Category: Paneer or cottage cheese

Paneer Bhurji (Cottage cheese stir fried)

Paneer or Cottage cheese (Channa in Bengali), is a good source of protein for Vegetarians. It looks like Tofu but tastes very different and also has a little more protein than Tofu. 100 grams of Paneer will have approximately 22 grams of protein and approximately 25 grams of Fat. Paneer is made from milk whereas Tofu is made from Soya milk.

Paneer Bhurji is one of the easiest way to cook Paneer, and it usually goes well with Roti or Parata. In Bengal, Paneer or Channa is used to make sweets, like Sandesh, Rossogolla, Chomchom and various other delicious sweets. The only time Paneer is used in a savoury dish in Bengal is when it is made into Channar Dalna.

I learnt to make Paneer Bhurji in Delhi. Paneer is easily available in the shops and in Delhi, and you can buy fresh or branded pre- packaged Paneer. I like to use the fresh Paneer, as that is softer and tastes better than the packaged one.

Preparing the ingredients.

  • First mash the Paneer well with a fork till it looks like bread crumbs.
  • Chop the onions, and Tomatoes small.
  • Grate the Garlic and Ginger.
  • Chop the green chillies and coriander leaves too.

ingredients

  • Paneer mashed 1&1/2 cups
  • Onion chopped 1/3 cup
  • Peas ( frozen) 1/2 cup or less
  • Tomatoes chopped small 1/2 cup
  • Ginger (adrak) grated or paste. 1 teaspoon
  • Garlic (Lasun) grated or paste. 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt 1/2 teaspoon
  • Chilli ( mirchi) powder 1/4 teaspoon
  • Oil. ( any vegetable oil) 2 tablespoon
  • Jeera ( Cumin seeds). 1/4 teaspoon or a pinch
  • Haldi powder (Turmeric powder) a pinch
  • Hari mirch (Green Chilli) chopped 1teaspoon ( optional)
  • Hara dhania (Coriander leaves) chopped 1/4 cup

Method

While cooking Paneer Burji, use low or medium low heat.

  • Heat the oil in a pan or wok
  • Add Jeera ( Cumin seeds) as Tarka ( tempering)
  • Add the onions, and fry them on low heat till soft and opaque.
  • Add the Adrak (Ginger) and Lasun (Garlic ) and stir fry .
  • Add the tomatoes and fry till soft and the raw smell of Ginger and Garlic and Tomatoes is gone
  • Add Salt, Chilli powder and Turmeric powder (haldi) and stir fry
  • Add the mashed Paneer. Keep frying until the water is almost dry but not completely. Make sure a bit of oil can be seen around the edges of the paneer.
  • Add the frozen peas and stir well
  • When the paneer is still a little moist, take the pan off the heat. Otherwise, the Paneer Bhurji will be too dry and grainy.
  • Taste to check for salt.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Paneer Burji tastes best with Rotis or Paratas.

.

Rita's RecipesLeave a comment

Paneer Cutlet

Paneer is made from cow’s milk or buffalo’s milk and it is similar to cottage cheese. Paneer can be made at home easily, all you need to do is boil some milk and use something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar to curdle the milk. The curdled milk has to be strained out to collect the solids and the liquid part is discarded. This is done by straining it with a cheese cloth. All the liquid is squeezed out of the solid part or the Paneer by keeping it for 3 or 4 hours with weights on it. It becomes a solid block of cheese – Paneer. You can now use this to make curries, pakoras or even to make sweet dishes like Kalakand, sandesh etc.

In India ready made Paneer is available at the local grocery stores or vegetable vendors so very few people make it at home.

This Paneer cutlet recipe was given to me by a friend who is a wonderful cook. I think it is the best Paneer cutlet I have tasted. Many people add some boiled mashed potatoes to the paneer as it acts as a binding agent. It is easier to form the shape of the cutlet if you use potato, but in my recipe I have not used potato, so the taste is better I feel. BUT if the Paneer you buy is too dry and crumbly then it is better to add some mashed potato.

HOW TO MAKE PANEER CUTLET

Mash paneer by hand or with potato masher. Add some salt, sauted onion, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves chopped, mint chopped ( optional),a few cashews broken into bit, few raisins or sultanas ( kismis).

Mix all of the above well.

In a bowl you need to make a slurry with flour ( maida) and water,the slurry shouldn’t be too thin. Since we cannot use egg in paneer cutlet because it is vegetarian, we make a flour and water slurry to dip the paneer cutlet before rolling it in bread crumbs and frying.

This is plain paneer that has been crumbled and mashed a little by hand.

To the mashed paneer I added sauteed onions, chopped greean chilies, salt, cashews and raisins. Mixed all of these properly with the paneer.

This is what it looks like after all the ingredients are mixed together.

Take a portion in you hand and see if you can squeeze it together to make a ball, then gently flatten it between your palms.

Roll the flattened shaped cutlet in flour( maida). and keep aside.

The slurry is made by mixing water and flour. You dip each shaped cutlet into the slurry and remove it quickly. Then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Keep the coated cutlet on a plate till ready to fry.

I have made it rectangle , but you can make it oval or like a roll. Its up to you.

This cutlet is now ready to be deep fried.

Heat some oil in a pan or a kadai/wok and deep fry it till it looks like this.

RECIPE

Paneer – 250g

Onion chopped and sauteed – 1/2 cup

green chilies -1 or 2

salt -1 teaspoon

Mint leaves chopped – 1/4 cup

coriander leaves chopped -1/4 cup

cashews and raisins -1/4 cup

flour 1/4 cup or as required.

bread crumbs 1 cup or as required

Slurry – 1/2 cup flour mix with about 3/4 cup of water. There should be no lumps.

