Scrambled Methi Paneer!

Me and my son loves Paneer and any dish prepared with it. I wanted to make something different and quick so tried this, as I had fresh methi leaves, Scrambled Methi Paneer is very easy and a good sidedish for chapathi or parantha stuffing. The aroma was very good.

Hope you like it.

Serves - 1 -2 person

Ingredients
Paneer/Cottage Cheese - 20 cubes
Fresh Methi leaves/Venthaya Keerai/Fenugreek leaves - 1/2 cup
Pudina leaves/Mint - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 no
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Bisibelebath powder- 1 tspn(I used MTR)- Optional but I have used it.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Chat masala - a pinch
Green chilli - 2nos(optional)
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt

Preparation Method
Scramble paneer and keep it.
Chop onion, g. chilli, methi and pudina finely.
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil onion and saute for few mins.
Now add the leaves and saute till the onions are turning brown.
Add paneer, salt, turmeric, garam masala, bisibelebath powder and mix well.
Let it cook well and combine.
Sprinkle chat masala and off the stove.

Serve hot with phulkas/chapathis.

Notes - If you want to prepare for more persons, increase the ingredients accordingly.

Quick Fix Indian by Ruth Kahate A Cookbook Review

This is the first time I am reviewing a cookbook. The author is Ruth Kahate.

The book has lot of Indian Vegetarian and Non vegetarian recipes, which is simple and easy in 30 mins.

Loved the book and hope you enjoy making the recipes.

Loved this Baby potato in green masala recipe.

Cheers,
Saraswathi

Onam Recipes | Festival Menu!

Onam Sadya Recipes from Sara's Corner. Please click on the names for recipes.Do try and share your feedback




Palapazham Payasam

Unniappam or Banana Appam

Vegetable Sambar

Aviyal

Puli Inji

Mathan Pachadi

Olan

Poriyal

Kootu

Rasam

Pickle

Ada pradaman /Chakka pradaman 

Vendakai /Pineapple pachadi

Happy Onam to friends celebrating!

Paneer Butter Masala | Paneer Recipes

Paneer Butter Masala is one of the favourite at my home, which I prepare often.  Do checkout my recipes Tomato Paneer, Mutter Paneer, Palak Paneer, Pepper Paneer, and many more varieties previously in my Paneer recipes here. 

Ingredients

Tomato - 1 no(Big and deseeded)
Onion - 2nos
Paneer - 15-20 pieces(for Homemade Paneer click here)
Garlic - 1 clove
Spices - cinamon, cardamom, cloves ; 1 or 2 each
Kasoori Methi - 1/2 tspn
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala -  1/2 tspn
Full Cream Milk - 1 cup
Ghee or Butter - 2 tblspn
Cream - 2 tspns(Optional)
Sugar - 1/2 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method

Soak paneer cubes in warm water.

Chop onion and tomato to medium size cubes.

In a Kadai, put little oil and spices, half the chopped onion, tomato and garlic. Saute till its soft. Allow it to cool and grind to a fine paste with little milk. I sometimes do a coarse paste.

In the same Kadai, put 1 tblspn ghee/butter, add 2 tblspns of finely chopped onion and tomato(Optional), a pinch of salt saute, add crushed kasoori methi (see notes below)

Add grounded paste with little water. Add salt to taste. Keep it in low flame. Keep Stirring.

Once its cooked well, tomato puree and allow one boil. Then add milk, mix and boil it. Add all masalas and mix well. Keep it in low flame. Once its boiled, check for salt and add paneer and mix well. It should be not too thick or too runny. Just semi gravy and blend well. Add sugar and stir well. You can also add a pinch of kasoori methi. Allow it to boil once and off the stove. Add 1 tblspn of butter on top and off the stove. 

Top it up with cream if you like or serve just like that.

I have served with Phulkas.

Paneer Butter Masala is ready to serve. This can be a side dish for Chapathi, Naan, Kulcha and Rotis (Indian Breads) or Pulao.

This recipe is going to Cooking with love Sister by Ruchika and Saraswathi Iyer.

Cooking with love Uncle ~ Event Roundup!

Thank you friends for all your entries to Cooking with Love Uncle. Below is the roundup. Wish my brother Rakhi and everyone celebrating this festival.

My friend Mrs. Lalitha has sent me Urad Dal Vada recipe

Ingredients

Urid dhal - 1 cup

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Ginger - 1 small sliced ginger

Green chilli - 4 nos.

Onion -  1(chopped finely optional)

Garlic - 2(optional)

Curry leaves - one leaflet

Preparation method

Soak Urid dhal and raw rice for 45 mins. Wash it with water and drain it for a while. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies and grind it nicely adding very little water in a mixer grinder. 

Take the paste out in a bowl. Add some curry leaves and finely chopped onion. Heat refined oil in a kadai. Flatten the paste in a small banana leaf or in a oil greased plate and deep fry in the oil. Take it out when it is golden brown. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Hope to you in the next event.

Cheers,
Saraswathi

Rainbow Food for Toddlers Event Roundup!

Hi Friends,

Sorry for the delay in roundup. I thank Nithu for giving me an opportunity to host the event.


Here you go with the Roundup for Rainbow Food for Toddlers. Thank you all for sending your delicious recipes for the event.

Nehal has sent 5 entries and she wins an Award. Thank you Nehal.

Gobi Paratha by Nehal

Khajur Rolls by Nehal

Pasta with Basil Pesto by Nehal

Mixed Vegetable Cutlets by Nehal

Kothu Naan  by Nithu

Chikoo Nutella Milkshake by Meghana

Palak Carrot Dal by Meghana

Eggless banana squash muffins by Nehal

Food for Toddlers by Saraswathi Iyer

 

Vanilla Cup Cake by Shewtha

Ingredients:

     1. Plain flour (Maida ) -  2 cups

     2. Sugar - 7 - 8  tblspoons

     3. Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin ( Approximately 250 ML)

     4. Buttermilk - 12 tblspoons . Incase of yogurt then use 6-7 spoons and mix sufficient water.

     5. Sunflower oil - 10 - 12 tblspoons

     6. Salt - 1/4 tsp

     7. Soda Bicarb - 1/2 tsp

     8. Baking Powder - 1 1/2 to 2 tsp

     9. Vanilla Essence - 6 - 8 drops.

Preparation:

   1. First preheat the oven to 175 - 180 celsius. 

   2. In a bowl mix and sift the dry ingredients twice or thrice.

   3. In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients and whisk either by a wooden spatula or hand blender for 4-5 minutes

   4. Now slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and keep whisking so that the mixtures are well blended without any lumps.

   5. Now arrange 12 paper cups in a baking tray or in a cup cake tray and fill the batter till half way in the cups.

   6. Bake for 20- 25 mins or till a toothpic inserted comes out clean from the cakes.

   7. After baking allow the cup cakes to cool completely.

   8. Decorate with Cream, Edible food pearls, Sugar spots etc as per ur wish.

Vanilla essence can be substituted by any other essence as well. 

Nehal pls accept the award and post in your blog.

Do send in your entries to Cooking with Love Uncle.

Cheers,
Saraswathi

Potato Bags | Snack Recipes | Party Starters| Kids Recipes!

Hi Friends,

I am taking a small break now and then from blogging as tied up with other things at home. I was feeling bored not blogging for few days. I will be back with the event roundup.

Today I am sharing an easy snack recipe.

I actually wanted to name it as money bags, then renamed it as Potato Bags. I prepared this on a sunday, when it was raining. My son enjoyed and was asking what is this amma...

Ingredients for dough
Maida - 1 cup
Omam/Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1 tblspn
Oil/ghee - 1 tspn
Salt
Oil for deep frying.

Stuffing
Potato Masal- As required(click here for recipe) I used the left over potato masal.

Preparation Method
Mix maida, ghee/oil, omam, salt with little water to make a dough. Rest it for half n hour.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok.
Knead well. Take little quantity of dough like lemon size and spread thinly with rolling pin to small circle. Cut with a lid to round shape. (Like poori)
stuff required quantity of potato masal, slowly close the edges to form a bag and press in centre. (You can take out extra dough on top if required)
Deep fry till golden brown.

Potato Bags are ready to serve. Serve hot with Green chutney or Ketchup. This can be a party starter and snack recipe. Kids will surely love it.

This recipe along with Potato Cutlet is going to Crazy for Potatoes by Sowmya and Pari.

Food for Toddlers | 1-2 yrs

Dear Friends,

I am sharing this food for Toddlers actually reposting between 1-2 yrs. For recipes below 1 yr click here.

When teething process starts its good to give them fully mashed or paste. Food should not be too solid or too liquid just they can easily swallow.

Recipe 1 - Thayir Sadam/Curd Rice
This is very good for children curds should not be sour. So prepare the curds in the morning so by afternoon its perfect for lunch. This is very cooling to the body.

In a mixie add cooked rice - 1/2 cup, salt and 1/2 cup curds. Grind to a fine paste transfer it to a bowl and feed. Optional can also add cooked toor dal, rasam or cooked vegetables to very little quantity just for flavour.

Recipe 2 - Beetroot Rice

All vegetables are good for kids beetroot is good for haemoglobin.

Always wash, cut and cook vegetables. Its always good to cook vegetables in pressure cooker.

Take 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cooked beetroot, a little salt and 1/2 cup curds.

Grind all in mixie to a fine paste and feed the baby.

Recipe 3 - Mixed Rice
In a mixie add 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup vegetables in sambar or kootu, 1laddle rasam and a pinch of salt.

Grind all to a fine paste and serve the baby when cool.

Recipe 4 - Rice with Spinach/Palak

Cook Palak with or without salt. (Salt or sugar neednot be added while cooking since sugar makes them hyperactive)

In a mixie add cooked rice, palak, ghee and dal grind to a fine paste.

Recipe 5 - Tiffin you can also give them a little amount of Upma, Pongal, Idli, Dosa and Ragi Dosa which is healthy and tasty for the tiny buds.

Recipe 6 - Steamed/Cooked fruits thats Apple or Banana. Wash and remove skin, seeds of an apple and cook in boiling water or in pressure cooker. Mash and feed baby so it doesnot choke.

Recipe 7 - Fresh fruit juices/Plain Yogurt. Always its good to expose baby to new food like juices or yogurt which is very refreshing and healthy.

Recipe 8 - Vegetable rice

In a mixie put cooked rice , 2 tspns cooked tour dal, 1 cup cooked veggie (beans,carrot and potato) ghee

1/2 cup non spicy rasam.

Grind all these to a fine paste and feed the baby when its cool.

Apart from these you can also give follow up milk, baby products juices or bottle food. After 2 years when almost all teeth has come, you can start feeding a little mix of normal food without grinding. Its also good to make baby sit when parents are having lunch/dinner and encourage self eating. Spoon feeding is recommended. The earlier you make them tastes all food, later you will have no problem otherwise surely they will not eat few food likes curds and fruits. This is very common problem with babies.

Last but not least have lots of patience and serve with lots of love:-) So many things will happen at this stage be prepared and enjoy!

Notes - 1 cup rice = steamed/cooked plain rice and you can adjust measure accordingly.

Tips - While feeding baby its good you intereact with them and feed. Keep warm water, spoon, towel ready before you start serving. Can also watch TV, rhymes and listen music. Its good to make them eat at one place and not moving inside and outside house. I remember in India, we used to feed them showing crow, dog:) here in abroad just at home.

Add little ghee for all the dishes for flavour and health benefits. Do not add ghee when baby has cold and cough.
Note : When adding curds do not add ghee.

Sorry, I was not allowed to take baby food photos that time.

Soya Paneer Vegetable Pulao and Enrico's Soyamate Product Review!

Today I am sharing a recipe and about a Product Soyamate. When I received a pack for the review, I accepted as this is very healthy. Thanks #enrico.

