CHINGRI MALAI CURRY

Bengalis love chingri malai curry, small sized prawns cooked in creamy gravy. This is a mildly spiced, yellow coloured dish which is easy to prepare and quick too. It gets its creaminess from coconut milk and melon seeds paste. Cashew nuts can also be used.

The given weight of prawns is after cleaning and deveining. I have used readymade coconut milk in this recipe. Coconut milk can be very easily prepared at home. Make a fine paste of grated coconut with a cup of water. Strain it through a sieve to get thick milk of coconut. This first extract is the best

Recipe for Chingri malai curry

Ingredients for Chingri malai curry

• 250 gms small prawns (shelled and deveined)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp melon seeds
•  1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tomato (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamoms
• ¼ + ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 pinch of garam masala
• 2 green chillies (roughly chopped)
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup mustard oil

How to make

Marinate the prawns in some salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

Heat mustard oil. Fry the prawns for not more than two minutes. Keep aside.

In the same oil add bay leaves and cardamom pods.

Add onions. Cook till translucent.

Now add in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and cumin powder. Mix well.

Add in the tomato and cook 3 to 4 minutes till it turns soft.

Add in the prawns and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the coconut milk and mix well.

Season with salt. Sprinkle garam masala. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve with parantha, rice.

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

Paneer butter masala is found on menu of every Indian restaurant. This proves its fan following and popularity. It has a lightly flavoured, smooth gravy.

Paneer butter masala is a all time hit and safe dish to have anywhere in the country. Though the preparations may vary the chef will definitely put his best skills forward to maintain the dish's status.

In the bargain to do so, sometimes a lot of different spices are added to make it flavourful.

Here I share with you this popular recipe which takes less time to make and requires very few ingredients.

Recipe for Paneer butter masala

Ingredients for Paneer Butter masala

• 200 gms paneer
• ¾ cup or 3 medium sized tomatoes (pureed)
• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp melon seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cardamoms
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp oil

How to make

Cut the paneer into flat cubes or cubes with thickness of 1 cm.

Soak melon seeds in warm water for 20 minutes. Grind it with little water into a smooth paste.

Heat oil and butter in kadhai or skillet. Keep the heat from medium to low.

Put cardamom and bay leaves.

Put ginger garlic paste and saute for one minute.

Add the tomato puree. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add red chilli powder. Saute till the oil separates.

Now add in the melon seeds paste. Mix well. Cook on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Pour half a cup of water. Season with salt. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Drop in the paneer pieces. 

Add the kasuri methi. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with tandoori roti or naan.

KADHAI PANEER

Kadhai paneer is a popular dish on the veg menu of restaurants. This dish has a nice aroma which it gets from the kadhai masala. Kadhai masala is a special spice mix which can be easily made at home.

Refer to my previous post to know how to make kadhai masala. This spice mix can also be used in curries or non-veg dishes.

Kadhai paneer has a thick gravy of coating consistency. In this recipe paneer and veggies are sauted in butter before adding them to the gravy. This process makes the dish tastier.

Kadhai paneer goes very well with tandoori roti or naan or lachcha parantha. This dish will surely satisfy the taste buds of your vegetarian guests.

Recipe for Kadhai Paneer

Ingredients for Kadhai Paneer

• 200 gms paneer (diced into cubes)
• 1 big tomato (diced into big chunks)
• 1 capsicum (diced into big chunks)
• ½ cup or 2 medium sized onions (grated)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 cup or 2 big tomatoes (pureed)
• ½ tsp kasuri methi
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp kadhai masala
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp shahijeera or caraway seeds
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup oil

How to make

Sprinkle some red chilli powder and salt on the paneer cubes and toss.

Heat butter in a non-stick pan. Lightly fry the paneer cubes for a minute. Remove the paneer cubes in a plate and keep aside. In the same saute capsicum and tomato pieces on high heat for one minute or until they get little soft. Keep aside.

 Ina kadhai or a skillet, heat oil. Add shahijeera to it.

Add the grated onions and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.

Put the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and kadhai masala. Saute for half a minute.

Add in the pureed tomatoes. Saute on medium heat till oil separates.

Drop in the paneer, capsicum and tomatoes. Mix well.

Pour half to one cup of water. Season with salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Crush the kasuri methi. Add it to the gravy before removing from heat.

Serve with tandoori roti or lachcha parantha.

PAVTYACHI AMTI

Pavtyachi amti or lima beans curry is a maharashtrian style preparation. Pavta is also known as vaal or farasbi or fava beans. A maharashtrian spice mix, goda masala is used in this recipe. If you don’t have it, skip it and go ahead with the recipe. You are still going to like it.

As school going kid I remember the pavtyachi amti I used to relish at my friend’s place with jowar bhakri. I don’t remember if I have ever complimented aunty for that amti. Next time I meet her I am surely gonna thank her for all those treats. Thank you Meghana for all those tasty lunches!

My recipe for Pavtyachi amti is inspired from my lunches at my friend’s home. The spicyness of this gravy can be adjusted according to preference.

Recipe for Pavtyachi Amti

Ingredients for Pavtyachi Amti

• 500gms pavta or lima beans
• ¼ cup fresh or dry coconut (grated)
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 10 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup onion (finely chopped)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tbsp goda masala
• ¼ cup oil
• Salt to taste

How to make

Deshell the pavta and keep aside.

Make a coarse paste of coconut with ginger and garlic.

Heat oil in a pan. Tip in the pavta. Fry the pavta beans for 2 to 3 minutes. This step enhances the flavour of pavta or lima beans.

Add chopped onions to it. Fry for a minute till onions turn translucent.

Now add the coconut paste and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and goda masala.

Saute for 5 minutes until oil starts separating.

Add enough water and salt to taste. Quantity of water will be according to the required consistency of gravy. I have added one and half cups of water.

Bring it to boil. Simmer for 8 minutes.

Serve with Bhakri or chapati.