Wuzji Chaman | Paneer in Red Sauce | Kashmiri style

End of month and that means time for chefsacrossboundaries. This month's challenge was to explore the Kashmiri Cuisine and come up with a best, not the commonly known ones called my friend Nidhi.

Kashmir is a State well known for it's unique culture and tradition.I guess,You might remember pashimas and other winter related stuff. In addition to this is their unique food and related cultures. After doing my kind of research I narrowed down to a simple paneer based recipe. Paneer , the Indian cottage cheese is called Chaman in Kashmir.

What I'm sharing with you all is a part of wazwan cuisine.This is a simple gravy with fiery red color and straight and distinct flavors from dry ginger and fennel that blends with yogurt and the result is just nothing short of delicassy.This is generally served with plain white rice. Butwith  jeera rice also it tasted yum.

Ingredients

Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese .................... 1 cup
Yogurt ....................................................... 1.5 tbsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder ........................... 1 tsp
Dry ginger Powder ...................................... 1 tsp
Fennel Powder .......................................... 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom ..................................... 2
Black cardamom ....................................... 1
Cloves ...................................................... 2
Cinnamon ................................................ 1 inch stick
Oil ............................................................ 1 tbsp + extra to fry
Salt ........................................................ to taste
Water ....................................................... 1/2 cup (adjust to consistency)

Method

• Cube the paneer into an inch pieces.
• heat oil in a deep kadai until just few minutes to smoke.
• Fry the paneer quickly until golden brown.Set aside.Do this process with proper temperature otherwise paneer might turn rubbery.
• In a separate kadai add a tbsp of oil , to that add the green and black cardamom, clove and cinnamon.
• Then add the ginger and fennel powder and immediately add the yogurt followed by red chilli powder and mix thoroughly.
• N ow add water and paneer and salt and allow it to boil . 
• when you aee the oil floating on the top, the gravy is ready.

Jil Jil Jigarthanda and the memories of hometown

When in  sun , you miss the shade . So true. Easily available things often get under estimated. That is how I feel and long for certain things which you don't get in any other part of the world. Home and hometown always leads this list while some others are silent followers.

I've earlier told you all that I've teamed up with Dolphia , Anjana , Subhasmitha and Jyothi in doing a themed post every month.This month the unanimous choice was 'cold beverages to have a sip' and this is my contribution towards this theme.

Summer is here and it's quite unbearable called Amma over the phone. Just wanted to go back few years and relive those summer days back in Tirunelveli,my home town. By the end of March , school will be almost over and we friends will get to play indoor games in the day and Moms will be busy making vadams and pickles for the rest of the year. Mom will be generous with lemonade and neer mor ( thin  buttermilk). Tender coconut water and nungu (palm fruit )  and tender cucumber are part of culture here during  these peak summer days. And the evenings are always fun playing out even after it turns dark. I guess we were a team of 15 + kids making as much noise as we could making elders feel like sending us to school again if possible.By the mid of may , breeze will start again , when the monsoon sets in Kerala . Since my place is so close to the Kerala Tamil Nadu border, we get to enjoy a beautiful weather that time with a lovely breeze & some occasional rain. Last week of may will be busy buying text books and notebooks for the academic year and wrapping them with brown covers, labeling them with our names.There is so much to write and share but saving them for later.

Tirunelveli's pride is halwa. But along with that I would add this Nannari Sherbet also. During summer days , people consume this like anything as Nannari('Sarasaparilla') is well known for it's ayurvedic and medicinal properties and is also a natural body coolant. You can find this in street side stalls, small eateries and other restaurants.

Now coming to our recipe , Jigar in Urdu means liver and thanda means cool . Jil is the term that refers to cool in tamil.Early muslims / Mughals who settled in and around Madurai made this a part of their culture , as they felt intense heat during summer days  and  used Almond resins ( Badam Gond ) and Nannari syrup to keep the body cool naturally. Madurai, the city famous for it's Meenakshi temple and Jasmine flowers added this Jigirthanda to it's fame list later.But now , this Jil Jil Jigirthanda is famous all across  TN.
 Now , this picture tell you how I enjoyed mine !

The main ingredient Badam Resin / badam gond is kind of milk that settles on the barks of the tree that gets dried up later. This is a natural body coolant and completely edible . When you soak these pearls , the form a natural jelly.You can pick this up from departmental stores and ayurvedic shops / naatu marunthu kadai.

Ingredients

Whole milk .................................. .................6 cups/ 1.5 lr
Nannari Syrup (Sarasaparilla Syrup ) ............... 4 tsp * refer notes
Badam Gond / Badam Pisin / Almond Resin ........ 1 tbsp *refer notes
Vanilla Ice cream .............................................. few scoops
Sugar ............................................................. 3 to 4 tsp, optional ( I didn't add)
Almonds ..................................................... few , chopped for Garnish

Method

• Check the badam gond for any left over brown parts and remove them. Soak in a cup of water for 4 to 6 hrs / over night.
• This badam gond would have bloomed to a cup full of jelly .
• Take a heavy bottom pan and add the milk and cook in slow flame , stirring every now and then.
• Scrape down the maalai / pal edu that forms on the top into the milk again .
• Repeat the same until you find the milk is reduced to 3 cups. Add sugar at this stage and cook for a while in case you want to add them.
• Let the reduced milk come to room temperature , then refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hrs.
• Now to assemble , take a tall glass , add a table spoon of badam jelly to the bottom.
• Add a few drops of nannari syrup and fill with 1/2 a cup of chill reduced milk with a bit of malai / edu. 
• Top it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle some nannari syrup.
• Garnish with chopped nuts.

Note

You can find these badam gond and nannari syrup easily  in naatu marundhu kadai /  Ayurvedic stores.
You can substitute with agar agar , if you can't find badam gond.
Also you can substitute nannari syrup with rose syrup too.
I recommend none other than vanilla flavored ice cream for this drink.

Meatless monday :Baby Eggplants in spicy gravy aka Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu

 I just can't resist myself from buying these purple baby eggplants whenever I see them in the grocery store.If you are following me, by this time you would have noticed my love for eggplants. I've already shared Barbecued eggplants with Zatar and Dry eggplant masala with you.

Making mom's recipe is what we all do. How would you feel if mom is cooking your recipe ? Wouldn't that be awesome ???? Yes, I told my mom about this recipe over the phone. After a couple weeks time I heard her saying ' Sujee , your recipe was just fantastic '. I felt like 'flying in the air'. Now this recipe is popularly termed as Sujatha's enna Kathirikkai Kuzhambu across my family members( you see a proud smile in me ??).

Now coming back to this recipe, it is easy to make and full of nutty flavors and textures. Don't blame me if you help yourself with extra loads.

Ingredients


Baby Eggplants ............................12
Channa dal .................................. 1 tbsp
Urad dal...................................... 1 tsp
Coriander seeds .......................... 2 tsp
Dried red Chillies ........................ 5, adjust to taste
Sesame seeds ...........................  1 tbsp
Roasted Peanuts .......................  1 1/2 tbsp
Coconut,.................................. 1 tbsp , freshly grated
Curry leaves ............................ few
Turmeric .................................... 1/2 tsp
Tamarind .................................... 1 tbsp, tightly packed
Salt ............................................ to taste

To temper

Mustard .................................... 1 tsp
Fenugreek ................................... 1/2 tsp
Oil............................................ 1tbsp + 1 tsp



Method

• Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes and extract the juice with a cup of water.
• Make cross slits in the eggplants , keeping the head intact.
• Heat a kadai , add channa dal, urad , coriander seeds, red chilles and dry roast until channa dal turns golden brown and transfer to a plate.
• In the same pan  add sesame seeds and curry leaves, roast until it pops up and transfer to the same plate.
• Roast the coconuts until it becomes dry and slightly turns in color.
• Now grind all this along with roasted peanuts and salt just enough for the masala and make a coarse paste.
• Divide the paste into two halves.
• Use one half of the paste to fill up or stuff the eggplants.
• Now Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and add the mustard and fenugreek and curry leaves.
• Add the tamarind water, reserved half of the ground paste, turmeric and bit of salt and allow it to boil.
• Heat another shallow pan ( I used Lodge ) with a Tbsp oil and add the stuffed eggplants . Cook for 2 minutes and with a spoon slightly rotate the eggplants. repeat this until the eggplants are cooked and the skin turns crispy.
• Mean while check the consistency of the gravy, add water in case you find it thick.
• Finally add the fried eggplants and cover for 2 minutes. Garnish with Curry leaves.
• Enjoy with steaming hot rice with a dollop of ghee.

Chunky Strawberry Jelly with a hint of lemon

Hard to believe that it's almost a week I posted something here. Yes, sometimes time becomes a luxury. Whether accepting or not , it has become the fact these days.We opt for a proper and healthy breakfast. This gives me the energy for the rest of the day. This has been my routine since childhood.

Hot and pillowy soft idlis (steamed rice cake) and Milagai Podi or some variety of chutney was the standard breakfast as it barely has any oil in it for almost 25 years. Weekends are special with Ven Pongal and eggplant Gothsu . Never I've asked my mom why should I eat idli every day.

But the scenario is  changing as my boy needs variety in everything. Hard ,but the motherhood in me keeps me going. When it comes to western breakfast , bread and jelly / jam is my preference as it needs no work. But I like some texture and less sugar in my jelly , so I prefer making my kind at home.

This strawberry jelly involves no pectin but a bit of lemon juice and zest for that extra notch of taste and also when refrigerated , sugar doesn't crystallize.

Ingredients

Strawberry ................................ 6 cups hulled and quartered
Sugar ....................................... 1.5 to 2 cups (adjust to taste)
Zest of a lemon
Lemon juice ............................. 1 tsp

Method

• Add everything in a heavy bottom pan.
• Keep the heat in medium and cook for 30 minutes, strirring once in 5 minutes.
• Once it thickens up to the consistency just more than coating the back  of spoon, turn off the heat.
• Just a reminder that it thickens up as it cools down and becomes a perfect jelly.
• Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate.

Note

If you cook it to very thick consistency , it becomes even thicker later and you will not be able to spread easily.

Minty Pink Lemonade with ginger

I wonder how Sun plays a vital role in our lives. I might sound crazy to you all. But ,seriously when you live in a cold country with almost 6 months of dark and cloudy sky , you feel kind of low which we call winter blues.We , among friends refer winter as ' black and white ', as we get to see only snow and dark sky.But,when you see bright sun shine , it automatically brings brightness to our lives too. Don't you agree ? I feel like the life is back with all colors , the feeling of Spring.

I know it might be little early to enjoy a chill drink but I'm all set to do so. Usually , When Spring begins allergy season begins too. Nevertheless,Mother Nature has given us plenty of citrus fruits for this season to boost our immunity.

Since this poor grapefruit has a touch of bitterness , my boy doesn't prefer this. I simply make this pink lemonade and the boy takes it in loads happily. I'm also happy as I've sneaked some ginger there too.

Ingredients

Grape fruit juice  ............................. 1 cup , squeezed fresh from the fruit
Lemon Juice ................................... 2 tbsp , freshly squeezed
Cold water ....................................... 3 cups
Fresh Mint ....................................... handful + extra
Ginger  ............................................. 1/2 tsp, grated
Salt .................................................. a pinch
Sugar ..............................................3 to 4 tbsp
Lemon wedges ....................................  few

Method

Mix sugar , 1 cup water, mint and ginger and heat through until sugar melts. let it sit.
Mix grapefruit juice and lemon juice along with cold water.
Now slightly bruise the mint leaves with salt and add it to the mixture.
Stir in the sugar syrup to this.
Mix everything well and add the lemon wedges .
Keep refrigerated .
Serve them topped with some ice cubes and mint leaves.

Meatless Monday : Salted Mint Lassi | Mint with yogurt , healthy thirst quencher

After almost 6 months, it was a pretty warm day here. More than body it's my mind that insisted me to go for something chill. Fresh mint was calling me too. Desi mind was referring to our good old lassi.

I've always loved milk and milk products.Yogurt and butter milk are part my life ( rather part of every Indian ). In India,We make variety of drinks with yogurt. Some are sweet while others are salty.But this is the simplest of all and guilt free too.

During summer , chill butter milk will be kept in a mud pot to help people quench their thirst in every house hold. All you need is yogurt / curd and fresh herbs and you can make variety of drinks. I hope to share some of my other favorites here soon .

Ingredients

Plain Yogurt / curd ........................ 1 cup
Ice cubes ................................... few
Fresh mint ................................ 10 leaves
Fresh ginger ............................ 1/8 tsp , grated
Himalayan Pink Salt / salt ........... to taste
Roasted cumin powder .............. a pinch

Method

Wash the mint leaves and blend with yogurt , ice cubes,salt, ginger.
Pour in serving glasses and add few ice cubes.
Sprinkle some cumin powder on top.
Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy.

No Bake Cheese Cake Trifle

Imagine there is a beautiful dessert in front of you with layers and textures and flavors playing across. Do we really need a reason to enjoy the dessert ? And that too when , with chic looks and bold colors , the dessert is a visual treat to your eyes!!

I'm a person who loves milk;do I need to talk about milk based treats??? There are many many list down but the most favorites among them are Ras malai and Paal Khoa.But these require effort and time.Now tell me What is there not to like about a dessert that you could prep ahead in a jiffy and assemble in a minute, when guests arrive / to treat yourself ?

Yes, this triffle is one such treat where you could prepare in minutes and finish them in seconds. Creamy and luscious with fresh flavors from the fruits and spices , you will have to help yourself with few extra servings.

Since I had cranberries in hand I've used them.However this recipe works well with any seasonal fruit.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Oatmeal Cookies................. 6 to 8
Butter ..............................1 tsp
Ground Cinnamon .................. a pinch
 Cream Cheese...................... ½ Cup
 Milk.................................. 2 Tbsp
Sugar................................ ½ Cup
Cranberries......................... 1/8 Cup of
Star Anise......................... 1
Vanilla Extract......................  ½ Tsp
Agar Agar Powder ......................... ¾ Tsp.


Method 

• Blend the oatmeal cookies with butter and cinnamon. Set this aside for later use.
• Blend cream cheese, vanilla, 1/2 tbsp sugar and milk and set this mixture aside as well.
•  Boil the cranberries with 1/2 a cup of water . When they are cooked well, mash them and strain them to avoid clumps.
• Bring the strained liquid to a pan and add in the remaining sugar , star anise and agar powder and boil well .
• Cool the mixture and set it in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Take a tall glass or goblet and begin your cookies layer at the bottom. This portion will need to be cooled in the refrigerator for an hour as well.
•  The last steps are simple! Add a layer of the cream cheese mixture followed by cranberry mixture.
•  Feel free to get fancy and decorate the top with dried cranberries or whipped cream.

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