PANEER KOFTA GRAVY

 A tasty Punjabi gravy, apt for Chappathi, Naan, Parotta, Roti, Rice  etc.,

INGREDIENTS:

Milk - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 chopped finely
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp 
Red chilly powder/Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp

For kofta
Paneer - 1 cup (grated)
Corn flour/maida/rice flour - 1/4 cup
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/2 handful
Salt
Oil - for deep frying

For Grinding
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 1 inch stick
Garlic - 3 pods
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 2
Fennel - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 5
Badam - 5

METHOD:
1. Soak all the ingredients given for grinding except tomato, ginger and garlic for 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, add grated paneer, corn flour/maida/rice flour, red chilly powder, garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, salt and mix well. If needed sprinkle little water and knead into a soft dough and make small size balls. Flour is added for binding.
3. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry all the balls in batches until golden brown. The balls should be deep fried in low flame.
4. In a mixer, grind all the ingredients given for grinding to a fine paste.

Kofta preparation

5. In a pan, add ghee, oil and add finely chopped onions and saute well until onions turn transparent. Add little salt to fasten cooking of the onion.
6. Add red chilly powder/Sambar powder, garam masala and mix well.
7. Add the paste, needed salt(salt has been added to the kofta balls), mix well, cover with lid and cook well until raw smell goes off for 3 to 4 minutes. Add little water if needed and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Heat milk in a pan until it thickens slightly and add to the gravy, mix well and switch off the flame.
9. Taste for salt, add if needed and add kasuri methi and mix well.
10. Place the kofta balls in a plate and pour the gravy over it and serve hot.
11. Tasty Paneer kofta gravy  is ready to be served.

Note:

•  The kofta should be added to the gravy 10 minutes before serving to avoid breaking of the balls.
• If the gravy is cold, reheat slightly and add the kofta balls.

PARANGIKAI MASIYAL/ YELLOW PUMPKIN MASIYAL

 I

NGREDIENTS:

            Parangikai  pieces – 200g

            Urad dhal – 2 tsp

            Red/Green chilly – 2

            Tamarind – 1 gooseberry size

            Turmeric – ¼ tsp

            Mustard  – ½ tsp

            Cumin – ½ tsp

            Asafotedia – ½ tsp

            Jaggery – ½ tsp

            Curry leaves – a leaflet

            Salt

            Oil – 1 tsp

 METHOD:

1.    Remove the skin of Yellow pumpkin if it is hard, if it is soft the skin need not be removed.

2.    Pressure cook the pumpkin pieces with turmeric and tamarind adding/sprinkling little water for 2 whistles on high flame and allow it to cool.

3.    Add a little oil in a pan and add urad dhal, chilly and roast till the colour of the dhal changes to golden brown.

4.    Take a mixer and add the contents of the pressure cooker along with jaggery, salt and roasted urad dhal and chilly and grind into a paste.

5.    On the same pan, add a little oil and add cumin, mustard. Allow it to splutter and add asafotedia and curry leaves and add to the masiyal.

PANEER PALAK (without masala)

Ingredients:

            Palak -  1bunch

            Tomato – 1

            Moong dhal – 50g

            Garlic cloves – 4

            Onion – 1

            Ginger – 1 small piece

            Paneer – 15 cubes

            Sambar powder – 1 tsp

            Cumin  - ½ tsp

            Oil – 1 tsp

            Salt

Method:

            Pressure cook Moong dhal, tomato, Palak leaves, ginger and garlic up to 2 whistles on high flame. After it cools down, grind the above to paste. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, onions and saute till light brown, add Paneer and saute for a minute. Add salt and Sambar powder. Add the palak paste to it and cook for 2 minutes.

            Spices and garam masala powder can be added if needed. To get a more thick consistency Cashew and poppy seed paste can be added at the end. Even without onion and garlic the receipe tastes good.

           

           

PANEER PEAS MASALA

Ingredients:

            Onion – 2

            Paneer – 15 cubes

            Peas – 50 g

            Curd – 2 tbs

            Kasuri methi or dried methi leaves – little

            Oil and ghee – 2 tsp

            Sambar powder – 1 tsp

            Garam masala – ½ tsp

            Salt

To grind as paste:

            Badam – 5nos.

            Cashew – 5 nos.

            Fennel seeds or Sombu – 1 tsp

            Poppy seeds or Kasakasa – 1 tsp

            Garlic  cloves– 3 nos.

            Ginger – 1 piece

            Cloves – 2

            Cardamom – 1

            Cinnamon or Pattai – 1

            Coconut – 4 pieces
             Tomato - 2

Method:

            Soak the ingredients given to make a paste for ½ an hour and grind and keep aside. Add oil in a pan and saute the onion till it gets cooked well and nice aroma arises. Add sambar powder and garam masala and cook well. Add the peas and saute for 2 minutes. Add the paste and salt and stir well and close with a lid. Let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off. Add Paneer cubes and cook well. Add little water so that the gravy remains to good consistency. Switch off the flame and add kasuri methi and curd.

            Coconut and Cashew can be avoided. It is added to get more gravy. Instead fried channa dhall or udaitha kadalai can be added.