Paneer with a purpose
18 Feb, 2010. 27 Comments. Leave a comment
Creamy Kashmiri paneer, without the cream
Third time I cooked last week, the curry had a purpose. It was in aid of a much needed makeover. Before you suggest I’m in need of one, it’s for this blog.
Some of you know that I started this blog to prove that if I, with my full on life, general inability to be organised and propensity for destruction in the kitchen, could cook Indian food then so could anybody else.
Four years since, my campaign for curry is gathering pace. In the meantime, a brave new world of digital and social networking has blissfully passed me by.
The man of the moment is my one and only blog guru and free audio kids stories supremo. I told him the site looked dull and dated. He reminded me that I had picked the colours and meddled with his ideas.
So this time we both decided over Kashmiri Paneer, Chicken Pulao and red wine that we should ask you, the esteemed reader, what you think. What makes your blood boil every time you arrive here? What makes your heart soar? Pray, tell, what can I do to make it better for you?
Feeds 4:
- 225gm paneer
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 250gm thick plain yogurt (Greek is best)
- 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- Half inch ginger
- 5 skinned almonds
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
Finely chop the ginger. Puree the almonds with two tablespoons of the yoghurt and then mix into with the tomato puree and paprika.
Cut the paneer into large pieces, like in the picture. Frankly, you can cut it up any way you want. It doesn’t matter. But it does look more special like this.
In a large frying pan or medium kadai, bring the oil to heat on high. When it starts sizzling, add the bay leaf and cardamom. When they start spluttering, add the ginger.
As the ginger turn golden, lower the flame to and stir in the yoghurt mixture. Leave this to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the masala takes on a rich orange hue and oil starts oozing to its surface.
Just stir in the paneer at this stage for five minutes. When it softens, serve and eat straightaway. This was especially lovely the next day when the paneer had a chance to lie around in the masala.
1 black cardamom
Other than you coming to my house and cooking it for me (which you are welcome to do anytime!), I think this site is excellent. I am always excited when you have a new post and can’t wait to try to make your newest two recipes. A scratch and sniff/taste option would be nice.
Well you *know* I’m a big, big, big fan of your site and the core of it is your absolutely cracking recipes (like this one). So don’t change a thing about that.
And can you keep the Glossary, I use it all the time?
Only suggestion I’d make is it’s sometimes hard to re-find a recipe. When I know you’ve made something that I’ve fancied and I’ve forgotten to bookmark it, I sometimes struggle to find it again. When I go through the recipe list it’s indexed by the name of the post and not the name of the recipe.
Otherwise, just keep on posting m’dear.
Could be more colorful blog as you know I love vibrant colors. Other than that, your blog is a fun to read and “drool all over the loptop” blog!
Easy and tasty Paprika Paneer, Chicken Pulao and red wine, perfect! You are good to go!!
i luv ur space and everytime i comehere there is something fresh and yummy,..
I love the content of your blog! Like Kathryn, I agree that the recipe index could be improved by writing the name of the dish, rather than the post, which would make the browsing easier.
I love this site and its clean and clear layout. Always looks very professional to me, and I’ve made several of your recipes and loved them all – thanks!
I love the clean professional look of this blog. What is your problem ? Paneer looks great
first time here, so i can hardly advise. though i can wildly applaud, no? just made palak paneer yesterday, improvising madly for lake of proper paneer, and am eager already to try this dish, new to me. yum, double yum…
I’m a recent fan of your blog and very much in love with it. Love the easy recipes and the professional look is great. Way to go!
alright, i am such a sucker for feedback, esp when i am the one giving.. so here it is,
more posts [ain't i greedy]
an easier recipe finder
some pics of you cooking, or a few newer pics now and then
read latest needs to be update..
a little more personal maybe.. say lil cooking tips, your favourite comfort food, some food related trivia now and then.
having said that, I really love your blog, as is.
Hmm, I can’t think of anything to add, but it’s always fun to have a makeover! I adore your recipes, so please keep them coming
This looks so good Mallika! I love paneer!
Tried this with naan last night and it was amazing! SO glad you are back to blogging!
Thanks guys, I am particularly looking into the scratch and sniff option…
I find your site well presented with each recipe being categorised differently.
The pics are nice and stuff is fairly easy to make especially if you are new to cookin
Don’t be too bogged down with appearances: sure, aesthetically there are some improvements to be made, but who cares? some of the most useful sites on the web are terribly ugly, and some of the prettiest are terrible to work with.
The only real suggestions I have are in regards to usability and the like. A few have hit on a ‘recipe finder’– which I’m interpreting as a type of recipe database that users could use to easily look up specific recipes. I too have been easily distracted by all the other delicious offerings here that I often find myself completely missing what I came here for. (not that that’s a bad thing)
The only other thing I’d suggest is perhaps a bit of a glossary with ‘anglicized’ terms for things. I know whenever I introduce someone to Indian food (sadly, this is usually by restaurant menu), the first thing the are intimidated by is the names of things. “What the heck is a bhaji and will it give me heart burn?”, if I may quote my well-intentioned father from a few years back.
Otherwise, the site is great. If you want aesthetics, I might suggest looking around at some CSS sites . Even if you’re not into programming, they can be inspiring in that regard.
Cheers to you, and thanks for the recipes!
i love paneer so i love ur receipe..that too you had given in a nice way to prepare easily..You can check the http://www.chennaimoms.com for more tips and they are conducting mother’s day contest ,you can participate by clicking below link http://www.chennaimoms.com/home/moms_thro_email_links?id=contest_smo
Love this stuff I’m going to subscribe to yourlist.
Would love to find out more about this subject.
It’s great. Don’t change anything.
Why try to fix something when it’s not broken?
Mallika, I have been reading your blog from the archives, and I love it. Your style of writing lifts me up and makes me smile. Every recipe of yours I tried worked (my kids are enamored by your roti).
I don’t know what I would change if I were in your place. If I had not read your blog “backwards”, I might have suggested, like some of the others, the recipe index by name.
All in all, I love your blog. Just keep on!
Hey its really nice dish and have to try this weekend surely.I have seen some of the kids and women competitions that are happening in chennai which was well updated by a parenting site.It shows weekly and many upcoming events in chennai.
For more details click the following link:
http://www.chennaimoms.com/extra_events?category=competition
This is an interesting recipe,but just had one clarification.
You have stated to use:250gm thick plain yogurt,but in in the preparation you have stated “puree the almonds with two tablespoons of the yoghurt and then mix into with the tomato puree and paprika.”
Would u pls clarify that?
How much of Yoghurt are we supposed to use?
Also…..”Leave this to simmer for about 20 minutes”..
Do we need to actually leave this for 20 minutes or is s it 2 minutes..
I had tried this recipe and found that within 2 to 3 minutes,the oil was beginning to ooze to its surface.
i have been searching for this recipe for quite some time……
found it!!
You have a winner blog here, Mallika! For someone who has been cooking Indian food (the hard way) for a while now, this is a refreshing outlook – especially when I will be starting my new job soon. Thank you and good luck.
Recipe seems to be good i will have to cook once and write here again how was it , your book seems to be good .
I just found your site and have been looking through the recipes. I adore Indian food and have only been eating it for about three years. I love the lentil dishes and am now getting brave enough to start cooking Indian food. Heck, if I can cook stir fry, Italian, French, and American, there is no reason I cannot cook Indian. I am so glad I found your site. I will let you know what I make and how it turned out. If you get an urge for Midwest American food, come on over to my site. Sincerely, Nella