One Day At A Time

Cheese and bread.... comforting and hearty! You can never go wrong with this duo. Well, my family loves Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Cheesy Quesadillas, Paneer Paratha. These are my go to meals for Sunday brunches or any special day. This weekend I made Paneer Pyaaz (Onion) Paratha. Melted butter on those golden brown parathas makes it totally irresistible. Ingredients: Paneer - 400 gm Onion - 1 big Durum Wheat Flour/Atta - 3 cups Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Green Chilies - 3 (finely chopped) Grated Ginger - 1 tsp Grated Garlic - 1 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Oil - 2 tbsp Butter or Oil for roasting How to make Paneer Onion Paratha: Start with the dough. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour and little salt. Add little water, at a time and knead until the dough gets soft and smooth. Cover the dough with plastic food wrap and let it rest for 20 - 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Paneer pyaaz stuffing . Finely ...

Cold weather is all about comfort food for me. A hearty bowl of soup, creamy pasta, dal rice, noodles or fritters. Well, this list is quite long. Let me tell me about our today's lunch - a desi style Grilled Cheese Sandwich . Bread and cheese is always a hit combo. Add in some colorful veggies and your humble sandwich turns into a wholesome nutritious snack. Ingredients: Onion - 1 medium Tomato- 1 medium Corn Kernels - 1/2 cup Chopped Carrots - 1/2 cup Green Peas - 1/2 cup Grated Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese - 1 1/4 cup Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder- 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Oil - 2 tbsp Bread Slices - 8 Butter or Ghee (Clarified Butter) Salt How to make Veggie Paneer Sandwich: Finely chop onions, tomatoes, cilantro and veggies of your choice. I used 1.5 cups of colorful frozen vegetables - corn, carrots and peas. Use any veggies of your choice. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté until th...

Last few days just flew by. First, prepping and celebrating the festival of lights. Next was the first long outing with our baby. One of the places we visited was BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Chicago . I had always liked the peace and quiet there. My kiddo liked it too, walking around with her tiny little feet, glancing at the beautiful idols of all the deities.

Fall 2014 is here with chilly weather and beautiful colors. Well, its time for cheesy, fried goodness. Paneer cutlets with colorful veggies are the perfect snack for such wintry days.  Any kind of cheese is comfort food, but Indian Cottage Cheese is one of our family favorites. 

Hey foodies! I know, I have been gone for a long time. Cooking and food photography was happening, but I wasn't able to blog. Now, I am back with everyone's favorite Paneer recipe - Paneer Makhani also known as Paneer Butter Masala . My version is more like Badami Paneer . Hope you guys like it.

Today again our lunch menu is decided by the rainy weather here. Last minute change of plans ...... a spicy delicacy which I am craving for.  Here is a nutritious version of the famous Mumbai  Pav Bhaji   with protein rich Paneer and the bright red beetroot. Ingredients: Onion - 1 big (about 1.5 cups) Tomato - 1 medium Canned Tomato Paste - 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum - 1 big (about 1.5 cups) Boiled Potato - 1 medium Green Peas/Matar - 1 cup Green Beans - 1 cup Beetroot - 3/4 cup Green Raw Mango/Kaccha Aam - about 1/4 cup Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese - 3/4 cup Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tbsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter - 2 tbsp Salt Cilantro/Coriander Leaves Pav or Sliced Bread Raw Red Onions (finely chopped) Lemon Wedges How to cook Paneer Pav Bhaji with Beets: Cut the green beans into one inch pieces. Peel the beetroot skin and dice it into bite size pieces. Pr...

This weekend I picked a nice fresh bunch of Methi (Fenugreek) leaves at our local Indian store. And I knew I had to make a creamy Paneer Makhani to go with aromatic Methi Thepla . That's one of the combos I like to cook. Why? Its both healthy and tasty. But today's Paneer curry recipe is without any onions and garlic.

