Paneer Butter Masala

A mildly spiced curry that's quick to make if you have all the ingredients ready on your counter. This version is kid friendly as it uses Paprika instead of red chili powder to achieve a rich colour in the curry. Red chili powder can be used if you want some heat and colour in your curry.

'Paneer' is a special cottage cheese variety you can get readily in an Indian store. But be sure to get the 'malai paneer' variety for this particular recipe.

And if you are ambitious enough you can attempt to make your own paneer following a recipe from the Internet.

Ingredients 

5 ounces fresh paneer cut into cubes or long slices

1.5 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp grated or crushed garlic

4 heaped tbsp tomato purée

1/3 cup fresh cream

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp butter

2 pinches cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp cumin pdr

1 tsp bright red paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 pinches Kasuri Methi flakes

1 tsp cream for garnish

Method

In a medium skillet heat the butter on medium heat.

All the following cooking needs to be done on medium heat.

Add the cumin seeds.

Once they crackle add the grated ginger.

Fry this till its golden brown around 2 minutes.

Now add the garlic and toast it for a few seconds.

Add the tomato purée.

Stir well. 

Follow with the spices one by one.

First the turmeric, then cumin followed by the garam masala and paprika.

Season with the salt and stir well.

Reduce your heat to low and cover with a lid.

Cook this for 6-7 mins on low heat till the raw taste of tomatoes is gone and you experience the aroma of the spices.

Now open the lid, stir.

Add the cream and water and stir with a spatula till all the ingredients are combined.

Place the paneer slices around the sauce.

Use a small spoon and scoop some sauce and pour on each of the paneer slices. 

All the paneer should be part submerged into the sauce.

Cover again and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

At the end of this the paneer should be soft inside the curry. 

Turn off the heat.

Transfer the curry to a bowl.

Garnish with the Methi flakes and drizzle the cream on top of it.

Serve warm with Rotis!

TriColor Rice

1 cup basmati rice

1 carrot , half grated fresh , half chopped fine and sauteed in 1 tsp butter and braised

1/2 cup chopped baby spinach

1 small potato boiled, peeled and diced

2 cups water to cook the rice

1 tbsp butter

salt to taste

In a sauce pan heat the butter on medium heat.

add the rice and saute for 30 secs.

Now add the water, season with 1/4 tsp salt.

Bring this to boil.

Cover then lower heat to low.

Cook the rice for 20 mins.

Arrange 3 bowls on your counter.

divide the rice equally amongst them.

Mix the carrots both cooked diced ones to one bowl of white rice.

Mix the spinach to the second bowl.

Mix the cooked potatoes to the third bowl.

Now begin layering the Rice.

Take a transparent serving bowl.

put the orange layer on the bottom.

Then put the white layer and follow with the green layer.

Pack the rice down a bit.

And serve the rice.

Satrangi Salad

3 mini sweet red peppers chopped

3 mini sweet yellow peppers chopped

3 mini sweet orange peppers chopped

!/2 a white onion chopped

1/2 a red onion chopped

2 mini seedless cucumbers chopped

1 plum tomato chopped

Juice of 1/2 a lime

2 pinches salt

2 sprigs cilantro chopped

Mix all of the above in a big bowl.

Serve chilled.

Greek style Orzo Salad

Ingredients

2 cups boiled whole wheat or white Orzo Pasta
 1 cucumber peeled, chopped
1 cup diced grape tomatoes
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
 2 sprigs green onions chopped
 1 sprig mint chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of half a lime

Method

 In a big bowl toss all these ingredients together. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Lebanese Rice

Ingredients

 1½ cups Long grain basmati rice
¼ cup clarified butter/ghee ( recipe included below)
 ½ cup angel hair pasta broken in 2 inch pieces
 3 cups boiling water
 1½ teaspoons salt
 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

 Method

 Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly using your fingers to rub off as much starch as possible.
 Set aside.
 In a large, deep pan heat the butter over medium heat until melted.
 Add the broken pasta and roast till it turns slightly brown, stirring frequently.
 Be careful to not let it burn.
Add rinsed rice to the pan and stir into the vermicelli and butter.
 Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Carefully pour boiling water into the pan and stir once.
 Add salt then stir again.
Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to low and cover with a lid.
 Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat and fluff rice with a fork before sprinkling with fresh parsley to serve.

Ghee Recipe

1 lb unsalted butter

Place butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Bring butter to boil. 

This takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. The butter will form a foam which will disappear. 

Ghee is done when a second foam forms on top of butter, and the butter turns golden. 

Approximately 7 to 8 minutes. 

Brown milk solids will be in bottom of pan. 

Gently pour into heatproof container through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. 

Store in airtight container being sure to keep free from moisture. 

Ghee does not need refrigeration and will keep in airtight container for up to 1 month.

Chicken Tikka Kebabs

10 chicken tenderloins
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
 1/2 tsp cumin pdr
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ginger pdr or 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of fresh garlic crushed
1/4 1 tbsp olive oil
5 bamboo skewers

 Make the chicken marinade ahead of time and add some time for it to come to room temperature. Take a big bowl.
 Mix the Yogurt, salt, paprika, cumin, masala, ginger, garlic, olive oil with a whisk.
Now add the chicken one by one, coat them in the marinade.
Place the chicken pieces together such that they are submerged in the marinade as much as possible. Keep this covered in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
 When you are ready to grill the chicken make sure you remove the bowl from the fridge and leave it on your counter for an hour.
 Heat your oven to 350 deg F
Now take your bamboo skewers and wash them.
 Take one piece of chicken and thread it on the skewer in a zigzag fashion. repeat on the same skewer with the second tenderloin and the third.
Thread another 3 tenderloins to the second skewer.
 Then finish the last two skewers with two tenderloins each.
 Place all the skewers in a baking tray.
Bake for 15 mins on one side.
Then flip to the other side and bake another 15 mins.
 Then increase the oven temp to 375 degrees.
Bake the chicken kebabs further for another 20 mins or until the center of the chicken isn’t pink anymore.
 You can grill these on the BBQ…with other veggies on the skewers like onions, zucchini, sweet peppers.

Oven Fried Chicken

6 chicken tenderloins

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup flour 

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

1/4 cup rolled oats that have been pulverized in a blender till a crumb consistency

2 tbsp olive oil

3 pinches salt to flavours the coating 

1/2 tsp oregano

Seasoning for the marinade

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Method

In a shallow glass dish mix the marinade seasoning and the buttermilk.

Add the chicken to it and coat the tenders with the marinade using a pair of tongs.

Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour.

When ready to make preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.

Take a 13 by 9 inch baking tray and line the bottom with baking foil.

Spread the olive oil on it.

Now take a large gallon size ziplock bag.

Add the Flour, Panko, oat crumb, salt and oregano..

Seal and give the crumbs a good shake and a mix.

Bring the chicken out from the fridge.

Remove the excess marinade by blotting each piece on a paper towel.

Discard the towel.

Now place the baking tray in the oven for a few mins. While that heats get the chicken ready.

With tongs add each piece of chicken into the crumb bag.

Seal and toss the chicken in the bag.

Make sure you use your hands to coat all the chicken pieces with the crumb.

Remove each chicken piece, open the oven door and place it on the heated tray.

Repeat with all chicken till they are lined up on the tray evenly.

Bake the tenders for 11 minutes on one side.

Then flip them to the other side and let them crisp up for another 8 mins.

 Once done remove from oven and serve warm with steamed veggies or with your favourite dipping sauce.