A Spoonful of Thought

Methi chaman is a delicious gravy based dish from the Kashmiri pandit cuisine. Methi is fenugreek leaves and chaman is paneer in Kashmiri language. Ingredients: 150-200 gms fenugreek leaves, cleaned and chopped 200 gms paneer cut into small cubes  2 medium chopped onions 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds 1 tsp freshly made green chilli paste OR 2-3 medium spicy very finely chopped chillies 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tbsp tikkha red chilli powder 1 tbsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp haldi/turmeric powder 1 tsp saunf/fennel powder 1/2 tsp dry ginger powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp green cardamom/elaichi powder 1 tbsp kasuri methi powder 1 cup + 1 tbsp  fresh cream 3 tbsp cashew paste Salt as per taste Recipe: 1. Blanch the chopped methi leaves in the boiling water and immediately put it in the cold water to maintain the green colour. Keep it aside. 2.  Beat the cream to smooth texture and keep it aside. 3. In a kadai, take little oil add l

Ingredients: 200 gms paneer/cottage cheese cut in cubes 1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds 1 bay leaf 1 small cinnamon stick 5 green cardamom 1/2 cup whisked curd 2 tbsp cream / malai 1 cup milk 4 chillies slit lengthwise 1 tsp kewra water 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed 2 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp black pepper powder 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp oil Salt as per taste few strands of kesar + 1 tbsp warm milk For curry masala paste: 1 big onion roughly chopped 5 garlic crushed 1 inch ginger 4 green cardamom 15 whole cashew 10 blanched almonds/badams 2 tsp poppy seeds/khus khus 1 cup water Recipe: 1. In a large kadai take masala ingredients: onions, garlic cloves, ginger, cardamoms, whole cashews, almonds and poppy seeds. Add 1 cup water, cover and boil for 15 minutes. 2. Cool completely, and blend to smooth paste adding water as required. keep aside. 3. In a same kadai, heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamoms. Saute until spices turn aromatic. 4. Now add

Ingredients: 250 gms paneer cut into cubes or lengthwise 1/2 cup green and red capsicum chopped into cubes 1/2 cup onion chopped into cubes 2 tbsp carrots chopped into small cubes 1-2 tbsp grated cabbage (optional) 2 tbsp garlic cloves finely chopped 1 tsp ginger finely chopped 2-3 green chillies finely chopped 1 tbsp spring onions white finely chopped 1 tbsp onion finely chopped 2 tbsp spring onions green 1/4 cup maida  2 tbsp corn flour  2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp sugar  2 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tbsp soya sauce 3 tbsp oil salt as per taste Recipe: 1. In a big mixing bowl, take maida. Add corn flour, salt and red chilli powder. Mix well. 2. Add water and make a semi thick batter. Add paneer cubes to the batter. Mix well to coat the cubes with the batter. Marinate paneer for 15-20 mins. 3. After 20 mins, take a pan and add oil for deep frying. Fry the paneer cubes till they turn golden brown. Remove the panner to absorbent kitchen tissues and keep it aside.

Ingredients: Marination: 400 gms of paneer cut into big cubes 100 gms thick curd 2 tbsp gram flour/besan 1 tsp ginger/garlic paste 1/2 tsp saunf/fennel freshly crushed 1/2 tsp chaat masala 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi salt as per taste Oil for shallow frying. Gravy: 4 nos green cardamom 2 nos black cardamom 5 nos cloves 6 nos black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 2 green chillies 2-3 dry red chillies 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 2 nos big onions finely chopped 3 nos red tomatoes finely chopped 50 gms beaten curd 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp jeera/cumin powder 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp Tikhalal red chilli powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg/jaiphal powder 1 tsp kasuri methi 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp haldi 100 ml milk 500 ml water 3 tbsp oil Salt as per taste Finely chopped coriander to garnish Recipe: 1. In a medium bowl, add thick curd and gram flour and ginger-garlic paste Mix well. To this add all the spices.Mix well. 2. To this marination, add paneer cubes and mix well to

Ingredients: 500 gms paneer cut in medium size cubes 50 gms + 35 gms butter 30-35 big garlic cloves 2 nos green chillies 3 big tomatoes roughly chopped 2 big onions roughly chopped 100 gms cashews 1/2 cup thick fresh cream 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp jeera/cumin powder 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp tikhala red chilli powder 1 tbsp kasuri methi chopped coriander leaves Salt as per taste Marination: 180 gm hung thick curd 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp jeera/cumin powder 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp tikhala red chilli powder 1 tbsp kasuri methi  1/2 tsp pounded cloves Salt as per taste Recipe: 1. In small bowl add cashews and soak the same for about 2 hrs. 2. In a mixing bowl, add curd. ginger-garlic paste, salt, garam masala,  chilli   powders, cumin and coriander powders, kasuri methi and cloves powder. Add salt as per your taste. Mix well. 3. To this add the paneer cubes and marinate for an hour long. 4.

