Tandoori Spicy Paneer with Wilted Spinach

 

Ingredients:

½ a packet of paneer (small pieces)

½ an onion – diced

2 tomatoes – diced

Handful baby spinach

½ a cup of Peas and carrots (not necessary)

½ a cup milk (I used skim)

½ tbs spicy mustard

1 tbs ketchup

Pinch of cumin seeds

Pinch of fennel seeds

Pinch of mustard seeds

2-3 curry leaves

1 tsp red chili powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp tandoori masala

1 tsp mango powder (aamchur powder)

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

Salt as per taste

Sprinkle of black pepper powder

1-2 tbs of oil

Method:

Heat oil in a wok

Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves

Let the seeds sputter

Add onions – fry for a few minutes till onions turn translucent

Add tomatoes – let the oil separate from the tomatoes

Add ketchup and mustard

Add ginger and garlic paste

Mix well

Add the paneer let it cook for a couple of minutes

Add milk and let it cook for a couple of minutes

Add the peas and carrots (if you have it)

Add the spices except mango powder (i.e. red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, tandoori masala powder).

Add baby spinach

Mix well

Add salt and pepper

Once the spinach looks wilted

Add the mango powder (the paneer may start crumbling but don’t worry it thickens the sauce and makes it tasty)

Cook for a very short time (like 3-5 minutes) on medium high

Mix very lightly

Serve hot with roti or bread 🙂

Curried Shrimp Couscous

Ingredients:
½ a pound of shrimp
1-cup of uncooked couscous
1-cup baby spinach
3 carrots cut-up
1 green chili – diced
1 capsicum (green peppers) – diced
¼ a chopped onion
1 tomato
3-4 curry leaves
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs white vinegar

Method:
Heat two tablespoons of oil.
Add the mustard and cumin seeds and let it sputter.
Add the curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions and tomato together and fry till the tomatoes are soft.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.
Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes.
Add the spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili and curry powder)
Add a tbs or 2 of water if needed.

Add the vegetables and mix well.
Add the lemon juice and vinegar and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add 1-1/2 cups of water and salt and bring the water to a boil.
Add the couscous to the boiling water.
Mix well and remove from heat, set aside covered for 5 minutes.
Gently fluff the couscous when ready.

Serve Hot!

Spicy Egg salad without Mayo

So this is a quick option for lunch and my version of a spicy egg salad sandwich without Mayo.

Ingredients:
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tbs of chopped Onion
1 tbs of chopped spinach
1 tbs of chopped green onions
1/2 tsp of chopped green chilly
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

For one sandwhich:
2 slices of bread or an English muffin
1/2 tsp of butter or margarine
1 slice of cheese

Method:
Crush and mix the above ingredients well.
Place on toast or English Muffin. (You can apply butter or margarine on the toast for more flavor).
Add a slice of cheese if desired.
Melt the cheese by placing the sandwich in the microwave for less than 20 seconds.
Slice in half and eat 🙂

Note: you can add lettuce as well if desired to the sandwich.

I had leftover egg salad for later. You can probably make 2 sandwiches with toast and 3 with English Muffins with the above ingredients and 2 hard boiled eggs.

Egg (Khagina inspired) served on Whole Wheat Orzo

So I have midterms this week hence I am all set to make me some easy sustainable food that can last me 2 to 3 meals before I have to end up cooking again.

This Khagina inspired egg dish turned out to be absolutely delicious and rather easy to make.

Ingredients:
5 large Eggs
1 chopped Onion (large) or (2 medium sized onions)
1 chopped Tomato (small)
2 chopped Green Chilies (optional – I didn’t have any at home)
Handful chopped Baby Spinach
Handful chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
½ tsp Red Chili powder (if you are using green chili reduce this to ¼ tsp)
½ tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3 tbs of Oil
½ cup of water
2 cups cooked Whole Wheat Orzo (cooked as per the instructions on the box)

Method:
In a pan add the oil and fry the onions till golden brown.
Add the chopped tomato and green chili.
Fry for a few minutes and add the ginger and garlic paste.
Cook till the raw smell disappears.
Add ½ a cup of water.

Add salt, red chili and turmeric powder.
Mix well.
Break the eggs and pour directly into the curry.
Do not whisk the egg or break it!!!
Add chopped spinach and cilantro leaves.

Once the egg starts solidifying, flip the egg over and let it cook some more.
Cook till almost all of the water disappears (this may take some time).
If you see any remnants of egg white pieces breaking off you can mix them a little bit with the cilantro and spinach mixture.
Try and keep most of the egg intact.
Once the eggs are firm and browned on either side serve hot.
You can eat this with rice or roti.

I have served this with a bed of salad, topped with whole-wheat orzo and one egg.

Since it is just two of us at home, I mixed the remaining egg mixture with the cooked orzo and set aside for later indulgence.

Enjoy ☺

Spicy Omelet Paratha

So I wasn’t in the mood to cook today but I was as usual very hungry. Hence this was a yummy lunch with very little effort.

Ingredients:
1 frozen paratha (I used a frozen stuffed peas paratha you can even use a plain paratha or make your own. Remember I was in a hurry to eat :-p)
2 eggs – beaten
1/2 an onion – diced
1/2 handful spinach – (optional) – chopped
1/2 a handful lettuce mix
1/2 a handful shredded mozzarella
1 or 1/2 green chili (as per taste) – diced
Salt, Pepper and Cayenne pepper (as per taste)
1 tbs oil

Method:
In a frying pan add 1 tbs of oil and the frozen paratha.
In a separate bowl add the eggs, green chili, chopped onion, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and whisk well.
Cook the paratha half way on both sides.
On one side pour the whisked egg on the paratha and lower the flame to medium/low heat so the paratha doesn’t burn.
Let the edges of the egg cook well enough where it can be lifted without a problem.
The top of the paratha will be a bit runny.
Quickly flip the paratha (some of the egg will be left behind on the pan while flipping but that’s completely okay as it will set with the runny side once flipped).
Cook for a minute and re-flip.
Now add your mozzarella cheese, spinach and lettuce.
Fold and cook for a minute.
If you can; flip it one last time (do not attempt this if it’s hard for you to do).
Serve with spicy chutney.

Eat a hearty lunch with ease 🙂

P.S if anyone needs more pictures let me know I will remake it and add it on.

Spinach & Beef Egg Rolls – Saag Keema Egg Rolls

Those of you who know me, I love, love, love spinach! I pretty much add it to anything and everything I cook (yes even in my rice).

So, Thursday morning I was switching channels on my TV (which I never do early in the morning) and suddenly I heard of a Spinach festival in town. I was excited to just go check it out but voila their website mentioned there would be a Recipe Contest…

How could I resist – I had two days to decide whether or not I was going to participate as this would be my first competition and if so what was I going to make!??

The day off the competition as I was getting ready to prep the food… I injured my toe badly… I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it… but the Spinach was calling, lol.

So I iced up my toe for an hour and got ready to cook! with 3 hours to the competition.

In a couple of hours I was done with the cooking but sadly completely forgot to take the final picture of the rolls. The festival folks however did take a picture and I will post it once I have it.

The good news though… I won!!! I came in first in the Appetizer Category. So exciting. I loved it. Hope to participate again next year 🙂

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pound Lean Beef – I used 95% lean beef
1- 10 oz packet of Frozen Spinach
1 Red Onion – diced
2 Small Tomatoes – diced
2 Small Green Chilies – chopped
1 tsp of Chopped Cilantro leaves
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
Whole Garam Masala:
• 1 Small Cinnamon stick
• 2 Cloves
• 4 Whole Black Peppercorns
• 2 Bay Leaves
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Red Chili powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
¼ tsp Coriander powder
¼ tsp Cumin powder
¼ tsp Black Pepper Powder
A pinch of Garam Masala
Salt to taste
2 tbs of Shan Spice Mix for Keema Curry
2 tbs of Oil
1 Packet of Egg Roll wraps – I used the All natural Nasoya Egg Roll Wraps
(Note: if you have leftover keema you can use it to eat with Rice or Roti (Bread) or just make more rolls – you will need 2 packets in this case)
Oil for frying

Method:
In a heavy wok add the Oil, Cumin Seeds, Whole Garam Masala and let it sputter.
Add the onions and the cook till golden brown.
Add tomatoes & Green Chilies.
Add the Ginger and Garlic Paste.
Cook till the raw smell of the Ginger and Garlic paste disappears.
Add the minced meat.
Cook for a few minutes.
Add the remaining spices and salt except for the Shan spice mix.

Add the Cilantro leaves.
Add ½ a cup of Water.
Cook well for at least 15 minutes.
In the meantime defrost the spinach in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Add the warm spinach to the minced meat.
Mix well.
Add the Shan spice mix.
Cook for another 30 minutes or till all the water has dried up.
Turn the heat up to medium- high and swiftly cook the meat while mixing. continuously so it doesn’t burn.
Your dish is ready.

Now let it cool down a bit.
Place 2tsp of the mixture at the edge of the egg wrap and roll it as per desired shape.
(Note: Avoid picking up any of the large pieces of the Garam masala (Cinnamon stick, Black Peppercorn, Cloves & Bay Leaves) while placing the meat and spinach mixture on the wrap.)
Use a a mixture of all-purpose flour and water to seal the wrap.

Fry till golden brown.

Serve with Mint or Tamarind Chutney.

