Malai Kofta

Malai kofta is very rich, heavy and creamy Punjabi Sabji, where kofta or dumplings are made out of paneer and potatoes and later they are mixed in creamy and buttered gravy. Its very delicious and easy to make. See its Recipe below

Ingredients:

For Gravy: 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chillies finely paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 cinnamon stick finely powdered (2 tsp)
1/2 tsp black cloves powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 large tomato, finely pureed
2-3 medium onion paste
7 cashews and 2 tsp khas khas (mix both and soak in little qty of water for 15-20 minutes, later grind and make a fine paste of it)
1 cup water
1/4 cup cold milk
3 tbsp fresh cream or makhan
Salt to taste

For Kofta
250 gms Potatoes
1 tsp green chilly paste and pinch of red chilly powder
2 tsp white corn flour
3-4 tbsp bread crumbs (or if you do not have bread crumbs handy, simply sprinkle water on bread and squeeze the water out of it by pressing it in between your palms and crumble it)
100 gms paneer (cottage cheese)
7 pcs of almond (grind it in to a powder)
7-8 pcs of pistachios (grind in to powder)
Oil for frying koftas
1 1/2 cup of gravy prepared
2 tsp fresh cream or makhan
Salt to taste


Recipe:

For Gravy:

• In a pan, heat oil, and saute ginger-garlic-green chilly paste, cloves powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and coriander powder for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add in and saute onion puree, salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder. Later, Add tomato puree, Cashew-Khas khas finely grinded paste, and water. 
• Cook all for 5 minutes on medium-low flame.
• Once done, turn the flame to low and add cold milk to the gravy. (keep stirring gravy while adding milk to it, this will avoid curdling).
• After adding milk, stir the gravy for a minute continuously and add fresh cream or makhan to it and after 2-3 minutes of it, turn the flame off. The consistency of the gravy should be little thick by now and its ready.
• Keep it aside and let make koftas now.

For Koftas:

• Grate Paneer and knead it until it becomes soft and forms like a dough. Add grinded almond, pistachios powder and Salt to taste. Mix in well.

• In a bowl, mash boiled potatoes, add bread crumbs, white corn flour, green chilly paste and salt to taste. Mix all well and spread it with your fingers in a plate. See below the picture..

• Now Spread kneaded dough like paneer mixture over potato mixture.

• Roll the Potato Mixture with paneer inside till the end and make small kofta balls out of it. 

• Heat Sufficient oil on medium flame in a pan for frying koftas. (Make sure oil is real hot before frying koftas in it, else it will break down).
• Fry all the kofta balls in it on medium flame only, until golden.

• And yesss you are done. Add this ready koftas in a gravy, before few minutes when you are ready to serve. and garnish it with fresh cream or makhan.
• Serve it with plain paratha.

Paneer-Corn-Capsicum Mix In Coconut Gravy

Few days back i bought a tin of Coconut milk with no recipes in mind..Though it uses in many cuisines but i haven't decided as to how and in which recipe i was going to use it..And well well, with only few things around i.e. Paneer (Cottage Cheese), Corns (stored in freezer, so always in stock) and Green Capsicum..(Green Bell Pepper), I decided to mix all the three and instead of making paneer in usual onion-tomato gravy, for a change have added Coconut milk to it...A sort of coastal curried meal..:) loved it..

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Paneer cut in to cube (Stir fry those paneer cubes in little oil and immediately transfer in to a bowl full of room tempreture water and let it remain for 10-12 minutes, this will help paneer cubes stay soft)
1 cup coconut milk
1 medium-large onion pureed
1 medium and nicely riped red tomato puree
1 medium Green Capsicum small chopped (Bell pepper)
1 tbsp Olive oil or any vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of Heeng powder (Asafoetida powder)
1 tsp Ginger- garlic paste
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
Freshly chopped Coriander Leaves


Recipe:

