Hot and Sour Paneer - Indian Chinese Recipe

Hot and Sour Paneer

Try substituting tofu for Hot and Sour Tofu Recipe.

Ingredients
Paneer cubed - 250 gms
Onion diced - 1 no
Tomato chopped ( pulp and seed removed) - 1 no
Capsicum diced - 1 no
Ginger minced - 1 tsp
Red chilli sauce - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Tomato sauce or ketchup - 1 tsp
Vinegar or lime juice - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Ajinomoto - less than 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Spring onion greens to garnish
Oil - 2 tsp
Cornflour paste ( mix 1 tbsp cornflour with less the 1/4 cup cold water)

Indian Chinese Paneer Recipes

Method
1. It's optional to deep fry the paneer pieces in oil and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add diced onion, ginger and capsicum, give a quick stir on high heat.
3. Chopped tomato and paneer pieces, give quick stir for few seconds.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add red chilli sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, white pepper and ajinomoto to the pan.
5. Again stir well and add a cup of water, bring the gravy to boil.
6. Add the cornflour paste to the gravy and keep stirring. When gravy starts to thicken immediately remove from heat, garnish with chopped spring onion greens.
Serve hot with steamed rice, fried rice or noodles.

Paneer Recipes

Palak Paneer Recipe Restaurant Style / Saag Paneer Recipe

Saag Paneer Resturant Style

Ingredients
Spinach - 1 bunch
Paneer / Indian cottage cheese - 300 gms
Thick cream - 4 tbsp
Onion chopped - 1 no + 1 no
Tomato chopped - 1 no
Green chilli - 1 no
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Palak Paneer Restaurant Style

Method
1. Wash the spinach, chop it and set aside.
2. Chop the paneer into pieces, soak it in hot water for 10 mins, drain and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tsp butter in a pan, add 1 no chopped onion, sauté for few seconds, remove on to plate and set aside.
4. In the same pan add the chopped spinach and sauté for 2 mins until spinach had shrunk, cool the spinach and purée in a mixer blender with green chilli.
5. Wipe the same pan and return to heat. Add 2 tbsp butter to the pan, when butter starts to melt add cumin seeds and allow to crackle. Increase pan heat, add the other chopped onion to the pan and sauté till onions are soft.
6. Add ginger & garlic paste to the pan and sauté until raw smell leaves.
7. Now add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook till tomatoes are soft.
8. Next add red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and required salt
to the pan, sauté for a minute on low heat.
9. Add the puréed spinach and soaked paneer to the pan, stir well until everything is mixed.
10. Remove pan from heat, finally add the thick cream and butter sauted onions to the pan and stir
well.

Restaurant Style Recipes

Paneer Korma / Paneer Kurma Restaurant Style

Paneer Korma Resturant Style

Ingredients
Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese - 2 cups
Onion chopped - 1 no
Tomatoes - 2 no
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi leaves - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 5 nos
Roasted Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cardamom - 2 pods
Butter - 2 tbsp
Fresh thick cream - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Paneer Kurma for Chapathi

Method
1. Chop the paneer into cubes, deep fry in oil until lightly browned, drain and set aside( or soak paneer cubes in hot water for 10 mins, drain and set aside to make it soft).
2. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes or until skin of tomato slightly shrinks. Remove tomatoes skin and chop it coarsely.
3. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan, when butter starts to melt add chopped onions and sauté till onions are soft.
4. Add the ginger and garlic paste to the pan and sauté until raw smell leaves.
5. Add the blanched and chopped tomatoes, cardamom, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, cashew nuts, poppy seeds and grated coconut to the pan, stir well for 3 minutes on low heat. Remove pan from heat and allow mixture to cool.
6. Once tomato mixtures reaches room temperature, grind this mixture in blender until smooth.
7. Wipe the same pan and return to heat, add 1 tbsp butter and add the ground masala paste, stir well on low heat.
8. Add 1 cup water to the pan, stir well and loosen the gravy.
9. Increase heat bring gravy to boil, add paneer cubes to boiling gravy and season with required salt. Let the korma boil for 2 minutes.
10. Finally garnish paneer korma with crushed kasuri methi and thick cream, stir well and serve with ghee rice or hot pulkas.

