CHILLI PANEER GRAVY RECIPE | INDO CHINESE RECIPES

       After making chilli paneer dry recipe so many times for fried rice, now its time for me to try chilli paneer gravy recipe. I decided to try this after tasting it in Indian wok. 2 weeks back also we went to the same restaurant for tasting this especially, inspite of Vj’s super busy work schedules. This is so very easy to make at home. So when ever you make any fried rice, you can make chilli paneer gravy as side dish for it. Try once at home, you will realize how easy and tasty this can be made at home! The day I made we enjoyed this with fried rice, Aj was very thrilled to see his lunch fried rice and chilli paneer gravy. So why not impress your family too with this simple one?
     And advanced Happy Independence day !!!

Chilli paneer gravy recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch / Sides
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Paneer cubes	1 & 1/2 cups
Capsicum	1
Onion	1
Spring onion	2 sprigs
Large variety chilli	1
Black pepper powder	1 tsp
Chilli tomato sauce	1 tblsp
Soya sauce	1 & 1/2 tblsp
Chopped garlic	1 tblsp
Chopped ginger	1 tblsp
Corn flour	1 tblsp
Coriander leaves	2 tblsp
Oil	3 tblsp
Salt	As needed

For batter frying paneer cubes

Maida/ APF	2 tblsp
Rice flour	1 tblsp
Corn flour	1 tblsp
Salt	As needed
Oil	for deep frying

Method

1. Chop capsicum and onion to cubes. I used tri coloured capsicum for eye appealing result. Chop the spring onion bottom part and leaf part separately. Slice the big chilli diagonally. Very finely chop ginger and garlic. Click here to see the ingredients chopped.  Prepare a thick batter out of maida and other flours. Dip each paneer cube and deep fry in hot oil and keep aside.

2. In a broad pan, add oil and add garlic, ginger and give a quick stir. Add onions, capsicum, chilli and fry in high flame for a minute.

3. Add sauces, pepper powder and fry in low flame for 30 seconds. Add 1 & 3/4 cups(approx) of water and bring to boil. Add salt.

4. Add the deep fried paneer cubes and dissolve 1 tblsp corn flour with 3 tblsp of water and add it to the boiling gravy. Mix gently, It will thicken and lastly garnish with coriander leaves and green part of spring onion. Switch off the flame.

Notes

• Adding lots of garlic and ginger is very important for this gravy. It should be seen in the gravy, so make sure you dont burn/ brown it while frying.
• Drop one paneer cube at a time in hot oil while deep frying to prevent sticking together. I dont mean to deep fry one by one, just add in oil one by one and fry in batches.
• The batter should be thick enough to coat the paneer cubes easily. Not too thick.
• Do not add more corn flour towards the end, or else you will end up having a blob instead gravy.
• Add more pepper powder, its the only spice you have inspite of the big chilli which is not that spicy. You can add small green chillies too but this one lends nice flavour.

Remember to eat hot as its more of a fast food. Goes well with fried rice.

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Capsicum cheese paratha recipe - Kids recipes

         This idea of making capsicum cheese paratha flashed when I read about a review in FB about Annalakshmi at Chennai. The review had the menu which they served for aadi perukku. It had this capsicum cheese paratha. So the instant I read about it, I decided I am gonna try it. Coz, its an awesome combination, capsicum and cheese are made for each other!  I have had lunch buffet in Annalakshmi few time here in SG.  And we order food for Aj’s Birthday party from Annalakshmi every time we plan his party. Here they run this restaurant for a noble cause, so we are double happy for not only tasty food, for something good too. And about this paratha, sure the kids at home are gonna love this simply for the combination. So why not try this for your family and I am sure you yourself would love it too.

Capsicum cheese paratha recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Breakfast
Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 5 mins per paratha    |  Makes: 5

Ingredients

Wheat flour/ atta - 1 cup, levelled

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Water - as needed

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Salt - as needed

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Capsicum - 1/2 cup

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Grated cheese - 1/2 cup

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Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp

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Oil - for pan fry

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Method

1. First mix flour, salt with water (1/2 cup approx) and prepare dough. Keep aside. Chop capsicum into tiny cubes. Defrost cheese and add it to the capsicum along with chilli flakes.

2. Mix well and now, knead the dough and divide into 5 equal balls. Roll out and keep the capsicum mixture in middle.

3. Close it by pinching towards middle and roll out carefully both sides with generous dusting into thick parathas.

4. Cook over hot tawa with oil drizzled. Cook in medium flame to ensure even cooking. You can press gently with spatula for even browning.

Notes

• The water quantity is only a guidance and it may vary +/- 1 tblsp.
• Give standing time of atleast 15 mins for the dough to become smooth. Knead again after resting for smooth dough.
• I used both red and green capsicum, to make more appealing for kids.
• You can add chilli powder or pepper powder instead chilli flakes.
• You can also add chilli flakes and any Italian herb thats left over from your pizza order.
• Do not reduce cheese as it gives a great taste along with capsicum
• I used grated mixed cheese I bought for making pizza.
• You can replace cheese with paneer too. 
• The cheese melts when its being cooked, so when it cools, it will get solidified again.

