Kadai Paneer

If you ask me the most comfortable and frequently used equipment in my kitchen, my answer would be the kadai. It can be easily handled and helps for cooking recipes quickly and evenly. Wait! you aren't familiar with the name 'Kadai'? Go ahead to know about it.



Kadai/kadhai/karahi is nothing but a thick, deep, bowl shaped
cooking pan with two curved handles, which is widely used in Indian
cookery. It is made up of cast iron. Few traditional recipes like Kadai chicken, Kadai Paneer and Kadai Vegetables take the name from the kadai as the recipes were cooked in it. The kadai
cooking is quick as there is no water used in it.  Because of this, the
kadai recipes are mostly dry but sometimes it is cooked in tomato based
gravy.



Since a long time, dishes prepared in this way are served in a
miniature kadai/karahi with hot coal underneath it. This symbolically
represents that the dish is fresh from kadai. Also it is important that
one need to consume the dish immediately to enjoy its complete taste.

(Info from book, Prasad-Cooking with Indian Masters)



Here, I am blogging my version of Kadai Paneer which I love to have anytime a day.

Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients:



Paneer cubes - 1 and 1/2 cups

Capsicum - 1 cup, cubed, any colour

Onion - 1 no, medium size, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 no, large size,

Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoons

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Garam masala - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Dry fenugreek leaves/ kasoori methi - a big pinch

Oil - 1 tablespoon



Method:



1) Blend tomato with red chilli
powder and coriander powder. Keep this paste aside. Using roasted
coriander seeds instead of coriander powder will give best results.

2) In a wok, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil and fry paneer till all the sides are golden brown. Transfer them to a plate.

3) In the same pan, add remaining oil. When the oil is hot, take cumin
seeds and crush these seeds with your palm and add them to the hot oil.
Allow the seeds to crackle and burst.

4) Add onions and fry till they are soft and translucent.

5) Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

6) Add the tomato paste (as said in step 1) along with salt, garam masala and turmeric
powder. Cook the sauce till the raw smell of tomato disappears. When it
starts to thicken, you can see the oil separating from the dish on the
walls of wok.

7) Now, add the cubed capsicums and paneer. Mix well.

8) Cook for 5-7 minutes by stirring occasionally. Make sure to avoid burning the sauce.

9)
Crush kasoori methi with your palm and add them to the gravy. Mix well
and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Ensure that capsicums are crisp so as
to retain its shape without changing colour. Taste and adjust the spice level.

10) Garnish with coriander and serve hot with roti. We usually have it with a spicy roti.

Note:

1) To get a gravy kind of kadai paneer, increase the tomato quantity.

2)
I usually fry capsicum by adding them when paneer turns slightly brown
colour(mostly at the end of frying paneer) and toss them for two
minutes. This helps to maintain a crispy and shiny capsicums for the recipe. If you do so, reduce the cooking time after adding to the tomato sauce/gravy.



I'm linking this recipe to Srivalli's Blogging Marathon #12 under the theme of paneer. Check out what others are cooking by clicking it here.

Limoncello

Limoncello, mmm. So much you can do with it besides drinking it, although that is yummy. Use it in cakes in place of lemon juice, drizzle it over cooked cakes, brush it on to layers of a gateau, mix it with cream for the filling, most of all enjoy!

So here's how its done, unfortunately it takes at least a week, longer if you can wait.

Take 3 lemons, 4 oz caster sugar, 75ml water and 350ml vodka.

Put the water and sugar in a pan and disolve the sugar on a medium heat.

Meanwhile peel the lemons using your usual potato peeler.

When the sugar is dissolved add the lemon peel and bring to the boil, simmer for about 15 minutes.

Take off the heat and add the lemon juice and vodka.

Pour this, peel and all, into a jar or bottle and leave in a cool dark place.


Check it every day and gently shake to ensure it isn't all settling to the bottom too much.


After at least a week decant it into a swing top bottle, discarding all the peel. Is ready to drink and will last for 1 year.


Here's the best swingtop bottles.

Sakkaraivalli Kizhangu Curry / Genasu Palya - Sweet Potato Curry

SAKKARAIVALLI KIZHANGU CURRY / GENASU PALYA 

Sweet potato is known as Sakkaraivalli kizhangu in Tamil and Genasu in Kannada . This is one of the many native vegetables offered to Sun God during the harvest festival. It is usually grilled on  live charcoal, the skin is peeled and then relished as it is. It tastes yummy when cooked in jaggery syrup until it reaches the consistency of jam. Sakkarai valli kizhangu Curry / Genasu palya is another delicious dish which can be cooked in no time. 

INGREDIENTS 

Sweet Potato - 2 

Salt - 1/4 tsp 

Powdered jaggery - 2 pinches 

Oil - 2 tsps  

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch 

Black gram dal - 1/4 tsp 

Bengal gram dal - 1/4 tsp 

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch 

Asafoetida - 1 pinch 

Broken red chillies - 2 

Curry leaves - a few 

Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tbsps 

METHOD 

1. Scrape away the peel of sweet potato and store the peeled vegetable in a bowl of water. 

2. Chop into cubes and immediately immerse the cubes in water to prevent discolouration. 

3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. 

4. When the mustard seeds splutter add the dals and roast till they turn golden in colour. 

5. Decrease flame and add red chillies and fry till they turn crisp. 

6. Stir in the asafoetida, turmeric powder and the curry leaves.

7. Drain the cubed sweet potato and add to the seasoning. 

8. Add salt and sprinkle little water, cover and cook on low flame till almost done. 

9. Add powdered jaggery, sprinkle little more water and cook till the curry becomes soft and dry. 

10. Switch off flame and garnish with fresh coconut gratings. 

Relish the sweetish Sakkarivalli kizhangu curry / genasu palya with your favourite meal.