Dry Paneer with Whole Spices

Ingredients:

75 gms paneer, cut into small bite size cubes.

8 black pepper balls

1 " cinnamon

2 cloves

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 medium sized tomato finely chopped

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1 tbsp coriender leaves finely chopped

3/4 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai on a medium high flame. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick and black pepper balls together. Let the oil infuse the flavours for 1 minute.
• Add the chopped onion and saute till the onion turn light pink in colour.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well.
• Add the haldi powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri mirch powder, salt and sugar and stir well.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cover the kadai with a lid and bring it to one boil.
• Uncover the kadai and add the paneer pieces. Bring to one boil. and dry the vegetable.
• Once all the water dries up add the coriander leaves and serve!!!!

Tips:

• This is a very dry vegetable with suttle flavours of whole masalas.
• This preperation goes well with rotis.
• You can adjust the red chilli powder to suite your taste.
• I have not ground the whole spice as I like the subtle flavour. This also helps to discard the whole spices once the dish is ready, so that you don't end up biting into the whole spices while eating.
• Its important to add all the whole spices together. Normally whatever goes first into the oil, the food will get its taste till the end. Hence, I have added all the whole spices together so that the flavours of all the three spices are infused into the oil.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup cabbage shredded

1/3 cup broccoli, cut into medium sized florets

1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1" cubes

1 spring onion, sliced

1/2 cup mushroom, cut into 4 pieces

1 tbsp sweet corn

1/2 tbsp green peas

1 green chilli slit into 4

juice of 1/2 medium sized lemon

1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

salt to taste

pinch of cardamom powder

pinch of cinnamon powder

Method:

• Heat a kadai on a medium high flame, add oil in the kadai and once its hot add all the vegetables together.
• Simmer the gas and let the vegetables cook.
• Cover the kadai with the lid and stir occasionally. The vegetables should be just done. They should be crunchy.
• Once the vegetables are done, add black pepper powder, roasted jeera powder and salt.Mix well.
• Turn off the gas and sprinkle lemon juice, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder. Stir well and serve!!!

Tips:

• Don't overcook the vegetables. They must be crunchy.
• You could add the vegetable one by one but adding them together also works fine.
• You can add any other vegetable or avoid any of the vegetables given above to suite your taste and of course availability!!!
• This salad has Indian spices and it really tastes good. You can serve this with any Indian meal.

Batata Kaap/Fodi ( Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes (Goan Style))

Ingredients:

1 potato

3 tbsp sooji (+ 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder)

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp haldi powder

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the potatoes into round of 1/4 inch thickness. Wash, and sprinkle salt, haldi powder and red chilli powder. Keep aside.
• Heat a pan on a medium flame and add oil.
• Spread the sooji on a plate. Add 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji and mix well.
• Take each piece of the potato and roll it in the sooji so that the sooji coats the potato completely and place it in the pan.
• Sprinkle some drops of water on th epan and cover the pan with a lid.
• Let the potatoes cook on a very low flame.
• Uncover the pan and check if the potatoes are cooked. If the potatoes are cooked turn each piece of potato and cook it on the other side on a medium heat.
• Cook both the sides of the potato till golden brown.
• Serve hot with rice and varn!!!!

Tips:

• The thickness of the potatoes can be varied. Even if you slice them thin they taste good.
• I also add 1/2 tsp of haldi and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji to enhance the flavours.
• The potatoes must be moist only then will the sooji stick to the potato. If its dry add a tsp of water.
• Do not marinate the potato for too long, it will turn dark and very soft.
• You can check if the potatoes are cooked by pricking a knife/fork.
• Only one side has to be cooked with the lid closed. do not cover the pan while cooking the other side.