Matar Paneer

Getting a beautiful color for the gravy is a challenge that most beginners face in the kitchen. In a bid to achieve that color, most people end up adding so many spices that eventually ruins the taste, though it might look the way they wanted it to be. This is a situation that I have faced many times in the past when I had just started off in the kitchen. The key to tasty and beautiful dishes, as I have learnt it, does not lie in the recipe. It lies within you and your patience to go through the crucial stages of cooking any dish. My paneer dishes have always lacked the color and consistency that I see in dishes prepared with the same recipe. I used to wonder the reason for the difference until recently when I realized where I was going wrong. Bhunoing (as it is called in Hindi) or frying the masalas until they leave a fragrant aroma and oil separating from the sides (you do not need to put extra oil to get that effect) is what gives Indian curries the look and taste as it should be. 

Ingredients

200 gms paneer

2 medium onions, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 medium potato, diced (optional; I added since my husband loves it)

1/3 cup green peas

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves and green chillies for garnishing

1 tbsp mustard oil ( or refined oil)

Direction

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the paneer cubes until golden brown and keep aside. If the paneer pieces are not very tender, you can keep them immersed in warm water until used. 

In a grinder, put the onion, ginger, and garlic and grind to a coarse paste without adding any water. In the same oil where you fried the paneer pieces, add this paste and fry till the onions get translucent and golden in color. Now add the tomato puree and fry on a medium flame till oil starts appearing on the sides. If the paste gets too dry, you can sprinkle some water from the immersed paneer pieces or regular water. Add the dry spices except the salt and sugar and continue stirring until the masalas get mixed well and no raw smell is left. Now add the potato pieces and stir. Add 1/2 cup of warm water (or the water from the immersed paneer pieces) and cover cook on medium flame till the potato is cooked. Next add the green peas and the paneer pieces. Put in salt and sugar and mix. Cover cook for another 3-5 minutes adding additional water if required. Garnish with chopped coriander and slit green chillies and serve hot with roti/rice/pulao.

                                

  

Mushroom Matar Masala (Mushroom and Peas Curry)

I always stay quite confused with this particular Fungi and very often end up using it in just soups or noodles and fried rice. I haven't ever tried making it into a curry, an Indian one at that. Today, there is a dinner invite and since I had no groceries in the fridge except for a pack of mushrooms, I thought of going the traditional way of making some mushroom fried rice. However, there was this streak of lightening and suddenly my cooking keera (pest) insisted on making something new. I quickly picked up some tomatoes from the nearby supermarket and in less than half hour prepared this wonderfully yummy and superbly easy Mushroom Matar Masala. You can add some cashew paste and cream to it as well to make it rich. I am already quite rich in those "love handles" and didn't want to increase my wealth any further!

Ingredients

8-9 button mushrooms thinly sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 cup frozen/fresh peas

3 heaped tsp yogurt, whipped

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp crushed kasuri methi

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 nos each of cardamom, cinnamon, clove

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp mustard oil

Coriander leaves and fried onions for garnishing

Directions

Clean and wash the mushrooms and keep aside.

In a pan, heat the mustard oil till smoky hot and add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Add the cumin seeds and let it crackle. Fry the onions till translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry till the water evaporates. Add the peas and fry for few more minutes. Now add the dry spices and keep stirring until oil separates from the side. Add about half cup warm water and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms and mix well. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Now add the whipped yogurt, salt, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Stir. Keep covered on low heat until the gravy dries up a bit while stirring occasionally. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried onions. Serve hot with rice, rotis, or pulao.