Iron Rich Foods: Paneer Methi Chaman

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Iron deficiency is one of the common problems that we, women deal with and iron rich diet is often highly recommended. Why do we exactly need Iron? - its main use is to transport oxygen to the body, ensure that our immunity system is strong and to produce energy in the body. Some of the main sources of iron are - beet root, spinach, broccoli, spinach, lentils, almonds, dates etc.

Today let us talk about our beloved Spinach. Shall we - Its not just meant for Popeye, but for all his fans too :). Me and my husband are ardent fans of both popeye and spinach. I sometimes jokingly say that my husband might be an avatar of Popeye as he can eat spinach all through the week!!

Spinach, the generously green plant is one of the popular iron foods. In a serving of 180g (3/4 cup) of spinach, body gets 6.43mg of iron.

Paneer Methi Chaman

When we are talking about *Iron-rich* recipes, the first thing that comes to our mind is -"Greens". This dish has loads of them and combined with Paneer, it tastes even better. The addition of both fresh fenugreek leaves and kasuri methi gives it an unbeatable flavor quotient.

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Serves 4

Adapted from Tarla Dalal's Know Your Green Leafy Vegetables

Ingredients -

4 cups spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

2 cups fenugreek leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup paneer (indian cottage cheese), cubed

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

a pinch of turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp dhania powder (coriander powder)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

some fresh coriander - for garnishing

Preparation -

Step 1: Heat a small pan on medium heat and roast the dried fenugreek leaves till crisp for 1-2 mins. Keep aside.

Step 2: Boil water in a vessel and blanch the spinach and fenugreek leaves for 2-3 mins. To retain the bright green color, place the greens under cold water immediately.

Step 3: Drain the greens and blend in a mixer till smooth, adding little water at a time. Keep aside.

Step 4: Heat oil in a wide pan and add cumin seeds and onions. Saute until light golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Mix and cook for 1-2 mins until the raw taste disappears. Season with asafoetida, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and dried fenugreek leaves (crushed between both the palms). Saute everything for 3-4 mins on medium-low flame.

Step 5: Add salt, paneer cubes (which can be added as-is or lightly fried in 1/2 tsp of oil, like I did) and garam masala. Depending on the consistency you want, add about 1/4 cup of water if desired. Cook on a medium-low flame for 4-5 mins, stirring once or twice in between.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve.

Note: If you want a rich, creamy taste, add in cream, milk or half-and-half.

Nitin bhayya - this post is for you. I hope - aap ye bhabhiji ke liye banauge and khilaoge bhi ;-)

Have a gorgeous weekend - for people on the west coast and for east coast - Stay warm, have hot soups and enjoy the snow :)

until next time,
Siri

Under 15 mins: Tofu Makhani

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Quick, easy & delicious. That is the mantra for my weeknight cooking. I am especially inclined toward Under 15 mins recipes and one-pot meals. Really, they are life-savers, especially for me where I have to get home, tired for an hour long ultra-fast (pun intended!) VTA train journey from work.

To freshen up my boring weeknight cooking, I ordered myself a couple of Tarla Dalal's recipe books. I like the fact they are tiny and the recipe is never more than a page long. That instantly gives me energy & echoes me back saying - Yes baby, this dish is doable.

One such quick-fix dinner is this absolutely yummy Tofu Makhani. The original recipe was for Paneer Makhani & I replace paneer with healthy tofu. You can very well use Paneer or Tofu based on what is lurking around in your fridge. Be adventurous, add potatoes or any other vegetables to the same sauce. *wink*.

The.Husband raved about this dish and finished the whole thing off. Ah! I love when I don't have left-overs as I generally hate to eat food which is more than a day-long. I wonder if that is good thing or a bad thing. Good becoz I am eating less stale food; Bad becoz I have to cook more often. Blah.

Everybody loves Paneer Makhani - "cubes of Indian Cottage Cheese simmered in a tomato gravy". Here is a healthy alternative to the same which tastes even better than the paneer version. Even the non-tofu-lovers will end up asking for a second helping. I promise. Compliments well with roti or biryani or just plain rice.

Tofu Makhani

Adapted from Tarla Dalal's Cooking Under 10 mins.

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of extra firm tofu, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped (or 2-3 tbsp of onion paste)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

a pinch of turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder (or less - based on your desired spice-level)

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between the palms

1/2 cup half and half (can use milk or cream instead)

2 tsp oil

a pinch of sugar

salt - to taste

Preparation:

Step 1 - Heat a tsp of oil in a skillet and lightly fry the tofu tubes, until light brown. Keep aside on a plate with a paper towel, to drain out the excess oil.

Step 2 - In the same skillet, add a tsp of oil and saute the chopped onions. Add ginger-garlic paste & stir for couple of minutes till the onions are slightly browned.

Step 3 - Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and tomato puree. Add a cup of water & cook for 3-4 minutes.

Step 4 - Finally add in crushed, dried fenugreek leaves, half & half and a pinch of sugar. Mix well and adjust salt, if required. The gravy will be a bit whitish as soon as you add in the half & half. Not to worry, it will blend in with the spices and the gravy will get that rich tomatoe-y color. :-)

Step 5 - Gently mix in the fried tofu cubes and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6 - Transfer into a bowl and Serve hot.

Sending this as my second entry to Simona's MLLA 31 event, originally started by dear Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

until next time,
Siri

Methi Aloo (Potatoes with Fenugreek leaves)

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Check our my new post on Methi Aloo @ The Great Vega'n Vegetarian Project blog.

Methi Pulao

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Andhra Pradesh, the state in India I hail from is sweetly named as 'Rice bowl of India'. We eat rice almost every day and we love it to the fullest...:)..

