## INGREDIENTS
- 200gm Paneer(Indian Cottege Cheese) 
- 1/2 Capscicum medium size
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Onion

## FOR MARINATION
- 1 cup Hung Curd
- 1 inch Giner
- 7-8 cloves of Garlic
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1/2 TeaspoonGaram Masala
- 1 TeaspoonRed Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Tandoori Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Chat Masala: 1 tsp
- 1-2 Tablespoon Oil
- Salt according to taste
- Green Chutney, coriander leaves for For Garnish/Serving

## COOKING EQUIPMENTS
- 4 wooden skewers

## PREPARATION
- Take 1 cup hung curd in large bowl and whisk it properly.
- Make a fine paste of Ginger and Garlic.
- Chop the Paneer and Vegetables in a bite size cubes.

## STEPS
- Add all the marination ingredients and the hung curd in a mixing bowl
- Mix well. Add Paneer and the veggies (tomato, capsicum and onion)
- Coat the cubes with the mixture with hand properly so all the mixture can properly coats them.
- Keep this marinated paneer in the fridge at least for 1 hour to 3 hours. Better if you can keep it in fridge for overnight as well.
- After a good waiting period take the preparation from fridge.
- Preheat broiler and brush a broiler pan lightly with oil.
- Divide paneer and veggies among skewers (5-6 cubes per skewer), leaving an 1/8-inch space between cubes, and arrange about 5 skewers across the pan. 
- Broil the paneer and veggies about 4 inches from heat, turning over once, until browned in some spots and just cooked through, It will take not more than 9 to 12 minutes.
- Select grill option and grilled it for 12-15 min till your corner of paneer starts golden and crisp.

## MY TIPS
- You can use wooden skewer as well just keep then in water for 1 hour before using which will prevent to burning skewers.
- Better if you use steel skewers 
- You can add a spoon of  Besan/Gram flour which gives the dish a crunchy texture.
- Serve with some sliced lemon and green chutney

Chicken Tikka

In terms of Indian cooking, tikka means to cubes of paneer or veggies cooked on skewers. It's a very popular dish with a variation called Tikka Masala where there is a sauce/gravy with the chunks.

Paneer Tikka

## INGREDIENTS
-   800gm Chicken
-   2 large Onions
-   7-8 Garlic cloves
-   4 Green chillies.
-   1 inch Ginger
-   2 large sized Tomatoes
-   2 medium sized potatoes
-   4 Table spoon Cooking oil (preferably Mustard Oil)

## SPICES AND HERBS
- 4 cloves 
- 4 green cardamom
- 1/4th inch of mace
- 1/4 of a black cardamom
- 1 inch of cinnamon stick
- 2/3 Teaspoon Salt (according to taste)
- 1/3 Teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red chilly powder
- 1.5 Teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1/3 Teaspoon Meat masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 1 small bunch of Coriander leaves

## PREPARATION
-   Chop the chicken into medium pieces, 2 inch each preferably
-   Wash and clean the chicken and keep aside
-   Add 1/2 tablespoon of mustard oil, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and marinate the chicken pieces.
-  Cover this chicken marinade and rest for atleast 30 mins to one hour.
-   Make a fine fresh paste of ginger and garlic.
-   Chop the onions (length-wise)
-   Chop Green chillies
-   Chop tomatoes into fine pieces
-   Chop potatoes into medium sized cubes.
-   Chop fresh coriander leaves.
-   Make a course powder of cloves, green cardamom, mace, black cardamom and the cinnamon stick