Enrico's Soyamate is produced by a special process, made from Soya Flour by extrusion process and cut into chunks. These are dried, made free from fines and hygeinically packed. SOYAMATE is an ideal family food/100% vegetarian/ rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, easy to prepare. Soyamate is rich in high quality vegetable protein, packed with natural vitamins and minerals.Its PROTEIN content is over 52%, which provides nutrition no staple food can match. 250gms Soyamate nas as much protein as 1 kg. mutton or 3.9 litres milk or 24 eggs. This is available in Malaysia. So when you are out to Malaysia, don't forget to buy.

Source: Soyamate Page on FB - Soyamate.

Soyamate Soya chunk is very good and tasted great. I was not big fan of soya and now after tasting, planning to include in my diet.

When I was going to prepare Soyamate Soya Veggie Pulav, added paneer, as my son loves paneer in all dishes.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Diabetic Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Carrot - 1no
French Beans - 20 nos
Green Peas - 1 cup
Soya chunks/Meal maker - 2 cups
Paneer cubes - 1 cup (Optional)
Spices - 2nos each cloves, cardamom, cinamom, bay leaf
Garam Masala - 1 tablespoon
Channa Masala - 1/2 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon (Adjust according to your taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Water - 4 cups
Milk - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Ghee/Butter - 1 tspn(optional)
Jeera - 1 tspn
Kasoori Methi - 1 tablespoon
Salt

To grind

Big onion - 1no
Ginger garlic -2" piece
spices - cloves, cardamom, cinamon, star anise.
Green Chilli - 3 nos (As per your taste)
Mint and coriander - 2 cups

Preparation Method
Wash, rinse and soak basmati rice in water.
Chop the vegetables to medium size cubes.
Soak soya chunks in hot water for few mins.
In a pressure cooker, add 1 tspn oil, spices, 1/2 onion, ginger, garlic, coriander and mint. Do not fry too much just fry until onions are transparant. Off the stove. Allow it to cool and grind to coarse paste.
Heat the same pressure cooker, with ghee and rest of the oil, bay leaf, add jeera, add chopped onion, the grounded paste, vegetables and allow it to boil once. Then add aneer and soya chunks.
Add the soaked basmati rice and mix well. Add water and milk.
Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, channa masala, red chilli powder, salt, kasoori methi and mix well.
Let it boil once, then close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.





Delicious Soya Paneer Vegetable Pulao is ready to serve. Serve with Tomato Raitha.

This recipe is going to Cooking with Love Uncle event hosted by me.


Notes - You can add your choice of vegetables.

Cooking with Love - Uncle | Event Announcement!

Dear Friends,

This month one of the host was not able to announce the event, so I am taking this opportunity to host as my uncle/chithappa passed away  on December 20th 2011. We were all living in joint family, so this uncle is very close and attached, he used to take me to school, college, office. He was loving, patient and caring. He was diabetic and was under dialysis and passed away suddenly. I was shocked as I met everyone on 19th and told them will be leaving on 21st Dec to SG. Still I cannot believe this has happened. I saw his face and extended my ticket to do all rituals. Personally I will be posting his favourite dishes too and dedicate this event to him. He has a son who is studying MBA and wife also passed away 4 yrs back, just remembring my family back in Bangalore.


May his soul rest in peace and give strength to my cousin to his future.

Inviting you all to participate in this event and send in your yummy entries.

RULES

1. Post any vegetarian recipe from starter to desserts liked or prepared for your "Uncle" between July 1st to 31st July with this event announcement.
2. Please link your entries below, and if you have any problem do drop in an email at simplysara07@gmail.com with your entry.
3. Non-bloggers too can participate in this event, send in your recipe by email to me with a photograph.
4. Archived entries are accepted only if you repost with this event announcement. Multiple entries are accepted.


Do send in your entries  for 
Healthy Food for Healthy Kids - Rainbow Food for Toddlers ends 10th July click here for details. 

Feel free to leave your comment. Hope you enjoy the participation @ Sara's Corner.

Looking forward for your support and participation.

Cheers,
Saraswathi Iyer

Methi Matar Gravy Recipe!

