Paneer Bhurji/ Cottage Cheese Bhurji

I always love to try different dishes with Paneer/Cottage Cheese. This recipe Paneer Bhurji is a famous North Indian recipe. 'Bhurji' means 'scrambled'. In south India Egg Bhurji is prepared commonly but Paneer /cottage cheese bhurji is rarely prepared. This is served for breakfast along with bread in North India, but it goes well with roti or even with plain rice.

In this recipe I  did not completely crumbled the Paneer/ Cottage Cheese, I just  chopped it into very small pieces as I like this way rather than crumbling. I have made few changes to the normal Paneer Bhurji recipe, accordingly to my requirements.

 

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Paneer/Cottage Cheese : 100 gm

Tomatoes : 2

Onions : 1 (large)

Green chilies : 5

Tomato ketchup/sauce : 1 tbsp (optional)

Garam masala powder : 1 tbsp

Salt : to taste

Cumin seeds /jeerige/jeera : 1 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder/pasupu/Arishana pudi : a pinch

oil : 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves : for garnishing

Water : 1/2 cup

 

Method of Preparation :

1. Chop Paneer/Cottage Cheese into small pieces or even you can mash it with hands.


2. Chop tomatoes, green chilies, onions also and keep aside.


3. Heat a small kadai and add oil into it, then add cumin seeds/jeerige/jeera and fry for 30 seconds.


4. Then add chopped onions and fry for 2-3 minutes or till they turn transparent.


5. Then add chopped green chilies, fry for a minute and then add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 more minutes.


6. Add turmeric powder/pasupu/arishana pudi and chopped tomatoes,cover the kadai with a lid and cook for 3 minutes.


7. Then add mashedor chopped paneer/cottage cheese, salt, water,garam masala, stirr well and cook for 3 minutes. So,that all the masala will be absorbed by the paneer/cottage cheese.


8. Finally add tomato ketchup/sauce and mix well. This step is an optional step, if you want you can omit this step.


9. Dish out and garnish with coriander leaves.

[caption id="attachment_75" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Paneer/ Cottage Cheese Bhurji[/caption]

Note : Those who want to have gravy for this can make paste of tomatoes and add to it instead of tomato pieces.

For extra spiciness, coriander powder and cumin powder can be added.

Coriander-Tomato chutney/Tomato-Kothmir Chutney/Tomato-Kothambari Soppu Chutney

Today I am sharing one of my favorite Chutney recipe which is coriander-tomato chutney. For the first time I have tasted this chutney at my dearest friend's house.From then onward I was stuck by its taste. With very few ingredients we can make this  super tasty chutney. Both Tomato and Coriander leaves has many health benefits. I would like to discuss few benefits here.

Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes : These contain lots of vitamins,minerals,dietary fiber and especially  antioxidants which acts as an anticancer agent, by eliminating the free radicals and thus preventing from cancer.These also contain high amounts of Vitamin A and C which helps in protecting our eyes and skin from damage. These also contain trace amounts of Iron,folate/folic acid,potassium,calcium, thiamin, niacin , riboflavin,manganese etc.,

Nutritional Benefits of Coriander Leaves : These leaves help in lowering the glucose level and thus helpful for diabetic patients. Helps in controlling gastric problems,UTI (urinary tract infections),nausea,vomiting, indigestion problem. It is also a great source of fiber,Iron,phyto nutrients,flavonoids,magnesium which are essential for healthy body.

 

Preparation time : 10 Minutes

Cooking time : 20 Minutes

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Tomatoes : 3 (large)

Green chilies : 5

Bengal gram/ pachi senaga pappu/Kadale bele : 1 tbsp

Salt : to taste

Cumin seeds /jeerige/jeera : 1 tbsp

oil : 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves : Half cup

Tamarind / chintapandu/hunse hannu : small lemon size ball

 

Method of Preparation :

1. First chop tomatoes and green chilies and keep them aside.


2. Heat a small kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and heat it, then add cumin seeds/jeerige/jeera and bengal gram/pachi senaga pappu/ Kadale bele and fry for  half minute and take them into a plate/bowl and keep aside.