## STEPS
-   Heat the mustard oil in a pan and put it on a medium heat for 2 minutes.
-   Add the course spices powder mentioned above
-   Add the onions, and slit green chillies to the oil, and fry until the color changes to golden brown.
-   Keep the heat on medium high.
-   After 5 minutes of stiring, add ginger and garlic paste, and keep frying.
-   Add turmeric powder and red chilly powder, when the onions are soft and mushy.
-   Fry the mixture on medium to high, making sure its not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-   You can cover the pan with a lid to fasten the process a bit.
-   In about 10 minutes, when the onion and ginger garlic mixture is well cooked, then add chopped tomatoes.
-   Mix well and cook it with the lid covered.
-   Keep frying it until the mixture is not watery. It should become a bit dry.
-   Make sure to keep checking every 2-3 minutes to make sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-   When the mixture is done, we will add meat masala, coriander powder, and a bit of chicken kadahi masala, a bit of garam masala and mix it well.
-   We will cook it well and keep stirring it, until the oil separates from the mixture.
-   When there is almost no water in the mixture, then we will add chicken and potatoes and mix it well.
-   Make sure to keep it on high heat (but be sure that it shoud not burn)
-   And now we have to keep stirring it every 2 mins making sure the gravy is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-   Once the water dries up and potatoes are a little cooked, now we will add some salt according to taste, and about 1.5 cups of water.
-   Mix it well, cover the lid and cook it on a low-medium heat until gravy thickens and potatoes are well cooked.
-   You can adjust with more hot water as per the consistency you like
-   Now we can add a little more garam masala.
-   Add chopped coriander leaves on top, and mix it well.

Chicken Curry

A typical curry from the Indian subcontinent consists of chicken well cooked in a blend of spices and onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes 

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

## INGREDIENTS:
- 250 grams paneer
- 3/4 cup green peas 
- 1-2 tablespoon clarified butter(ghee) or use oil of choice
- 2 whole green cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch ginger crushed, paste or grated
- 2 green chilies finely chopped, or according to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes, fine paste
- 10 whole cashews and 1 tablespoon Charmagaz made a paste with water
- 2 tablespoon cooking cream
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala + more to sprinkle
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 rosted and crushed kasoori meethi or dried fenugric leaves
- 1-2 cups water or according to consistency( warm water preferebley)
- chopped coriander leaves to garnish

## PREPARATION:
- Chop the paneer in small cubes approximately 2cm/2cm. Soak in warm salted water for 15 minutes.

## STEPS:
- In a pan add ghee(clarified butter)
- When hot add cumin seeds, crushed cardamoms, chopped green chillies and saute for 10 seconds
- Add crushed or grated ginger to it now
- Keep on stiring and after 30 seconds add tomato paste or puree to it
- Flame should be at medium to hogh but make sure not to burn the spices
- Now time to add turmeric powder and red chilli powder
- Add Paneer cubes and green peas to it now and toss well
- Sprinkle salt according to taste and keep on stiring but do it carefully as we don't want to break our paneer cubes.
- Put coriander powder and Meat masala(or any curry powder ) mix it
- Pour 2 cups of warm water to the pan
- Allow it to boil for few seconds
- Now, add 2 tablespoons cooking cream, Cashew and Charmagaz paste
- Add 1 table spoon of tomato ketchup
- You can add more hot water according to your preference
- Sprinkle some crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasooori methi) to our gravy
- On a medium flame mix everything very well 
- Sprinkle some garam masala powder and fresh coriander or cilantro leaves
- Turn off the flame and serve with rice/ naan or chapati.


Mattar paneer

Creamy Green Peas with Cottage Cheese is known as Mattar Paneer is a savory dish from north India and now a worldwide popular dish

Mattar Paneer

## INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup of whole Green gram( Moong Daal) 
- 1 Tablespoon grated or crushed Ginger
- 1 Teaspooon finely chopped Green Chilly
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped
- Pinch of Asfoetida(Hing)
- 1 Tablespoon of Ghee( clarified butter). If not available Mustard or vegetable oil will work
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- Salt 1 Teaspoon or according to taste
- 1 Tablespoon chopped Coriander leaves

## PREPARATION
- Take a cup of Moong Daal(whole green Gram) and after cleaning and washing soak in water 5-6 hours.

## STEPS

- Heat a deep vessel with 4 cups of water on. 
- Add soaked moong daal(green gram), Salt and Turmeric to it.
- When it comes to boil, keep it on medium flame. 
- Wait until the Daal is tender enough for a good soup.
- Stir occasionally and check if the consistency is okay. Otherwise add some more hot water into it and cover.
- When the Daal is perfectly cooked turn off the flame. 
- Heat a medium to deep bottomed pan.
- Put Ghee or oil in the pan
- Add Asefoetida (hing), Cumin 
- Next add grated Ginger, chopped Green Chilli and saute it.
- Add chopped tomatoes 
- When the tomatoes are little cooked and everything is mushy, add Coriander powder, Red Chilly powder, Garam masala powder.
- Mix everything well
-  Now add the boiled Daal to it and keep on low flame for 2 to 4 minutes.  
-  Add chopped Coriander leaves and if available add Kasoori methi(dry fenugreek leaves).
-  Serve with Rice, Chapaati or Naan. You can enjoy it alone as a soup.

