Shahi Paneer

Prep Time:20 m      Cook Time:20 m

Serves:3

Ingredients

Butter + Oil             - 1 tbl sp

Onion                      - 1

Tomato                    - 3

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tblsp

Paprika                    - 1 tsp

Sugar                      - 1 tsp

Milk                        - 300 mL

Paneer                     - 200 g

Cumin Seeds          - 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf                - 1

Cardamom             - 2

Asafoetida             - a pinch

Coriander Powder - 1&1/2 tsp

Chilli Powder        - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder      - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala       - 1/4 tsp

Kasoori Methi       - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Heat oil and butter and splutter cumin seeds,add bay leaf,asafoetida,onion,little salt and saute till onion becomes transparent.Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.
     
• Now add the spice powders and fry for a minute and then add tomato puree,sugar and cardamom powder.Fry this for a while till the tomatoes are cooked nicely and oil starts separating out.Switch off the flame now.
                     
     
• Remove the pan from the heat.Now add milk slowly little by little stirring continuously.Return the pan to the stove and heat it and let it simmer for a while.Now stir in the paneer cut into bite sized cubes.Let this simmer for another five minutes.Crush kasoori methi between your palms and sprinkle.Serve with naan,roti,chappathi..
                               
                      
     
     

Little Words

• Paneer cubes can be soaked in warm water for a few minutes to soften them.
• Coriander leaves and fresh cream can be added if desired.
• While adding milk to the tomato masala switch off the flame else milk will curdle.

Wheat Butter Cookies

Prep Time:25 m                  Cook Time:15 m

Yields:30 

Ingredients

Butter               - 1/2 cup

Sugar                - 1/2 cup

Wheat flour      - 1 cup(heaped)

Salt                   - a pinch

Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp

Egg                    - 1

Vanilla Essence - few drops

Method

• Cream butter and sugar.Break an egg into this and beat well till fluffy.Add vanilla essence and mix.
                                 
     
• Sieve wheat flour,salt and baking powder together.Fold in the flour into the butter cream gently with a spatula and then use hands to bring them all together.
     
• Cover it with a cling wrap and referigerate for about twenty minutes.Meanwhile preheat oven to 180 degree celsius.Now take the cookie dough,make small balls and gently flatten between your palms and arrange in two trays lined with baking paper.Bake this for fifteen minutes,cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
                           
     

Little Words

• Roll the dough into a log and cut them into cookies instead of making balls and flattening.
• Roll them into a sheet of 1/4 inch thickness and cut them into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
• Vegans can substitute egg with 1/4 th cup of oil or just plain water.

Ragi Karuppatti Dosai

Prep Time:5 m       Cook Time:15 m

Makes:5

Ingredients

Ragi Flour                       - 1/2 cup 

Karuppatti/Palm jaggery - 1/4 cup

Ghee                                - to drizzle

Method

• Mix ragi flour and karuppatti with water in the consistency of dosa batter.Heat a tawa,brush with ghee,pour a small ladle of the batter.Cover with lid and cook on low flame, both sides flipping carefully.Garnish with grated karuppatti and serve.
                             
                                 
     

Little Words

• Karuppatti is hard on the grater and it can be scraped with knife.
• Ideal to have as an evening snack.
• Cook on a low flame else it may get burnt easily.

Ginger Pakoda

Prep Time:10 m      Cook Time:15 m

Serves:2

Ingredients

Grated Ginger      - 1/2 cup

Semolina              - 1/4 cup

Gram flour           - 1 tsp

Corn Flour           - 1 tsp

Wheat Flour         - 1 tsp

Salt                       - to taste

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

Oil                        - to deep fry

Method

• Mix all the ingredients together and deep fry in hot oil.Serve with coconut or peanut chutney or any favourite dip.
                             
                      
  

Little Words

• Tastes good with a cup of tea.
• The flavour of ginger is distinct and if you dont like ginger just increase the quantity of flour which will have a subtle flavour.

Pottukadalai Murukku

Prep Time:20 m + soaking time     Cooking Time:1 hr

Ingredients

Raw Rice               - 4 cups

Roasted Gram Dal - 1 cup

Red Chilli              - 8

Butter                     - 1 tblsp

Ajwain                   - 1 tsp

Salt                        - to taste

Oil                         - to deep fry

Method

• Wash and soak rice along with red chillies for atleast two hours.Grind them smoothly into a thick batter.
     
• Meanwhile finely powder roasted gram dal/pottukadalai into a fine powder in a dry jar.
     
• Add this powder to the rice batter.Add salt,butter and ajwain also.If the spicyness is not enough just add little red chilli powder.Now knead them all together into a loose dough.
                           
  
• Heat oil in a kadai.Grease the murukku press with butter and fill with dough.Press it and check the consistency of the dough.It should be soft enough for pressing.Squeeze the murukkus directly into hot oil or press them into greased plastic sheets or ladles and then drop them carefully in hot oil.Fry them in hot oil turning gently and remove when the bubble sound ceases.
                       
                            
     
• When all the dough is finished transfer into an airtight container and this keeps well for atleast ten days and even more.

Little Words

• Let the dough be smooth without any particles.Once there was a roasted dal in the dough and it bursted out and splashed straight into my hands.
• If the dough is tight sprinkle few drops of water and knead well.
• If squeezing directly into hot oil take the necessary precautions.

Memories

       Though this murukku needs a little effort the joy of eating homemade murukkus is always special.And when the holidays were around there was nothing more joyous than the smell of murukkus and other sweets filling the air.

Arisiyum Paruppum

Prep Time:15 m     Cook Time:20 m

Serves:3

Ingredients

Rice                   - 3/4 cup

Toor Dal            - 1/2 cup

Onion                 - 1

Curry Leaves      - 2 sprigs

Grated Coconut  - 2 tblsp

Cinnamon Stick  - 1" piece

Clove                   - 3

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt                       - to taste

Ghee + Oil           - 1 tblsp

To Grind

Garlic           - 4 clove

Red Chilli     - 2

Peppercorn   - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seed  - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Method

• Wash and soak dal and rice for twenty minutes.
  
• Meanwhile slice onions and grind the ingredients under to grind into a paste.
     
• Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker,add clove and cinnamon stick followed by curry leaves and onion.Add little salt and saute till onion becomes transparent.Then add the garlic red chilli paste and turmeric powder and fry till raw smell goes off.
     
• Now add required amount of water and bring it to boil(I used 2 & 1/2 cups of water,1:2 ratio).Add dal and then after five minutes add rice.Add salt and grated coconut.Close the lid and wait for two whistles.Once pressure is released open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with gingelly oil drizzled on top or with onion raita.
                                
     

Little Words

• The rice would be spongy spongy.
• Instead of grinding red chilli it can be added while tempering.
• Coconut can also be ground and added.
• Traditionally this rice is made with split valour dal/avarai paruppu/dried and split mochai.

Memories

           This is  one of the most favourite dishes that I love to eat prepared by amma.The taste doubles when the rice is served hot on plantain leaf with a drizzle of ghee or gingelly oil.This had been in the draft for a really long time and this mother's day am finally able to post this and hope to share my memories and thoughts in the future posts.