Posto Paneer ... a.k.a Khas-Khas Paneer

The sad story of working girls is that, we don't get enough time for our own friends... its family in the morning, work in the day, gym in the evening and family again at night...

Suddenly, all my girl friends started to feel the same way that I did.. so we decided to have a girls night in.. where no guys were invited, just us girls.. it was a potluck...

So emails started flowing from friends.. as to who would make what !! Once of my very good friends.. emailed me.. asking if I can make my "kass-kass-paneer"... I was like.. "I have no idea.. what that is".. and she goes.. am sure.. you made it somewhere... else how will I know..

But then, I was already assigned dessert.. so I kept quite.. but it still kept me inquisitive as to what is kass-kass-paneer.. so I started searching.. and while doing that.. I understood .. she meant.. "khas-khas" i.e. poppy seeds. or posto as we call it.. So in the next lunch party I made that and that friend of mine had also come.. and she goes.. "How did you make this.. you said.. you had nooooo idea !! ".. I smiled.. and said.. you said "kass-kass" .. which means saute' hard in Odiya.. and I got confused !! Its actually "khas-khas" meaning poppy seeds !!!

She smiles.. and says.. whatever it is . its yummy !!.. so here goes the recipe for all the paneer lovers out there...

Ingredients

• 1 pack store bought paneer, cubed and sauteed in a little oil till brown
• 4 tbl spoons posto (poppy seeds) dry ground in grinder
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 4-5 green chillies
• 4-5 curry leaves
• fresh coriander leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup whole milk or half-n-half or heavy cream
• Palm full kasoori methi - crushed between your palms
• 1" ginger (frozen is better.. you have to grate it)
• Salt and oil of course

Process here:

• Cube the paneer block and saute' in a little oil till the cubes is brown on skin but still soft. Do not over fry, else it will be all rubbery.

• Heat oil in a kadhai till very hot. Splutter a little bit of cumin seeds.
• Then add green chillies + onion + curry leaves together and fry till the onion is brownish in color.
• Now, grate the ginger on top of the onions and fry for a minute.
• Then add the diced tomatoes and salt and start frying up.
• Once the tomatoes are mushy, add the green & red bell peppers + green peas to the masala and fry up nice and good.

• Once the veggies are 25% done still crunchy.. add posto powder + heavy cream + 1/2 cup water and let it simmer. You may cover it as well for faster simmer.
• Once the gravy starts simmering, add the paneer and reduce the gravy to the consistency that you need.

• Sprinkle kasoori methi on top of this
• Garnish with fresh & green coriander leaves and serve with roti or rice or whatever it is that you may like.

Enjoy !!

Dahi Bhindi ..or.. Bhindi Raita.. Many names.. Same True Taste and Coolness

Many of my friends are not from Odisha. When I was going through my posts, I thought ... hhhmmm... my non-odiya friends... will they like mustard paste and what not.. I should make something for them which they can relate to and still it should be kind of Odiya..

What better than "curd" (Yoghurt) can I remember my friends from Hyderabad and Bangalore. Every lunch.. every dinner.. I have to put out curd for sure. One of my very close friends said.. "We end all our meals with curd.. no matter what the weather is" !!

So I thought, what do we Odiyas make with curd.. Pakhala bhata yes.. but they won't know how to eat it.. :) Next.. any raita.. but even in Nothern India they make raita.. why should I make just raita for them.. next moment.. I looked at the bright green bhindi.. and it struck me.. "Of course.. Dahi Bhindi" .. So here it is.. ...

Here is what you need....simple ingredients

• 10-12 small sized bhindis (okras) cut into 1/2" pieces.
• 2 cups of thick curd (measure in 250 ml. cup).
• 1 small red onion (has to be red please) longitudinally cut.
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
• 1 teaspoon oil.
• 5-6 curry leaves.
• Salt to taste

First fry the bhindi pieces in a small amount of oil (uncovered) till they are soft. I call it dry fry. Well its actually not dry. We have to use a little oil.