• In a pan, heat oil and add mustard, as soon as it splutters, add pinch of heeng powder, ginger-garlic paste, onion puree and pinch of salt. Saute the puree until light pink. 
• Now add Tomato Puree, Green Capsicum small chopped, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and cumin-coriander powder. 
• Saute and mix all until capsicum is cooked.
• Add Paneer pieces to it and add a cup full of thick coconut milk (make sure while adding coconut milk, keep stirring the pan mixture)
• Mix all well, and allow it to cook for few minutes on medium flame. 
• Once done, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve it with plain paratha..and here you are ready with your scrumptious meal..:)

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Shawarma Wrap

Shawarma is a roti wrap or a roll which is wrapped with Paneer or boneless chicken piece or a meat with spreads and sliced onions and tomatoes. Which is easy, healthy and quick if you are having all the ingredients handy. I myself tried it first time but find it really tasty and healthy other than spring rolls which are fried. 

Here i have used home made tomato paste and bell pepper paste as a spread on wrap. If running short of time, you can also buy tomato paste jar readily available in market. As it was not in a stock, so i made it by myself. Below you can see its recipe. If you end up making tomato paste in large qty, than can store in cleaned glass jar in refrigerator for months.

Ingredients:

Tomato Paste:

6-7 large size bright red tomatoes

3 pods of garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 -1 tsp salt or to taste

Green Bell Pepper Paste

2 Green bell pepper Roasted on Gas Flame (1 large and other medium small)

1 1/2 tbsp Sesame seeds

Salt to Taste

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 small green chilly

For Marinating Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

100 gms Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

2 tbsp thick creamy Curd or Yogurt

1 3/4 tsp Tomato Paste

2 tsp Bell pepper paste

1 tsp ginger- garlic paste each

1 tsp Red chilly powder (adjust the spice level to your taste)

1 tsp Pickle powder or paste (optional.. I bought ready pickle mix powder packet that is used in making pickles, if you do not have, can skip)

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp lemon juice

For Wrap

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1 cup Maida/APF

1 tsp Instant dry yeast

1 tbsp Olive oil

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

For Garnishing and Serving:

1 Large Onion Sliced

1 large Tomato Sliced

1 cup of freshly chopped green Coriander leaves.

Recipe: 

1. For Tomato Paste 

In a heavy vessel pan, boil tomatoes with tsp of salt. Boil until its outer skin can be peeled easily. Bring the boiled tomatoes out of water, peel all and puree all the peeled tomatoes in a mixer jar with garlic and olive oil until nicely pureed. 

Heat a pan, pour all the blended puree in to it and cook on medium-high flame for 20-30 minutes. Keep a watch and stir in between, Quantity will reduce little by the time. Later turn the flame to medium and cook until you get thick paste like consistency.. (Consistency should be similar to tomato catch up)

    2. For Green Bell Pepper Paste

Roast Green bell pepper greased with olive oil on a gas flame, until soft and shrinks a little.

Once roasted, Remove its seeds and chop roughly, blend in mixer jar with sesame seeds, small green chilly, olive oil and salt to taste. Blend until smooth.

   3. For Marinating Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

Cut Paneer (Cottage Cheese) in to finger size. Marinate it with ready Tomato Paste, Green bell pepper paste, thick creamy curd/yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, pickle powder or pickle paste, red chilly powder and salt to taste. (Save some tomato paste and bell pepper paste for spreading on wrap).

Mix all well. Cover and let it stand for 20 minutes.

In a Non stick pan, heat a tsp or little more oil, and shallow fry panner (cottage cheese) until light brown. If you want to avoid shallow frying, can also grill in Oven or on non stick grill pan on flame. (Save some marination mixture for spreading on wrap).

    4. For Wrap

Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar, let it stand until mixture is frothy. (about 10-15 minutes)

In a large bowl, Mix Whole wheat flour and Maida/APF with salt and olive oil. Add Frothy yeast mixture to the flour and knead in to soft, smooth and elastic dough. Once Kneaded, Cover it with a tea towel and allow to rise until it doubles in volume (about 45min-1 hour).