Chefs tips
1. Since everyone in my home loves paneer I used 2 cups you can use 1 to 1.5 cups paneer for this recipe.
2. Using fresh cream gives richness to the recipe, it's optional to use cream.
3. I used Kashmiri red chilli powder in this recipe to get bright orange color, if using ordinary red chilli powder use food color to get the color.

Paneer Stew

Paneer Stew

Ingredients
Paneer / Indian Cottage cheese - 1 cup
Onion - 1 no ( grind to paste)
Green chilli - 2 nos ( broken into half)
Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1 no
Black Cardamom - 2 nos
Green Cardamom - 2 nos
Saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk - 3 to 4 strands
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee - 2 tbsp

Creamy Paneer Curry

Method
1. Chop the paneer into cubes, soak it in hot water for 10 mins, drain from water and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add whole spices, add the onion paste and sauté on medium heat for 2 mins( do not brown onion paste).
3. Once the onion paste is cooked, add grated ginger and green chillies, sauté for few seconds.
4. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, increase heat and bring gravy to boil.
5. When gravy starts boiling season with salt, add the paneer pieces and stir well.
6. Reduce the pan heat to medium, add coconut milk and saffron soaked in milk to the pan.
7. Simmer stew on low heat for 3 mins without covering the pan( if you cover the pan with lid the coconut milk tends to curdle).
Serve hot

Paneer Recipes for Chapathi

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant Style - Step by step instructions.

How to  make Restaurant style Panner Butter Masala / Paneer Makhani recipe

Paneer Butter Masala Restaurant style

Ingredients
Fresh Paneer / Indian Cottage cheese cubed - 250 gms
Onion large sized - 2 nos
Ginger - 1" piece
Apple Tomato / Bangalore Tomato / Roma tomato large - 1 and 1/2 nos
Cashew nuts - 15 nos
Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Green Cardamom - 2 nos
Thick cream / heavy cream - 1/4 cup
Butter - 50 gms
Oil - 2 tsp

Paneer Makhani

Method
1. Chop onions, ginger and tomato coarsely.
2. If preferred shallow fry the paneer cubes until golden color or use as it is.
3. Roast kasuri methi in a pan on low heat, allow to cool and crush the roasted kasuri methi between palms, set aside.
4. Heat oil in a non stick pan, add chopped onions, ginger and sugar, saute for few minutes until onions turns transparent and glossy.
5. Add cashew nuts, cardamom, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder to the onions and saute on low heat for a minute.
6. Next add chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute on low heat for 8 to 10 mins, until raw smell of tomato leaves and oil oozes on the sides of pan.
7. Remove pan from heat and allow the tomato mixture to cool.
8. Grind the tomato mixture to smooth paste in mixer blender by adding little water.
9. Wipe the same pan and return to heat.
10. On low heat add butter to the pan, reserve a dollop of butter to garnish.
11. When butter starts slightly to melt, add the ground tomato gravy paste, paneer and required salt to the pan, add required water to loosen the gravy and keep stirring for a minute to slightly thicken.
12. Add heavy cream and crushed kasuri methi to the gravy and stir.
Garnish Paneer butter masala with dollop of butter and serve hot with ghee rice, roti or pulka.

Panner Butter Masala Recipe

Appalam Kuzhambu

Applam Vathakuzhambu

Ingredients
Appalam - 2 nos ( torn into small pieces)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole dry chilli - 2 nos
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Methi seeds -  tsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafetida - few pinch
Tamarind - Gooseberry size( soaked in water and extracted)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 cup

Applam Kuzhambu Recipe

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, whole dry chilli, toor dal, channa dal, methi seeds and torn applam pieces.
2. Saute for few seconds, add red chilli powder and coriander powder to the pan and stir well.
3. Now add tamarind extract, salt and a cup of water to the pan, bring gravy to boil.
4. Once gravy starts boiling add curry leaves and asafetida, reduce heat simmer gravy for few minutes.
Serve hot Applam Kuzhambu with steamed rice and poriyal

Applam Vathakulambu

Bonda Mor kuzhambu Recipe.

