Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground cumin
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems (reserve some for garnish)
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup fresh cauliflower florets
1 cup finely chopped mixed red and yellow bell peppers
1.
Prepare the pepper. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut it into
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces.
2.
In a small food processor, process together the ginger and green chile peppers until minced, about 30 seconds. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan, then add the ginger and green chile peppers and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.
Add the paneer cheese, coriander, cumin, and
1
⁄
4
teaspoon salt and cook, turning carefully, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
4.
To the same pan, add the cauliflower and broccoli florets, bell peppers, and the remaining
1
⁄
4
teaspoon salt and stir until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the serving dish and mix lightly with the paneer. Garnish with cilantro, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.
Oven-Baked Paneer Cheese with Puréed Cilantro
Dhania-Paneer Bake
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Marinated and baked in the oven until barely golden, this side dish is lovely with a
dal
(legume) dish or
Cucumber and Radish Raita
and
Simple Cumin Basmati Rice
.
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)
6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1
⁄
2
cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
2 to 3 teaspoons mustard or peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1.
Prepare the masala. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut into
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces. In a food processor or a blender, process together the ginger, garlic, green chile peppers, lemon juice, and cilantro to make a smooth purée.
2.
Transfer to an ungreased flat ovenproof dish and mix in the yogurt, oil, and salt. Add the paneer cheese pieces and marinate at least 2 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
3.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the paneer cheese, turning the pieces once or twice, until barely golden, about 10 minutes. (Do not overcook or the paneer will become tough.) Sprinkle the chaat masala on top and serve.
Paneer Cheese Bites with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Dhoop mein Sookhae Tamatar ka Paneer
Makes 4 to 6 servings
I made it for my niece Jyoti's pre-wedding music evening—an event when people sing Indian folksongs and make fun of the new in-laws. This breaks the ice and brings the two families closer amidst a lot of laughter. Food is also a big part of the evening.
Sun-dried tomatoes are not Indian, but they work in this dish. I use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe and even use some of the oil from the bottle to make the dish.
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)
1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (with 3 tablespoons olive oil reserved)
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons cumin seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns
1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1
1
⁄
2
tablespoons ground coriander
1
⁄
2
teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 small bunch snipped chives
1.
Prepare the paneer cheese and cut it into
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and peppercorns; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.
2.
Add the paneer cheese, green chile pepper, coriander, fenugreek leaves, and salt, and cook, stirring and turning carefully until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook, turning a few times, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the snipped chives on top, and serve.
Paneer Cheese Glazed with Puréed Tomatoes
Tamatar vaala Sookha Paneer
Makes 4 to 6 servings
With a fragrant glaze of puréed tomatoes clinging to the
paneer
and a refreshing thyme-like aroma from the ajwain seeds, this dish is a classic north Indian masterpiece. For variation, mix in about 1 cup of thawed frozen peas during the last 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled
3 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3
⁄
4
cup coarsely ground mixed nuts, such as cashews, almonds, or peanuts
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
2
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ajwain seeds, coarsely crushed
1
⁄
4
teaspoon garam masala
A few sprigs fresh cilantro
1.
Prepare the cumin. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut it into 1-by-2-inch pieces. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chile pepper in a food processor and pulse a few times until just minced. (Do not overprocess or the onion will become watery.) Transfer to a bowl, then process the tomato and cilantro until puréed.
2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion mixture, stirring, over medium-high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium heat until the onions are a nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Add
1
⁄
2
cup nuts and stir about 2 minutes. (Reserve the remaining nuts for garnish.)
3.
Add the paneer cheese, cumin, salt, pepper, and ajwain seeds and cook, stirring carefully, about 5 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes and cook, stirring as needed, until all the juices evaporate and cling to the paneer cheese, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the reserved nuts and garam masala on top, garnish with the cilantro sprigs, and serve.
Paneer Cheese Chile-Fry with Crispy Ginger
Mirchi Paneer aur Tala Adrak
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Even though the name says "chile-fry," the
paneer
is actually sautéed and then simmered in a juice. It's called a fry because the red chiles are fried before
paneer
is added to the pan. This refreshing dish combines some great flavors—the heat of dried red and fresh green chile peppers blends with a piquant citrus sauce and the sweetness of finely diced red bell peppers.
1
⁄
2
teaspoon black peppercorns, dry-roasted and coarsely crushed (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)
1
⁄
2
teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)
1
⁄
2
cup
Crispy Fried Fresh Ginger
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 to 6 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, with stems
1 large clove fresh garlic, minced
5 to 6 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds