Kadai Paneer - Using ready to cook mix

Tredy foods www.tredyfoods.com- A company that specialises in traditional snacks and sweets of India especially from South India. The sweets and snacks are native and unique and healthy which are delivered to the door steps of those who order it. Not just food but also kitchen appliances and utensils the traditional ones are sold by Tredy foods.

With a well knit network, Tredyfoods strives its best to serve its customers only THE BEST.

Tredyfoods have come up with ready to cook masala in three variants. Kadai Masala, Chettinad Masala and Pepper Masala.

With the Kadai Masala paste, I tried making Kadai Paneer. The best part of these ready to cook masala is that this contains oil, tomato, onion, capsicum, salt and all other spices. These are in a powder form and that helps in a mess free cooking. Kadai Paneer needs chopping grinding, marinating but this Tredyfoods ready to cook masala eliminates all these steps thus enabling the user to cook thier favourite and delicious meal quickly. These ready to cook pastes are very helpful to bachelors and working woman who want to eat thier favourite and delicious meal without struggling much in the kitchen. 

The masala mix is in dehydrated form and is made in the form of pickle or thokku and is packed in no air circulation method in vaccum pack that gives a shelf life of 12 months. 

Though the name Kadai Paneer, suggests that it is to be cooked in Kadai or wok, I tried making it in pressure cooker to make it even more quicker. As we wanted a dry version, I have used very less water too. 

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms

Tredyfoods Kadai Paneer masala - 1 pack (50 gm pack)

Water 50 ml

Ghee - 2 tbsp (optional as the mix already contains oil)

Method: 

Cut the paneer into cubes. Immerse it in hot water for about 3 mins remove and drain. (This is to make the paneer soft). In a pressure pan (1.5 ltrs or 2ltrs) add 1 tbsp of ghee, Tredy foods Kadai mix, water and mix well. Add the Paneer cubes and mix thoroughly with a wodden laddle or a spoon. Ensure you dont break any Paneer pieces and all the cubes are coated evenly. 

Add the remaining ghee. Close the pan and set for 3 whistles on medium flame. Tasty Kadai Paneer is ready.

As the Tredy food mix contains all the necessary masalas and veggies there is no trouble of grinding them. Just open the packet and add it to the paneer or mushroom or baby potato. (Non-Veg lovers can make use of this masala mix to make Kadai Chicken)

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves (optional).

Raseela Paneer by Radha Sriram

Another Paneer dish that made rounds in our dining table after my friend Radha Sriram. The taste is amazing and the gravy is also very rich. Paneer can be substituted with Tofu or Soya Balls

Ingredients 

paneer 200 gm (cubes)

capsicum-1no

green pea- 1 cup

tomato puree-1 cup

salt- for taste

oil-2/3 tsp

To Fry and Grind

onion -2no

tomato-1

ginger-1'

garlic cloves-4-6 no

raw masala like cloves,cardemom,chinnamon stick,ani seed,javithri-each 3-4 no

To Thicken the Gravy
Cashew nuts - few

coconut milk or  milk-1 cup

For Garnishing
fresh mint leaves-very few

Procedure:

1. keep ready the onion gravy by frying and grinding the ingredients.

2.in a kadai,add one tsp oil and fry pieces of capsicum and peas for 2 min.

3.to this add paneer and give a stir.

4.now add onion paste and fry till oil comes out.

5.now add required salt and water to give a boil.

6.if you find the gravy thin add cashewnuts paste and give a boil and switch off.

 note:

diet consious people can use roasted gram in the place of cashew

Pappadi Paneer Balls

A starter dish and also a dish that kids will love it as an evening snack after school.

Ingredients:

Urad Dal Papad (Raw) - 4 nos

Paneer - 100 gms

Chaat Masala - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 1 no (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)

Mint leaves - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)

Corn Flour - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Oil to Fry

Method: 

Crush the papads finely and spread them on a plate. Mix Paneer, chaat masala, salt, finely chopped green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves together to a dough form. Make small balls out of this dough. 

Mix salt to corn flour and add little water to it to make a thick and smooth paste. Dip the paneer balls in flour paste and roll them in the crushed papad. 

In a shallow pan heat oil and fry these balls till they turn golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup. 

Paneer Tikka by Uma Sridharan

Party menu recipe posted by Uma Sridharan

Ingredients:

Large block of Paneer                         1

Onion                                                 1

Capsicum                                           1

Ripe hard Tomato                               1

finely chopped Coriander leaves        handful

 

To Marinate:

Curd                                                    1 cup

Ginger - Garlic paste                          1 tbsp

jeera powder                                       1 tsp

Salt to taste

Red chili Powder                                 1 tsp

 

Method

Cut Paneer into 1/2" thick cubes. Cut all vegetables into cubes. Mix all ingredients for marinade and keep aside. Marinate  vegetables and paneer separately. Keep the marinated paneer in fridge for atleast 2 hrs.

Heat oil in a kadai and fry marinated paneer till done. Fry vegetables also. Arrange fried vegetables and paneer in a serving plate.