Learn how to make bonda more kulambu ( Lentil dumpling in yogurt curry) in few simple steps.

Bonda Mor Kuzhmabu

Ingredients for making Bonda

Urad dal/ Ulundhu paruppu - 1 cup

Rice flour - 4 tbsp

Curry leaves chopped - 2 tbsp

Black peppercorns - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Ginger minced - 1 tsp

Green chilli chopped - 1 no( optional)

Cooking/ Baking soda - few pinches

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil to deep fry

Ingredients for making More Kuzhambu

Curd/Yogurt( beaten) - 3 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Hing/ Asafetida - pinch

Whole red chilly( broken) - 3 nos

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Oil- 2 tsp

Coconut paste

(Grind the below ingredients to fine paste)

Toor Dal - 1 tbsp ( soak in few tbsp water for 10 mins)

Raw Rice - 1 tbsp ( soak in few tbsp water for 10 mins)

Coconut shredded -1/4cup

Ginger - 2" piece

Green chilly broken - 5 to 6 nos

Bonda More Kulambu

Method

1. First make Bondas by soaking urad dal in water for 2 hours. 

2. Drain the dal and grind to smooth batter by adding very little water( a well ground urad dal batter will look like butter and should not stick to your wet finger). 

3. To the urad dal batter add salt, cooking soda, curry leaves, pepper corns, cumin seeds, minced ginger and mix well. 

4. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry, when oil is hot, wet you fingers with bowl of water, take a good amount of urad dal batter and shape it into small lemon sized ball. 

5. Drop the ball into hot oil carefully and continue with rest of the batter. 

6. Once required amount of bondas are dropped into hot oil, reduce the heat and cook the bondas on low heat for 4 to 5 mins turning them all sides. 

7. Fry the bondas until golden brown in color and make sure inside is cooked well. Drain the bondas on a paper towel and set aside.

8. Now prepare the More Kuzhambu by whisking beaten curd, turmeric, ground coconut paste and salt in a deep heavy bottomed pan.

9. Mix well the curd mixture and add 3/4 cup water.

10. Place the pan on heat and bring the curd mixture to boil, allow to boil for 5 mins. 

11. In a tadka pan heat oil, add the whole red chilly, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida. 

12. When the mustard seeds crackels, add this tadka to the More kuzhambu and mix well.

13. Add deep fried bondas to the more kuzhambu before serving. 

Mor Kuzhambu with Bonda

Tip

Bonda should not be soaked in more kuzhambu for too long.

Bonda will absorb the more kuzhambu and will get soggy and no gravy will be left.

Cauliflower chops - Hotel Style

Cauliflower Chops Hotel Style

This cauliflower kurma aka cauliflower chops in some hotels is a perfect side dish for chappati, parotta and idiyappam varieties.

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets coarsely chopped - 2 cups

Onion medium sized chopped - 1/2 no

Tomato medium sized chopped - 1/2 no

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Water required

Coconut Masala

(Grind below ingredients to fine paste adding little water)

Shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 3 to 4 nos

Aniseed / Sombu - 1 tbsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds to the oil in low heat and allow to crackle. Increase heat add onion, cauliflower and tomato one by one and saute for 3 mins. Once cauliflower is sauted well, add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and required water to the pan. Mix well and bring the cauliflower to boil, cover pan with lid and cook on low heat for 5 mins. When the cauliflower is tender add the ground coconut paste and required salt to the cauliflower and mix well. Again cover pan with lid and cook until the gravy slightly thickens. Serve hot cauliflower chops with chapati, parotta etc.

Cauiflower Kurma

Moong dal Curry Recipe

Moong Dal Curry

Adapted from Raghaven Iyer's 660 Curries

Ingredients

Whole Moongdal - 1/2 cup

Minced Onion - 2 tbsp

Tomato medium chopped - 1 no

Garlic cloves chopped - 2 nos

Green chilli - 1 no

Coriander leaves chopped - few tbsp

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1 no

Ghee - 2 tbsp and Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - 1 and 3/4 cups

Side dish for chapati - Dal

Method

Wash and soak whole Moongdal dal in water for 2 hours.

