Paneer Butter Masala - Version II

Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani is a signature Indian curry made with Paneer or Indian cheese. This tastes best with homemade paneer. I usually make PBM according to this recipe, but this version is richer due to the addition of cashews. You can never go wrong with this recipe. It is so easy to make this and tastes delicious with naan or rotis or chapatis or any kind of rice!

This curry is similar to other paneer gravies, except that, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew paste rather than just cream. I omitted the cream, since I felt the gravy was already rich with the addition of butter and cashews.

Ingredients
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Paneer - about 250 grams
Butter/Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2
Green peas - 1/2 cup(optional)
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cashews - around 10 to 12
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Directions

• In a kadai heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add chopped onions and saute for about two minutes until they start getting brown in color. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute until the raw smell goes away. Then add the diced tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes turn mushy. Switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool.
• When the mixture gets to room temperature, add this mixture to the mixie along with the cashews and blend into a smooth paste.
• In a kadai, add the butter and add the cumin seeds. once they start spluttering, add the blended onion-tomato mixture and saute until the raw smell goes away. Add the turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and chilli powder and salt. Mix together and saute for about a minute.
• At this point, add the diced paneer and saute until the mixture coats the paneer. Also add the peas if using. Green peas is usually added only in mutter paneer and not in paneer butter masala. but I like the fact that the peas adds a little more color and sweetness to the dish. Allow to cook for a minute and then add half cup of water. You can substitute the water with heavy cream or a little milk. However keep the heat low so that the milk doesn't curdle. I just added water.
• Cover with a lid and allow the gravy to simmer on low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until the paneer absorbs all the spices and the flavor. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with your favorite side. I served this delicious curry with green peas pulao!

Phodnichi poli (masala tortilla/chapati/roti), woldorf salad

Phodnichi poli - policha kuskara - masala tadka chapati (phulake) :
Its a popular Indian breakfast item made from leftover Roti/Poli/Chapati/Paratha/Tortilla.

Crumble or cut or crush the tortilla/chapati to small pieces. If its dry chapati like phulake you can use mixer to do it. Add some lemon juice, salt and sugar a teaspoon each for 6-7 tortillas and keep it aside. For tempering/ tadka/ phodni - heat very little oil (I used 1 teaspoon) in a pot and then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, grated ginger, finely chopped onions pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon water. cover with lid and let it cook.
Add vegetables of your choice. I added frozen peas, green pegion peas (tur), edamame, grated carrots, finely chopped zuchini. Mix in the crumbled chapatis/tortillas. Turn the heat to low and let it cook for 10 minutes covering with lid.

Woldorf salad : Mix all of it together - finely chopped apple, celery, walnuts, grapes, thick yogurt, sugar. Yummy and easy :)
It is made with mayonaise and raisins but Roo doesn't like it so I added grapes and yogurt instead.

Okra & Lima Bean Masala

Excitement! Time to introduce a brand new lunch box!

I love my To-Go Ware tiffins and use them almost every day to pack our lunches for work, but lately I've been packing more hot foods like soups and stews. The tiffins are perfect for big salads and cold foods, but now I wanted something with a tight lid that wouldn't leak that would keep my food warm until lunch time -- something like the wide-mouth insulated container I bought a couple years ago, but a bit larger and made from stainless steel.


I found one! And with a cute green apple handle, too! I ordered our two new thermal stainless steel double-walled lunch boxes just a couple weeks ago from Dino Direct, but they aren't on their website at the moment. This one looks similar.


For their inaugural voyage to lunchtime I filled them both with Okra and Lima Bean Masala from FatFree Vegan Kitchen. This is one of my favorites to make at the end of the week when fresh produce is running short but I'm not ready to go to the grocery store; I steam-saute a sliced onion with Indian spices, then add a bag of frozen okra, some frozen lima beans, and two cans of diced tomatoes.

How to make Kuzhambu Masala Podi/ Kuzhambu Milagai Thool/ All-purpose Curry Powder

This is a basic all-purpose curry powder used as a base in several South Indian curries and stir-fries. Every household has a different recipe and this recipe was passed on from my grandma to my mom. I have never tried making this powder since my mom never fails to replenish my masala podi stock each time I go home. This masala podi is usually prepared in bulk, by sun drying or dry roasting the spices and grinding them in mills. They can be stored in airtight containers for a few months.

This powder has several names in different households - curry powder, kuzhambu masaal podi, kuzhambu milagai thool, kuzhambu podi etc.

Ingredients
Dry red chillies - 1/2 kg
Coriander seeds - 1/2 kg
Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/4 kg
Whole black peppercorns - 100 gms

Instructions

1. Sun dry all the above mentioned spices for 2 days. Alternatively, you can dry roast the spices seperately for a few minutes until they turn fragrant.
2. Grind all the ingredients together in a mill to get a fine powder. 
3. You could also make this at home in small batches using a mixie, spice grinder or coffee grinder.
4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
5. Use a teaspoon of this powder in all your favorite curries, stir-fries and sambar.