A Pure Vegetarian Dinner

I am sure that sounds a little not believable for the people who know us (my husband and me). But we actually had a complete vegetarian dinner, though after persuading my husband quite a bit.

While coming back from office when I told him that there was palak paneer & paratha for dinner, he almost turned the car to by some kababs… bt somehow I lured him by saying that I would also make him his favourite aloor dom (dum aloo) & jeera rice along with it. Though he would not agree, but he quite liked it & was happy.

Many people think that cooking vegetarian is a lot easier than non vegetarian item. To this I would only say that, it all depends how you look at it and the way in which you do it.. Nothing is easy or difficult.

So let’s get started...

Palak Paneer (Paneer cooked in Spinach Puree)

Palak Paneer is one of the best loved vegetarian Punjabi dishes. Paneer is widely used and is very popular in Punjab due to the abundance of milk and milk products in the area. This combination of spinach and paneer is not only highly nutritious, but is also a splendid blend of taste and flavour. The paneer in this recipe has been fried to add some extra flavour. You can also add the paneer pieces without frying if they are absolutely fresh. If you have kept the paneer in freezer then it’s always better to fry them.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

• 500 gms Fresh Palak (Spinach)
• 150 gms Paneer cut into ½" cubes (you can also use Tofu if you are not having paneer)
• 2 Onions of medium size
• 2 tsp of ginger & garlic paste
• 3-4 tbsp of oil (I used sunflower oil, any other vegetable oil can also be used)
• 1 tsp of pure ghee (this is added to enhance the flavor, the quantity can be adsted)
• 1 tsp of red chili powder
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
• 1 tomato cut into pieces
• 2-3 green chilies (the amount can be varied depending upon your liking)
• 1-2 tbsp of Fresh cream (This helps in giving a creamy texture to the gravy)
• 1 tsp of ghee
• Salt as per taste

Method

You have to clean and wash palak (spinach) nicely. This has to be done properly; else the sand particles would remain & spoil it all.

Now put water in a vessel, add a little salt & then add the spinach. Blanch it, and then drain the water out. After that wash it with cold water & bring it to room temperature.

Now put it in a mixer along with tomatoes & chilies. Blend it properly. Keep it aside.

Heat the oil in a kadhai (preferably a non-stick one) and fry the paneer pieces in it till golden brown in colour. 

Drain on absorbent paper and then put in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain them again and keep aside.

Now again heat oil in a kadai. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for a minute. Now add onions and fry till golden brown. 

Add all spices except red chili powder, to avoid it from burning.

Now add the spinach (palak) and add the red chili powder. 

Add a little water if needed and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt as per taste. Then add the fresh cream. Simmer for about a minute.

Just before serving, heat pure ghee in a small pan & pour over it.

Serve it with paratha or jeera rice.

PS: If you have kept the paneer in a freezer, after taking it out put the packet in luke warm water so that it doesn’t break off while cooking.

Aloor Dom (Dum Aloo)

Aloor Dom is quite common thing in a Bengali house hold. Infact they love potatoes & ses them in almost everything that they cook. I am sure yow old quite like it. It’s very easy to make, takes less time and has a very simple ingredient list.

I learnt this recipe from my mother & it gives me immense pleasure in dedicating this dish to my mother. Thanks a lot for always being there.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

• Potato (aloo) – 4 to 5 medim sized potatoes
• Whole Cashew nuts 10-12 pieces
• Peanuts 10-12 pieces
• 1 tbsp of poppy seeds/ khuskhus (posto as we call it in Bengali)
• 2 Green Chilies
• 1 big tomato
• 1 tsp of red chili powder
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
• 1 tsp of coriander seed powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp of mustard oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
• 1 tbsp of ginger paste
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• Kasuri Methi/ Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 1 tsp of ghee
• Salt as per taste

Method

Peel the potatoes & cut them into two halves. Boil them till they are soft enough to be eaten. Make sure that they do not become very soft. I had put some salt in the water in which I boiled the potatoes so that salt gets into them evenly. Otherwise they would remain bland from inside.

Put the mustard oil in the kadhai, heat it. Add cumin seeds, reduce the flame so that it doesn’t burn, else it would turn bitter. Put the bay leaf.

Chop the tomatoes finely & keep aside. Put the ginger paste in the kadhai. Put the green chilies. Add the tomatoes after about 2 minutes. Stir it for about a minute. 

Then add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder & cumin seed powder. Stir it properly & make sure that the spices do not burn. So if required add some more water. Lower the flame.

In the meantime in a separate pan put the peanuts, cashew nuts & roast them for about two minutes, at a low flame. Cool them & put in a grinder along with the poppy seeds. Grind them into a powder.

Check in the kadhai to see if oil is coming out of the spices. Add the powder we made. 

Add some water. Mix it well & then add the boiled potatoes. The potatoes are already so they do not need to be cooked any more. So do not add a lot of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till all the spices are blended well.

Add the ghee. You can either add kasuri methi or finely chopped coriander leaves as per as your choice. I added the former as I ran out of coriander leaves.

Serve it with paratha.

PS: If you do not have cashew nuts, peanuts & poppy seeds you can also go ahead without them. They help in enhancing the flavor & texture.

Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is a simple preparation of rice that has been flavoured with jeera or cumin seeds. This versatile rice preparation can be eaten as an accompaniment with almost any dal or vegetable. It also tastes awesome with butter chicken. Using shah-jeera in this recipe adds a lovely flavour and fragrance to the rice.

Ingredients

•           Oil for deep-frying (I used sunflower oil)

•           1 Big onion sliced

•           2 tbsp ghee

•           2 tbsp of shah jeera (caraway seeds)

•           1 Cup long grained Basmati Rice (I used Kohinoor)

•           Salt to taste

Method

    Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the onion slices on a medium flame till they are golden brown.   

    Clean, wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

    Put 2 cups of water to boil.

    Heat the ghee in the kadhai and add the caraway seeds.

    When the seeds crackle, add the rice and sauté for 5 minutes.

    Add the hot water and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Add the salt cover with a lid and cook till the rice is done.

    Separate each grain of rice lightly with a fork. Serve hot.

     

  Happy Cooking 

      Shreya