MATAR PANEER (COTTAGE CHEESE CUBES AND GREEN PEAS IN GRAVY)

A popular north Indian dish available on the menu card of almost all the restaurants in India. As a child I remember this one dish to be surely part of our order at our dinner outings.

 As I have travelled to the different states of our country,  I got a chance to savour the various versions of this dish. What I can say is...the milder the flavour better is the result. 

This onion and tomato based gravy is the basic Punjabi gravy which goes well with any vegetable.

Shahi  paneer, butter paneer, paneer tikka masala being the few amongst the many dishes prepared from paneer…Matar paneer still holds it’s place strong.

Recipe for Matar Paneer

Ingredients

• 250 gms cottage cheese or paneer
• 150 gms green peas (shelled)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp oil+2 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
• Salt to taste

For the gravy

• 3/4 cup or 1 medium sized onion (diced)
• 1 1/2 cups or 2 medium sized tomatoes (diced)
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger

How to make

Put all the ingredients for the gravy in a grinder and make a fine paste.

Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed vessel. Tip in the gravy paste. Stir fry on medium heat for two minutes.

Add the turmeric and chilly powder. Saute till the oil separates. If the gravy paste sticks to the bottom add little water to it.

Add the green peas. Fry for a minute.

Now pour in the milk. Season with salt.

As the curry is about to boil add the paneer cubes. Simmer uncovered for 2 – 3 minutes. Check the consistency of the gravy. You can add more milk or water according to your preference.

Sprinkle some garam masala powder. Serve with crispy naan or tandoori roti.

KULTHI KA KUTT/ HORSEGRAM IN TANGY GRAVY

Kulthi or Horsegram is rich in minerals and vitamins. It is known by different names in different regions of India like kulath, huruli, kulith, gahat, galath…

It is a staple for the farmers. It is an excellent source of energy, also is gives warmth to our body. Hence it is mostly considered as a winter food.

This recipe comes from the Andhra region. It is slow cooked for a long duration on the traditional chulhas. The longer it cooks the better is it’s taste. Alternatively the pressure cooker can be used to save the time.

The kutt is thick in consistency. The brinjals in the kutt taste awesome. Sondal is be prepared with the cooked kulthi which is a byproduct of this dish.

It is usually enjoyed with ragi muddi (soft steamed dough made from ragi flour) and plain steamed rice.

Recipe for Kulthi Ka Kutt

Ingredients

• 250 gms kulthi
• 6 medium sized brinjals
• ¼ cup tamarind pulp
• 1 tsp powdered sesame seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek  or methi seeds
• Salt to taste

For masala

• 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
• 2 medium sized onions (roughly chopped)
• 12 to 15 cloves of garlic

For tempering

• 7 curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp split black gram dal
• 1 green chillies (chopped)
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• ½ cup oil

How to make

Soak the kulthi overnight.

Pressure cook the kulthi till 5 to 6 whistles. Kulthi takes longer time to cook.

Separate the liquid and the kulthi. The liquid will be used for the kutt and the cooked can be tossed in a tempering to made a nutritious snack.

Make a fine paste with the ingredients for masala.

Dry roast the cumin and methi seeds and pound to make a coarse powder. Keep aside.

Cut the brinjals lengthwise with the thickness if one centimeter.

Heat the oil in a kadhai. Firstly add the urad dal followed by curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds, green chillies and asafoetida.

Tip in the masala paste. Saute for a minute. Add turmeric, coriander and chilly powders. Stir well.

Add the chopped brinjals. Mix well. Also add the kulthi liquid and salt. Simmer for two minutes.

Now add the tamarind pulp and stir. Cover with lid. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

The kutt will become thick and you may observe oil on the surface.

Serve with ragi muddi or steamed rice.

BENGALI MISHTI DOI/ SWEET YOGHURT

Mishti doi , a Bengali sweet. Bengali is a sweet language to here to, also bengalis are known for their love for sweets.

I have used jaggery as the sweetner. It can also be prepared with sugar or even caramelized sugar. The quantity of sweetner can be adjusted according to personal preference.

Like the bhappa doi this dish is not steamed. It is set in a ceramic serving dish.This is one easy-to-make dish with less ingredients and simple procedure.

You will surely get hooked on to this luscious summer dessert.

Recipe for Mishti doi

Ingredients

• 3 cups full fat milk
• 1 cup jaggery (chopped)
• ¼ cup fresh curd
• Roasted pistachios for garnishing

How to make

Heat the milk. Simmer until half the quantity.

Remove from heat. Add the jaggery. Stir till the jaggery melts.

When the milk becomes lukewarm add the curd. Mix well. Pour the milk in a ceramic bowl. 

Cover with lid. Keep in a warm place for 5 hours.

Once the doi is set refrigerate for two hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve chilled.

BHAPPA DOI/ BENGALI STEAMED YOGHURT PUDDING

Bhappa doi is a Bengali dessert, very easy to make. This is a yoghurt based steamed pudding. It requires very less time for preparation (just the time required for steaming).

Can be prepared at the last minute. The sweetness can be adjusted according to the personal preference.

Creamier the yoghurt better will be the result.

You can steam the yoghurt in small heat proof containers as individual serving.

Recipe for Bhappa doi

Ingredients

• 1 cup full fat milk
• ½ cup condensed milk
• 1 cup fresh curd
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

How to make

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat well.

Pour this mixture in a pudding mould. Cover with aluminium foil.

Put enough water in a pressure cooker such that the pudding mould can be half immersed in it.

When the water is about to boil keep the pudding mould in it and cover with lid (without the weight).

Steam the pudding for 20 minutes on medium heat. Remove from the pressure cooker. Let it cool.

Once at room temperature refrigerate for two hours.

For demoulding keep a serving dish on top and invert. Tap on all sides.

Serve chilled.

Tips

• Use fresh curd only.
• Sweetness can be increased or decreased according to your preference.