Saunf Paneer / Fennel seeds powder flavoured pieces of cottage cheese

 

 The sky has stayed glum for the last 6 days. Or more.
Like a child denied its favourite toy.
Like a young girl just rebuked.
Like a heavy heart that doesn't burst. Yet wants to.
Like tears threatening to spill. Yet don't.
The sky stays grey. Still. Sad.
Rain threatening to spill. Yet doesn't.
Not even a light breeze is allowed.

 It's glumness spills over to us below.
It gets difficult to breathe in this hot  humid.
We keep looking up at the sky, hoping for a break.
Maybe the clouds will part and the sun will smile through.
No luck.

Our cool and breezy hilly city has turned into a serious, brooding and stuffy place to be ... the last few days.
There is the smell of rain in the air.
But no relief.
It is as if someone has put a dome over the whole city .... blocking out sunlight as well as free flowing air.

So we wait.
For the dull clouds to disperse.
To let in some sunshine and air.
To let us breathe again.

Lately, I've been trying out a lot of recipes from other blogs and blogger friends.
While not all have been clicked and presented, every one of them have been enjoyed immensely.
Trying out others' recipes brings a much needed change.
The ingredients are different, the temperings will be different, the way of cooking will be different.
And the whole dish will be different.
This change is hugely welcome to me ... I'm tired of my own way of cooking.
It is almost like someone else has cooked for me with love.

I recently tried Soma's wonderfully simple but full of flavours recipe of Paneer in fennel flavoured tomato sauce. 
 Personally, I'm not a huge fan of paneer. But if I have good paneer, I love to try simple recipes so that the freshness of the paneer does not get smothered by overwhelming masalas.

I loved Soma's recipe so much that I got another block of paneer the same week and made it again.
We had guests and everyone of them wiped their plates clean ... this gravy is so delicious.
And yes, they smacked their lips too. :-)

 I had made a few changes in the recipe to suit the availability of ingredients in my pantry ... like I used peanuts powder instead of almond; I did not have ginger powder, etc.
So I am giving the recipe here.
The original recipe is here.

The best thing about this recipe is it is a no onion garlic recipe.
Fuss free.

Need :

Paneer pieces - 10 to 12, make sure you use fresh paneer
Fennel seeds powder - 3 tbsp
Peanuts powder - 5 tbsp
Grated tomato - 2 medium sized cups 
Green cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
Black pepper powder - to taste
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Sugar - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - as needed

How to :

Heat oil.
Let in the green cardamom (make sure you break them first ... or they will splutter real bad)
and the cinnamon.
Add the grated tomato and fry for a while.
When it starts to lose its rawness and the extra water, add the fennel powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder and the red chilli powder.
Fry well till all moisture dries up.
Add around a cupful of water, salt and sugar.
Cover and simmer for a while.
Remove cover and add in the peanut powder.
Add some more water - remember to check on the salt every time you add water.

Let in the paneer pieces and give a gentle stir for them to get coated properly with the masala.
Cover and simmer for some more time.

Remove cover and check the thickness of the gravy.
Sprinkle the ghee on it and cover.
Remove from heat.

Serve hot with rotis.
Absolutely divine ... this one dish is.
Enjoy!!!

Have you tried to make Paneer cubes at home ?
The recipe is here. 


Have you tried to make my very quick Paneer Butter Masala yet?
The recipe is here.



Do try .... and don't forget to let me know how you liked it. :-)

Mushroom Pulao

Hi!!
Hope summer is treating you well in your part of the world.
In my city, summer, as usual, is pleasant.
A day or two would be uncomfortable but that is all.
Just when you think you can't take it any more, there will be a cooling shower and a wonderfully cool breeze and all will be well for the next whole week. Or more.
These days, the evenings are pleasantly cold. And yes, I don't need the fan running beyond the point 2.
Spent a good part of last evening, that extended into late night, sitting in the swing on the balcony ... loving the quiet all around, the moonlight and of course, the cold breeze.
Got up only when I could not deal with the goosebumps any more.
Hope all of you get some respite from this scorching summer soon.

 It has been more than a month now since my last post. I really don't have a reason why I did not make a single post, considering I have a good number of clicked, edited and ready photographs in my folder.
Maybe it is the weather; maybe it is the lack of a little enthusiasm to actually sit down and type down my thoughts.
Making a post for me means I need to write something too. Even if it is a food blog. Even if it is about a food recipe.
I need to write my mind. And my heart.

Even if I do know that there is no pressure from anywhere or anybody to make a post, I have realised that it is a very easy way out. So, right now, I have psyched myself to be under pressure from Indiblogger's rank.
It is that 80 that keeps me going. Kichu Khonn has seen an 82 and an 84 as well as an 87 too.
But that was too long back.
Right now I need all the incentive to keep Kichu Khonn going.
Of course, I have the highest respect and gratefulness for all my readers' visits and mail ... prodding me about the next new post.
What with my limited allowance of computer usage time due to various reasons and the constant ill will that plagiarists create, I really need all the mojo I can ... from anywhere; anybody.

 So this ranking of Indiblogger is pushing me. It is like going back to school. That same self created pressure to hang on to for life ... that figure of 8. Scoring anything after 80 was my only aim.
It never mattered that I never scored a 90 ever ... except for once in Map reading in Geography.  I became a big fan of map reading then. But only for a while.
I quickly realised that it will not get me my 80s every time ... and was happy to return the position of my favourite subject to English literature and language. And slept well after that.

