Palak Paneer Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp butter (optional)
1 bag palak/1 - big bunch of palak
1 tbsp cream fresh (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tomatoes - pureed
1 - large onions - finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 cup paneer cubes (shallow fry paneer to golden brown if paneer not very fresh)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves
Few whole garam masalas 
Red chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Clean and wash spinach and immerse in boiling water with little salt, for 2 min without closing the lid 
• Remove the water from spinach (save the water to use it for later if needed)
• In a small pan fry green chillies
• Mash green chillies & spinach with a hand blender/mixer to puree it
• Heat oil/butter in a deep pan
• Add cumin seeds let it splutter
• Add whole garam masala [ Chakka + bay leaves + Cloves]
• Add garlic ginder paste fry it until light brown
• Add chopped onions fry till golden brown
• Add turmeric + red chilli powder + coriander powder + Cumin powder
• Add pureed tomatoes fry well till it oozes out oil
• Now add the spinach (palak) paste and cook till it oozes out oil 
• Add some saved spinach water to get the right consistency (Dont make it to watery)
• Add Paneer pieces to the gravy and simmer in on low flame for few min 
• Top with little cream & butter ( optional).

Florentine Bars with Candied Orange and Cherries

Makes 40 squares

Shortbread:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Florentine filling:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup sliced blanched almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup diced candied orange peel

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (such as Bissinger's 60%), melted

For the Shortbread: Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick spray, line bottom with parchment cut to fit, then spray parchment.

Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

Beat butter until creamy with flat paddle on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat, about 3 minutes at medium-high speed, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing just until blended, scraping down bowl once or twice. Pat crust into an even layer in prepared pan.

Bake crust about 20 to 25 minutes or until just beginning to turn very light golden brown along the edges; it should be dry to the touch. Prepare filling while crust is baking.

For the Filling: Place butter, sugar cream and honey in a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Turn heat to medium-high, bring to a boil and cook to 235 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir in nuts, fruit and flour until well combined.

Pour filling over partially baked crust and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling all over and has turned light golden brown all over. Color might be darker around edges. Cool pan completely on rack.

For the Topping: Place melted chocolate in a parchment cone and make a free-form zigzag pattern all over the bars. Chill to set chocolate; cut into 40 bars (5x8). Refrigerate for up to 1 week in airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper.Bring to room temperature before serving.

Spiced Poached Pears

A very light and refreshing dessert. Looks very elegant and gourmet. If you have never tasted this recipe, you got to really taste it :)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1-2 bay leaves
1 star anise  
1 orange

2 cups Port 
    [You can select any good local red wine. You need not go for an expensive red wine. For tiramasu recipes you can alternate red wine with white wine]

4 firm Bosc pears

    [Here I should tell you more about picking the correct pears. For this recipe go with   the Bosc pear. As the Bosc pears flesh is more denser, crisper and smoother. 

When picking the Pears in the market, it should be firm not very ripe. If its very ripe, it it turns out to be very soggy. Make sure you select a good one]

Procedure:

• In a thick bottom saucepan, on medium heat boil water, wine, sugar, 1 orange zest, dried spices. Get it to a good boil. Dont get tempted to add more sugar ;) but hold off from adding more sugar.

• In the mean time peal the pears, try to preserve the steam.
• Cut the pears into 2 halves, in a melon scooper scoop out the seeds [see the pic you get an idea] 

• You can also use the whole pear instead of cutting into 2 halves. But I prefer halves as I feel its a good potion for serving. If you making with the whole pear, de-seed the pears using a sculpting knife and flatten up the bottom of the pears so that you will be able to make it stand.
• Once the liquid has come to  a good boil immerse the pears slowly. Immerse all the pears completely, else the pears which are partly immersed dont get a good color.
•  Take wax paper, trace out the lid of the saucepan and cut the round.
• After immersing the pears, put the wax paper on the top of the liquid and cover the lid.
• On low heat let it simmer for about an hr or hr an a half until the pears are translucent and soft to touch but not mushy, it should be still sort of firm... [I know this sounds little complicated...but its really not :) ]

• Once its done, turn off the heat. Let them cool in the syrup and refrigerate.
• Remove the pears slowly from the liquid.
• On medium heat allow the syrup to reduce. Till it gets a syrup consistency.
• You can use this syrup to serve on the Poarched Pears or you can also use it a topping for icecreams or even for cake moisting.

