Magaz Malai Paneer | Cottage Cheese in Creamy Melon Based Sauce

By -
In India, especially on the Northern Side like Delhi and Punjab, whenever there is a party or a get-together planned at home, one dish that is a must-make for sure, has to be paneer (cottage cheese) based. While many a times I go either for Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma, Paneer Butter Masala, Shahi Palak Paneer Kofta Curry or Kadhai Paneer, this time I opted to experiment with flavors keeping them plain, simple and subtle. Trust me, the dish turned out to be super awesome and left my guests licking their fingers till the last bite.   

To tell you more about this paneer recipe, its heart and soul is the gravy which is made using the paste of melon seeds, a little milk and a dollop of fresh cream. What lends it a touch of spice is only a couple of green chilies and black pepper powder. And yes, it is totally incomplete without kasoori methi powder that provides it with that much needed earthiness.

One of my best paneer recipes till date, it ought to be indulged with some garlic naan or pudina parantha.

Magaz Malai Paneer


Ingredients

Paneer (cut into cubes) - 250 grams
Melon seeds - 1/4 cup
Onions (sliced) - 1/2 cup
Ginger (roughly cut into pieces) - 1 inch
Green chilies (roughly chopped) - 2 to 3
Milk - 1 and 1/2 cup
Fresh cream - 2 to 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black cardamom - 1
Green cardamom - 2 to 3
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4 to 5
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 1/4 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
Kasoori Methi Powder - 1 tsp

Magaz Malai Paneer

Method

1. In a saucepan, take about a cup and half of water. Add to it, melon seeds, sliced onions, chopped ginger and green chilies. Let them boil for 15 to 20 minutes on low flame.

2. Drain the water and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.

3. Grind it to a smooth paste in a blender. You can add just a tbsp of water if required.

4.  Next, in a non stick kadai or pan, add the oil.

5. Once oil is hot, add all the whole spices and saute for a minute. Next, add the melon seed paste and cook on low flame stirring it continuously until it turns a little brown.

6. To this sauteed paste, put in the milk. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it come to room temperature.

7. Again blend this gravy in a mixi jar and strain off nicely using a fine mesh strainer. This way all the unwanted fibers of whole spices would be removed from the gravy.

8. Pour this strained gravy in the kadai or pan and let it come to boil. If it seems too thick, you can add a little water as per the consistency you like. Season with salt, sugar, black pepper powder and crushed kasoori methi. Next, add paneer pieces and let cook for 5 to 7 more minutes.

9. Switch off the flame and mix in 2 to 3 tbsp of fresh cream. In the end, again garnish with some crushed kasoori methi. Enjoy hot with any naan or parantha of your choice.

Magaz Malai Paneer


Anshu's Food Odyssey

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by. Your comments, suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Regards

Popular posts from this blog

Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe

By -
Image
A hearty stew made with yellow lentils, vegetables and heaps of aromatic spice powder, Sambar is a staple served with all the meals at every South Indian household. The flavorful lentil curry tempered with aromatic curry leaves, mustard seeds and whole dried red chilies makes for a delectable accompaniment whether having hot idlis , vada, dosa or even plain steamed rice. It won't be incorrect to say that while sambar is majorly known for its tongue-tickling taste, it is also packed with a lot of health benefits; toor dal lends it that much needed dosage of protein, the vegetables provide it with all the essential vitamins and minerals and lastly, addition of hing and tamarind loads it with immune-boosting properties. Having said that, every household has its own recipe of making sambar. Some like it to have thick, others a bit runny. Some like the chunkiness of vegetables whereas others like their sambar to be smooth. Some like it on a tangier side, others with just a hint
Read more

Instant Moong Dal Idli Recipe | How to Make Instant Moong Dal Idli

By -
Image
Idli is one of the healthiest Indian breakfast options by far. These soft, pillowy and melt-in-mouth lentil cakes are traditionally made by fermenting rice and urad dal batter overnight; however, the entire process could be quite cumbersome and involves a little amount of planning ahead. Therefore, instant versions of idlis come very handy when you want to have something quick and yet wholesome and healthy in the breakfast . And especially when it comes to me, I am a big fan of instant recipes, be it instant sprouted moong dal dosa , instant rava & oats idli or instant dhokla , you would find me making these items very frequently as they are not only very quick to make and save you a hell lot of time in the kitchen but, at the same time are quite tasty as well as wholesome. Moong Dal Idli Recipe | How to Make Moong Dal Idli Talking about the instant moong dal idli , as I said it is a very quick and easy recipe and doesn't require an
Read more

Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma | Cottage Cheese in Coriander-Ginger Flavored Yogurt Sauce