3. In the same kadai add tomato pieces,green chillies and  cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes or till the tomatoes turn soft.


4. To this add coriander leaves/kothmir/kothumbari soppu and cook for one more minute and then add tamarind ball to it and once again close the lid and cook for 1 minute and then stop the flame and let them cool.


5. In a mixer jar add fried cumin seeds and bengal gram and grind it. Then to this add remaining ingredients (tomatoes,coriander leaves,tamarind,green chilies) and the required amount of salt and once again grind and make into paste.


6. If necessary add little water also to make paste.


7. Dish out and serve along with Idly/dosa/plain rice.

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tomato-coriander chutney[/caption]

Coccinia-Cashew Nut Fry/Dondakaya-Jeedipappu Fry/Tonde kaya-Godambi Fry

Coccinia/ivy gourd/dondakaya/tondekaya is another healthy vegetable which is an excellent source of fiber,antioxidants and especially this vegetable is used to control blood sugar and high blood pressure. Today I am sharing an easiest recipe with Coccinia in combination with Cashew Nuts.

Cashew nuts have many health benefits.They contain less fat compared to other nuts.They helps in lowering blood pressure.It helps in getting black hair as it contain copper in it.They contain high amount of soluble dietary fiber.They also contain phytochemicals which helps in prevention of cancer.They are also rich in Vitamin B1(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin),B5(pantothenic acid),B6 pyridoxine, which are required for metabolism of proteins,fats and carbohydrates.

 

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time :  20-25 minutes

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Coccinia/dondakaya/tondekaya : 250 gm

Cashew nuts/ jeedipappu/ Godambi : 10-15 no

Red chilly powder /karam/ ona menasinakayi puddi : 3 tbsp

Salt : to taste

Jeera powder/cumin powder/jeerige puddi : 2 tbsp

Garam masala powder : 1 tbsp

Oil - 1/2 cup

 

Method Of Preparation :

1. First chop coccinia/dondakaya/tondekaya  into thin vertical slices and deep fry them and keep them aside.


2. Fry cashew nuts/jeedipappu/tondekaya also till they turn golden brown and keep them aside.


3. In another kadai add 2 tbsp of oil and add these fried coccinia/tonde kaya/ dondakaya pieces and add enough amount of salt, chilli powder/ona menasina kayi puddi/karam and fry for 2 minutes.


4. Then add jeera powder/jeerige puddi/cumin powder and also garam masala powder to it and mix well.


5. Finally add fried cashew nuts/jeedipappu/godambi and dish out.


6. This dish goes well as a side dish for Bisi bele bath/sambar rice or even with plain rice.


7. Do try it once for sure.

Note : Those who do not like deep fries can even fry them with little oil but this should be done in low flame and kadai should be covered with a lid.

2)Spiciness can be increased by adding coriander seed powder/dhaniya powder/beeja kothambari puddi.

[caption id="attachment_62" align="aligncenter" width="300"]                   coccinia cashew nut fry[/caption]

 

 

 

Grated Carrot and Beetroot Fry

I am back with another healthy yet delicious recipe Carrot and beetroot fry. This is one of the simplest recipe which can be cooked quickly. Just for grating carrot and beetroot it will consume some time but the rest of the process is very simple. Before going into the recipe let us know some of the health benefits of carrot and beetroot.

Health Benefits of Carrots :

1. First and the foremost benefit of carrots is that they contain ' beta-carotene' which is a powerful antioxidant which helps in improving vision.


2. This beta carotene converts into Vitamin A which keeps our skin healthy and also acts as natural anti aging agent.


3. It also contain anti septic properties which keeps our gums healthy by killing the germs.


4. It also contains high amount of soluble fiber, keeps our heart healthy.


5. Daily intake of carrot in any form helps in reducing gastric problems and also digestive problems.

Health Benefits of Beetroots :

1. Like carrots, beetroots also contain  a powerful antioxidant called beta cyanin, which helps in keeping our heart and skin healthy.