Pressure cook Moongdal along with 1 cup water, turmeric powder, green chilli and bay leaf until moongdal is well cooked and mushy.

Heat ghee and oil in a pan, when hot add cumin seeds and allow to splutter. 

Add minced onion, garlic cloves and ginger-garlic paste, saute for few minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and saute till tender.

Reduce heat and add red chilli powder, garam Masala powder and required salt, saute for few seconds.

Remove green chilli and bay leaf from cooked moongdal and mash dal well.

Add the mashed dal to the pan, mix well and add 3/4 cup of water.

Bring to boil for few minutes, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve along with roti or rice

Dal Tadka Fry

Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar Recipe / Ratna Cafe Sambar / Sambar for Idli Dosa Pongal

Learn how to make Hotel Sambar / Tiffin Sambar

I still remember when I started blogging 4 yrs back I was first or one of few bloggers to post about Tiffin Sambar Recipe or Hotel Sambar Recipe. This Sambar recipe has acclaimed me many compliments from my fans, friends and co- bloggers. At that time I had just point and shoot camera I wasn't able to shoot a good picture of it, so here I'm re-posting the same recipe here with recent pictures. You can click here for the link to older post.

This is my favorite sambar for idly, dosa, pongal and even it tastes great with hot pooris. For the people who know about the popular Ratna Cafe's Sambar( triplicane, Chennai), this Tiffan sambar tastes similar to the Ratna cafe's sambar. 

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients

Toor dal/ Split pigeon peas( cooked and mashed)-1cup

Small onions/ Shallots( peeled)-15 to 20

Tomato medium chopped-1

Drumsticks-1 no

Carrots chopped-1/2cup

Curry leaves-few

Coriander leaves-few

Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Jaggery powdered-1tsbp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Sambar powder ingredients

( Dry roast the following ingredients separately and grind to fine paste)

Coriander seeds-3tbsp

Bengal gram/ Split chick peas-2tbsp

Whole dry red chilly-10( +/- depending on taste)

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Fenugreek/ Methi seeds-1/2tsp

Fresh shredded Coconut-1/2cup( don't roast coconut, add this while grinding).

Tiffin Sambar

Method

Heat enough oil in a pan, when hot add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crackles add the shallots and curry leaves, fry for few minutes and add the carrots and drumsticks. Now add the tomatoes and cook for few more mins, when the tomatoes are done, add the turmeric powder and ground sambar paste. Fry the ground paste for few seconds and add the cooked toor dal. Season with salt and add enough water( to get required consistency, sambar should not be too thin or too thick). Simmer the sambar for 5 mins. Finally add the powdered jaggery and coriander leaves, give a good stir and remove from heat. Serve hot with Idly, Dosas. Pongal or Poori.

Sambar for Idli Dosa 

Important points for making this delicious Tiffan Sambar are

Never use tamarind pulp for this sambar

Do not add more vegetables( any 2 to 3 variety of vegetable is enough) 

Try to use small onions( shallots)

A tbsp of powdered jaggery is very important ingredient for this recipe.

Click here for Ghee Idli / Sambar Idli recipe

Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala

This is an fail proof restaurant paneer tikka masala recipe shared by restauranter and very good friend of mine. He was generous enough to share his restaurant secret recipe with me. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out excellent.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Ingredients

Paneer- 250 gms

Onion- 4 nos

Tomato- 5 nos

Thick curd- 1 cup

Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Kasoori methi- 2 tsp 

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Red chilli powder- 3 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder- 2 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Cumin powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Kuskus/ poppy seeds- 2 tsp

