Thursday, January 24, 2013

Chapati

Many of my friends asked me for how to make chapati. Since it goes extremly well with all curry's  its good to know how to prepare them. Here is the recipe.

Preparation -5 mins
cooking time- 10 mins
Serves- 5 chapatis medium size

Ingredients:
Whole wheat fine flour- 2 Cups
Water- 1/2 cup or little more
Salt- 1/2 Tsp
Ghee- 1 Tbsp

Preparation:

  • Mix flour salt and ghee in a mixing bowl, gradually add water and knead a fine, slightly soft dough.(Adjust the amount of water as per required)
  • Make logs out of the dough.
  • Cut the logs into  1inch balls.
  • Dust this ball with flour.
  • Flatten the balls with the help of pin-roll.
  • Heat tawa in medium heat . Place the chapati over the heated tawa.
  • Wait for 10 seconds. Flip on the other side.
  • Wait for another 10 seconds and flip it back.
  • Press the chapati from the edge of one side until it puffs up with the help of spatula or dry cotton cloth. Flip and do the same on the other side. By this time your chapati must get cooked evenly.
  • Take it off the pan and grease it with butter.
Chapati is ready to be served. 
  • Repeat the process with other balls until you get desired no of chapati's.
Serve it hot with any curry. Enjoy :-) and Happy cooking.
Tip: Leftover dough can be kept in refrigerator in an airtight box and can be consumed until next day.

For the Prawn curry:http://wahsushkitchen.blogspot.de/2013/01/prawn-curry.html

By-Sushmita Pandit

Monday, January 21, 2013

Palak Paneer(Spinach and cottage cheese curry)

Palak paneer is an authentic Indian cuisine. It has got all the goodness of Spinach and cheese. 
It had been a month since i started craving for the palak paneer. Its great with chapati and nan.
In Germany we get frozen spinach as "spinat gemuse".  I really like them, its so easy to cook with the frozen cubes. But fresh spinach are always better and healthy. 
Here's is my version of Palak paneer.


Preparation Time- 15 mins
Cooking time- 30 Mins
Serves- 4

Ingredients:
  • Spinach leaves/ frozen spinach- 500 gms
  • Paneer- 250 gms
  • Green Chilly- as per taste
  • Onion- 1 large, finely chopped
  • Ginger garlic paste- 1 Tbsp
  • Tomato -1 finelly chopped or pureed
  • Cream- 2Tbsp
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water for cooking
  • Oil for cooking
  • Butter- 1 Tbsp
  • Cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder
Masalas/Spices
  1. Turmeric powder- 1Tsp
  2. Cumin powder- 2 Tsp
  3. Coriander powder- 1.5 Tbsp
  4. Pepper Powder- 1Tsp
  5. Pesto- 1 Tbsp(optional)
Mix all the masala and prepare a fine paste by adding water to it or with the help of tomato puree.


Preparation:
  • If you have whole spinach leaves- Wash them and boil them in water by adding little salt to it for 10 mins. Once boiled let it cool off a little and then in a blender , prepare its puree. If you have frozen cubes of spinach that is all fine.
  • Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a pan or kadai,  add cinnamon powder or stick, let the oil absorb the flavour. 
  • Add the onion,salt for the onion and green chillies, saute until onions are golden brown.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins.
  • Add the masala paste and the remaining tomato puree, fry until oil separates from the masala.
  • (optional- add pesto and fry for 1 minute. )
  • At this point of time add the pureed spinach or frozen cubes of spinach, add little water, let it simmer in low heat for 2 mins. 
  • By the time simmering happens, cut the paneer into cubes, heat butter in a pan and fry the paneer cubes until they get coated with light golden brown crust. season with salt.
  • Once done add the fried paneer in the spinach. stir well and turn off the heat.
  • Drizzle the cream over the curry.
Palak paneer is ready to be served. Serve it hot with Nan, Chapati or parotha.

Enjoy. :-) and Happy cooking.

How to make paneer????? checkout http://wahsushkitchen.blogspot.in/2012/09/paneercottage-cheese-how-to-prepare.html
By: Sushmita Pandit