Paneer Bhurji & An Award

Paneer is one of my best-loved thing, that i can't have enough. Before i go grocery shopping, i always make sure that i have paneer in stock. The other day, i bought this twin pack of paneer at costco and I couldn't wait to try a new dish to eat'em up. When i came across the recipe for bhurji, i certainly know that it would be a big hit. Boy o boy, no words to explain the taste of these spicy, delicate bites. I guess chaat masala is the secret ingredient. Though i have tried different paneer dishes and loved'em all, bhurji is on top of the ladder and a keeper for sure. I am sure many of you had tried and tasted it before, but if you haven't, i insist to cook'em for your next dinner and you would love it just like we did.

Ingredients:

1(14 oz) Paneer (store bought)

2 or 3 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)

1 medium Yellow Onion (chopped)

2tsp Garlic (minced)

2tsp Ginger (minced)

3 small Green Chillies (chopped)

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1tsp Coriander powder

1/2tsp Chilli powder

1/2tsp Cumin powder

1/2tsp Garam Masala powder

1/2tsp Chaat masala powder

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1tbsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Slice up the paneer and crumble'em with your hand or pulse'em in food processor (not in mixie or blender).

• Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds, followed by onions.

• Saute'em for a couple of mins and then add turmeric powder, ginger and garlic.

• Continue sautéing until the raw smell disappears and the onions are tender.
• Add the tomatoes, green chillies and cook for 3-4 mins until they are soft. (Do not let'em mash up.)

• Now add all the masala powders along with salt and cook for another min.

• Then add the crumbled paneer, mix well to coat the masala and cook for 3 mins with lid closed. 

• Check salt for taste, switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with chapathi of naan.

Thank you Shobha for making such a beautiful tag for me and sharing the award with me.

Pistachio Custard/Pudding

This is a dessert i have been wanting to make at home for quite sometime. Whenever i think of custard, i remember my PG hostel days, wherein we get a small fruit custard bowl as dessert for lunch every Wednesday. Who could resist eating just one? So, we (me n friends) sneak and take away (decent way to say 'steal', hehe) 3 or 4 bowls, when the person at the hostel food counter turns her back. The custard tastes even better this way. It will be super sweet and totally irresistible. Here, when i get to taste Crème brûlée at first, i felt the same spongy custard that just melts in my mouth. I can never have enough of it. I didn't know custard is that easy to prepare until i landed vahrehvah's Caramel Custard recipe. It turned out so delicate with mild sweetness and soft texture thats simply yummylicious. Here goes the recipe for you to try it out,

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk

3 Eggs

1/4 cup + 3tsp Sugar

1/4tsp Vanilla Extract

1tbsp Water

1tbsp Pistachios (chopped), for sprinkling

Food color (optional)

How to:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a small baking pan inside a big baking dish half filled with water.

• Heat the 3tsp sugar in a pan along with water and let it caramelize in a medium-low flame. (I tried twice and didn't get the caramelization, instead the sugar dried up and became hard, hehe. So i just spread the lumps inside the small baking pan and kept aside.)

• Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk'em along with the 1/4cup of sugar.

• Then pour the vanilla extract and milk, and continue whisking until everything blends.

• Now pour the milk mixture over the sugar that has been spread and bake for 45 mins. 

• Remove and let sit for 20 mins. With a knife or spoon run the sides and separate the custard sticking to the sides.

• With a plate placed upside down on the baking pan, carefully transfer the custard onto the plate.

• The sugar would have melted and runs over the custard. Refrigerate it, sprinkle the chopped pistachios and serve chill.

Sending the treat to Lisa's Sweet as Sugar Cookies event.