2. These are also rich in nitrates, which are helpful in reducing the risk of heart attack.


3. It is packed with rich amount of folic acid which is very essential for women especially pregnant women and also for women trying to conceive.


4. It contains mineral silica, which is essential for absorption/ utilization of calcium into the body. Thus,helping in decreasing the risk of Osteoporosis, a bone disease seen especially in women above 35 years old.

 

Preparation Time : 20 Mins

Cooking Time : 15 mins

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Carrots : 1/2 kilo Grams

Beetroot : 1 Big

Cinnamon stick/dalchina chekka/chekke : 1 inch

Jeera powder /cumin powder/jeerige pudi : 1 tbsp

Coriander powder/dhaniya poddi/ beeja kothambari pudi : 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder/karam/ona menasinakayi pudi : 2-3 tbsp

Salt : to taste

Oil : 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds/avalu/sasive : 1tbsp

Jeera/cumin seed/jeerige : 1 tbsp

Kothmir/coriander leaves/kothambari : for garnishing

 

Method Of Preparation :

1. First grate carrots and beetroot and keep them aside.


2. Heat a kadai and add oil and let it heat for sometime.Then add mustard seeds and saute them till they start spluttering.


3. Then add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick, fry for 1 minute.Then to this add grated carrots and beetroot and fry for 2 minutes and close it with a lid and cook for 5-8 minutes.


4. Then add salt and red chilly powder, mix well.


5. To this add cumin seed powder and coriander seed powder and fry for 2 minutes.


6. Then dish out and garnish with coriander leaves/kothambari/kothmir.


7. This dish goes well with roti/plain rice.

[caption id="attachment_54" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Grated carrot and beetroot fry[/caption]

Note : This recipe can be done with either carrot or beetroot alone also.

Can add garam masala powder for an  extra spiciness to the dish.

Masala Paneer Curry

Being a fan of Paneer, I always love to try different recipes with it. I always experiment paneer with various combinations.This recipe is one such experiment. This is a common curry, which I do normally with Chicken. This time I replaced chicken with Paneer with few other changes in Masala. This is a gravy curry which goes well with fried rice,biryani, roti or even with plain rice. Its very simple to prepare, yet super tasty. With very few ingredients we can prepare this. Do try it once and you will definitely like it. Don't forget to share your experience once you tried it.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 25-30 Minutes

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Paneer : 150 gm.

Curd : 1 cup

Black Pepper powder/miriyala poddi/kappu menasu pudi : 2 tbsps

Chat Masala : 1 tbsp

Red Chilly Powder/karam/ona menasinakayi pudi : 3 tbsps

Tomato pieces : 1 cup

Salt : to taste

Capsicum Pieces : 1 cup

Jeera powder/cumin powder/jeerige pudi : 1 tbsp

Dhaniya Powder/coriander powder/beeja kothambari pudi : 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds/avallu/sasive : 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tbsp

turmeric powder/pasupu/arishana pudi : a pinch

Oil : 7-8 tbsps

 

Method of Preparation :

1. First cut paneer into small cubes.


2. Heat a pan and add 5 tbsps f oil and shallow fry paneer cubes, till they turn slightly golden brown. Keep them aside for few minutes.


3. Take a wide mouthed bowl and add curd,salt,1 tbsp of red chilly powder/karam/ona menisinakayi pudi , 1 tbsp chat masala powder,1 tbsp of black pepper powder amd mix them well.


4. Then add fried paneer cubes to this,close the bowl and marinate this mixture for 20-25 minutes.


5. Heat  other pan and add 3 tbsps of oil and add mustard seeds, saute them till they pop out.Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.


6. Then add finely chopped tomato pieces, keep the lid and cook for 5 minutes or till the tomato pieces become soft.


7. To this add salt,remaining red chilly powder/karam/ona menisinakayi pudi,Capsicum pieces,turmeric powder/arishana pudi/pasupu, jeera powder/jeerige pudi/cumin seed powder and saute for few minutes.