Including leafy greens in our everyday diet is a big task for me. But cook it with cheese and everyone is happy.  Palak Paneer is one of our favorites. Recently, creamy Methi Paneer with nutty pistachios and sweet raisins has joined that list.

North Indian style creamy Paneer curries like Shahi Paneer, Paneer Makhani are true vegetarian delights. These restaurant style delicacies are perfect for entertaining Indian food lovers.   Kadhai Paneer is also a popular one - a semi dry Paneer curry with a lovely flavor of coriander seeds, Kasuri Methi leaves and crunchy bell peppers.

No one likes Palak (Spinach) in our family. But, everyone loves Palak when combined with Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese). Since this combo is both nutritious and decadent, its quite common at our place. I am sure, you all have tasted the famous vegetarian Indian entrees - Palak Paneer and Malai Kofta Curry . Today's delicacy is a mix of these two curries, Paneer Koftas in a creamy spinach sauce.

We are living in a land of pancakes, pastas, pizzas and tacos. Eating out is fun here.. excellent variety of exotic food for us. But at times, we do miss our Indian favorites. The list of such food items is quite big... Pani Puri, Samosa, Kachori.. for now, lets taste an Italian pizza with a desi tadka.. Tandoori Paneer Pizza a.k.a Paneer Tikka Pizza. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 1/2 cups Olive Oil - 3 tbsp Active Dry Yeast - 2 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Corn Meal - 2 tbsp (optional) Canned Tomato Paste - 1/2 cup Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger - an inch piece Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 1 tsp Tandoori Masala - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese Cubes - about 1 cup Tandoori Masala - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Mozarella Cheese - about 1 cup Bell Peppers/Capsicum - about 1/2 cup O...

One of the most popular vegetarian curries - Indian Cottage cheese cooked in a creamy spinach sauce.  Saag Paneer is another version of this entree with more veggies, where along with spinach, Mustard Greens (Sarso), Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves and other greens make it more nutritious.

There are times when you like something at a restaurant and you end up trying it in your kitchen. I do that more often, especially restaurant style creamy curries. What I love about this is that it has lots of veggies, cheese and nutrient rich dry fruits... all in one meal. This Korma with a hint of fruity sweetness tastes great with both rice and roti. Navratna refers to nine gems, I guess I missed one and that would be pineapple. Ingredients: Mixed Vegetables - about 3 cups Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese - 1 cup Tomatoes - 2 medium Onion - 1 small Almonds/Badam - 1/4 cup Raisins/Dry Grapes - 1/4 cup Milk - 1/2 cup Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Poppy Seeds/Khuskhus - 2 tsp Fennel Seeds/Saunf/Badishep - 1 tsp Cloves/Lavang - 2 Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod (seeds only) Dry Red Chillies - 5 Salt How to cook Indian Navratan Kurma: Soak almonds and raisins in water for about an hour. Raisins will add a slight sweetness to the curry. You can use any nuts of your choic...

After making Bengali Rasgulla at home, I had to try Rasmalai. Everyone loves Rasmalai at my place. A delectable Indian dessert of Rasgullas (cottage cheese or paneer balls) in sweetened condensed milk. Ingredients: Whole Milk - 8 cups Sugar - 1 cup and 2 tbsp Water - 4 cups Lemon Juice - 2 1/2 tbsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods Saffron/Kesar - few strands Pistachios/Pista - 8 How to cook Rasmalai: Cooking Rasgullas: Heat 5 cups milk in a thick bottom vessel. Keep stirring after every 5 minutes. When milk starts boiling, add lemon juice gradually and stir at the same time. Turn off the heat and curdling of milk will take a minute. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Line a sieve/strainer with a thin cotton cloth, to separate the milk solids/paneer/chenna and clear liquid/whey. I prefer using 4 layers of a thin cloth. Pour the curdled milk in the cloth lined sieve and rinse the paneer with cold water to wash off the lemon juice. When it turns cold enough to handle, ...