Once it is proofed, deflate the dough by punching down. 

Pull out large lemon size ball of the ready yeasted dough and roll each dough ball with a rolling pin in to a round roti shape.

Roast all the rolled rotis in a non-stick pan with slight patches on both the sides.

Wrapping Shawrma...

• Spread a little of saved marinated mixture, tomato paste, bell pepper paste on roasted roti. Add 2-3 Shallow fried or grilled Paneer Fingers, sliced onions, tomatoes, freshly chopped Corriander leaves and Roll it. 
• Serve the Paneer Shawrma wrap or a roll in a plate with few more sliced onion and tomatoes.
• So here you are ready with your delicious and tangy Paneer Shawrama.
• Non Vegetarians can use Grilled and marinated boneless chicken and meat by replacing paneer that too will taste yummm...

Rasgulla,Cottage Cheese Balls in Sugar syrup

This Recipe again is one of my bookmarked recipes now on. Till date i tried total of 8 times making rasgullas, but i never succeed and am not blaming anyone's recipe to that but may be i was so impatient while making and every time i loose, but a fellow blogger and off course my dear friend Ms. Garima Sarolia Narere who posted this recipes few days back on her blog called Cafegarima.
Rasgullas are very much known and famous sweet of East india, which is made with home made Paneer, and is later soaked in sugar syrup. They are very much soft and spongy dessert. Once made, refrigerate and serve chilled..

I have Blindly Follwed her recipe..So linking here to her blog link..Rasgulla, Cottage Cheese balls in sugar syrup. Here i show you some of my pictures of Rasgullas.

A recipe Article By Ms. Garima Sarolia Narere..., following her blog is truly inspirational.

Rasgullas- the soft and squeezy delight from Bengal

Hailing from the eastern state of West Bengal, these light-delights are so loved that one sees rasgulla eating competitions at weddings. I have seen a participant, who eventually was declared the winner, down three dozen at a go!!

Here is a recipe very close to my heart, perfected after more than half a dozen trials till I reached close to perfection. Rasgullas are now almost a weekly affair in my house. Two months back I wouldn’t have dreamt of making them at home!!

You follow the directions below and get perfect rasgullas at home :-)
Let me warn you-making rasgullas is very addictive! Once hooked to making them, you just aren’t able to stop!

RASGULLA

For the Rasgullas you need
1 Litre cow milk, cream removed (I buy the milk an evening prior, boil,cool and refrigerate. Next morning, remove the cream and proceed to make chenna/paneer)
1-2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

To Make Chenna(Here is a step wise guide to making paneer/chhena at home)
 Bring the milk to boil, add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice gradually so that the milk mass and whey separate completely.Add 10-15 ice cubes. Rest for a minute.

Strain in a colander lined with muslin/cheesecloth. Wash thoroughly with fresh water to remove the lemony sourness. Drain the water by squeezing. Knot the muslin cloth and hang it  to get rid for any excess whey/liquid.

After about 10-15 minutes, remove and rub the chenna with fingers and heels of the palm till the chenna gives out some fat/ ghee/chiknaayee. It takes me about 5 minutes to get there. By now the chenna is like a dough ball that comes together easily, neither too hard nor too soft.

Take pinches off the dough and make small balls, you should get about 15. Remember, they are going to double up on boiling so size them accordingly.

For the Sugar Syrup

For the Light Sugar Syrup to boil the rasgullas

1 cup Sugar
5 cups Water
1/2 tsp fine cardamom (ilaichi) powder

For adding to the Light sugar syrup after boiling the rasgullas

1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
8-10 saffron strands (optional- I haven’t used here)

While you make the paneer balls, bring to boil 5 cups of water with a cup of sugar (light sugar syrup). Add half a tsp fine cardamom powder. Just as the syrup comes to a rolling boil, add in the rasgulla balls. Boil covered for 12- 15 minutes on medium flame.
I make my rasgullas in two batches so that the rasgullas get enough space in the water to expand and also keep their round shape.
You may uncover to check every 5 min minutes. Switch off the gas. Transfer gently to a big bowl full of clean drinking water. There should be enough water for the paneer balls to float freely.