Cashew nuts- 10 nos

Sugar- 1 tsp

Cardamom- 3 nos

Cloves- 3 nos

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Coriander leaves- few

Oil required

Salt to taste

Paneer Tikka Masala Restaurant Style

Method

In a large bowl whisk curd along with salt, ginger and garlic paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 tsp oil. Add paneer cubes to this and marinade for 2 hours. 
Grind onions to fine paste. 
Blanch tomatoes in hot water for 10 mins, remove and discard its skin and grind to puree. Lightly roast the kuskus and grind along with cashew nuts to smooth paste. 
Add marinated paneer pieces along with its marination to a pan and fry until curd marination reduces in quantity. 
In another pan heat about 1/4 cup oil, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fry for few secs. Now add ground onion and sugar, fry until onion paste is lightly browned and oil separates on sides of pan. 
In a small bowl mix 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder with little water. 
Add this mixture to the onion paste and add crushed kasoori methi, fry for few mins. Now add ground tomato paste, cook for another few mins and add salt, stir well the gravy. 
Add ground cashew- kuskus paste to the gravy and cook until oil separates from gravy. 
Now add the curd marination dried paneer pieces to gravy, mix well and cook for few more mins. 
Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot restaurant paneer tikka masala with nan, poori or jeera rice.

Paneer Tikka Gravy

Verkadalai Kathirikai Poriyal/ Chettinad Peanut Brinjal Poriyal

Peanut Brinjal Curry

Ingredients

Dried Peanuts- 1 cup

Purple brinjal- 250 gms

Onion small chopped- 1 no

Tomato small chopped- 1 no

Garlic cloves sliced- 2 nos

Curry leaves- few

Red chilli powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Water- 1/4 cup

Oil- 2 tbsp

Vadagam/ Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Grated coconut- 4 tbsp

Kathrikai Kadalai Poriyal

Method

Soak the peanuts overnight, boil until tender and set aside. Trim the stems of brinjal and chop. Heat oil in a pan, add vadagam, chopped onion, garlic and curry leaves, saute for few secs. Add chopped brinjals and saute for few secs. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Add water and bring mixture to boil, now add the cooked peanuts to the boiling gravy. Reduce heat and cook until the brinjals are tender and water is dried up. Finally add grated coconut to poriyal, mix well and remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Spicy Chettinad Poondu Kuzhambu/ Kaara Kulambu

Chettinad Poondu Kuzhambu

This another traditional and authentic Chettinad recipe from my family. Normally we prepare all kuzhambu recipes with kuzhambu milagai thool for easy and quicker preparation. But in this traditional Poondu Kulambu recipe we prepare everything from scratch for more aromatic and delicious taste. These full process Kara kuzhambu recipes are made during functions and for family lunch.

Ingredients

Garlic cloves( peeled and halved)- 15 nos

Small onion/ Shallots( minced)- 10 nos

Tomato medium( chopped)- 1 no

Curry leaves- few

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds/ Venthayam- pinch

Whole dry red chilli- 2 nos

Vegetable oil- 3 tbsp

Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water- 1 and 1/2 cups

Tamarind extract- 1/4 cup or Tamarind paste- 1 tbsp

Masala to grind

Garlic cloves- 5 nos

Whole dry red chilli- 5 to 6 nos

Coriander seeds- 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp

Fennel seeds/ sombu- 1/2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds/ Venthayam- pinch

Peppercorns- 1 tsp

Kaara Kulambu

Method

Dry roast the masala to grind ingredients and grind to smooth paste with few tbsp water.

Heat both oils in a pan, when hot add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, allow to crackle. Add garlic cloves, minced onion and curry leaves, fry for few secs until garlic turns light brown. Now add the ground masala paste, chopped tomato and tamarind paste. Fry in low heat until the oil seprates on the sides from masala paste. Add water and required salt, mix the kuzhambu well and bring to boil. Once starts boiling reduce heat and cook kuzhambu on low heat for 10 mins or until the kuzhambu thickness and oil floats on top. Serve hot.

Garlic Kara Kuzhambu

Tips

I used Kashmiri dry red chilli instead of whole dry chilli to get vivid red color kuzhambu.

You can add few tsp of sugar or jaggery to the kuzhambu to make it slightly sweet.

If you dont have time to grind masala ingredients, try using 3 tbsp kuzhambu millagai thool instead.

