Shahi Paneer

Shahi is a Hindi word and translates to royal and Paneer is basically cottage cheese. So literal translation of this Indian curry is Cottage Cheese in a Royal Gravy. With Indian curries, there are some tricks and tips e.g., if you want the curry to have a white/royal base (Shahi), boil the onions before making a paste; if you want it red, fry the onions before making the paste; if you want the curry to be deep brown or darker in colour, cook it in an iron wok/vessel. As is evident from the pictures, this curry has a white base, hence the onions have been boiled before being made into a paste.

Ingredients:

- Onions Peeled cut into halves and boiled - 2

- Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

- Paneer - 200 gms

- Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

- Cumin powder - 1 tsp

- Salt - Acc to taste

- Sugar - 1 tsp / acc to taste

- Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

- Bay leaves - 1

- Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp

- Cashews - 4-5

- Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

- Cream - 2 tbsp

- Any White Oil - 2 tbsp

- Yogurt - 1/2 cup

- Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Method:

- In a wok, add white oil and let it heat on medium flame for a min.

- Add the paneer and fry until golden and then set it aside..

- In the same oil add the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds.

- Make a paste from the boiled onions, make a separate paste with cashews and poppy seeds.

- Let the cumin seeds splutter and then add the onion paste.

- Fry the onion paste for 2 mins and then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until raw smell goes away.

- Then add all the powdered masalas (apart from garam masala) and a little bit of water and let all the masalas cook. 

- To this add yogurt and fry till this leaves oil on the sides.

- Add the cashew and poppy seed paste and mix well. 

- Again, fry till it leaves oil from the sides.

- At this stage add the cream and let it come to a boil. Your gravy base is ready. 

- Now add the paneer, cover and cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

- Before switching off the flame, add garam masala powder and mix well.

- Serve hot with Roti or Naan with a side of vegetable salad.

Tip - If you want it spicy, add chopped green chili when frying the masala. 

 

Roasted Salmon with Indian Spices

Salmon, the favourite fish of the family! I try talking people through the health benefits, but what sells salmon for me (or rather loads of folks like me) is the taste. The taste is just so rich. The right amount of flesh and fat make it an amazing fish to bake. 

This preparation is a regular in my kitchen mostly for weekend lunches. Sometimes also finds a place on the dinner table with a side of salad and rice, or soup and bread (an absolute winter favourite).

Ingredients:

- Salmon - 2 fillets cut lengthwise (I generally buy Salmon from seafood deli section of our local Woolies). You can get fresh salmon from nearest local markets too.

- Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

- Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

- Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (increase or decrease based on your spice tolerance levels)

- Lemon juice - 2 tsp

- Greek Yogurt / Curd -  1 tbsp

- Ginger and Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

- Salt - according to taste

Method:

- Beat the yogurt in a small bowl so that it is creamy and there are no lumps.

- Add all powdered spices into the yogurt and mix well.

- Wash the salmon and pat dry.

- Add all the mixed spices and yogurt to the fish. Also add 2 tsp lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and salt.

- Let it marinate for 1 hour (at least 30 min).

- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

- Once preheated, bake salmon for 30 min on 200 degrees.

- Serve hot with a wedge of lemon. Can be served with sides of rice and salad.

Thai Green Fish Curry

A regular from my kitchen, this curry is almost addictive My daughter just loves this curry. This is very easy to prepare and I will be very surprised if she does not look for this recipe when she grows up.

I have been following the same recipe for a while now. I have posted the chicken version of this Thai curry a while back (Thai Chicken Curry) The ingredients for the paste are the same and I have just replaced chicken with Basa fillets (cut into cubes). Let me give you the ingredients quickly.

Ingredients:

For the green curry paste:- 

- Green chilli (2-3)
- Lemongrass 1-2 pods
- Coriander Seeds (2 tsp)
- Garlic (4-5 cloves)
- Fish Sauce (3 tbsp)
- Kaffir lime leaves (2-3)
- Salt (acc to taste)
- Sugar (acc to taste)
- Galangal (a small cube). Can replace with ginger if galangal is not available.

