Palak Paneer

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

From Health Mange More

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Main Course

Type: Punjabi

Key Ingredients:

The popular Punjabi dish palak paneer made this way is both healthy and delicious

Ingredients

Fresh spinach, chopped 1½ cups
Low fat cottage cheese (paneer), cubed ½ cup
Refined oil 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Onions, finely chopped ¾ cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Tomato puree 1 cup
Green chillies, slit 2 to 3 + to garnish
Garam masala powder ½ tsp
Sugar ½ tsp

Methods

Blanch spinach in sufficient water boiling in a deep non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain well. Transfer into a mixer jar and grind into a puree.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add cumin seeds and onions and saute till onions are golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well. Saute for 1 minute.
Add tomato puree and green chillies and mix well. Saute till oil begins to separate.
Add spinach puree and mix well. Add cottage cheese cubes, garam masala powder and sugar and mix well. Cover and cook cottage cheese cubes in this gravy for 2 minutes.
Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with green chillies and serve hot with naan.

Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 9 hours

Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Main Course

Type: Punjabi

Key Ingredients:

Kidney beans
Black eyed beans
Shell pasta

A bowl full of this soup and a few slices of garlic bread will fill completely satiate you on cold wintry night

Ingredients

Kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight and pressure cooked with salt ½ cup
Black eyed beans (lobia), soaked overnight and pressure cooked with salt ½ cup
Shell pasta, cooked 1 cup
Olive oil 3 tsps
Medium onion, finely chopped 1
Garlic cloves, finely chopped 2
Celery, peeled and finely chopped 1 small bunch
Medium carrot, peeled and chopped 1
Medium tomato, finely chopped 1
Salt to taste

Methods

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add onion, garlic, celery and carrot and saute on low heat for 5 minutes or till they become soft.
Add 4 cups water and mix. Add tomato, kidney beans, black eyed beans and salt and mix. Cover and cook for 1 hour on low heat.
Cool the mixture, transfer into a mixer jar and puree. Transfer the puree into the non-stick pan.
Heat the pureed soup, and the pasta and let it come to a boil.
Pour into individual soup bowls and serve hot with garlic bread.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 55 minutes

Method: Moderate

Course: Main Course

Type: Punjabi

Key Ingredients:

Spinach
Ricotta cheese
Refined flour
Egg
Tomatoes

Get the satisfaction of making the pasta yourself by following this great recipe

Ingredients

Stuffing
Spinach, blanched and chopped 2 cups
Ricotta cheese / cottage cheese (paneer), crumbled 1 cup
Breadcrumbs 2 tsps
Salt to ts
Canneloni pasta
Refined flour (maida) 100 gms + to dust
Egg 1
Olive oil 1 tsp + 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Butter to grease
Breadcrumbs ¼ cup
Parmesan cheese / processed cheese, grated ¼ cup
Sauce
Tomatoes, finely chopped 1½ cups
Olive oil 2 tsps
Garlic clove, finely chopped 1
Dried oregano ½ tsp
Dried sage ½ tsp
Dried thyme ½ tsp
Dried rosemary ½ tsp

Methods

To make the pasta, take refined flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre, put egg, 1 tsp olive oil and salt in it. Push small portions of the flour with a fork into the well and mix till the mixture becomes crumbly.
Add sufficient water and knead into a dough. Stretch the dough with you palms, fold back and keep doing this till the dough is smooth. Cover with a damp cloth, so that it does not dry, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
To make stuffing, take spinach, cheese/paneer, breadcrumbs and salt in another bowl and mix. Keep it in the refrigerator till it is time to use it.
To make sauce, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan, add garlic and saute till it turns brown. Add tomatoes, oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary and mix well.
Add 1 cup water and salt and mix well. Cook till the mixture gets a sauce like consistency.
Sprinkle flour on the worktop, keep the dough on it and roll out into a thin rectangle.
Cut the pasta sheet into 3x4 inch rectangles
Preheat oven to 200º C. Grease a baking dish with some butter.
Boil sufficient water in a deep non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Slide in the pasta rectangles and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain the pasta rectangles and put them in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process, ensuring that the pasta rectangles do not tear or break.
Drain the pasta rectangles and place them on the worktop. Place a little spinach cheese/paneer stuffing in the centre of each rectangle and roll into cylinders.
Spread half the tomato sauce in the greased baking dish, place the pasta rolls over it and top it with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and grated cheese on top of the rolls. Keep the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Vegetable Claypot Rice

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Main Course

Type: Punjabi

Key Ingredients:

Kolam or Basmati rice
French beans
Carrot
Green capsicum

An excellent one pot dish – make this when you are feeling too lazy to cook a 3 course meal

Ingredients

Kolam / Basmati rice, cooked 2 cups
Sesame / vegetable oil 3 tbsps
Garlic cloves, finely chopped 3
Ginger, finely sliced 1 tbsp
Spring onions, finely chopped 2
French beans, cut into fine diagonal slices 4 to 5
Medium green capsicum, cut into square pieces 1
Medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin long slices 1
Soy sauce 2 tbsps
Salt 1 tsp
Cashewnuts, roasted lightly ½ cup

Methods

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non-stick wok, add garlic, ginger and spring onions and saute for 1 minute.
Add beans, capsicum, and carrot and cook on high heat for 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups water, 1 tbsp soy sauce and salt, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add rice and mix well. Add cashewnuts, 1 tbsp soy sauce and the remaining oil.
Transfer into a serving clay dish and serve hot.

Vegetable Feijoada

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Main Course

Type: Punjabi

Key Ingredients:

Potatoes
Soya granules
Kidney beans
Mexican seasoning
Processed cheese

Portuguese stew of kidney beans with vegetables served with rice

Ingredients

Medium potatoes, cut into small pieces 2
Soya granules, soaked 1 cup
Kidney beans, soaked overnight and boiled 1 cup
Oil 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fresh red chilli, finely chopped 1
Mexican seasoning 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped ½ cup
Salt to taste
Processed cheese, cut into small cubes 150 gms
Mexican seasoning - grind together
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes 2 tsps
Oregano 1 tsp

Methods

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add cumin seeds, fresh red chilli and Mexican seasoning and saute for 1 minute. Add potatoes and soya granules, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
Add kidney beans, coriander leaves and salt and mix.
Lastly add cheese, cover the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or till the cheese begins to melt.
Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot.