Palak Paneer

Ingredients:
Spinach		1/2 kg
Paneer		100 grams
Onion		1
Butter		3 tbsp.
Bay leaves		2-3
Cumin seeds		1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder		1/4 tsp.
Ginger-garlic paste		3/4 tsp.
Green chilli paste		1/2 tsp.
Garam Masala Powder		1 tsp.
Vegetable oil as required

Method: 1. Mix ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste and some water with spinach. Pressure cook it for about 7-8 minutes (just before the first whistle). 2. Cut paneer into small cubes. Keep 3 cubes separately for decoration. 3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the paneer pieces on 'medium' heat till they turn slightly brown. Set the paneer pieces aside. 4. Heat 2 tbsp. of butter. Fry bay leaves and cumin seeds. Add chopped onion. Fry until the onions become pink. 5. Add salt, black pepper powder, garam masala. Stir well. 6. Add paneer and cooked spinach (grinded). Mix well. 7. Put palak paneer in a baking tray . 8. Add rest of the butter. Bake for 1/2 hour at 180 deg C. Grate the paneer kept aside for decoration. Decorate. Palak paneer is ready to serve.

This week kitchen Tips

Potato cutlets- For better salt absorption, add it to the water in which the potato are boiling.

Brown onions faster- Onions will brown faster if 1/2 teaspoon of salt is added to the onions while frying.

Avoid sticky rice- Add a few drops of lemon juice & a pinch of sugar to the rice while cooking.

Crisp pakodas- Add a little cornflour to the gramflour while mixing the dough.

Easy garlic skin removal- Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic flakes are warmed a little before peeling.

Safe cooking with oil- Sometimes hot oil starts foaming and starts rising in the pan. Dissipate the foam to avoid this situation by adding a marble sized ball of tamarind to the oil.

Gajor(Carrot ) ka halwa

Ingredients:
Grated carrot 1 kg
Milk 1 litre
Whole dried milk (mawa) 200 grams
Sugar 2 cups
Ghee 2 tbsp.
Dry fruits (sliced almond and cashew nuts, raisin ) 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp.
Method:
1. Put milk and grated carrots in a heavy base kadhai / deep saucepan and bring it to boil. Cook over medium heat until all the milk gets dried up. You should stir the mixture occasionally to prevent any sticking.
2. Add sugar, cardamom powder, 1/4 cup dry fruits and continuously stir for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add ghee and mawa. Stir well and fry on low heat until ghee starts separating.
4. Decorate with remaining dry fruits and serve hot. (Optional- decorate with silver leaf)
5. Add lemon juice and paneer pieces. Mix well so that all the paneer pieces gets properly coated with sugar. Allow it to cool.
 

Mutton Qaurma

Couscous- for Kids

Kids-Cook: Couscous
1 1/2 cup Water
1/3 cup Raisins
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Couscous
1 tbsp Butter


Measure water, raisins and salt into saucepan; bring
to boil. Stir in couscous and butter; cover and remove
from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes; fluff with fork.

Serve curried vegetables on top for a delicious dinner. 

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 leaves of lettuce

• Directions

  1. Place eggs in a pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, and let eggs cook in boiling water until they are hard boiled, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain eggs, and let cool. Once cool, remove the shell, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks.
  2. Place the yolks in a medium-size mixing bowl and mash them. Blend in vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. You may need to add more mayonnaise to hold the mixture together, but it should be slightly dry.
  3. Carefully put the egg yolk mixture back into the egg whites but do not pack it. There will be enough mixture so the whites are overfilled. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on bed of lettuce and/or garnish with parsley. Cool before serving.

Kung Pao Chicken

1   INGREDIENTS

·        
Chicken breast 3

·        
Plain flour 1 tsp

·        
Corn flour 2 tbsp

·        
Salt according to taste

·        
Vinegar 2 tbsp

·        
Oil as required

·        
Peanuts 1/2 cup

·        
Cashew nut (kaju) 1/2 cup

·        
Sesame oil (til) 1 tsp

·        
Garlic-paste 1 tbsp

·        
Onion 1

·        
Ketchup 1 cup

·        
Stock (yakhni) 1/4 cup

·        
Red pepper (grinded) 1/2 tsp

·        
Thai chili 3-4

2   COOKING DIRECTIONS

1.    
Take plain four and corn flour in a bowl, mix them.

2.    
Add vinegar, salt and soy sauce and mix well.

3.    
Now marinate the chicken breasts in this.

4.    
Leave for 4-5 hours.

5.    
Then, deep fry the chicken pieces.

6.    
Now add cashew nuts and peanuts in oil, fry them.

7.    
Take another pan, add 3 tbsp oil.

8.    
Add warm sesame oil, garlic and onion.

9.    
Fry them all, and then add ketchup, stock and salt.

10. 
Also add red pepper and Thai chili.

11. 
Add 1 tbsp of corn flour to thicken the sauce.

12. 
Now add fried chicken, peanuts and cashew nuts in this sauce.

13. 
Serve it hot.