Life does not give me marks for any achievements now ... big or small.
So when I see that 80 on my side bar, I heave a sigh of relief. And gear up to make that next post ... lest it comes a point down.

I make this Mushroom pulao very often. A quick one pot meal, it not only saves time but also is one of those rare vegetarian dishes that I love. Works perfectly for both of us.
I pair this with the raita sometimes, a salad or a freshly grated cucumber koshimbir at other times.
But if it  is summer, I always pair it with this ripe mango salsa ... or you can call it a salad too.

It is the perfect foil to the spiciness of the pulao. Yes, I make it a little spicy and loaded with garam masalas ... one of those rare recipes of mine.
 You can of course tone down the masalas and the spice.

Need :

For the pulao :

Mushrooms - 1 cup packed, cleaned and quartered
Rice - 1 cup ... use the same cup , washed well
Onions - 3 medium sized, sliced
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato paste - 3 tbsp
Whole garam masala - cloves, cinnamon,  cardamom , whole black pepper
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder  or  biryani masala - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Water - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp

How to :

Heat around 1 tsp oil in an open pan. Add the mushrooms and saute till all the water it releases dries up.

Heat another small kadahi or pan and add around 3 tbsp oil.
Add the sliced onions and let them fry on low heat till they are caramelised and turn brown in colour.
( You can deep fry them too ... but I avoid due to all that oil needed. )
Remove from the pan and spread on a paper napkin to soak up the excess oil.

In another pan or a heavy kadahi, heat the remaining oil.
Add the whole garam masalas.
When they start to splutter, add the garlic and ginger paste and fry well.
Next add the tomato paste, the turmeric powder, red chilli powder.
Keep stirring till the tomato loses its raw smell.
Add the rice and fry well along with the masala.
Now add the fried mushroom, the garam masala or biryani masala and give a good stir.
Add the water, salt and sugar.
Cover and cook till rice is done .... do check in between and add some more water if needed.

Remove from heat, sprinkle the ghee, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.


For the ripe mango salsa :

Chop up some ripe mango, onion, tomato, green chillies.
You can add other things of your choice too.
Sprinkle some salt, sugar, lemon juice and give a good toss. Chill in the refrigerator.

I have used broken Basmati rice since I had it at hand.
It lends a sticky texture to the pulao.
If you want a fluffy, dryish  pulao, with each rice grain separate, do use the long grained Basmati rice.

Serve your spicy mushroom pulao hot, with the sweet tasting fried onions sprinkled on top ....with the soothingly cold salsa on the side.
A quick dish and always a huge help when you have sudden guests and want to stay for a meal.

 Enjoy !!

Do check out the other varieties of the Pulao on Kichu Khonn ... both vegetarian and non vegetarian. 

Cheerio all!!!

Gur diye Knaacha Aamer ambol / Green mangoes in a tangy, soupy gravy

 "Mmmmm ... badhiyaa aambaal!!"
That was B, a not very big fan of the Bengali tauk or ambols, after he tasted this ambol.
After precisely two helpings.

I made this ambol a little sweet ... so can be called as a combination of the ambol and the chaatni.
And for a change, added Gur or jaggery instead of sugar.
Also, I used the Totapuri variety of mangoes ... that are not too tart. So the addition of sweet can be kept to the minimum.

Turned out to be very, very tasty.
We had it at the end of a hearty lunch of rice, toor dal, posto fry and cabbage fry.
And kept picking up the serving spoon to sip the gravy right out of it.
And kept smacking our lips. Noisily.
Smiling at each other on that blatant lack of manners for a change. :-)

Since the mango was not ripe, the stone/pit was not too tough. And not too soft too.
It held the flesh perfectly, preventing it from turning mushy.
And was perfect to chew on too.

Not writing much today.
Will go straight to the super easy recipe. And tempt you with the pictures.

Need :

 Totapuri mango - 1 big sized , cut into chunks
Gur / Jaggery - around a tea cup full
( depends on how much sweet you want your ambol to be; I used the powdered variety)
Ginger - grated, around 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Whole red chillies - 2, broken and deseeded
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Water - depends on how much gravy you want
A little white cooking oil

How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi.
Add the mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add the red chillies and the mangoes.
Stir fry for a while.
Add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.
Stir ... then add enough water.
Cover and cook till the mangoes are half done ... if you like a little crunch in them;
or fully done if you like them mushy.
Remove cover and add the jaggery.
Cover and let it boil till the jaggery dissolves and the gravy is of desired consistency.
Grate in the ginger now, cover and simmer for just one more minute.
Done!!

Serve cool.
The combination of jaggery and ginger makes this chaatni+ambol so different from the usual ones.
You have to taste it to know it.
While a Bengali would enjoy this at the end of a lunch, mashed up with a little rice or just plain as it is, non Bengalis can enjoy this on the side with a meal of rotis and sabzi too.

Wanna pick that piece up?
Go ahead ... enjoy!!

And oh! ... just realised I completed 280 posts.
A Yay! for me. :-)


More Green mango chutneys on Kichu Khonn

Aamer Chaatni 

Aam ki chutney or the Chundo