Add one fourth cup sugar and half a cup of water to the same light sugar syrup in which the rasgullas were boiled  and give it a boil so that the sugar melts. Add in the saffron strands when the syrup becomes warm, do not add while it is hot.Let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature ( takes about 30 minutes)
Remove the rasgullas from the plain water, squeeze gently and drop into the sugar syrup.
Chill for three hours. You may top with some finely slivered pistachios and almonds.
Enjoy!

Problems and possible reasons and solutions

Tricky buggers, but delightful once tamed! And super addictive! My friend Suchitra commented yesterday on the numerous successful rasgulla attempt on CAL- my food group on FB. Sadly, some misses too :(. I know how disheartening it is to not get it right. I got into the kitchen last night and made a fresh batch

Just tried one- perfect! No lemony taste, just the right amount of sweetness, no kich kich sound when you bite in.

1. The right milk is the first step, I cannot say that enough!! Fresh cow milk from the dairy works best. I always use that, never had a failed attempt with that. In case you do not have access to that, try with a good brand of cow milk. People have tried with Amul and got good results.  A friend in the UK gets perfect results with Tesco green milk 
And try, try, try till you figure out what milk works best!

2. I remove the malai/cream and then proceed to make chhena because my trial with full cream milk gave me greasy Rasgullas. But your choice, you can go with full milk.

3. While making chhena, do not boil the milk after adding the lemon juice. That leads to chewy Rasgullas.

4. Washing the paneer THOROUGHLY is vital, else you get the lemony taste in Rasgullas. I pour 3-4 glasses of drinking water and wash all of it with my fingers- very nicely!

5. Draining the chhena right is again,very important. Too dry and the Rasgullas go dry, too moist and the Rasgullas scatter in the syrup. This comes with handling the paneer. But a couple of attempts and you get it right.
The chhena should look like this to start with

and look like this after kneading- perfectly smooth dough-like.

6. I do not add any binder- sooji,maida,cornflour or arrowroot. Nothing against binders but I wanted to do it without them for the fasting community in my family ;) Also, I got softer Rasgullas without the sooji/maida- yeah, I did try making them with both.

7. Kneading well is important! The chenna has to be crumbly to start with. Knead it till you get a smooth non-sticky dough like consistency. Knead till it leaves out some ghee/fat/chiknaayee. And stop then.

8. Make smooth, crack free chhena balls.

9. I transfer the chhena balls to water at room temperature to stop the cooking process. This also ensures I don’t get chewy Rasgullas due to over cooking in the residual heat. Keeps their shape well while I cook batch 2 of the Rasgullas in the same syrup.

10. I cook the chenna balls in light (less sweet) sugar syrup to get spongy Rasgullas. Later add more sugar and water to the SAME sugar syrup. Then cool the syrup to room temperature and add the cooked chhena balls which were put into water at room temperature

11. I always leave them in the syrup for 3-5 hours before serving so that they soak in the sweetness. Eating immediately is fine too, only they will be little less sweet.

12. The water sugar ratio of 1:5 gives medium sweet Rasgullas. If you want them sweeter, you can increase the amount of sugar

13. I make them in an open vessel. People use the pressure cooker too. I felt they get a little yellow in the cooker. Also I enjoy watching them double up, hence the open pan with a lid works beautifully! ;)

14. Sometimes Rasgullas shrink after they boil and double. Usually happens because of the wrong milk in my experience. They do shrink a wee little bit once taken of the heat, but not remarkably so.

15. If you get flat or shapeless rasgullas, it is because they aren’t getting enough room to expand. Use a deep and wide vessel. I make the rasgullas in two batches so that they have enough space and also because it gets done in less amount of sugar syrup- no wastage. If you want to make them at one go- you may double the amount of sugar syrup.

16. And pray! I always do when I make them :D

And Enjoy the Ready Chilled Dessert...:) Thank you