Spicy Paneer Masala Recipe

Spicy Paneer Masala

Ingredients

Fresh paneer- 250gms( Indian cottage cheese)

Onion large sliced- 1no

Tomato medium chopped- 3nos

Garlic cloves sliced- 4nos

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1tbsp

Red chilli powder- 1 and 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1tbsp

Cumin powder- 1tsp

Coriander powder- 1tbsp

Kasoori methi- 2tsp( slightly roasted and crushed)

Salt to taste

Oil- 3 tbsp

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Spicy Paneer Recipe

Method

Cut the paneer into cubes. In a small bowl mix ginger and garlic paste, garam masala powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Marinate the paneer cubes in the prepared masala for 15 mins. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan when hot fry the marinated paneer pieces until slightly browned. Drain the shallow fried paneer pieces and set aside. In the same pan add 1 tbsp more oil, add the sliced onion and garlic, fry on medium heat until onion turn brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, rest of 1 tsp red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, crushed kasoori methi leaves and saute till tomatoes are cooked and tender. Add the fried paneer cubes to the tomatoes and add 1 tsp salt and few tbsp water. Cook for few mins until slightly gravy is formed. Garnish paneer masala with chopped coriander leaves, serve hot with jeera rice, nan, roti etc.

Masala Paneer

Vellai Kurma/ White Mushroom Korma

This restaurant white korma is best sidedish for Idiyappam, Appam and Idli. Its usual to make white kurma with mixed vegetables I replaced mushrooms instead of veggies which tasted great. You can also serve this white korma with chapati, pulao or biryani.

White Korma

Ingredients

White button mushrooms- 2 packs( 400 gms)

Onion small( chopped)- 1 no

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Curry leaves and Coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

Oil- 2 tbsp

Water- 1 and 1/4 cups

Masala to grind

Grind below ingredients to smooth paste

Coconut grated- 1/4 cup

Green chilli- 5-6 nos

Fennel seeds/ Sombu- 1 tbsp

Kuskus/ Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp

For tempering( tadka)

Cinnamon stick- 1" piece

Cloves- 6 nos

Green cardamom- 4 nos

Mushroom Korma

Method 

Clean and quarter the mushrooms.

Heat oil in kadai add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, fry until aroma rises. Add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste fry for few mins until onion turns transparent. Next add the quartered mushrooms, saute for few seconds. Now add ground masala paste, water and required salt. Mix well everything and simmer the korma on low heat for 5 mins. Finally garnish white kurma with curry and coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips

Do not brown any ingredients while frying as it will change color of korma( gravy).

Try replacing mushrooms with fried paneer or parboiled vegetables.

Vellai Kurma

Plain Salna/ Tomato Salna/ Chalna/ Tomato Gravy for Parota

Plain Salna

Mostly in restaurants and hotels Parotas are served along with Chicken Salna( kurma, gravy) or Vegetable Korma( Salna). But if you noticed in street side fast foods or fast food kind of hotels parotas were always served with Plain Salna, meaning that the gravy served along with parota will not have any chicken pieces or vegetables.

These plain gravies are made only with tomatoes so they are called as thakkali salna. Though no veggie or meat is used there is no need to compromise in its taste, it will be as good as Chicken Chalna or Vegetarian Chalna.

If you are looking for Vegetable Salna click here.

If you are looking for Chicken Salna click here.

Here goes recipe for tomato chalna

Ingredients

Onion large sized chopped- 1 no

Tomato( Banglore or Apple variety) large sized chopped- 3 nos

Green chilly broken- 2 nos

Curry leaves and Coriander leaves- few

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder- 1 tsp( +/-)

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Coconut Masala paste( grind to fine paste)

Fresh coconut grated- 1/4 cup

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tbsp

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Fennel/ Sombu powder- 2 tsp

Mint leaves- few sprigs

For tempering

Cinnamon stick- 1" piece

Cloves- 4 nos

Cardamom- 4 nos

Bay leaf- 1 no

Tomato Salna

Method

Heat oil in a pan, when hot add tempering ingredients and fry till the aroma of the whole spices rise. Now add the chopped onion and curry leaves and fry for few mins until onion turns transparent. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry until the raw smell leaves. Next add the tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are mashed. Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to the cooking tomatoes. Add enough water to the pan and bring the mixture to boil. When gravy boils add the ground coconut masala paste. Reduce the heat and cook the chalna on low heat until the gravy slightly thickens and oil floats on top. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot Tomato Salna with Biryani or Parotta.

Thakkali Chalna