## NOTE

-If you are in hurry and the Daal is not soaked beforehand then don't worry. Wash Moong daal properly and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.
- I personally avoid pressure cooker and soak it beforehand to maintain the lentiles nutrients.

Green Gram Soup

The easiest and nutritious Green beans or Moong Daal recipe is very easy to make. It is loaded with protein and easy to digest.

Whole Green Moong Beans (Moong Dal) Soup

## Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion finely chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or roma tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper very finely chopped
- 5 medium radishes finely chopped
- 1 large English cucumber or 2-3 small persian cucumber finely chopped
- 1 large carrot finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or coriander
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt according to taste (a little spicy and salty gives a real taste)

## Steps 
- Place all the ingredients except salt and lemon juice into a large bowl and add the salt just before serving and toss well.
- If prefer, add yogurt to the salad for a creamy texture 

Indian Kachumber Salad

Kachumber Salad is a no fat and nutritious salad of India made without any oil or dressing.

## Ingredients
- Leftover bread crushed in a blender - 3 cups
- All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
- Semolina(sooji) -1/2 cup
- Tomato 1
- Olive or any cooking oil - 1 Tablespoon
- Origano 1/2 teaspoon
- Red chilli powder 1 Teaspoon
- Tomato Ketchup- 2 Tablespoons
- garlic cloves -4
- Baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon
- Grated mozerella cheese 1 cup
- Paneer cubes cut in 1/2 inch- 1/2 cup
- Thinly sliced onion- 1/4 cup
- Thinly sliced bellpepper- 1/4 cup
- Frozen or fresh corn kernels- 2 Tablespoons
- - Chilli flakes and Salt according to taste

## Making the Pizza Sauce
- Boil a cup of water and place a medium Tomato there and let it boil for 3 minutes.
- Remove the skin of the tomato
- Add the tomato and 4 garlic cloves to a bleder and make a fine paste
- Heat up a pan and add 1 Tablespoon oil
- Add the tomato paste to the pan
- Add Origano, chilli powder, vegetable seasoning(optional) and a pinch of salt or according to taste
- Add Tomato ketchup now
- Mix well and turn off the heat

## Preparing the pizza base
- In a bowl take the crushed bread crumb, semolina, all purpose flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt
- Add some water and knead well for 5-6 minutes
- When the dough is prepared cover it and keep aside for 20 minutes or more to rise. No harm if you don't want to wait and bake instantly. 
- Divide the dough in 2 equal sized balls
- Roll the first ball into a circle the size you want
- Meanwhile heat up a flat pan
- Place the rolled pizza base gently.
- Wait for 1 minute and flip the sides. At this stage grease a little olive oil to the sides
- Take out from flame and keep aside, covered
- Now roll the second dough ball as the last one but don't cook it

## Steps
- Place the 2nd base (uncooked) on a flat surface
- Add 1/4 cup cheese on top 
- Cover with the cooked base and seal the sides
- Place the filled pizza base to a hot flat pan for 1 minute
- Make sure to keep the uncooked side facing to the bottom
- Grease the top with Pizza sauce
- Add grated Mozerella and other toppings
- Pre-heat the oven at 490 degrees farenheight 
- Gently remove the Pizza from pan and place it in the pre-heated oven (middle rack) for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese melts


Instant Pizza in Oven

This instant Pizza is made with leftover bread, semolina and all purpose flour with the veggie toppings. Its easy to make and really yummy.

