Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani is a very popular Punjabi recipe made from Indian Cottage cheese with gravy that is thickened by using butter, onions, tomatoes and cashew paste.

This recipe goes very well with all types of indian breads like rotis, naan, poori, chapathis, etc

Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala Recipe:

• Paneer: 250 gms
• Onion Paste: 1/2 cup
• Tomato Puree: 1 cup (Boil 4 tomatoes, peel the skin and then make the puree)
• Curd: 1/2 cup
• Butter: 5 tbsp
• Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp
• Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp
• Cashewnut paste: 4 tbsp
• Dhania (Coriander) Powder: 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala: 1tbsp
• Cumin Powder: 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Chili Powder: 1-2 tbsp
• Food Color: 1 pinch
• Green Chili: 4 nos
• Sugar: 1/2 tbsp
• Cream/Malai: 2 tbsp (Optional)
• Salt to taste

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serving: 4-6 people

Cooking Method for Paneer Butter Masala Recipe:

1. Cut the Paneer into medium sized cubes. Take a pan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and fry the paneer cubes for around 4 minutes.
2. Now take out the paneer and soak it in a container with 3 tbsp of curd. This is to make the paneer soft. Keep the paneer aside for 15 minutes.
3. In the same pan in which the paneer was fried, add the onion paste and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add green chili, ginger garlic paste and stir for another 3 minutes.
5. Add dhania powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder and chili powder. Mix well.
6. Add the tomato puree. Cook for an additional 6 minutes. Occasionally stir the mixture and if the gravy in the pan becomes too thick add some water in between.
7. Add the remaining curd and keep stirring the mixture for a couple of minutes.
8. Then add the remaining butter, kasoori methi, ghee, cashew nut paste, sugar, salt to taste and food color.
9. Now add the fried and soaked paneer cubes into the pan and mix the contents. Simmer it for 3-4 minutes.
10. Finally add the cream to the gravy. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it aside for around 15 minutes before serving.

You can serve the Paneer Butter Masala with naan, rotis, chapathis or poori. Try this recipe and let me know how it comes out.

Also don’t miss the other Paneer Recipes: Shahi Paneer Recipe, Palak Paneer Recipe and Mutter Paneer Recipe.

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Cup of Black Tea a day keeps heart disease away

As per a recent study, drinking one cup of black tea everyday might protect you against cardiovascular disease. This was the outcome of a study conducted at University of L'Aquila in Italy and supported by the Lipton Institute of Tea.

In the study 19 healthy men with 33 being their median age, were given one of five prescribed intakes of the tea over five periods lasting one week each. The caffeine level of each dose was standardised but the dose of tea flavonoids was controlled at the levels of 0 (the control dose), 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg per day.

It was found that black tea consumption improves blood vessel reactivity and reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness, indicating a notably better cardiovascular health profile.

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10 Health benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric revered in India as "holy powder" or yellow-gold spice has being used for centuries in Indian Cuisine as a seasoning that provides flavor to Indian curries. It has for centuries been an important part of traditional Asian and Ayurvedic medicine used to treat everything from a runny nose to chest pain.

Turmeric is truely one of nature's most powerful healers. Scientists in Michigan are reporting discovery of the secret behind the fabled healing power of Turmeric.

Using a high-tech instrument termed solid-state NMR spectroscopy, the scientists discovered that molecules of curcumin, the active ingredient, act like a biochemical disciplinarian. They insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly in a way that increases cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes.

1. Small studies have found that curcumin the active ingredient, cuts cholesterol
2. Animal research suggests it inhibits tumor formation.
3. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
4. It prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
6. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
7. A new research, just published in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, involving mice provides clues that turmeric could be helpful in the fight against obesity.
8. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin. Also helps in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
9. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
10. Now more than a dozen studies in humans are investigating whether it protects against cancer and other diseases like multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer
    

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Butter Chicken Curry Recipe

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murg Makhani) is my Mother's favorite recipe and is also among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas, ghee rice, jeera rice or plain steamed rice and its gravy can be made as mild or hot as you like so it suits most palates.

There are many stories surrounding the origin of Butter Chicken. According to a documentary by the Discovery Channel, the butter chicken recipe was invented by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant called Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi.

Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1 kg or 2.2 lb
• Onion paste: 1 cup
• Tomato puree: 2 cups
• Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Green Chili: 2 nos
• Meat Masala powder: 2 tbsp
• Red Chili powder: 1 tbsp
• Food Color: 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Dhania powder: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp
• Butter: 100 gms
• Coconut paste (Optional) : 1/2 cup (Add more if you need more gravy)
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon (Dalchini), Cloves (Lavang) and Cardamom (Elaichi) powder: Make 1/4 tsp of powder with 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 cloves and 2 cardamom
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnish

Butter Chicken Recipe Cooking Method:

Chicken Marination

1. In a bowl add chicken, 1/2 cup onion paste, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, food color and mix well. Keep aside for 1 hour.

 

Butter Chicken Curry or Gravy

1. In a pan on medium heat add butter. When the butter melts add the remaining onion paste and saute for around 5 minutes till the raw smell of onion no longer exists.
2. Add the green chili cut into long slices and ginger garlic paste to the mix and stir for 3 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and cook for another 6 minutes
4. Then add 1/4 cup water.
5. Add dhani powder, meat masala powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
6. Now add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes with a lid covering the pan on low heat.
7. At this stage add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom powder, kasoori methi and coconut paste. If you want more gravy you can add more water and salt.
8. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the chicken is well cooked.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot. This delicious Butter Chicken goes very well with all types of Rotis and flavored rice like Ghee Rice and Jeera Rice.

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Tomato Rice Recipe

Tomato Rice recipe is a simple south indian vegetarian recipe and one of my husband's favourite recipes. As the names indicates tomato is the main ingredient in this recipe with onions, rice and spices.

You can also add green peas if you wish but do not add any other vegetables. Increase or decrease the spices depending on how spicy you want the recipe to be. So lets get started!

Tomato Rice Recipe Ingredients

• Tomatoes - 5 large chopped
• Peas - 3/4 cup (Optional)
• Rice (Basmati or Sona Masoori) -  1 1/2 cups
• Onion - 2 medium sized (long slices)
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 1/2 to 4 tbsp
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 nos
• Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2 nos
• Cloves or Laung - 5 nos
• Cinnamon - 2 sticks
• Cardamom or ilaichi - 2 nos
• Star anise (What is this?) - 1 nos
• Marathi Moggu - 2 nos
• Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1/3 cup

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 3-4 people 

Tomato Rice Recipe Cooking Method

1. First wash and soak rice for 15 minutes in water. Drain water and keep it aside.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel (you can use a pressure cooker as well) and heat the oil on medium heat.
3. When the oil heats up, add Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Star Anise, Marathi Moggu and Kasuri Methi into the vessel.
4. After a minute or so, add vertically sliced green chillies and onions cut into long slices to the vessel. Saute for 8 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add ginger garlic paste. Stir until the raw smell of the paste no longer exists.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, peas (optional) and turmeric powder to the mixture and stir well.
7. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
8. Add salt to taste and chilli powder and mix well.
9. Then add water. Bring the contents to boil. Take a few drops of the liquid from the vessel and taste it. Add salt and chilli powder if required to suit your taste requirements.
10. If you are using 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice then use 2 1/4 cups of water. For other kinds of rice use equal amount of water.
11. Cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes on low heat and you are done.

The tomato rice is now ready to be served. Serve it hot with raitha. Also check out other Rice recipes.

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Health Tips: Control blood sugar with Fenugreek (Methi)

These little seeds are commonly used as a spice in Indian cuisine, but did you knonw that fenugreek (or methi) is also powerful medicine. In fact, it's one of the oldest plant medicines. Fenugreek have been found to lower blood sugar, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce high cholesterol, according to several animal and human studies.

In one of the largest studies on fenugreek, 60 people who took 25 grams daily showed significant improvements in blood sugar control and post-meal spikes.

Fenugreek actually belongs to the legume family (as do lentils) and the seeds are 50 percent fiber, which probably explains their blood sugar benefits. The seeds also contain an amino acid that appears to boost the release of insulin. An added bonus: They also reduce cholesterol.

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