Oil for deep frying

METHOD

  • Chop onion small and saute it in a little oil in a frying pan. It should not be brown, just translucent. Keep aside till it cools.
  • Chop the green chilies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and the cashews.
  • Crumble the paneer and mash it with your hand. It will be like a dough and begin to bind together.
  • Add the onion , chopped chilies, coriander, mint , salt , and the cashews and raisins and mix them well with the Paneer. At this point you can taste to see if the salt and chilies are alright.
  • Pick up a portion of the paneer mixture and make a ball in your hand, then flatten it between you palms to make a rectangle.
  • coat the flattened panner cutlet with flour nicely and keep aside on a plate. Do the same with the rest of the paneer mixture .
  • Make the slurry with the flour and water. the slurry should be thick enough to coat the cutlet. you may need more slurry as you go along
  • Put the breadcrumbs in a flat dish.
  • Now dip the shaped cutlets into the slurry quickly and the roll it in the breadcrumbs. Tap with your palm so the the breadcrumbs stick to the cutlet. Keep it on a dish. Once you have finished making all the cutlets, put the dish in the fridge for at least an hour. This helps the coating to adhere well.
  • Take them out of the fridge half an hour before frying.
  • Heat enough oil to deep fry the cutlets in a Kadai /wok. Fry them one or two at a time on medium high heat, till golden brown on both sides.
  • Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a dish with kitchen towel to drain out some of the oil.
  • Serve hot with green chutney or Tomato ketchup.

Rita's RecipesLeave a comment

Creamy Shahi Paneer Recipe with Homemade Tomato Puree

Shahi Paneer, is a favourite vegetarian of mine. Every time I have made this dish I have earned a lot of praise. In restaurants they add cream, but in my recipe I add only milk.

This delicious Paneer (cottage Cheese) dish made with cashew paste, and cream and homemade tomato puree. Shahi means a dish fit for royalty. Shahi Paneer is usually served hot with Parathas, or Naan, or Pulao. It is mild tasting with smooth creamy texture with pieces of soft Paneer that melts in your mouth.

First fry the paneer pieces, then make the gravy. Add the Paneer to the gravy, let it simmer for a few minutes and this wonderful dish is ready.

Ingredients

  • Paneer  ( Cottage cheese)                      750 g
  • Tomatoes puree (made at home)       1 cup
  • Garlic paste                                         ½ tsp
  • Ginger paste                                        ½ tsp
  • Methi seeds                                            ½ tsp
  • Tej patta or bay leaves                        2
  • Cashew nuts                                        15 pieces (small size)
  • Salt                                                      1 ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder.                               ½ tsp
  • Cumin powder                                     1 tsp
  • Coriander powder                               ½ tsp
  • Sugar                                                   1 ½ tsp
  • Chili powder                                        ¼ tsp
  • Ghee                                                    2 Tablespoon
  • Vegetable oil                                       ½ cup, + 1 tsp
  • Butter                                                  1 tablespoon
  • Milk                                                      1 cup
  • Water                                                   1 cup
  • Kasuri Methi                                       ½ tsp
  • Garam masala                                    ½ tsp (cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves ground tog)

Preparation

Tomato Puree

Fill a saucepan with some water and bring it to a boil. Now drop a few whole tomatoes in the boiling water. After a couple of minutes the skin of the tomatoes will start to peel. Remove the pan from the heat. Let it cool down. Once the tomatoes are cold enough to touch, peel off the skin. Chop the tomatoes in half. Then use a blender to make a puree. Measure and use 1 cup for this recipe.

Cashew paste

Soak the cashews in ½ a cup of water for an hour. Then make a paste in the grinder.

Paneer

Cut the paneer in 1/2 inch thick triangles. Like the picture below.

Garlic and Ginger : Peel the skin from the ginger and grate it. Peel the garlic cloves, and grate.

Garam Masala: You can use the store bought Garam Masala or Use the Bengali Garam Masala. To make the Bengali Garam Masala. grind together 3 or 4 Cloves, 3 or 4 Small Cardamoms and a piece of Cinnamon stick into powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon of this powder for this recipe.

Gather the rest of the ingredients and keep it ready .

Method

1. Heat ½ cup of oil in a kadai or wok and carefully fry the pieces of paneer slightly. Remove from the oil and keep aside on a plate while you make the gravy.

The Gravy

2. To make the gravy, do not use the oil you fried the paneer in. It will have black pieces. Pour it out and add the 2 tablespoon ghee to the same kadai.

3. Add ½ tsp of Methi seeds, and bay leaves,

4. When the methi seed become a little brown, add the ½ tsp garlic paste. Then add ½ tsp of ginger paste. Stir till raw smell of garlic is gone.

5. Add the cup of tomato puree, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder,salt and sugar.  Keep stirring well till the oil can be seen on the sides of the gravy.

6. Add the cashew paste mixed with a little water.

7. Add 1 cup of milk. when it starts to thicken and boil, add 1 cup of water .

8. Stir till the gravy is bubbling.

9. Then add the fried paneer and sprinkle some graram masala powder on the gravy.

10.Let it boil a couple of minutes so that the gravy is fairly thick.

11. Sprinkle the kasuri methi. Add the butter. Take it off the heat and pour it into a serving dish carefully. You can drizzle some cream on top to garnish.

It tastes Best eaten with hot Rotis, Paratas or Puris.

Rita's RecipesLeave a comment