Take the bhindi out and keep aside.

In the mean time, take curd, 1/2 cup of water, salt and add wee bit sugar and whip 'em all together.

Add the fried bhindi to this mixture. Let the bhindi seep some curd flavor.

Now, add a little oil to the same pan and let it heat up.

Add green chilies + mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter.

Now add onions and curry leaves together. This keeps the leaves greener and the aroma stays too.

Fry until the onions turn pink and translucent. Don't over fry to make it brown. Just pink is fine.

Transfer everything to the curd+bhindi mix. Mix 'em up real nice.

You don't have to keep it fridge if you are serving within 2-3 hours. If you want to keep it overnight, I'd say .. please do not. It does not taste good when cold and you can not even heat it because it has curd. So, you gotta make it fresh.. always !!

Enjoy with any pulao or biryani or serve it as a side dish with you delicious vegetarian lunch. Enjoy !!

Spicy Fried Idly ... a treat for the "yearning spicy" tummy

Some week days are just lonely and depressing.. just plain boring I'd say. I was not in a mood to do anything... anything at all.. Well, then I thought, people have to eat, right??

It was kind of cold outside due to clouds. The California weather is deceptive. You never know what's coming your way. Well anyways, the cold weather made my tummy yearn for some hot food... hot and spicy food.

Now, you see, that is the problem. No mood for serious cooking + severe craving for hot and spicy food = Innovation for lazy ones !!

So I somehow dragged myself out of the couch to the refrigerator. The first thing I saw was the Idly batter. It was like a cute little bulb that got lit in my brain.. imagine the ones that you see in cartoon movies.. it goes.... "tttiiinnnggg" !!

We have had spicy fried idly many times before in vegetarian south indian restaurants and this time, I decided to make my very fried idly. Simple yet filling. Colorful and spicy. And of course, it took no more than 7 mins for me to stand near the stove. Making idlis takes time, but you can watch TV then, you don't have to do anything. Just time it and you are as happy as I am !!

Here's what we need:

• Around 10-12 Idlis, cooled & cut into small cubes.
• 4 green chilies.
• 1 medium tomato.
• 1/2 medium onion.
• 4-5 curry leaves.
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala.
• 1 teaspoon urad daal.
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds + 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
• 1" ginger (frozen is best, then you can grate it very easily over the masala).
• 1 green pepper + 1 red pepper (cut into small cubes -- Ask your husband to do this, after all they have to help too you know).
• 1/2 cup of frozen green peas.
• Little bit of turmeric + Salt to taste.
• A palm full of coriander leaves for garnish.

Here goes the process....

• Get idlis or make 'em at home. I made at home. Well you need the idlis to be cold. Cut them into small cubes and keep them aside.

• Heat oil super hot and then add the idlis. Before you stir the idlis... sprinkle a wee bit of chili powder or paprika whatever you have on hand .. just for color. Then stir the idlis around.
• Fry the idlis for a while till they start to look yellow-ish. Take them out and keep aside.

• Now keep the pan hot enough, add some more oil.
• To the hot oil, add some urad daal first.
• When the lentil starts to brown add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
• When the seeds crackle, add curry leaves, onions and the green chillies.
• Fry it till the onion turns pink.

• Now grate some ginger in, add turmeric powder, little bit of chilli powder and little bit of garam masala.
• When the above masala is little fried, add the tomatoes and salt in.
• Fry till the tomatoes are soft and start to vanish into the masala.

• Now add the peppers and green peas. Cover and cook so that the veggies are all cooked yet crunchy.

• When thats done, just add the idlis and mix well. Cover it for a while so that the masala seeps into the idli due to the steam.
• To garnish, sprinkle fresh coriander leaves.

• Serve with any of your favorite chutney. I love groundnut chutney, so I made that as well. Not that lazy after all huh !!

Enjoy your simple week night food. Its light yet will keep your stomach full till morning. If you use olive oil, its good & healthy too.