By -
Image
Loaded with goodness of ginger and coriander, "Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma" is simply a gastronomic treat for all paneer lovers. This simple yet exotic delicacy can be made in just a few minutes and definitely counts amongst few special recipes that can be served in dinner parties, get-togethers or festive meals. Needless to say, kids love it because of mild spices and a rich texture. A keeper recipe for sure, do try my version of it once and I promise, you would not be disappointed. Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma Ingredients Paneer (Cottage Cheese, cubed) - 250 grams Thick curd/yogurt (nicely whisked) - 1 cup Fresh cream - 1 tbsp Coriander paste - 1 tbsp Ginger paste - 1 to 2 tsp Refined flour - 1 tsp Chopped coriander - a handful Green chilies (chopped) - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Black pepper corns - 3 to 4 Cloves - 2 to 3 Bay leaf - 1 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala po
Read more

Burani Raita Recipe | Spiced, Garlic Flavored Yogurt

By -
Image
Burani Raita is a famous Indian accompaniment to spicy biryanis and pulaos. A Hyderabadi specialty, it uses some thick yogurt that is mixed with few pounded cloves of garlic and some basic spice powders like red chili and roasted cumin, which lend it that much-needed hint of spicy kick. Not to mention, when it comes to making the Burani Raita, it is no more than a five minutes process and makes for an ideal side dish to go along with any kind of rice preparation or even chapati & sabzi combination. Ideally, this utterly flavorful and aromatic raita only has to it, some pounded raw garlic, however, I have given it a slight twist by topping it with some fried garlic bits and some red chili oil for extra flavoring. This step is totally optional and you can skip it altogether by sticking to the traditional way of making it. So, not wasting any time further, lets move on to the recipe.... Burani Raita Recipe | Garlic Flavored Spiced Yogurt INGREDIENTS Thick y
Read more

Perfect Instant Homemade Bhatura Recipe | How to Make Bhatura

By -
Image
Bhatura is a leavened, puffed deep fried bread made from Maida or All Purpose Flour. A popular recipe from the Punjabi cuisine, it is mainly served with spiced chickpea curry such as Pindi Chholey and Amritsari Chholey . Traditionally, bhatura is made using fermented dough, which is rested for minimum of 6 hours and has a peculiar tang to it. However, when you are short of time and crave for this delicious Chole Bhatura combo, these instant bhaturas come to your rescue. Quick and easy to prepare, they use Eno Fruit Salt as the leavening agent and trust me, that lends the bhaturas with that perfect crispness on outside and perfect fluffiness on the inside. If you can't lay your hands on eno, alternatively, you also have the option to use baking powder and baking soda. Without wasting any time further, let's start with the recipe. Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe | How to Make Bhatura INGREDIENTS Maida/All Purpose Flour - 2 cups Sooji/Semolina - 2 tbsp
Read more

Chirote Recipe | Chiroti Recipe

By -
Image
With nation celebrating the beautiful festival of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' with all pomp and show, the much awaited season of festivities in India has formally come to a kick start. Lined up from now, are some of the most popular festivals of India - Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath Pooja, Bhai Dooj and Christmas. I have already begun with the preparations for all these celebrations; first on my list is this  beautiful, delicious, flaky and crusty, " Chirote " or " Chiroti ". A traditional Maharashtrian sweet delicacy, it is made using refined flour, deep fried and coated with powdered sugar. For those who love their snacks to be uprightly sweet, can also dip it in sugar syrup. Melt-in-mouth and highly addictive, I promise you will not be able to resist yourself from eating more than one in one go. Looking for the recipe? Here you go .... Chirote Recipe | Chiroti Recipe Ingredients Maida/all purpose flour - 1 and 1/2 cups Ghee - 2 tbsp + 3
Read more

Gujarati Sweet Sata | Thor [BAKED VERSION]

By -
Image
Festivities like Ganesh Chaturthi , Dussehra and Diwali are just around the corner. For me, this is the most awaited time of the year with decked up markets, a little chill in the air and happiness all around, emanating an aura of positivity and elation in each and every heart. This is also the time when I gear up for the celebrations indulging in shopping, decorating the house and offcourse preparing some traditional sweets and savories at home for all my friends and family. While last year, I made this melt-in-mouth kalakand , vanilla sandesh with strawberry dust and Punjabi style meethi mathri , this time I am planning to go ahead and make this popular sweet from the state of Gujarat: the sweet sata also called as thor . Traditionally, sata is a deep fried pastry, but just to keep the calorie count low this festive season , I decided to go a healthy way and instead of frying, opted to bake them. Trust me, they came out as flaky, crispy and delectable. If you are also looki
Read more