8. Then add Black pepper powder/miriyala podi/kappu menasu pudi and dhaniya powder/coriander powder/beeja kothambari pudi and saute for few more minutes.


9. Then finally add marinated paneer along with curd mixture,stirr well and close the lid and let it boil for 10-15 minutes.


10. Dishout and serve along with jeera rice/ghee rice/pulao/friedrice etc.,

[caption id="attachment_47" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Paneer masala gravy curry[/caption]

 

Note : Marinating paneer for longer periods makes paneer more delicious.

The ingredients/masala can be altered as per one's taste.

 

Sweet Corn Fried Rice

Sweet Corn has achieved immense popularity these days.Everyone likes it, even kids do like it so much because of their sweetness in taste. Sweet corn is a high carbohydrate containing vegetable as it contain sugars.It also contain multiple nutrients like vitamins,minerals,proteins and also Dietary fiber. It contains both soluble and Insoluble fibers in it,which are very good for health. Insoluble fiber binds to cholesterol and prevents it from releasing into blood stream,thus decreases the risk of heart problems.Soluble fiber helps in decreasing the constipation problem. This also contain Phenolic flavonoid antioxidant,Ferulic acid which increases while cooking. Ferulic acid acts as a good anti-cancerous agent.It also contains two major phyto-chemicals Lutein and Zeaxanthin which play a great role in slowing the formation of cataract,thus helps in decreasing the risk of chronic eye diseases. Sweetcorn also contain Vitamin A, B1(thiamin) and also folate/folic acid. Adding sweet corn along with other vegetables in the diet acts as a good nutritional diet/balanced diet.

In this recipe I have made a few changes to make it more healthier.I am not using Ajinomoto,as it is harmful to health and it has been banned permanently  in some places also. I am using olive oil,which is used for cooking here,instead of  other cooking oils as it is low in calories compared to other oils.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Yield : 2

Ingredients :

Boiled and cooled Basmati/normal rice : 3 cups

Boiled Sweet Corn : 1 cup

Finely Chopped Vegetables (carrot,beans, or any other vegetables as per your wish) : 1 cup

Boiled Green Peas : 1/4th cup

Chopped Capsicum : 1/3 cup

Chopped Spring Onion Greens : 1/2 cup

Finely chopped garlic : 2 tsps

Green chilies sliced : 3-4

Black pepper powder : 1 tbsp

Soy Sauce (optional) : 1 tbsp

Tomato Sauce (optional) : 1 tbsp

Green chilly Sauce (optional) : 1 tbsp

Olive oil : 2 tbsps

Ghee : 1 tbsp (for cooking rice)

Salt : to taste

Vinegar : 1/2 tbsp

 

Method of Preparation :

1. Soak Basmati/normal rice for 15-20 mins and boil it by adding enough water and a tbsp of oil/ghee. Then cool it, preferably in a wide plate.


2. Heat oil in a large  kadai, and then add finely chopped garlic and saute it for few minutes.Then add all the chopped vegetables, Capsicum and green peas and toss on a high flame for a minute. Then add chopped spring onion greens and toss for one more minute and finally add sweet corn and toss for half minute.


3. Add salt and black pepper powder and mix well.Then add boiled and cooled rice to it and mix well.


4. Then add soy sauce, tomato sauce, green chilly sauce and mix well.


5. Then add vinegar and toss for a minute. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and sweet corn.

 

Note : vegetables should be chopped finely. any vegetable can be added basing on your taste

Garlic can be avoided, if needed.

Cooked rice should be cooled,so that the grains will be separate.

Adding of ghee while cooking rice not only keep grains separate but also gives a nice aroma to the rice.

Serve with raita or any gravy curries.

[caption id="attachment_44" align="aligncenter" width="286"] Sweetcorn-fried rice[/caption]

Tomato and white Beans Curry

Tomato and white beans are the best healthy combination as both tomatoes and beans are rich in nutrients and less in calories.This curry serves as a good option for people who are on weight reducing programs.

Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes : These contain less than 20 calories per 100 gm and contains low fat and zero cholesterol. These contain lots of vitamins,minerals,dietary fiber and especially these contain 'Lycopene' which is a flavonoid antioxidant which acts as an anticancer agent, by eliminating the free radicals (which are the main reason for causing cancer) in the body. These also contain high amounts of Vitamin A and C which helps in protecting our eyes and skin from damage. These also contain trace amounts of Iron,folate/folic acid,potassium,calcium, thiamin, niacin , riboflavin,manganese etc.,

Nutritional Benefits of White Beans : Like tomatoes  these White Beans are also rich in nutrients.These are considered as the best foods to control weight ,as these are low in calories and high in dietary fiber which keep us feeling full for longer periods and thus controlling hunger.These are also rich in antioxidants thus helps in preventing cancer. These contain high amounts of protein,which helps in formation of new cells in our body.These are rich in vitaminB9/folate/folic acid so those who are suffering from Anemia should compulsorily include these in diet. These also contain Vitamin B1 or thiamin which helps in proper functioning of brain cells.

For Soaking white beans : 4-5 hrs

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Yield : 2

Ingredients :

White Beans : 1 cup

Tomatoes : 3-4 medium size

Onions :  1-2 medium size

Red chilli powder : 3 tsps

Jeera/cumin powder : 1 tbsp

Coriander/dhaniya powder : 1 tbsp

Salt : to taste

Oil : 3 tbsps

Coriander leaves/kothmir/kottumbari elegalannu : for garnishing.

 

Method Of Preparation :

1. First soak White beans in water for 4-5 hrs. Then peel the outer layer and keep aside.


2. Cut onions and tomatoes into small pieces.


3. Heat a pan/cooker and add oil into it. Then add onions and fry until they turn slightly brown.


4. Then add tomatoes and beans and stir for few minutes and then add required amount of salt and red chilly powder,mix well.


5. keep the lid and cook till 4 vissils. Remove the lid and add jeera/cumin powder and also coriander/dhaniya powder and cook for few minutes.


6. Dish out and garnish with Coriander leaves/kothmir/kotthumbari elegalannu


7. Serve hot with roti/chapathi/rice.

 

[caption id="attachment_33" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tomato and White Beans Curry[/caption]

Note :1) Those who want to cook in kadai can boil white beans first, and then add it.

2) If using packed beans, then soak them for longer periods.

3) Nutritional information collected from Google.

 

 

 

Bottle gourd chapati/sorakaya chapati/sorekayi chapathi

Bottle gourd/sorakaya/sorekayi/lauki/kadhu is known for its vast nutritional benefits. It contains more than 90% of water so it is easy to digest and less in calories and so best for people who are on diet. It also contains soluble fiber, which is why it is a good option for people suffering with constipation. It is also good for people suffering with kidney and liver problems.As it is low in sugars, it is a right choice for people suffering with Diabetics.The high water content in this vegetable,helps in maintaining the body temperature at normal level and during summer,it helps in keeping the body cool. we usually peel it and use, but the peel  is also healthy.So,in this recipe I am using bottle gourd along with its peel. It doesn't have any strong odor or taste,so it can be easily  mixed with other vegetables. As these days every one  prefer Chapati over rice, so I tried to use bottle gourd in this way rather than using it in making curries. It is the easiest method to incorporate bottle gourd in our diet.

 

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time : 15 mins

Yield : 2

 

Ingredients :

Wheat flour : 1 cup

Rice flour :1/2 cup

Grated bottle gourd/sorakaya /sorekayi (along with peel) : 1 cup

Garlic paste : 1 tbsp

Til/sesame/nuvvulu/ellu :1 tbsp

Curd :1 cup

Red chilly powder : 2 tsp

Salt : to taste

Butter : 1 tbsp

Amchur powder/Dry mango powder : 1 tsp

Oil (optional) : for toasting chapatis

Water : optional

 

Method Of Preparation :

1) Take one bottle gourd/lauki/sorakaya/sorekayi and grate it along with its peel and keep it aside.

