Cook's Hideout: JFI

Showing posts with label JFI. Show all posts

November 03, 2009

Paneer & Green Pepper in Creamy Sauce

When I was making this dish, I had a creamy restaurant style curry in my mind. As it turns out I didn’t have cream in the fridge, but I used the next best thing I had, mascarpone cheese. It made the dish creamy, light, mildly sweet and delicious.

Ingredients:
Paneer – ½ cup, cubed
Green peppers – 2 medium, chopped
Carrot – 1 medium, chopped
Red onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato puree – 1/3 cup
Kasoori Methi – 2 tsp
Ginger+Garlic paste – ½ tsp
Milk – ½ cup
Mascarpone cheese – 2tbsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

Method:
Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan, add onions and sauté till golden brown.
Add g+g paste and cook for another minute. Next add the veggies, cover and cook till completely cooked.
Add tomato puree, kasoori methi, red chili powder, garam masala & salt. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Next add milk while stirring continuously (otherwise milk might curdle) along with paneer & mascarpone cheese. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with roti or fried rice.

This is my entry to JFI: Paneer being hosted by Trupti @ The Spice who loved me. JFI is the brainchild of Indira @ Mahanandi.

October 06, 2009

Creamy Rajma Curry

Last night I made multi-grain rotis inspired from A2Z Vegetarian cuisine. I only had about ¾th cup of atta (whole-wheat flour) and had to make enough rotis for 2 people, so I added 2tbsp each of soy flour, sprouted ragi flour, buckwheat flour and besan. It made 3 rotis each, just enough to feed us both. No pictures, cos we were in a hurry to eat.

To go along with the rotis, I made this Rajma (red kidney bean curry) inspired by a recipe of Manjula Jain that I watched on You Tube. She used a few tablespoons of besan (chickpea flour) that makes the gravy nice and thick.

Ingredients:
Red Kidney beans – 1½ cups cooked
Onion – 1 medium, chopped fine
Tomato puree – 1 cup
Besan (Chickpea flour) – 2tbsp
Garlic – 2 cloves, finely minced
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Ground cumin – 1tsp
Amchoor powder (dry mango powder) – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet; add cumin seeds and once they splutter add onions and garlic and sauté till softened.

Add besan and cook until it doesn’t smell raw anymore, about 2 minutes.

Next add tomato puree; cover and cook till the gravy starts to simmer about 3-4 minutes.

Now add the spice powders and kidney beans. Add 1 cup (or more) water and simmer on medium-low flame until the mixture is thickens about 10-12 minutes.

Season with salt and garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti or rice.

This is my entry JFI-Rajma being hosted by Divya @ Dil Se. Indira @ Mahanandi is the brain behind JFI.

August 02, 2009

JFI: Peanuts Round up

Let me start by thanking Indira for giving me this opportunity to host JFI. Thank you all for participating so enthusiastically and sending in so many delicious dishes with Peanuts.

For the round up I tried to categorize them by course, hope you guys will try these yummy dishes.

Let me start the round up with Ramki @ One Page Cookbooks' 10 Simple Peanut Recipes that has recipes for all the 5 categories below.

Peanut Chutney & Peanut Powders:

It's the brain behind JFI itself, Indira @ Mahanandi, she sent in her Spicy Peanut Butter which can be great as a chutney or a dip or even gravy for a fabulous Indian curry.

Jaya @ Jaya Space sent in her Peanut & Sesame Chutney which she says is a staple in her house. Looking at the picture, I would like to have some everyday too.

Kalyani @ Kalyani's Kitchen sent in her delicious looking Peanut Chutney which is super easy to make.

Lubna @ Yummy Food sent in her Spicy Peanut Powder that can be stored for 10-15 days and can make a boring breakfast, exciting.

Nivedita @ Nivedita's Kitchen sends in her Peanut Chutney Powder which she says is a staple in Northern Karnataka households.

Preeti @ Khaugiri sends in her Peanut Powder/ Danyacha Kut which is used in koshimbirs, stuffed curries and fasting foods like sabudana khichdi.

Sri Nithya @ Andhra Spice sends in her version of Spicy Peanut Powder/ Palli Podi. Looks like each state in India has its own version of Peanut powders.

Saritha @ My Kitchen Aroma sends in her Peanut powder/ Palli Podi.

Finally my two entries: Peanut Chutney & Peanut Chutney Powder.

Peanutty Curries:

Dipti @ There's a duckie in my kitchen sent in her easy Potato Bhaji with Peanuts.

Graziana @ Erbe in Cucina sends in a very unique dish with Curry Plant and Peanut Butter.

Kalyani @ Kalyani's Kitchen sends in a Hyderabadi favorite Mirchi Ka Salaan.

UPDATE 8/07: Nisha @ Nisha's Kitchen sent her delicious Beans Fry with Peanut. I apologize for missing your entries Nisha.

Muskaan @ A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine sends in a curry with very interesting combo of Okra & Peanuts that is good and also good for you.