You can prepare this dessert in advance, you can store in a container in the refrigerator to 2 weeks. If you are making more quantity of pears, you can reuse the liquid(before reducing it to syrup) for poaching more pears.

Serving suggestions:

Keeping the corner of the stem intact, run a sculpting knife to clear slices like a Chinese fan.

Serve Spiced Poarched Pears topped with reduced syrup.

You can also server the Spiced Poach with chocolate Sauce or Chocolate Ganash.

You can also serve Spiced Poached pears with  a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.

Serving the whole poached pear would look like this: [I dont have a picture that I took of the whole pears,so I borrowed this pic from fisherpaykel. This is just to give you an idea.]

For kids, you just need to replace wine with cranberry/apple juice. Check out my kid's friendly recipe here: Poarched pears kids friendly recipe

Spinach Cheese Swirls

We hosted a New Year Eve party at my house. For the dinner menu I wanted more of figure foods for snacking. So I decided to get some Puff Sheets and make Spinach Cheese Swirls. This is a very easy recipe, you can prepare in advance and keep it in the fridge, throw it into the oven just as the guests arrive. 

Ingredients

1sheet Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2tbsp onions, finely chopped
a little garlic powder
10oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
salt to taste

Directions

 

   1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   2. Line the baking pan with parchment paper.
   3. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.
   4. Stir the Cheese, chopped onions, spinach, garlic powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. 
   5. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spread the mixture on the pastry sheet. Start rolling the pastry sheet from one side like a jelly roll
   6.  Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices on to the baking sheets. Brush the slices with the egg mixture
   7. Bake for 15 mins or until the pastries are golden brown.
   8. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets serve warm.

CAKE TIME.............. :)

Very impressed by the cakes on the food network made me join the cake decorating classes.

I am really loving it. It makes me think I should make cake decorating my full time job hhhehhee.... I wish I could :)

But I am loving making cakes for every simple reason I get.

Here are the pics of my cakes....

Comments are appreciated.

Mango Pachadi

Ingredients:

Raw Mango 4nos.
Mustard 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
menthi seeds 2tbsp
urad dal 1tbsp
basin dal 1tbsp
red chili powder 4 tbsp
turmeric 1/2 tspn
oil 1/2 cup
curry leaves 3sticks
red chillies 5nos.
salt to taste

Procedure:

1. The mangoes should be very raw green & hard. Now peal these mangoes & grate them. Leave the seed. Keep aside the grated mangoes.
2. In a non stick pan, on medium heat. Dry fry 1/2 cup mustard & menthi seeds for 3-4mins. Remove from heat & allow it to cool. Once its cooled. Powder them into a fine powder.
3. In a non stick pan, on medium heat. Add oil, once the oil is hot add 1/2 tbsp mustard. Once mustard starts to splutter add urad dal & channa dal fry till golden brown. Now add curry leaves & red chillies. Now add the grated mango & fry. Add salt, chili powder & fine powder of mustard & menthi prepared previously. Mix well.
4. All it to simmer for 20-30mins. Keep mixing it in between.
5. Once its done, remove from flame allow it to cool. After completely cooling, store it in a air tight container. Its also gud idea to store in the refrigerator to increase the shelf life.

Madras Rasam

Ingredients:


Thoor Dal 1 cup
Turmeric 1 pinch
Oil-4tbsp
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup or tamarind concentrate - 3tbsp
Jaggery - 2tbsp
Tomato puree - 1 cup
MTR Madras Rasam Powder - 3tbsps
Mustard 1tsp
Jeera -1/2tsp
Curry leaves - 3 sticks
coriander leaves (finely shopped) - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Water - 5 cups
ghee (optional) - 3tbsp
menthi seeds - 1/4 tsp
red chillies 4 nos.



Method:

1. Pressure cook dal: In a pressure cooker add dal(wash the dal & use), 2 cups of water, pinch of turmeric & 1 tbsp of oil. Cook for 3 whistles. Then remove from flame, allow it too cool.


2. Put a small pan on medium heat, add tamarind paste or concentrate, jaggery & tomato puree. Let it cook for 7mins. Now add Madras rasam powder & allow it to cook for 3 more mins so that it thickens (Seen in pic). Remove from flame & keep it aside this gojju.