I really wanted to show how it was inside, but I could not resist myself finishing the parathas after clicking. Tasted great with boondi raita and pickle.

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Lunch menu 14 - With Urundai kuzhambu, Rasam, Potato curry

Hope everyone enjoying the long weekend after all the Biryani galore and other sweet treat from your friends who celebrated Ramadan(or themselves). I love their Nonbu Kanji best than any other. Yes, I have tasted once (vegetarian version) when I was a kid, but still remember the flavours! Ok now, today’s menu is with Paruppu urundai Kuzhambu. I wanted to make it yesterday itself and schedule the post today, but it has become a routine for me to do last minute posts. So what?  Here you all go hot hot lunch spread with urundai kuzhambu, rasam, potato curry with ground spices.
This is my favourite kuzhambu recipe and I love to have those urundais (koftas) as such. And this time also I wanted to write how I prepared the meals as it could help the beginners or bachelors to easily plan their cooking.

Urundai kuzhambu south Indian meals

Recipe Cuisine: Indian   |  Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 3hrs     |  Cook time:1 Hr

1. Soak the dal 3 hours prior to start preparing lunch, say while you prepare breakfast. You can soak tamarind too in hot water for rasam and kuzhambu.
2. So when you enter kitchen to prepare lunch, keep rice in cooker and proceed with the chopping works.
3. Potato for the curry, Onion for kuzhambu(grinding,frying), potato curry and tomato for rasam and kuzhambu. Curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies as need.
4. Once cutting is over, grate coconut for kuzhambu and little for the curry. Extract tamarind juice.
5. Now grinding works. First finish grinding for the urundai, then for potato curry and lastly for kuzhambu.
6. Now stove work. First keep rasam, then kuzhambu (let boil in another stove) and side by side curry. You can fry appalam lastly for rasam if needed.

So the lunch is ready! Paruppu urundai kuzhambu, potato curry, rasam with rice and appalam. End with mor sadham or thayir sadam .
Here are the recipe links :

1. Paruppu urundai kuzhambu
2. Potato curry with fresh ground spices
3. Rasam recipes

You can add vegetables like brinjal or drumstick or potato and make this kuzhambu as well.
Have a great weekend with home food

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11 Top south Indian breakfast recipes from Rakskitchen

Here are the top south Indian breakfast recipes from Rak's Kitchen for easy access. Click on the image  it will take you to the corresponding recipe page. Our south Indian recipes mostly has rice, lentils like urad dal or moong dal or any flour like wheat flour or maida

or semolina also known as sooji or rava as main ingredients. The preparation time and cooking time varies from 30 mins to 18 hrs depending upon the process of the recipe.

      

      

      

   

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Minestrone soup recipe (Vegetarian Minestrone soup with pasta)

As I have said before, I am not big fan of soups, but I dont hate it. Minestrone soup recipe is always the one I wanted to try for long time, I have seen this in the menu of Pasta mania, but was not comfortable having it there as I was worried if its pure vegetarian or not. Otherwise, I love pasta, and sure it would be nice to have pasta in soups. We can add it to our usual tomato soup as well. It will be nice, but when I saw this authentic minestrone soup recipe in an Italian cook book, I really wanted to try that way. So tried it according to the ingredients availability and my taste. Minestrone soup is supposed to be made with lots of vegetables along with pasta or rice. And its supposed to be an one pot meal that fills your tummy.

Minestrone soup recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Continental  |  Recipe Category: Dinner
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 30 mins    |  Serves: 3 

Ingredients

Carrot - 1

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Potato - 1

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Beans - 6

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Celery - 2 stalks

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Onion - 1

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Tomato - 2

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Garlic - 2

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Vegetable stock - 3 cups

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Salt - As needed

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Water - As needed

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Olive oil - 2 tblsp

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Butter - 2 tblsp

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Parmesan grated - 2 tblsp

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Method

1. Finely chop garlic, onion and chop other veggies to small cubes. If you are using tinned bean, then drain and use in the recipe. If using dried bean, soak overnight, cook until soft. I pressure cooked for 3 whistles with a pinch of salt. In a large sauce pan (I used my cooker), heat butter and oil together.

2. Add garlic, onion frying each for a minute in medium flame. Add all the vegetables one by one and frying each for a minute, without changing the colour. Add celery and lastly the bean.

3. Add cooked bean and mix well. Add vegetable stock, bring to boil and simmer the flame to cook the vegetables.

4. Once the veggies are cooked (just right, do not over cook) add salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is done and top with water (add water) every now and then if needed or to get desired consistency of the soup. Season generously with pepper.

Notes

• I used black eyed beans, you can use white or red kidney beans, chickpeas, double beans  as per availability.
• My carrot, potato, tomato were small in size, so use accordingly.
• The consistency of the soup is purely your choice, so add water while making the soup accordingly.
• Do not add pasta more than mentioned, otherwise soup may thicken too much.
• Instead of pasta, you can use rice also. Also any shape of pasta can be used, I used alphabet pasta. So I have mentioned as 3 tblsp. If bigger shaped pasta, use more.
• Don't forget Parmesan cheese. 

         Serve at room temperature with olive oil and Parmesan for seasoning. Can be served chilled as well. Wholesome!

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Vegetable stock recipe (Homemade vegetarian vegetable stock)

  Vegetable stock is not only healthy to use in your soups, but also adds flavour to your soups. I am not a soup person, that is lazy to prepare soup at home. Even at restaurants, I junk eat the other starters rather than a soup. There are sometimes when I feel like having soup, then only I like to have soup. I love rich and creamy soups as well as clear soups. Recently I am loving tomato basil bisque from subway. I wanted to try vegetable stock in some soup and see the taste difference and searched for vegetable stock at stores and sadly all the top brands arent vegetarian. So I had to try myself at home. And this stock recipe is one I adapted from an Italian cook book. So it may not be an Indian style stock recipe, but sure is healthy and  tasty. And I really don't know if there is Indian style stock recipe.

Vegetable stock recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Continental  |  Recipe Category: Starter
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 1 hour     |  Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients

Carrot - 1

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Cabbage - 4 leaves

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Beans - 8

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Celery - 2 stalks

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Onion - 1

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Tomato - 1

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Salt - 1 pinch

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Sugar - 2 pinches

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Water - 5 cups

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Method

1. Bring water to boil in a large vessel and add all the vegetables roughly chopped to it.When it boils, simmer the flame to lowest and cover cook for 45-60 mins.

2. Strain the vegetables by pressing down in a sieve or metal strainer and cool down completely.

Notes

• This vegetables are just a guidance and you can use the vegetables available in your fridge.
• Its best way to use the left over veggies, to utilize it.
• The recipe dint ask to fry any ingredient, so just boil as such!

You can store this stock in a container in fridge for 3 days or even freeze and use as when needed! Next post is a soup recipe obviously!

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Aadi 18 perukku recipes - Lunch menu 13

   Today is aadi perukku (aadi 18) or as we call 18-aam peyar. Both mom and MIL celebrate this day. Mom makes variety rice as today I have made, while MIL makes full meals with sambar, rasam, poriyal, kootu, vadai, payasam and appalam. Along with this, we soak rice and then mix with jaggery and offer it to the “manjal pillayar” and tie yellow thread in neck. I wanted to make mom’s way this time. No need to panic by seeing so many dishes in the picture, its actually 5 items + medhu vadai. That’s it. Really! Its easier than making the full south Indian spread. I want to share this time how I prepared this menu (for 3) also, to prove that this is easy! Prepare pulikaichal the before day, to make it easy.

Aadi perukku recipes

Recipe Cuisine: Indian   |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins     |  Cook time: 2 hrs mins     |  Serves: 3

1. Morning, on wake up, soak urad dal/ ulundhu for vadai and thengai sadam.
2. In a small cooker, (directly) cook 1 cup raw rice with 3 cups water for 4 whistles. This is for Curd rice and sakkarai pongal.
3. In another stove, pressure cook raw rice 1 & 1/2 cups with 2 cups water for 3 whistles (in medium flame after 1st whistle) for the other variety rice.
4. Grate coconut for coconut rice meanwhile.
5. Once the 1 cup rice for curd rice and pongal, take half for curd rice in a vessel and leave the rest of the rice in the cooker itself.
6. Mash both and for curd rice add 1/2 cup hot water and salt.
7. Make jaggery syrup for pongal and prepare pongal.
8. If the rice for the other variety rice is done meanwhile, divide into 3 in three vessels and add 2 tsp of sesame oil in each, mix and let it cool down.
9. Now its time to give some work to the kadai. Heat it up and roast for ellu sadam, thengai sadam. Keep aside.
10. Now start tempering everything – first pongal, then curd rice, coconut rice, ellu sadam.
11. Grind for ellu sadam. That’s it, mix all the variety rice.
12. Lastly grind for vadai and heat oil in kadai for deep frying side by side.
13. Make vadai and fry appalam (for god) and some vadams.

This will take hardly 1 hour and less work as no cutting works involved. If you want you can make avial – if you are worried about vegetables. Or simply potato curry.     So here is what I made : Sakkarai pongal , medhu vadai, Thenga sadam (coconut rice), Puliyodharai (puliyogare), Ellu sadam (sesame rice) and Thayir sadam (Curd rice).

1. Sakkarai pongal recipe
2. Medhu vadai recipe
3. Coconut rice recipe
4. Puliyogare recipe
5. Thayir sadam recipe
6. Sesame rice recipe

Puliyogare can be replaced with lemon rice and sakkarai pongal can be replaced with kalkandu pongal or any payasam. Have a great weekend with homey food .

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