2) In a bowl mix Wheat flour,rice flour properly,then add salt,red chilly powder and mix again. Then add garlic paste,sesame/til and grated bottle guard/sorakaya/sorekayi and mix once again.

3) To this add curd and make a soft dough out of it. You can add water if required.

4)Make small round balls out of the dough,flatten slightly with your palm,dust the surface with wheat flour (to prevent dough from sticking) and roll out into chapati.

5)Heat the tawa, preferably on a high flame and cook the chapati on both sides till the color changes or brown spots appear.

6) Serve it with raita/perugu chutney/mosaru paccadi or pickle/ any stir fry depending on your taste.

 

Note : You can also grind lauki/sorakaya/sorekayi/bottle gourd instead of grating,and can mix it in the dough.

 

 

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_24" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bottle gourd chapati[/caption]

 

 

Paneer-Indian Spinach Curry/Bachali Aaku Paneer/ Basale soppu Paneer curry

We all are familiar with Palak Paneer, it is one of the best combination of Paneer with leafy vegetable. But this Paneer with Indian Spinach/malabar Spinach is also a good combination. We do cook Palak/Spinach in many ways like in curries,snacks,biryani etc., but we don't usually try different  recipes with  Indian Spinach, we usually cook curry with it,with combination of Kanda/Yum  (kanda Bachali/Indian Spinach& yum). We all know that Spinach is rich in Vitamins and minerals, but this malabar Spinach/Indian Spinach contain high amounts of Vitamin A,C,Iron and Calcium and the main advantage of this is, it is low in calories and high in proteins and it also contains soluble fibre. This Leafy vegetable is used widely used in Chinese Cuisine in preparation of Soups and Stir frys. As this leafy vegetable contains less calories and Paneer contains high calories,the combination works perfectly giving the dish moderate calories. Those who are on diet can replace Paneer with Soy Paneer/Tofu which contains less calories compared to milk  paneer. Also check my other popular paneer recipes, Shahi paneer curry,paneer masala curry, paneer burji,  and paneer 65

 

Preparation Time :  15 mins

Cooking time : 25-30 Mins

 

Ingredients :

Paneer : 200 gms

Indian Spinach/bachali aaku/Basale Soppu : 1-2bunches

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp

Green chillies : 5-6 medium length

Onion pieces : 1cup

Cumin seeds/Jeera/jirige : 1tsp

mustard seeds/Aavalu/sasive :1tsp

Turmeric Powder : pinch

Curry leaves/karivepaku/karibevina Soppu : few

Red chilli powder : 2-3tbsps

Garam masala Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander leaves/Kothmir/kottumbari elegalannu : few

Salt : to taste

Oil : 3 tbsps

water : 1/2cup

lemon juice :1-2tsps

 

Method Of Preparation :

1. First clean the Indian Spinach and separate the leaves and keep aside.Soak or dip those leaves in hot water for 1-2 mins and let it cool for some time. (so that the raw smell goes off).After they get cooled down, grind it into paste in a mixer and keep aside.


2. Take the Paneer and just dip it in hot water for few seconds and remove it. Then gently press it so that the water comes out. Then cut it into pieces(this makes paneer more soft and also this method allows paneer to absorb the gravy well).


3. Heat a pan/kadai and put oil into it and heat it.Then add mustard seeds and fry them till they pop out.Then add cumin seeds and fry for few seconds.Now add onion pieces and fry till they turn golden brown.Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.


4. Then add green chilies,curry leaves and coriander leaves and fry for a minute.Now add the Indian Spinach paste which we have prepared earlier and cook for 5-7 mins.Then add paneer pieces and stirr well.Add salt,redchilli powder and water and mix well, close the kadai with lid and cook for 5 more minutes.Then add  Garam masala powder and coriander leaves, stir well and Dish out.


5. Just before serving add lemon juice and mix it well and then Serve.Tasty and Healthy Indian Spinach with Paneer Curry is .ready.

[caption id="attachment_9" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Indian Spinach-paneer curry[/caption]