Surkh Tandoori Aloo

Posted on December 29, 2011 by meggamoma

Aloo or potato is a perfect addition to most meals. The perfect potato in this case is a baby yellow gold ,they are so creamy and melt in your mouth,which is great considering the spice used here is a blend available in most Indian stores called Kashmiri red chili paste ,it is hot,spicy and delicious. Once again this dish is prepared in a tandoor or placed in an oven to roast.

20 baby Yukon gold potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus for deep-frying

1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt

2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili paste

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin

4 tablespoons gram flour

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat plenty of oil in a pan and deep fry the potatoes till they are half-cooked. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

Place the yogurt in a bowl. Add ginger and garlic paste ,chili paste,dry spices,salt lemon juice, oil and gram flour.Mix well.

Add the fried potatoes to the marinade and stir gently. Set aside, refrigerated for about 1 hour.

Thread the potatoes a little apart onto skewers  and roast in a preheated 400*F for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve hot

Filed under: Appetizers, asian, Indian, Vegetarian | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Hara Bhara Paneer Tikka

Posted on December 29, 2011 by meggamoma

On a very recent visit to India I was enticed by all the tandoor cooking. Tandoor is a special oven mostly found in Indian restaurants,it gives a moist baked flavor to foods prepared in it including several Indian specialty breads. Paneer is an Indian cheese much like ricotta ,but compressed to remove all moisture and form into a cake. In this very flavorful recipe it is combined with yoghurt ,spices and herbs ….delicious!

1/2 lb Paneer,cut into 1  1/2 inch squares

1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and roughly chopped

1 bunch fresh mint, washed and roughly chopped

2 to 4 green Serrano chilis, washed and roughly chopped

5 to 10 garlic cloves,peeled

1 cup Greek yoghurt

3 tbsp Gram flour

salt to taste

1 tsp Chaat masala

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Grind cilantro, mint, green chilis and garlic to a paste. Scoop into a bowl and stir in yoghurt, spices, salt and lemon juice.

Stir in the oil and cubed paneer so that the paneer is well coated. Refrigerate and marinate for about half an hour.

Heat a pan. Cook the paneer pieces on a moderate flame turning frequently  until evenly cooked on all sides , about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges

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Kashmiri Dum aloo

Posted on August 8, 2011 by meggamoma

There are very few Indian dishes,specifically North Indian dishes,my son Ashish loves. He used to call it indian stuffed potato in gravy and promptly remove the filling. i prepare these at home in the simplest way,no filling,and serve them with store-bought Garlic Naan,a treat my whole family enjoys!!!

1 lb baby potatoes,boiled till just done and peeled.

1 onion,finely chopped

2 tomatoes,peeled

2 green chilis,minced

1 inch piece fresh ginger,grated

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander ground

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 cup heavy cream

10 cashews ground with 4 cardamom pods

chopped fresh cilantro,for garnish

Mix the tomatoes,green chilis and ginger together,set aside.

Heat a saute pan and add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to heat. Prick the peeled potatoes all over with a fork (this helps the sauce to cook into the potato better). Place the potatoes in the hot pan and season with salt.Allow the potatoes to get a golden brown color and crisp up a little. Remove the potatoes to a plate and keep aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and stir in the cumin seeds,allow them to sputter,stir in the onion. Cook for 4 to 7 minutes over medium heat until onions are wilted and cooked. Add the tomato mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes on a medium heat. Stir in the ground coriander and turmeric,season with salt.

Stir in the ground cashew/cardamom into the cooked sauce. Stir for a further 2 minutes.Stir in the heavy cream and 1 cup of water to achieve a thick gravy.

Stir in the reserved cooked potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garam masala and top with chopped cilantro.

Serve

Filed under: Indian, Vegetarian | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Bukhara Grill Tandoori Mushrooms

Posted on May 13, 2011 by meggamoma

Grilling is such a great method of cooking that frankly involves the whole family. As a vegetarian I am always looking for fun, tasty ways to prepare food for the grill and ” tandoori” is both flavorful and nutritious, in addition it is very appealing to look at ,so great for entertaining. I love these mushrooms from Bukhara Grill in NYC. They are so quick to prepare as they only require half an hour of marinating and about 8 minutes of grilling.

