Homemade Naan and Palak Daal

Oh, Indian food.  How I love thee!  I can't say it enough.  We just love Indian food in this household.  Any chance we get to eat it, we do.  Any time I am feeling exotic in my cooking cuisine, I make it.  It is just a staple around here. If you have been reading this blog for any period of time, the obsession is probably pretty clear.

The other day I embarked on trying another Indian recipe.  This recipe was taken from 101cookbooks.com (Oh, 101cookbooks. How I  love thee!)  Here is the link: Palak Daal  I have made this recipe one time before but did not blog about it at the time.  I was initially drawn to it because it included both lentils and spinach. Two power foods.  Who wouldn't feel powerful, strong, and completely filled after eating those ingredients for dinner? 

I also decided to try something a little different and make some homemade naan.   The naan recipe I used came from allrecipes.com (Oh, allrecipes.  How I feel so-so about you.)  Here's that link: Homemade Naan  To make this naan recipe, all I really needed to do was bust out was my bread machine.  I halved the recipe because I knew we didn't need that much naan hanging around our kitchen.

I actually forgot to take a picture of the finished products because I was so hungry and excited to eat this meal.  I am a little embarrassed to actually type that but it's the truth.  Please forgive the half eaten bowl of palak daal near the end of the photos. This recipe was really good and really filling.  We ate the palak daal over brown rice to increase the whole grains.  Matt loved the naan and it really was easy to make.  They were not perfect in shape or size but they were tasty.  If we make the palak daal again any time soon, I promise I will take a better photo so you can really see the essence of Indian deliciousness. Enjoy!

Palak Paneer: A Vegetarian Indian Dream Dish

Clearly we love paneer in this household.  When looking over past dishes, this cheese is definitely makes regular appearances on this blog. This awesome, filling cheese is a staple in any Indian recipe I attempt to make.  My first question when browsing for Indian recipes, does it have paneer in it?  Yes. Well then yes, please.  Let's try that one.

The other day I was feeling only slightly adventurous when looking for an Indian recipe I could make for dinner.  I wanted it to include paneer (of course) but also didn't want to go with the staple Saag Paneer we have at least once a month.  When browsing on allrecipes.com, I came across Rosy's Palak Paneer.  This recipe was enticing because it included all the Indian flavors I love but added a tomato twist.  In the original recipe, it calls for adding the paneer to the tomato and spinach base and letting the cheese warm that way.  I decided to fry ours up adding a little turmeric and salt.  The extra hit of flavor on the cheese was a very nice addition.

As I am continuing to find, the Indian recipes I try only get better and more flavorful with time.  The night we ate this dinner, the palak paneer was great.  However, the next day, it was truly wonderful.  It always makes me so happy to have leftovers I actually enjoy eating.  This recipe was definitely enjoyable.  If you try it out, I hope you like it too!

Aloo Gobi: An Indian Experiment

Yesterday was our first wedding anniversary.  To celebrate, we went out to dinner at a restaurant that has a prix fixe menu.  This restaurant gives five options to choose from in each of the five course categories.  Deciding which option to choose for each of the courses was super difficult for both of Matt and myself.  We debated with each other, went back and forth with ourselves, asked the waitress for her opinion, and then finally decided on what we wanted.  The whole dining experience was divine. I don't use that word very often because I don't often have the chance to.  But this experience cannot be described any other way.  From the first course to the last, this dinner was purely divine and delicious.  One day I hope to cook to one-tenth of the ability of this restaurant's chef.  The whole experience reminded me over and over again why I love cooking (and love eating.)

In my desire to continue stretching my cooking skills, I am posting a link to an Indian dish I made this afternoon for our lunches for the rest of this week.  Here is the link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/cauliflower-and-potatoes-aloo-gobi-recipe/index.html  The recipe is called Aloo Gobi which apparently translates to "Cauliflower and Potatoes" according to the Food Network website.

Although I am finding that Indian food actually has the best flavor the day after you prepare it, when I sampled this recipe while cooking, it was really good!  I added an extra serrano pepper for spice and had to switch out the potato.  On Sunday evening , I roasted some vegetables and accidentally used my potato in that dish.  I completely forgot I needed it for this recipe.  So instead of the potato that is called for, I added chickpeas instead.  The chickpeas have that starchy texture like a potato so it was an easy swap.  This was a very easy Indian dish with simple ingredients that most people have access to.  I would highly recommend it if you are up for experimenting with an easy Indian dish. Enjoy!

