Shreya💖

 

Aloo ki Kachori

Winters are the perfect season to devour everything that’s deep fried and spicy😋😋 I can never say no to anything that’s fried even though I keep promising myself to avoid it as far as possible.

These Aloo ki Kachoris are so so delicious…even if I am saying this myself but you truly need to eat these to believe me! 👌🏼😀 They are crispy, flaky and the filling is absolutely lip smacking!

Dont they look tempting….!? I served these for our Saturday brunch and my hubby couldn’t stop raving about them. I was moving a couple of inches aboveboard the ground for the next few hours 😂😂 The thing is has always enjoyed Aloo ki kachori made in one of the shops in some obscure lane in Kanpur….I’ve tasted that too on one of our trips there, I must confess that it was such a treat 😋 I couldn’t stop at one!

So when my hubby wanted me to make some at home a few weeks ago, I asked my Mom for the recipe and kept my fingers crossed that he’d approve of them. I usually make Pyaaz ki Kachori at home for brunches so I knew I’d nail the outer crisp cover…it was the filling that I wished to perfect.

I served them with every kachori’s favourite accompaniment Dubkimaar Aloo Tamatar ka Rassa and some kacchi kairi Wali chutney…will share the recipe today.

Yield: 8-9 large Kachoris

Equipment: a heavy bottomed wok, rolling pin, rolling board, large mixing bowl, measuring cups/ spoons.

For the outer cover:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup Maida (APF)

salt to taste

3 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

water as needed

Method:

In a large bowl, take maida, season with salt. Add the ghee and rub it with the mAida until it resembles bread crumbs. This makes the kachori crispy. Then add little water at a time and make a semi stiff dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen napkin and set aside for 20-30 mins.

For the filling:

Ingredients:

4 nos. large boiled potatoes

salt to taste

chopped green chillies to taste

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

a pinch of hing (asafoetida)

2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

1/2 tsp amchur powder

oil to fry the Kachori

Method:

Mash potatoes, add salt, roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, hing, red chilli powder, chillies and coriander leaves. Mix well. Set it aside.

Assembling and Frying the kachori:

Divide the dough in equal sized balls (I made 9). Roll these balls to a flat Roti like shape having a diameter of 3″ or so, stuff with the potato filling. Secure the ball well and flatter the kachori a bit using the rolling pin. Do the same for all the 9 dough balls.

Now heat the oil in a wok til it’s hot enough to fry. Add 1-2 Kachoris at a time and fry them on low flame until golden and crisp on both sides. Don’t fry on high flame as the Kachoris won’t turn crisp.

Serve them piping hot.

Ingredients for Kairi Wali Chutney:

2 bunches fresh coriander

3/4 cup chopped kairi (raw mango)

5-6 cloves garlic

3-4 nos. green chillies

salt to taste

water as needed

Method:

Wash and chop the coriander leaves. Add al, the ingredients in a blender jar and make the Chutney using water as needed. Store the Chutney in a porcelain or glass jar, it will stay fresh for 6-7 days.

Hope you enjoy these🤗

Love,

Shreya💖

 

Mexican Vegetable Soup | Vegan and Glutenfree

So…here we are in 2017 and this bright, colourful soup was destined to be the first post of the year😁….why ‘was’?? Because this was made sometime during the last couple of days of the year gone by…..it was our healthy and light meal before binged in the name of making merry!!

Anyhooooo….so how have the first few days of the new year been treating you!? Honestly, I feel no different. The dates have changed no doubt, but that is where I think it ends. I am not one who makes resolutions and stuff….it’s been that way all my life. Do you? Have any of you actually seen your resolution through the year and then made notes about it later? I’d love to know! I mean, many break their resolutions the very next morning of making them….seems like such a waste..moot point, no?!

So coming to this soup….it’s as healthy as healthy gets..no cornflour or APF or any ingredient to thicken the broth. It has a ton of veggies…like literally! Plenty of spices and the tang….that’s just perfect!!

Obviously you could add a bit of meat like sliced sausages or some boiled eggs. I was thinking maybe some seafood, like prawns or even squids! The possibilities are endless…. but I keep this one as veg…always. It’s one of our favourite go-to soups to do at home. It’s the quickest too, you’ll see!

Everyone has a favourite soup….this is my current favourite, has been for sometime now. I usually even like Manchow soup…a personal favourite or some Thai Noodle soup, I’d probably share that recipe here too sometime….could make for a ideal summer lunch! ☺️

Anyways….let’s first learn to make us some healthy Mexican Vegetable Soup….

Yield: serves 2

Equipment: a heavy bottomed pan, measuring cups/ spoons, a ladle.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil

5-6 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

1/4 cup sweet corn

1/4 cup finely chopped French beans

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

3 nos. large ripe tomatoes

salt & pepper to taste

3/4 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp peri peri spice mix (store bought)

2 cups water

3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

juice of half a lemon

nacho chips to serve on the side (optional)

Method:

Heat oil in the pan, add crushed garlic and chopped onions. Sweat the onions for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the chopped bell peppers, carrots, beans, sweet corn. Stir well and season with salt & pepper. Cook the veggies for about 5-6 mins.

Then add the oregano, cumin powder, red chilli powder and the peri peri spice mix. Stir well, add tomatoes. Cook these together for another 5-6 mins or until the tomatoes turns soft and mushy. Add water (I add about 2 cups, you can add more or less).

Let the soup come to a boil, takes about 12-13 mins. Once the consistency is right, add chopped coriander and lemon juice. Serve the soup piping hot with some nacho chips.

Such a filling meal….I’d say do try it once.

Love,

Shreya 💝

Adapted from cooking classy