Adapted from Bukhara Grill , Manhattan

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

1  2 inch piece peeled ginger,roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp salt,more to taste

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp red chili powder or hot paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 cup sour cream ( I just used Greek yogurt )

3 tbsp plain yogurt

12 oz cremini ,Portobello or other mushrooms trimmed

Place ginger,garlic,salt,cumin,chili powder,turmeric and white pepper in a food processor . Finely chop, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula . Add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp vegetable oil,and puree. Add the sour cream and yogurt, and pulse processor in short bursts,just to mix. Transfer marinade to a glass,ceramic or stainless steel mixing bowl.

Wipe mushrooms clean with damp paper towels. Stir mushrooms into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

If using a tandoor,heat it to 500*F. If  using a grill or broiler,heat to high.

Thread mushrooms on bamboo or metal skewers. In tandoor, cook mushrooms until lightly browned on outside, 2 to 3 minutes . baste with 1 tbsp oil and continue cooking until golden brown and tender, 1 to 2 minutes more . if grilling or broiling, cook mushrooms until golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes a side , 6 to 8 minutes total , basting with oil.

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Tandoori Aloo (potato)

Posted on May 8, 2011 by meggamoma

Tandoori is traditionally cooked in a Tandoor oven,not readily available to most householders,but a grill or oven can mimic the results well . Tandoori is usually a marinade of spices blended with yogurt,a natural tenderizer, and is used often with chicken. Tandoori is usually associated with a bright red color,which really has nothing to do with the spice mix but with a powdered red color in combination with an acid,in this case lemon juice that brings out the bright red color.

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

2 lbs russet potatoes,peeled , washed, dried and sliced into rounds

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tablespoon tandoori powdered masala ( from Indian grocery stores)

1 tablespoon kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek ) crushed

1 tsp each ginger and garlic paste

salt to taste

fresh lemon juice to garnish

fresh chopped coriander leaves,to garnish

Lightly grease a baking dish. Set aside

Preheat oven to 400*F

Melt butter and add ginger,garlic,salt,tandoori masala and kasuri methi, stir together well.

Add the potatoes,stir to coat each potato.

Layer potatoes in greased baking dish and place in oven to bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or till done.

Remove from oven,squeeze on fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped coriander and serve.

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Shakkar Parray

Posted on May 8, 2011 by meggamoma

These little square-shaped pieces of dough are fried then coated in sugar .As a child,my mom used to make loads for all my siblings and cousins,unfortunately that secret recipe was lost . Then ,with sheer luck,I stumbled upon this recipe from Raina Zohab,and I simply cannot thank her enough. They are perfect. Crisp on the outside with the crunchy sugar-coating and tender on the inside. I have tried store-bought ones,but, trust me nothing comes close to these.

Raina Zohab

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina

5 tabs melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup super fine sugar ( a few quick pulses in the food processor )

1 level tsp ground cardamom

3/4 to 1 cup water,to form dough

COATING

1  1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup castor sugar

Mix flour,semolina, sugar and ground cardamom together in a bowl.

Pour on the melted butter and using your finger tips , rub into the dry ingredients.

Form a dough with the water .Carefully add the water,you may need more or less depending on the flour and atmosphere . The dough should not be sticky . Cover and set aside for at least 1 hour .

Heat oil for deep-frying to 350*F

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each portion out to about 1/4 thick . Cut each rolled out dough into squares and deep fry until golden . Drain and keep aside until you prepare the coating.

COATING

In a heavy bottomed pan boil the sugar and water together until the syrup starts to thicken but does not change color . Off the heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Grease a cookie pan and set aside.