Garnish with coriander.

Paneer Kalamirch Masala

Party menu recipe posted by Latha Mahadevan

Ingredients:

Onions - 2 big

Green chillies - 2 (u can also incrrease if u want more spicy)

Cashewnut - 10 grams

Curd 1/2 cup

Fresh cream - 1 cup or milk

Paneer - 1/4 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn

Garam Masala - 1 tspn

Pepper powder - 1 tspn

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblspn

Coriander powder - 2 tspn

Method: 

Fry Onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Grind them to a paste. Add 4 tspn of oil and 2 tspn of ghee in a tawa and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardmom, cinnamon and lavang. Then add the paste. Add turmeric powder, pepper powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. grind cashew nut also into a paste. add cashew paste also. add curd. add salt. wait till the oil separates. Add little water and add paneer. Add kasuri Methi and garam masala. Add fresh cream. decorate it with mint leaves on top.

Paneer Bemisal

Party Menu recipe by Rohini Renganathan

This is a quick Paneer dish and can be made without any major preparations 

Ingredients -

250 gms Paneer 

200 gms Fresh Cream  

200 gms Tomato Puree 

2-3 tblsp Butter 

2 tbsp Kasuri methi

1/2 tsp Red chilli  Powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder 

2-3 Green chilli As per taste Salt

 

Method -

 Melt the butter in a pan, add slit green chillies, tomato puree,kasuri methi, salt, red chilli powder and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Add the cream and garam masala powder and cook further for 2-3minutes. (in slow flame)

 Add the paneer pieces and cook for a minute.

Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Paneer Fingers in Rice batter

Ingredients:
Paneer - 200 gms
Besan Flour - 1 cup
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Khus Khus paste - 1 tsp
Sesame - 1 tsp
Spring onions - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Chilly paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Buttermilk - 1 tsp (optional)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
oil - for frying.

Method:
Mash rice well and mix it with besan flour, buttermilk to form a thick batter. Set it aside for about 4 hours. Mix turmeric powder, chilly garlic paste, green chilly paste, red chilly powder, Khus Khus paste, Sesame seeds, finely chopped spring onions and salt.

Cut the paneer into one inch long finger sized strips. Coat the strips with the batter and fry in oil till they are golden brown in colour.

Makes a great snack for the brothers on Raksha Bandhan day.

Easy Veg Paneer Cutlet

Ingredients:
Potato - 2 nos
Carrot - 1 no.
Onion -  1 no.
Peas - 1/4 cup
Paneer - 100 gms
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Roasted Rawa - 1/4 cup
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
Pressure cook potatoes. Mash well. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onion. When the onion turns glassy, add the grated carrot, peas. Add red  chilly powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt and mix well. Remove from flame add the grated paneer.  Make a watery batter of the corn flour .Make the potato mixture into small balls and flatten it. Coat both the sides in the corn flour batter and roasted rawa.

Heat oil in a shallow pan and shallow fry the cutlets. Turn it both the sides till they become golden brown in colour. (Care should be taken not to over brown it). Serve it hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney

How to make Paneer at home

Ingredients:
Milk - 1 ltr
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:
Bring the milk to boil, while doing so warm the water and after removing from fire add the lemon juice to it. When the milk comes to a boil, pour the lemon juice to it and sim the stove. Keep stirring constantly, to ensue that the entire milk is curdled. Remove from fire and let it cool. Strain through a clean muslin cloth. Keep the muslin cloth under running water and then squeeze out the remaining water. Hang the cloth so that all the Whey drains out. Donot throw the whey. It is rich in proteins. It could be used to make gravies or can also be added instead of wate while making Chappatis.

When you feel that all the water have come off then place the muslin cloth in a plate and keep a heavy weight over it. After 2 to 3 hours it can be removed and sliced. Refrigerate it and use it whenever needed. Make sure you dont store the Paneer more than a week.

Tandoori Paneer

Ingredients:
Ginger - 10 gm piece
Garlic - 10 to 12 flakes
Cloves - 5 pieces
Cardomom - 5 pieces
Cinamon - 5 pieces
Turmeric - a pinch
Jeera - a pinch
Red Chillies - 10 to 12 depending upon the spiciness.
Paneer - 100 gms
Curd - 100 gms

Method:
Cut Paneer into cubes. Soak them in warm water for a few mins and keep them aside. Grind all the other ingredients except curd into a fine paste . Beat the curd and add the ground paste to it. Coat the paste on to Paneer. Marianate it in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Add the paste to Onion slices and marianate them too.

Heat a shallow frying pan and place the paneer pieces and pour oil around the pieces. Turn the next side and fry that side too. When both the sides turn golden brown, remove from tawa. Fry the onions also the same way.

To serve, place one piece of onion then paneer then another piece of onion in a toothpick and serve it with Tomato Ketchup and Coriander Chutney.

Note: Prepare the above given paster whenever you want or you can use the ready made Tandoori Masala Powder also.