Chili Paneer

It was Saturday evening and my foodie hubby needed some special food. He went looking through the refrigerator and asked me to make Chili Paneer. I think it was the hang over from the Ming food of last week. Mings is a Indo Chinese restaurant in NJ that serves really good food. We had really awesome Chili Paneer and I knew I had to meet some pretty tall order! I usually make this Chili Paneer, but this time I added a little bit of corn starch! The dish turned out really good - in fact everything got over and I had to remake it for my daughter again today. If she likes something - she is hooked! Her version had no Chili sauce in it - I wonder if her dish should be called sweet Paneer instead. Anyway a cool (or is it hot) success with everyone and takes barely 10-15 min to make!

Ingredients

Paneer cut into long slices

1/2 Red capsicum - cut into long slices

1 Onion - cut into thin slices

1 Green chilli (optional)

1/4 tea spoon Ginger-garlic paste

Spring onions - cut into small pieces

1 tea spoon oil

Salt to taste

1 tea spoon corn starch

For the Marinate

1 table spoon vinegar

1 tea spoon soy sauce

1 table spoon chili sauce (skip for the kids)

How to

Take a large bowl and mix the sauces in the marinate bit. Add some water if required. Add salt to taste and leave the cut paneer in it for 1/2 hr.

In a separate bowl, heat oil and add onions and green chili and then the ginger-garlic paste. Cook in medium heat for 2-3 min stirring constantly.

Add the cut capsicum and add salt and cover for 2-3 min.

Once the capsicum is nearly cooked, add the marinated paneer.

In a bowl mix the corn starch in cold water.

Add it to the pan above and cook for 1 minute. Add the spring onions and serve hot.

This tastes delicious with fried rice or with vegetarian noodles.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Growing up this was a staple at our place whenever we had guests over. I used to call it "red rice" and I loved the aroma of this dish and could easily eat up double my normal quota of rice. My Mom obviously enjoyed that - knowing that I was getting a healthy dose of vegetables too ( I didn't eat any vegetable other than potatoes and onions - I think). I make this often at home - but I don't make it when we have guests over - not sure why...

Sending this to FIC -Pink hosted by Priya , started by Harini. Not sure if it is pink enough to qualify!

Also this goes to Sahaja for her Single Serve Recipes.

Ingredients

Cooked Basmati Rice - 2 cups
1 carrot - cut into thin slices
1 beetroot - cut into thin slices
1 red onion - cut into this slices
few pieces of cauliflower - cut into small pieces
2 Green chillies slit
1/4 tea spoon of ginger garlic paste
1 tea spoon of oil
salt to taste
lemon juice - 1/2 tea spoon (optional)
1 tea spoon ghee (optional)

1 - 2 cloves
small piece of Cinnamon
1 small cardamom

How to

Ground the cloves, Cinnamon and cardamom and keep aside.

Put oil in a pan and heat. Once it is hot add 1/4th of the ground masala from 1 above.
Add the green chillies and the onion and ginger-garlic paste.
Fry for 2 minutes and then add the beetroot and cover after adding salt.
Once the beetroot is cooked through in about 5-7 minutes, add the other vegetables and saute until all vegetables cooked through.
Add the rice and mix thoroughly.
Add more salt and cloves / Cinnamon mixture from step 1, if needed now.
Remove from the cooking stove and add a little bit of ghee and lemon juice (both are optional - but if you add it, they make this dish taste and smell heavenly).

Spicy Lemony Coriander Soup

This was is inspired from the spicy Chicken soup served at Ming's restaurant in Edison, NJ. I simply adore the food there and it is also one of my family's favorite food haunts... Even my 2 year old knows about this place - but then he is foodie too. My daughter loves this soup there, or at least she claims she does. She loves the aroma and flavor, but is so spicy that she can not eat more than 2 spoons. My husband loves it so much that sometimes he order 2 cups - one veg and one non-veg.


Here is my version of their vegetarian soup... Try it - it is super easy and it will fill your house with the wonderful smell...

This bowl of soup is made specially for Neha who is hosting SWC-Soups and let me post even a non-vegetarian soup from my earlier posts.


Ingredients

For the stock


2 to 3 whole lemon grass stalks washed and cut into 2 inches long (this is not edible - but has such a nice fragrance once boiled)
1 to 2 chillies whole ( use one if kids want to try it)
1/2 tea spoon of salt
2 bunches of coriander leaves washed (don't take the stalk off)

Other ingredients
1/2 cup carrots washed and sliced
1 cup white mushroom washed and sliced
1/2 cup white onions sliced
1/4 cup of green spring onions chopped finely
1/4 cup of coriander leaves washed and chopped finely


2 green chillies washed and cut thinly (skip if serving to kids)
1 teaspoon Oil
salt to taste
1 whole lemon


How to

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add the coriander leaves, lemon grass and salt and let it simmer until it becomes 1/2 in volume.
Strain and keep the stock aside, discarding the lemon grass and chillies and the coriander leaves.

You can make the stock and keep it aside for a day or 2 too. This process takes about 20-30 min. Once you have the stock ready and the vegetables cut (use cut ones from the grocery store if you like), the rest of the soup takes less than 5 minutes.

In a large pan, put a little oil.
Add white onions, saute for a bit.
Add cut green chillies to make it spicy. (Optional for kids)
Add the mushroom and carrots and a little salt for the vegetables to cook through.
Add the stalk and let it boil for a minute before adding the spring onions and coriander leaves.
Add lemon juice and server hot.


How did it fare

I made this twice. The 1st time, both my husband and I loved it. It seemed perfect. But my poor daughter had to have 2 sips (like in the restaurant) and stop - it was way too spicy for her. Today when my daughter is feeling under the weather, she asked for it again. So I made it just as I mention above and skipped the chillies. Once the soup was done, I split and boiled 1/2 of the soup with green chillies for us. It seemed to make everyone happy....