.... but some unfortunate events ,happening back in my state are threatening the very integrity of it. Some want a separate state called - 'Telangana'..on the sole reason that the region is being neglected and proper funds are not allocated for its development. though the demand for separate state is not new, recent events took a new twist and every day - the first thing I tell my parents, when I call them is 'to be careful'...it is sad that when politics become pre-dominant, the voice of the people is snubbed and the result of that is ...utter chaos.. I fervently hope things would settle soon, back home and everything comes to its normality.. Do I support this 'separate state'.. Hell No!.. It is so hard for  me to comprehend the thought that my state will be broken into pieces.. It is entirely my opinion & there might be others who totally disagree with me.

....coming back to today's recipe...is a rice dish ofcourse..'Methi Pulao'..and the recipe is of sindi roommate....we ate this with a spicy eggplant-tomato curry and it was simply heavenly..:) Enjoy.

Methi Pulao (Fenugreek Pulao) [my sindhi rommate's recipe]

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves
1 cup long-grain basmati rice
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 cup vegetables - I used beans, carrots & corn.
2 green chillies, very finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cardamom & clove pods
2 tbsp ghee (butter or oil)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Clean rice and soak for atleast 15-20 mins.

2. In a pan, heat ghee and drop cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. let them crackle. Add green chillies and tomatoes. Cook until a little mush. then add the rest of veggies. cook until tender.

3. Add methi leaves and cook for 5 mins till it releases the aromatic smell of fenugreek..:). Add rice and fry for couple of minutes. Add 2 cups of water. Season with salt and garam masala. Mix well. Do not cover yet.

4. Let it come to a rolling boil, then cover & cook on medium heat until rice is done.

Optional: Garnish with fried onion and cilantro & serve hot with a spicy side dish.

Heaven! :)

Eggplant-Tomato Curry -

Today is Day Three of the recipe countdown to New Year 2010..to know what other participants are cooking.. please scroll through the right-hand-side-bar.

Chao,

Dussehra Sambaralu....

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Dussehra is a festival of triumph of good over evil. There are numerous legendary stories associated with this festival. Here is one such interesting story from the epic Ramayana.

STORY:

When Ravana, the king of Lanka abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita, and held her hostage in Lanka, a fierce battle ensued. Although there were huge casualties on both sides, Ravana could not be defeated. So Rama decided to seek the blessings of Shakti or Goddess Durga in order to defeat the 10-headed demon.

But Rama needed 108 blue lotuses for the worship of the Divine Mother, while Rama had managed to procure only 107. He was on the verge of laying one of his eyes that was lotus-shaped and blue in color at the Goddess’s feet when Shakti, satisfied with the measure of his devotion, granted her blessings. And the righteous eventually triumphed.

Another well-know story is the defeat of the demon, Mahishasura at the hands of Goddess Durga.

All stories have the same moral of - "Victory of Good over Evil". It teaches us to destroy the 10 ugly faces of - deceitful, hypocritic, treacherous, malign tendencies and march forward in the path of righteousness and morality.

WHAT'S COOKING

Ok, with no further delay, Let me show what I did I cook on such an auspicious day: Aloo Pulao, Palak-Methi Paneer with Carrot Halwa.


Aloo Pulao: Its one such savory mostly cooked, when one observes fasting on Navratri.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati rice
3 potatoes peeled,diced and boiled
1 bunch pudina leaves
1 bunch methi leaves
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp Dhania powder
1 tsp Jeera
1 Onion - thinly sliced
Salt - to taste
Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Cook rice with 3 cups of water. Try not to overcook. Keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat some oil/ghee, Saute jeera and onions until brown.
3. Now add potato, pudina & methi leaves, salt, garam masala and dhania powder. Mix well and let it cook for few minutes.
4. Then add rice, mixx well. Cook the contents on low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
5. Garnish and Serve hot.

Palak-Methi Paneer:

Ingredients:

2 cup Palak/Spinach
1 cup Methi/Fenugreek leaves
1 Onion-finely chopped
2 Finely chopped Green Chillies
1 cup Paneer pieces
3 tbsp Oil/Ghee
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 cup cream (or milk)
Salt - to taste

For Ground Masala:

1/2 medium onion
1 tomato- pureed
1/2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp chilli powder


Preparation:

1. Cook palak and methi leaves with some salt and water till wilted, on low flame. Cool it down and then puree. Keep aside.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed for 'Ground Masala" with some water/milk.
3. Take some oil/ghee in a skillet, saute onions untill brown, add green chillies and ground masala. Cook for 2-3 mins.
4. Add pureed palak and methi leaves; Mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Then add salt, turmeric and cream. Stir the contents well and let it simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Finally add paneer cubes. Cook for 3-4 mins so that they are finely coated and soaked in the masala..:)
Not: Adding 1 tbp of corn flour to thicken the gravy.
6. Garnish with cream or coconut milk. Serve hot.

Carrot Halwa: This simple and quick carrot halwa would be an awesome dessert after cooking an elaborate spread.

Ingredients:

2 cans of sweeteneed condensed milk
2 cups of milk (to thin it out)
1 lb grated carrots
Nuts and Raisins

Note: Sugar is not needed as condensed milk already has it..:D


Preparation:

1. Boil condensed milk and milk together until its little thinned in consistency.
2. Add grated carrot. Stir the contents well.
3. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Fry some nuts and raisins, also some cardamom powder.Add to the halwa for nice flavor.

This is my entry to JFS:Dussehra event hosted by dear Vee of Past,Present and Me and also Viji's RCI: Tamil Festivals.

Off I am to lofty Smokies this weekend... see ya next week with loads of beautiful pictures and the adventures I did..:DD