Ingredients: 200 gms Paneer cut in small cubes 2 cup boiled green peas 2 big onions chopped roughly 2 green chillies 2-3 med tomatoes chopped roughly 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tsp paprika/kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder 1-2 tsp kasuri methi 1 tsp garam masala Salt as per taste 2 tbsp Rai/Mustard Oil 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil chopped coriander leaves Recipe: 1. Take a kadai and heat vegetable oil. Add onions and saute till it is soft and then add green chillies and finally tomatoes. Saute till tomato is soft. Add ginger garlic paste to the same and mix well. Later add little salt to the mixture. Let it cool. Later Blend all to form a gravy mixture. 2. Take a kadai add oil to heat. Let the mustard oil heat for a min,till the aroma comes else oil will give bitter taste. 3. Add jeera to the oil, let it splutter. Later add the above gravy mixture to the oil. Saute the same on low flame til

Ingredients: 200 gms Paneer cut in big cubes 2 big onions cut in cubes 1 big green capsicum cut in cubes 1 big yellow capsicum cut in cubes 1 big tomato cut in cubes 2 tbsp Rai/Mustard Oil 2-3 tbsp gram flour/besan 1/2 cup hung curd 1 tsp paprika/kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp of black pepper 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric 1 tsp garam masala Salt as per taste Oil for brushing Recipe: 1. Take a kadai add oil to heat. Let the mustard oil heat for a min,till the aroma comes else oil will give bitter taste. 2. Add gram flour and saute the same till nice aroma comes and it changes color to brown.Keep it aside for cooling. 3. Take a small bowl. Add curd and beat to smooth consistency. Add the roasted gram flour to the curd mixture and mix it well to remove any lumps. 4. Later add all the dry spices to the same. Mix well and finally add salt as per taste. 5. Marinate the above chopped veggies in this mixture and keep it aside for 2-3 hrs. 6. Take a grill pan, brush

Ingredients: 200g Malai Paneer cut in cubes 2 medium onions chopped 2 medium tomatoes chopped 1 small ginger 3-4 cloves of garlic 2 green chillies 1/2 tsp pepper powder 1/2 tsp haldi 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup fresh cream 1/4 cup fried cashews and raisins Salt as per taste 3-4 tbsp of ghee chopped coriander leaves Recipe: 1. Take a non stick kadai. Add ghee. Heat it for a min and then add dry fruits. Saute for a min and remove it 2. Later add paneer cubes and fry the same till slightly brown. 3. Blend onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and tomatoes to gravy paste. 4. Add the above paste to the ghee in kadai. Keep stirring till oil starts separating. 5. To this mixture add milk and bring it to boil. If the mixture thickens add water if required. 6. To this add all the dry masalas. Mix well. 7. Add salt as per the taste. Mix well. 8. Add half of the

Paneer Makhani , (also called paneer butter masala ) is a slightly sweet creamy dish of paneer, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter (makhan), tomatoes, cashews or cream. Makhani means buttery. This dish originated when Punjabis at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi invented the sauce by mixing fresh butter into a tomato-based curry. Ingredients: 2 tbsp Melted Butter/ghee 400 gm Paneer chopped in cubes 1 cup cashews 1 cup fresh cream 2 big chopped onions 2-3 dry red chillies 2-3 green chillies 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 2 medium chopped tomatoes  1 tbsp kasuri methi powder 1 tsp nutmeg/jaiphal powder 1-2 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 1-2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi 2 tsp tomato ketchup 2 tsp sugar Salt as per taste Recipe: 1.  Paneer can be shallow fried, however it is optional. I use paneer pieces without frying.Keep it aside. 2. Take a kadai, put 1 tbsp of ghee/butter.