Stir all the fried square pieces of dough into the sugar syrup being careful to coat all the dough . Immediately pour the dough onto the greased cookie sheet ,spreading the dough into a single layer . Set aside to cool completely.

Store in an air tight metal or glass container .

Filed under: Desert, Dessert, Eggless, Indian, Vegetarian | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Spicy Kheema puffs

Posted on May 4, 2011 by meggamoma

 in Hindi Kheema can be any type of minced or ground meat, so I have used minced lamb, but have prepared the same puffs using chicken or even turkey . Once the filling is prepared and cooled it is filled into store-bought puff pastry. this is delicious served for high tea or even a light sunday dinner.The great this is the puffs can be assembled and refrigerated until ready to bake.

12 puffs

Photograph by rahul Mahtani

1 lb ground lamb or any ground meat of your choice

2 tsp vegetable or canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ” fresh ginger root , minced

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin seed

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp red chili powder

a small bunch fresh mint , finely chopped

salt to taste

Heat oil and saute onion with salt on medium heat till soft and lightly brown.Add ginger and garlic, fry for 1 more minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute.

Stir in all the spices and fry for 30 seconds.

Add in the minced meat and fry, breaking up the lumps . Keep frying till the meat is well browned and the oil separates to the sides. Stir in the mint. Tilt the pan so that any excess fat is easy to pour off into a separate bowl,discard this. Allow the meat to cool.

Preheat oven to 425*F

Roll out puff pastry sheet and cut desired shape . Place meat filling in the center of the pastry and brush edges with egg wash. Fold over and press to seal. With the tines of a fork make a design on the border,this will ensure the pastry is well sealed.

Make slight slits in the top to allow excess air to escape.Brush tops with egg wash and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.Serve immediately.

Filed under: Appetizers, asian, Indian, Lamb | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Paneer in a cashew tomato sauce

Posted on April 11, 2011 by meggamoma

This is a well known and well published dish known as Paneer Kaju Pasanda. It is a rich paneer dish with cashews , cream , coconut and lots of spices . I have turned this into a lower fat dish omitting the cream and replacing it with lowfat plain Greek yoghurt . The recipes I have come across all call for frying the cashews , I omitted this step by dry roasting the nuts , again lowering the calories . Finally I did away with the coconut , it really did not affect the taste at all .

Serves 4

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

1 lb store bought or home made paneer , cut into cubes and pan fried

20  roasted  cashews

1 large onion

1 inch piece fresh ginger , grated

2 cloves garlic , grated

a few sprigs of fresh coriander , washed

6 dry red chilis

1 tsp each , ground cumin  and coriander

a 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and cloves

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 cup puree of tomatoes ( I really like Pomi pureed tomatoes )

Salt to taste

about 1 tsp or less  sugar

1/2 cup beaten plain Greek yoghurt

a few tablespoons oil

Grind onion , garlic , fresh coriander and all the dry spices , including the dry red chilis and cashews together .Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan . Add the paste and fry for 7 to 10 minutes , stirring on medium heat .

Stir  in the tomatoes , sugar and salt to taste . Stir for 5 more minutes . Add water 1/2 cup to 1 cup to form a semi thick sauce . Bring to a boil , stir , lower heat and allow to simmer about 15 minutes .

Stir in the fried paneer . Cover and cook on low heat for another 3 minutes . Off the heat

Stir in the Greek yoghurt , gently so as not to break the paneer pieces . Turn on lowest heat and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot , garnished with fresh cilantro.

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Paneer Makhani

Posted on March 28, 2011 by meggamoma

Butter Paneer , as this dish is more commonly referred to is a scrumptious , rich and deeply fulfilling dish . It is an Indian cheese , very much like Italian rikotta , just compressed into a cube , so a lot of the moisture is extracted . it is then cubed and fried slightly to take waay the raw taste . The cheese is really there to compliment this amazing sauce , made with tomatoes and spices that are cooked down and thickened with heavy cream and butter …o yum !

Serves 4

12  oz   store bought or home made paneer, lightly pan fried

1 tbs vegetable or canola oil

4 tbs butter , divided

4 garlic cloves , grated

1 inch piece grated fresh ginger

14  oz  crushed canned tomatoes ( about 1/2 of a 28 oz can )  Plus water to dilute

1/2 tsp each corriander powder , garam masala , paprika , ground cardamon and red chili powder

1 tbs dry fenugreek , crushed  between palms

salt to taste

1/2  cup heavy cream , divided

Heat oil and butter in a heavy based saucepan . Add ginger and garlic and saute on a very low heat for a few minutes .

Add spices and dried fenugreek.

Add in  tomatoes and water about 1/2 a cup . Cook , on low flame , stirring occassionally , till thick and oil seperates . ( this could take about 15 minutes ). Add in a little sugar to adjust the tartness of the sauce .

Add in 1/4  cup heavy cream and fried paneer . Allow to simmer for a few minutes . Check for seasoning and adjust with salt , as needed. Off the heat.

Stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter . Serve hot drizzling on the rest of the cream.

Filed under: Indian, Vegetarian | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Gobi Manchurian

Posted on March 27, 2011 by meggamoma

As a vegetarian I am always looking for delicious ways and dishes to add to my diet . Being a vegetarian can be fun and exciting , you just have to spice it up a notch . Gobi or cauliflower Manchurian is an Indo – Chinese dish that can be served “dry ” , as an appetizer or “wet ” as a main course . I am partial to the dry version as I love my gobi to retain its crisp texture from the frying . Should you prefer the wetter version just add more vegetable stock or water  . As it is an Indo -Chinese dish I serve this with Basmati fried rice, the heady perfume and fine grain texture lends itself very well to this delicious dish .

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

1 medium sized cauliflower , cut into small florets and blsanched . Drained and allowed to dry completly.

1/2 cup “wondra ” flour or 1/4 cup each cornflour and rice flour ( wondra flour makes a batter that fries up super crisp )

1/2 tsp each grated fresh ginger , garlic and fresh green chillis

Salt and white pepper , to taste

Ice cold water to make a thick paste

Oil for deep frying

Heat oil for frying

Make a thick paste from the flours ( Wondra or combination of rice flour and cornflour ) , salt , pepper , ginger , garlic and chilis . Stir in just enough ice cold water to form a thick paste . Dip each floret in the batter  and deep fry until crisp and golden . Remove into a colander and allow to cool and drain .

SAUCE

8 cloves garlic , minced ( I personally like to use up to 12 in this dish )

1 ” piece ginger , grated

2 to 4 finely chopped green chilis

1/2  an onion , sliced ( optional)

1 bell pepper , cored and sliced ( optional )

4 spring onions , finely chopped ( whites and greens kept seperate )

4 dry red chilis

1/2  tsp red chili powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon chili sauce ( I like Sriracha )

1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce

2 to 4 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 cup to 1 cup vegetable stock or water ( depending on the “wetness ” of the dish )

2 teaspoons vinegar

Cilantro for garnish

1 teaspoon cornflour combined with 2 tablespoons water , to thicken sauce.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan or wok . Add the dry red chilis , broken in half , stir just until the chilis turn a slightly darker shade .Stir in garlic for a few seconds . Add the green chilis and ginger , stir briefly .

Add the pepper , stir a few seconds and the onion , if using . Stir a few seconds to cook briefly .

Stir in the whites of the spring onions , stir very briefly , the vegetables should retain their crunch , but they should not be raw ..

Reduce heat to medium . Stir in the soy sauce , chili sauce , chili powder and ketchup . Combine well and stir for 1 to 2 minutes , careful not to burn .

Pour in the stock or water cook for a few minutes .

Stir in the cornstarch slurry , stirring constantly until a glossy , slightly thicken sauce is achieved .

Stir in the cooked and fried cauliflower , just to combine . Off the heat and stir in the vinegar . Serve hot garnished with the spring onion greens and cilantro.

Filed under: Appetizers, asian, Chinese, Indian, Vegetarian | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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