## Ingredients
- Noodles 2 nests
- 1/4 cup small diced Paneer 
- 1 medium onion sliced  
- 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2-3 Sliced green chillies 
- 1 Teaspoon crushed Black Pepper 
- 1 Teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato ketchup 
- 2 Tablespoons Vinegar
- Cooking oil
- 1 packet Maggie Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Meat Masala
- Salt to taste

## Steps
- Boil water in a deep vessel like a sauce pan
- When Hot add noodles in it  and stir occassionally
- Add a Teaspoon of vegetable oil to the boiling Noodles
- When 80% cooked, drain the water 
- Wash the cooked noodles with cold water and mix a little oil to it preventing them to stick together
- In another large wok or pan add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat it up
- Add chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds, flame should be high
- Add chopped chillies, sliced onion and saute well 2-3 minutes
- Add chopped paneer and toss everything well
- Now, add the Maggie Masala, Meat Masala, Red Chilli Powder but don't burn them
- Add noodles now to the pan and sprinkle salt as per taste
- Mix everything well
- Add 1 Tablespoon vinegar and 1 Tablespoon Tomato ketchup to it
- Saute everything well 
- Garnish with sliced onions, black pepper powder and some coriander leaves (optional)


Instant Veg Chowmein

This Chowmein recipe is little more leaned towards spices and flavors of India than the Traditional Indo-Chinese Noodles.

Veg Chowmein with Paneer

## INGREDIENTS

- 2 medium zucchini about ½ Pound cut into slices as per your choice
- 2 cups of Olive or Canola oil, for frying
- 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cups Panko or any breadcrumbs you have
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs

## STEPS

- Pour oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches.
- Heat the oil for deep fry and meanwhile prepare other things.
- Beat the eggs with salt and pepper to taste. 
- Combine Parmesan Cheese, Bread crumbs, Salt and Pepper in a flat dish. 
- Working in batches, dredge zucchini in the all purpose flour then dip in eggs and finally dip in bread crumbs. 
  Follow this:
- Flour--> Egg--> Bread Crumbs
- Repeat with remaining slices.  
- Place the zucchini strips on a baking sheet.
- When the oil is hot, put few zucchini sticks into the oil. Don't over crowd the oil.
-  Use a fork to flip them and fry them for 3 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.
- Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter with cucumber dip or any dip of your choice

Fried Zucchini

Crispy  fried zucchini bites are really amazing and savory.  They are great as a snack, appetizer or even a party dish

Crispy  Fried Zucchini 


## INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup of small or medium Shrimps( I use cooked white Pacific shrimps from Walmart)
- 1 potato boiled and cut into big chunks
- 1/4 cup of  finely chopped Tomato
- 1 Teaspoon finely chopped Onion
- 1 Teaspoon Salt or add as per your taste
- 1 Teaspoon of Turmeric powder
- 2 Tablespoons Mustard oil or Vegetable oil
- 2 Teaspoons of Black Mustard seeds
- 6 medium Garlic cloves
- 1-2 Red Dry Chilli

## PREPARATION

- Keep the shrimps in a bowl, add 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt and marinate it well.
- Take the Mustard, Dry chillies, Garlic cloves and make a fine paste with some water.

## STEPS

- Heat 1 Tablespoon of Oil in a pan
- When the Oil is hot, add the Shrimp and shallow fry until they are cooked or for 5 minutes approximately
- Take out the Shrimps to a plate
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the same pan and heat it
- Add some mustard and wait for it to splutter
- Add the chopped Onion
- Saute for 2 minutes 
- Add the Mustard paste and half cup of water
- Mix well
- Add chopped Tomato, Salt, Turmeric powder
- The mixture will give a nice aroma. Don't let the Masala to stick to the pan. If needed add a spoon or two of water
- Now, add the Shrimps and potato chunks
- Mix everything very well
- After 2 minutes, add a cup of hot or normal tempreture water to it
- Mix well and cover the lid for a good boil
- In 3-4 minutes remove the lid and mix everything well
- Turn off the heat
- Enjoy with Rice 

## TIPS

- Don't let the masala to stick the pan for more than 30 seconds. Otherwise, the taste will be bitter.


Shrimp Curry

Easy and authentic mustard shrimp recipe uses mustard seeds paste with aromatics garlic, chilies and a few cumin seeds.

Hearty Indian Dinners: Delicious Recipes for the Whole Family | Page 3