For the fish preparation :
- Coconut Cream (I used Ayam brand 300 ml)
- Basa Fish fillets - 3 cut into cubes
- Green chillies (1 slit)
- A handful of Brown mushrooms - cut into halves

- Broccoli - a cup of florets

- Green Beans a handful - Remove the edges and the string

- Carrots - 1 cup (feel free to skip this. Its not green and is not traditionally added to green curry. My daughter loves carrots, hence they are added to everything.)

- Any white oil - 1 tbsp
- Salt (acc to taste)
- Sugar (acc to taste)

Method:

- Add all the green curry ingredients into the mixer jar and make a fine paste. 

You can make the paste ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I generally make it on weekends and store it in the fridge for dinner on weekdays.

- Add oil in a pan. Fry all the veggies.
- Add the green curry to it and stir for about 3 mins.
- When the veggies and curry paste is fully cooked add sugar, salt and the coconut milk.
- Add a little water if you want and let it boil.
- Serve hot with white rice.

Roasted Salmon and Tomatoes

My daughter's love affair with salmon started after she came to Australia. She absolutely loves the taste! Its her favourite fish and hence finds place in my menu plans at least once a week.

Salmon is a healthy fish, is a very good source of Vit B and is also known to reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure.

Without further ado, lets jump into the ingredients of this quick recipe.

Ingredients:

- Salmon - 4 pieces

- Mustard sauce - 6 tbsp

- Ginger paste - 2 tsp

- Olive Oil - 4 tbsp

- Salt and Pepper - According to taste

- Tomatoes - 4 cubed

Method:

- Marinate the fish with all ingredients.

- Heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

- Sprinkle tomatoes with olive oil, pepper, salt. You can add chilli flakes as well if you like based on your spice tolerance level.

- Bake salmon and tomatoes for 15 - 20 mins.

- Serve hot with the sauce/gravy of your choice and salad.

Easy Chicken Curry

This is the easiest chicken curry you are ever going to make. This is my go to when I don't have time and am craving Indian food. My daughter likes this sometimes. She would rather have a burger than have healthy meals 😒. Complete opposite of what I like...or what I consider comfort food.

 Ingredients:

- Chicken (your favourite cut. I have used curry cut) - 1 kg

- Shaan chicken masala - 1 pkt

- Tomato finely chopped - 2

- Onions julienned - 2

- Garlic and ginger paste - 2 tbsp

- Bay leaves - 2 (optional)

- Mustard oil - 3 tbsp (you can use any oil)

- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

- Potatoes cubed - 1

- Coriander leaves a bunch - chopped

Method: 

- Heat oil in a wok.

- When hot add cumin seeds and bay leaves. 

- When cumin seeds splutter add rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir.

- Cover and cook for 15 mins. Give it a nice stir and cover again.

- Repeat above step unless water has dried up and curry leaves oil.

- At this point, you can add coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/paratha.

- Else you could add water according to your liking and give it a good boil. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Pudina/Mint Chicken

This is one of those recipes which I made during lockdown in India, possibly April-May 2020. Our worlds started changing and everything around us came crashing down due to the covid pandemic. We were locked in our homes and had to manage with whatever grocery we had at our disposal. One day we got to know from some friends Swiggy had started delivering chicken. We ordered some immediately and in came the much awaited packet. Now the problem at hand was, what should we prepare it with. With grocery stores around us closed all we could do was manage and figure out with whatever we had at our disposal. This experiment turned out to be rather tasty and hence this finds a place in my recipe blog.

Ingredients:

- Chicken - 500gms

- Salt - As per taste

- Sugar - 1/2 tsp

- Lemon - 1/2

- Lemon Zest - of 1 lemon

- Mint leaves -  a handful

- Onion - finely chopped

- Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp

- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

- Chicken 65 Masala (I used Banne Nawab brand. You can use brand of your choice.) - 2 heaped tbsp

Method:

- Heat the oil in a pan.

- Add cumin seeds and let it splutter.

- Add the chicken pieces, onion, salt and chicken 65 masala.

- Fry till chicken is completely cooked.

- When the chicken is soft, add lemon zest, mint leaves and sugar. Let it cook for 2 mins. 

- Add lemon juice from half a lemon just before turning the stove off.

Serve smoking hot with parathas or phulkas.