Muttar Paneer: a make ahead dinner

Note to self: Make this Indian recipe the night before actually wanting to eat it.  It is ten thousand times better the next day.

Note to anyone reading: This recipe is delicious if slightly modified and reheated.  You should try it.

Now that all of that is out of the way, let me get to the actual recipe I am writing about.  It is an Indian dish called Muttar Paneer.  Because I am slightly obsessed with Indian food and Indian spices, I decided to expand my Indian food repertoire last week by making a new dish.  I had a block of paneer cheese in the fridge so I knew I wanted to see what other Indian recipes would include that.  This recipe is what found while looking on foodnetwork.com.  Here's the link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/muttar-paneer-recipe/index.html  

After reading the recipe reviews, I decided to change up the ingredients a little bit.  First, I seasoned and cooked the paneer like I would in the Saag Paneer recipe.  I cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces and placed them in a bowl.  I then added a splash of olive oil, a 1/2 teaspoon cayanne pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt over the cheese.  I mixed that up until all the cheese pieces were coated with the spices.  I then pan fried the cheese and once done, set it aside.  

When the Food Network recipe calls for adding the garam masala and turmeric, that's when I also added 1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander and about 1 teaspoon of cumin.  After the recipe calls for adding the peas, I sprinkled about 1/2 teaspoon of cayanne pepper over them, stirring well to make sure all the peas were mixed and covered in the spice sauce.   Also, I let the peas cook for about 15-20 minutes instead of the 5 minutes mentioned in the recipe.  

While eating Muttar Paneer that first night for dinner, both Matt and I agreed that it was an okay dish.  He said it got about 3.25 chicken wings out of 5.  However, the next day, what a different story!  Literally the first thing I said to Matt after work was, "What did you think of the Indian today?"  His response, "So good and so much better."  After a day of sitting, I think the recipe moved up at least one chicken wing in his book.  I have been thinking about it and I am not quite sure what brought the spices together so beautifully the next day.  Maybe there is an Indian fairy out there somewhere that corrects all poor attempts at Indian food made by a girl from Ohio. Oh well, I am definitely not complaining.  Enjoy!

Indian food spectacular!

I love Indian food.  Matt loves Indian food too.  This is one reason why we love each other.  

During the summer of 2011, Matt and I went to a festival that had three food trucks as the possible lunch/dinner options.  Needless to say, when you only have three food trucks to choose from, you quickly learn which one is the best.  The Indian food became our staple lunch and dinner during the three days we were at the festival.  Once we got back to Atlanta, my sweet and adventurous sister Audrey came down to visit and took us out for an Indian dinner.  Audrey had spent a month living in India a couple years beforehand so she knew what was good and what we might like.  Matt and I left our dinner with Audrey stuffed but steady in our love for Indian.

Last night I made Saag Paneer, a recipe I found on foodnetwork.com.  Since we have gotten married, I have made this Aarti Sequeira recipe probably between 10-12 times.  Considering we have only been married for 9 months, that is a lot of wonderful Indian in a short amount of time.  I stumbled across the Paneer cheese one day at the Farmer's Market but I am sure they have it at other places as well.   If you can't find it, Aarti (I am calling her by her first name now like she and I are best friends or something) has a recipe on foodnetwork.com on how to make your own. Below is the recipe for Aarti Sequeira's Saag Paneer as well as the link. Now you have no excuse to not make this dish as soon as possible!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe/index.html

          ...............


Saag Paneer: Spinach with Indian Cheese

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or made from Aarti's recipe) 
• 1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large green serrano chili, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
• 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth

In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spice from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

          ...............

When making this dish, I never use my food processor to puree the spinach.  I hate to wash that dang thing.  If the frozen spinach is already chopped, I figured that is good enough for me.  I also leave out the yogurt.  One main reason I leave out the yogurt is that it cuts down on the Weight Watcher points.  Just so you know, based on my Weight Watchers online food tracker, fried paneer is about 3 points per 1 oz and white rice is 5 points per cup.  By the time I am done eating this delicious meal, I have had approximately 2 oz of cheese (which totals 5 points) along with 1 cup of rice.  It is a really hearty meal for only about 10 points.  That always makes me very happy.  Enjoy!