After my Guest Post for my dear blogger friend Lavanya of Tickle your Tastebuds and Make Life Delicious. Just posting for my readers. Also received a certificate of participation. Thanks Lavanya and this was Shortlisted recipe for the “From your kitchen contest: special Ingredient – “Green Peas / Matar” – Popular choice winner, on Top 5 by FoodFood on Facebook. I didnot win but I was happy to be on Top 5 and got about 25 likes. Thank you everyone.

Ingredients
Fresh Methi leaves/Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup
Mint leaves/Pudina - 1/2 cup
Frozen peas/Matar - 1 1/2 cups
Onion - 2 nos

Milk - 1 cup

Spieces - 2 nos each

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Butter/Ghee(Clarified Butter) - 1/2 tspn

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Garam masala - 1 tspn

Red chilli powder - 1 tspn

Kasoori Methi - 2 pinches.

Sugar - 1/2 tspn

Salt

Preparation Method

Wash and clean, pat dry methi leaves.

In a kadai, heat oil, add the spices saute for a minute.

Add onions and fry till transparant. Add ginger garlic paste.save little for later use.

Add methi leaves, pudina and fry. Off the stove. Allow it to cool.

Grind to fine paste.

Heat a kadai, add butter/ghee, add spices if you require and saute.

Add saved onons, ginger garlic paste and saute.

Add the grounded mixture. and boil it.

Add the peas and mix. Add garam masala, red chilli powder,

Add milk and boil. Add sugar.

Add kasoori methi.

Check with salt. Off the stove.

Serve with Hot Chapathis/Breads.

Notes - If you feel you will taste bitter, reduce the methi leaves. I love bitter sometimes:)

Homemade Kulfi | Flavoured Milk Popsicle| My New Method!

This Kulfi or Icecream prepared specially for my hubby and son. Simple and easy method my style, just love I got this idea from the Paal Payasam I prepared for my son's 4th Birthday. I had prepared in large quantity. I had chilled some for him. Then when I was serving my hubby, got this idea by seeing the colour why not I try and see how it comes.

My family really enjoyed it and my hubby was surprised with my idea/method. I told him after he enjoyed it:-)

Ingredients
Paal Payasam - 4 glasses(For recipe click here I have updated with new photos).
Ice cream moulds/popsicles
chopped nuts (optional)

Preparation method
Just pour the paal payasam in the moulds and freeze for a day.

You can add nuts if you wish. I have not added. I just cut one kulfi for my son who didnot know how to eat in popsicle:)

Enjoy the Kulfi my new style as it is or remove and cut, garnish with chopped nuts before serving.

My Guest Post for Lavanya!

Dear Friends,

My Guest Post for my dear blogger friend Lavanya of Tickle your Tastebuds and Make Life Delicious is out now. She has a beautiful space, click here to read my guest post.

Let me know what do you think?

Cheers,
Saraswathi Iyer

Red Chutney | Sidedish for Idlis and Dosas!

Today we are learning about Red Chutney/Dip usually eaten at Restuarant with Idlis or Dosa.

Red Chutney is very delicious chutney/dip for idlis and dosas. Also one of my blog reader had asked me for this recipe. Here you go.

Ingredients
Onion - 1no
Tomatoes - 1no(small Red n Ripe)
Uzhatham Paruppu/Urad Dal - 1 tspn
Kadalai Paruppu/Channa Dal- 1 tablespoon
Long Dry red chilli - 5nos (As per your taste)I used Byadagi Menasinakayi.
Any cooking Oil/Olive Oil - 1 tspn
Pudina/Mint leaves - 4 to 5 nos(Optional)
Garlic - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a wok or kadai, add oil, channa dal, urad dal,red chilli, onion, garlic, tomato and saute till the dal is brown. Add pudina if you are adding in the late. Allow it to cool.
Add salt and grind to coarse paste in mixie/blender when cool. Add just little water it should be thick.

Red chutney is ready to serve. I served it with hot Dosa. You can also spread it on dosa and stuff Potato Masala for Masala Dosa. Click here for Dosa varieties. You can have it with Idlis/Adai too.

Notes - You can prepare without onion, garlic and pudnia also, it will taste good.
Store it air tight container and refridgerate for later use.