Palak Paneer

Hello Nona!

Here is another favourite recipe. Bahut dhoondh-dhaand ke nikali thi. Try it. Simple hai aur result achcha aayega. :)

Palak Paneer

Ingredients
500 gms of Palak
1 Onion (chopped finely)
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
3 Green Chillies
1 cup Milk
2 tbsp Cream (Use fresh cream, if in India)
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi leaves (dry fenugreek leaves)
200 gms of diced paneer - lightly fried
2 big fresh tomatoes - puried

Method

1. Clean and wash palak nicely. Chop palak and chillies.
2. Put Palak and chillies, water (1 cup) in a cooker on high heat. Give one whistle. Take it off the gas.
3. In a kadhai fry onion till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for sometime.
4. Wait till both the onion-garlic-ginger paste and palak cool down, and then grind them together to a fine paste.
4. Roast Kasuri methi on a medium-hot tava for half a min (see that you don't burn it- remove it from the tava as soon as it just turns brown) and powder it by rubbing it between your palms.
5. Add tomato puree to the kadhai and fry it well. Add palak paste and kasuri methi, and stir for about 1 minute.
6. Add milk.
7. Add garam masala powder
8. Add 2 tbsp cream and paneer.
9. Add salt. Cook for 5 mins. Keep stirring every now and then.

Palak Paneer is ready to be served!

Here is a tried and tested recipe for 'Dal Makhani' - A popular North Indian dish:

Ingredients

a) 1 cup Black urad dal (whole)
b) 1/4 cup Kidney beans
c) 1 tablespoon grated Ginger
d) 2 teaspoons Red chilli powder
e) 3/4 cup Tomato puree
f) 2 medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
g) 1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste
h) 1 teaspoon Garam masala
i) 1 teaspoon roasted Cumin seed powder
j) 3/4 cup Fresh cream
k) 5 tablespoons Butter Salt (As per taste)
l) 2 medium - sized onions - thinly sliced

Method

a) Soak dal and rajma together for one at least 6-7 hours.
b) Pressure cook Dal and Rajma with salt, grated ginger, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and water (the water should be 3 times the total amount of dal and rajma)
c) Melt the butter in a pan, add onions and sauté till they turn pink.
d) Add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute till golden brown.
e) Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till pulpy.
f) Let the contents of the pan cool down. Once cooled, churn the same in a mixie for making a gravy.
g) Transfer the contents back to a medium-hot pan.
h) Add the Cumin seed (jeera) powder, remaining red chilli powder and saute for 1-2 minutes.
i) Add the tomato puree. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
j) Add the cooked dals into this masala.
k) Add garam masala powder and mix.
l) Cover and cook over a low flame for about 35 minutes with occasional stirring. Add fresh cream and garnish with fresh coriander before serving

Dal Makhani is ready!