Happy Snacking 🙂

Link to their website: http://www.lenexa.com/parks/festivals_spinach.html

Saag Paneer – Spinach with Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:
1 chopped Onion
2-3 chopped Tomatoes
1 pack of Frozen Spinach
1 pack of Paneer (I use Nanak brand) cut into cubes (you can use the fried paneer as well).
3 chopped Green Chilies
¼ tsp of Cumin Seeds
½ tsp of Ginger and Garlic Paste
½ tsp of Red Chili Powder
¼ tsp of Cumin Powder
¼ tsp of Coriander Powder
¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder

¼ tsp of Garam Masala
Salt to Taste
1- 2 tbs of Cream (Optional)
2 tbs of Oil

Method:
Defrost the frozen Spinach in the microwave.
In a pan add the oil and Cumin seeds. Let the seeds sputter.
Add the chopped Onions and coo till translucent.
Add the chopped Tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add the Green Chilies.
Add the Ginger and Garlic paste and cook till raw smell disappears.
Add the Spinach and mix well.
Cook for a couple of minutes and transfer the spinach mix to a food processor and puree. (This step is optional)
Place the puree mixture back in the pan and cook for a few minutes.
Add the remaining spices and cook for a few minutes.
Add the Paneer pieces and cook for a few minutes.
Add the salt to taste and mix well be careful not to break the pieces.
Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, till the mixture is well absorbed of the spices and salt.
Add the cream.
Serve Hot.

Do not cover the spinach while cooking, as it will change the color of the spinach from bright green to a darker green.

Happy Eating 🙂

Spinach Vada Pakoras

Ingredients:
1 cup Urad Dal (Soaked overnight)
½ an Onion
1 Carrot
½ cup Spinach
½ cup Cilantro
2 – 3 Green Chilies
¼ tsp Red Chili Powder
Salt to Taste
½ cup water

Method:
In a food processor grind the Urad dal, adding very little water.
Less than ½ cup of water, it shouldn’t end up watery, we want a paste like consistency.
Add the chopped vegetables and mix in with the paste well.
Let it sit for a couple of hours.
Take 1 tbs of the mixture and add it to the hot oil to deep fry.

Eat hot with Mint or Coconut Chutney.

Serve as a side item.

Happy eating ☺

Spinach and Dal Fry – Spinach and Lentil Fry

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped Spinach
1/2 a cup of Moong Dal/Daal – Split Moong Beans
2 Chopped Green Chillies
1/2 an Onion
2 Tomatoes or 1-1/2tbs Tomato Paste
1 tsp Ginger and Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Mango Powder
1-2 tbs of Oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
Wash and soak the daal for 15 minutes in water.
Heat Oil in a pan.
Add the Cumin seeds and let it sputter.
Add the Onions and a little bit of salt and let it cook till slightly browned
Add the Tomatoes or the Tomato Paste.
Let it cook for a few mins till the tomatoes get soft.
Add the Ginger and Garlic paste, let it cook till the raw smell disappears
Drain the water and add the Daal to the Tomato mixture.
Fry with the tomato mixture for a couple of minutes.
Add the remaining spices and salt except the Mango Powder.
Add 1 cup water and let the daal boil for a few minutes.
Add the spinach to the daal.
Mix well and let it cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.

Add more water if necessary.

Once the daal is bigger in size and is cooked your dish is ready.

Add the Mango powder and mix well, let it simmer on low heat for another minute.

Dry up the water as per desired consistency.

Eat the Spinach daal fry with Roti.

Happy healthy eating 🙂

Tilapia Chapli Kebabs – Fish Burgers

Ingredients:
4 pieces of Tilapia
1 Carrot
1 Green Pepper
2 Serrano Peppers
2 handfuls of Baby Spinach
A bunch of fresh Cilantro leaves
1/2 an Onion
1 Stalk of Green Onion
2 tbs of Shan Chapli Kebab Mix
1/4 tsp Red Chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Cumin powder
1/4 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Ground Black pepper
1/4 tsp Louisiana Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Sirracha hot sauce
1 tbs of Lemon juice
2 tbs of Vinegar
1/2 cup of Bread Crumbs
Salt to Taste

Mince the Tilapia in a food processor.
Dice the Vegetables in the processor.
Mix the vegetables with tilapia and the rest of the spices well.

Make fish-balls and place on a wax paper

Let it sit for 20 minutes

Use your palm to spread the fish-balls. Make sure they are spread well as this is the speciality of Chapli kebabs.

I used 3 different methods to cook the kebabs as I wanted to find the best alternative to frying, without losing to much of the Chapli kebab taste.

Method one: Shallow fry – 10 minutes each side.
Frying is usually the method used to make Chapli Kebabs.

Method two: George Foreman Grill – each side 20 minutes.
This was the easiest.

Method three: in the Oven at 400° flipping once in between.
This method took the longest to brown. Around 40 minutes but it tasted good.

The fried Chapli Kebab still tasted the best, followed by oven baked and then the grilled.

Please note if you don’t have Shan Masala: I add Shan masala for the ease and convenience, so you would be fine without it. Just add the Spices I mentioned in a little extra quantity 1/2 a teaspoon or more based on ur spice intake (as in for chili powder, haldi, Corriander etc) and add to the recipe 2tbs of corn flour and 1tbs of pomegranate seeds or another form of meat tenderizer.

Happy Grilling! 🙂