3. Once the cooked dal is cooled smash the dal using hand blender or Mixer.
4. Take a deep vessel. Put it on Medium Hi heat. Now add the smashed dal. Add 3 cups of water. Allow it to boil for sometime. Now add Salt to taste, the gojju prepared previously. Allow it to continue to boil.
5. 
   Take a small pan take oil or ghee on medium low heat, once oil/ghee is heated add mustard and jeera. Once mustard splits now add curry leaves, red chillies, menthi seeds. Fry well. Once done remove from flame & add it to the boiling dal.
6. Add the chopped coriander and allow it to further simmer for 4-5 mins. If you desire the rasam on thick consistency allow it to boil for some more mins. Else the thickness can be altered by adding more water & boiling for few mins.
7. Serve hot with hot rice & ghee.
   

Puliogare

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups
Tamarind 1 lemon size (if using Tamarind concentrate - 3 tbsp
Jaggery 1/4 cup (make into small pieces)
Oil 1/4 cup
mustard 2 tsp
ground nuts 1/2 cup
urad dhal 2 tbsp
basin dhal 2 tbsp
curry leaves 1/4 cup
red chillies 5 nos.
dry coconut graded - 1.2 cup
sesame seeds - 2tbsp
pulogrey powder 3tbsp
hing small pinch (optional)
coriander leaves - shopped finely 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash & soak tamarin in hot water for 15-20mins.
2. Cook rice by adding 4 cups of water. Take care not to add excess water or over cook so that it doesn't become too mashy.
3. Take a tava or skillet dry fry sesame seeds till it turns golden. Remove it from heat & cool it. Once cooled make powder out of it. Keep aside
4. Take a tava or skillet put it on medium heat. Take the soaked tamarin, extract puree and pour into the tave. Add jaggery. Allow it to boil on medium heat till it thickens like a sticky paste. It will take around 20mins. Once it thickens, remove from heat & keep aside.
5. Heat a tava add oil. Add mustard. After mustard starts cracking now add ground nuts. Fry the groundnut on medium heat till it turn into golden brown. Now add urad dhal & basin dhal. After it is fried. Now add Curry leaves & Red Chillies. Fry it for a min & remove off from heat. Keep aside.
6. Take the cooked rice in a big & broad mixing boul. Allow it to cool for sometime. Once it's cooled now add Salt to taste, Tamrin paste, Puliogare powder, grated coconut, powdered sesame seeds & Oil fried mixture. Toss the rice & mix well till all the ingredients mix evenly.
7. Garnish with chopped Corriander leaves.

Suggestion: Serve Puliogare with curds.

Serves: 4

Pesara Pappu Payasam (Moong Dal Payasam / Hesaru bele payasa)

Ingredients:

Pesara Pappu (Moong dhal) - 2 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups (break into small pieces)
Fresh grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Poppy seeds (soaked 15mins in hot water) - 2 tb. sps.

Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Dry grapes - 1/4 cup
Green elachi - 8 nos. (powdered well)
Ghee - 4 tb. sps.
Turmeric - pinch
Water 2 1/2 cups



Method:

1. In a skillet or tawa add 1 tb. spoon of ghee and roast Pesara pappu on low heat till it turn reddish brown.
2. In a skillet now add the remaining ghee & fry cashew nuts & dry grapes till the cashew nuts turn golden brown.
3. Grind to a paste the coconut, poppy seeds ( strain the water off) and 1/4 cup cashew nuts.
4. In a pressure cooker add the roasted pesara pappu, 2 cups water, pinch of turmeric. Pressure cook for just 2 whistles.
5. In a thick bottom vessel add 1/2 glass of water and add the jaggery. On medium heat melt the jaggery. Let the jaggery boil for 5 mins. on medium.
6. Now add the pressure cooked moong dhal in the boiling jaggery & mix well. Now add Milk.
7. Allow it to simmer & cook well for 10 mins. Now add the coconut,cashew nuts & poppy seeds paste. Continue to cook for 5 mins.
8. If the consistency is too thick more milk can me added as desired.
9. Turn off the heat. Now mix with elachi. Garnish it with ghee, Cashew nuts & drygrapes

Intro

Off late I have been spending a lot of time cooking and learning to cook which I have never cooked before. I wish my mom was here to taste my yummy food.... Miss u mom.

I love to share my recipes here.