Bengali Mithai are the most loved Indian sweets. My family loves Bengali Rashogulla. Till date, I used to bring those canned Rasgullas. But nowadays, we love homemade Roshogullas made of fresh paneer. Though, a little time consuming, these sweet, soft paneer balls are worth the effort. Try this in your kitchen and find out for yourself. Ingredients: Whole Milk - 6 cups Sugar - 1 cup Water - 4 cups Lemon Juice - 2 1/2 tbsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods Saffron/Kesar - few strands Pistachios/Pista - 2 (optional) How to cook Bengali Rasgulla: Heat milk in a thick bottom vessel. Keep stirring after every 5 minutes. When milk starts boiling, add lemon juice gradually and stir at the same time. Turn off the heat and curdling of milk will take a minute. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Make arrangements for a sieve/strainer lined with a thin cotton cloth, to separate the milk solids/paneer/chenna and clear liquid/whey. I generally use 4 layers of thin cloth. Pour the curdl...

Palak Paneer is an Indian entree which needs no introduction.  Today's recipe has the same ingredients - Spinach/Palak and Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese, but in the form of a stuffed Paratha. Ingredients: Chopped Spinach/Palak - 1 1/2 cups Wheat Flour - about 1 1/4 cups Carom Seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese - about 1 cup Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1/2 tsp Anardana/Pomegranate Powder - 1/2 tsp Green Chilli Paste - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Butter or Ghee/Clarified Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. Wash spinach leaves well and medium chop the leaves.  Grate or mash paneer and finely chop cilantro.  2. Spinach/Palak Dough : In a mixing bowl, add chopped spinach, carom seeds, turmeric, jaggery, red chilli powder and little salt.  Mix all the ingredients well.  Now add wheat flour an...

For quite some time, I used to buy Paneer at a local Indian grocery store. But once I tried making Panir at home, I realized that not only it is easy but also half the price of store bought Paneer. So if you are looking for fresh cottage cheese and to save a few bucks, you must give this recipe a try.

Indian Cottage Cheese in a mild creamy gravy of milk and nuts. Ingredients: Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese Cubes - 250 gms Onion - 1 big (about 1 1/2 cups sliced onions) Green Chillies - 3 Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Garlic - 4 big cloves Cashews - 1/4 cup Almonds - 1/4 cup Milk Cream/Malai or Milk - 1 cup Coriander Seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp Black Peppercorns/Miri - 4 Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods Bay Leaf - 1 Brown Sugar or Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak cashews and almonds in water for 20 - 30 minutes.  I have used almonds with skin.  After soaking the skin comes off easily.  Discard the skin if you want to. 2. Grind coriander seeds, black peppercorns, (peeled) green cardamom to a fine powder.  (You can use store bought powders as well.) 3. Grind roughly chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste/puree using little water. 4. Grind soaked cashews, almonds and milk cream to a fine paste. 5. Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a pan an...

Matar Paneer is a lovely combo of veggies and cottage cheese. A North Indian curry, now popular all over and tastes great with naan, roti or rice. Vegans can substitute paneer with tofu or potatoes. This creamy Paneer curry is perfect for those special weekend lunches and for entertaining guests.

Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese Chunks - 250 gms Green Peas - 1/2 cup Cashews - 4 Coriander/Dhania Seeds - 1 tsp Fennel/Saunf  Seeds - 2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Bay Leaf - 1 Cloves/Long/Lavang - 4 Cinnamon/Dalchini - small piece Biryani Masala or any spice mix - 1/4 tsp Butter or Oil - about 2 tbsp Salt Method: 1. Wash rice 3 - 4 times in water and keep it aside. 2. Grind fennel and coriander seeds to a coarse powder. 3. Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon.  After a minute, add paneer chunks and green peas.  Saute for about 5 minutes at low flame or till paneer turns golden brown. 4. Add fennel coriander powder, black pepper powder, cayenne pepper, biryani masala and cashews.  Saute for another 2 - 3 minutes. 5. Add washed and drained rice and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cup water, salt and pressure cook t...