Recipes With a Twist
Posts tagged dinner
Methi Malai Paneer
Aug 26th
Methi Malai Paneer
This one is for mom. While growing up paneer based dishes used to be a staple in our house and I cannot even remember how many different kinds my mom, grandmother and my aunts could make! (I grew up in a large family and shared about 12-13 wonderful years under one roof with my parents, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, great grandmother and most adorable cousins.
Few weeks ago we had planned a dinner with our friends and I don’t know from where I started thinking about this indulgent paneer dish my mom used to make. I thought of giving it a try, trying to remember the flavors and ingredients.
The paneer came out very flavorful and fragrant (thanks to Kasoori methi) and I think was very close to what my mom used to make. Next day I called my mom to confirm the recipe and to my surprise I was pretty close- only my version had a little extra step – she never used any onions and I did. I liked the flavor of lightly browned onions. Last week I made it again and wrote down the recipe (I did use onions again!)
You need:
3 tbsp oil (I used Canola)
1 1/2 medium/1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves, I used MDH brand Kasoori Methi)
3/4 + 1/4 cup whipping cream
1 lb paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed – for this dish I bought the paneer form an Indian store but you can make the cottage cheese at home as well
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King Masala
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Water
2 tbsp Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili Sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a wide wok or Karahi
2. Add Asafoetida, followed by garlic and onions
3. Cook on medium heat until onions are slightly brown, stirring every couple of minutes
4. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking on medium heat until tomatoes are soft and onions and tomatoes mixture start leaving the sides of the wok/karahi leaving oil on the sides.
5. Add salt, turmeric, MDH Kitchen King Masala, Kasoori Methi and saute for couple of seconds.
6. Add 3/4 cup cream and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add water and milk and bring it to boil. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
8. Till this point the sauce is almost cooked and is very mild. At this point I took out some for my son and added few cubes of Paneer for him separately. Since he liked his version, I amalso tagging this post as ‘Toddler Friendly’
9. Take out few table spoons of sauce in a cup, Add Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili sauce and mix well. Put it back in the Karahi and mix well. This is optional – only if you like mild hot and sweet flavor. If you don’t have this chili sauce on hand you can also try regular ketchup with 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp red chilies.
10. Add paneer cubes, stir in 1/4 cup cream and simmer on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the paneer as the cubes will start breaking
11. Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped cilantro
Serve hot with Naans or Roti (Indian Flatbreads)
Note: You can adjust water / milk quantities as per your liking. This recipe makes a medium consistency curry –not too dry and not too watery either
Total Preparation Time : Approximately 30 minutes
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
Aug 18th
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
I wanted to try making it ever since I noticed my son liked a ‘Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta’ from a local Italian restaurant. That inspired me try making Basil Pesto Sauce and this is what I made first using the Pesto sauce. This is not a perfectly low calorie dish. I can say it might be lighter than what I have looked online for an easy Alfredo or white sauce. It makes a creamy, indulgent and very flavorful pasta (thanks to the Basil Pesto) that I think everyone should enjoy once in a while. I used elbow macaroni as my son prefers it over Penne and other bigger pasta. You can use any pasta shape of your choice.
You need:
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cube (about 1 tbsp) Basil Pesto (I froze the Pesto I made in an ice cube tray!)
1/4 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water (reserved after boiling pasta)
3-4 florets broccoli (optional)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Boil pasta as per package instructions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup water. (I added the broccoli florets along with pasta so they get really tender by the time the pasta gets cooked. This is a good trick when you want to sneak in some vegetables)
2. Heat butter in a medium sauce pan, add flour and stir briskly using a wire whisk.
3. Add garlic and saute for few seconds.
4. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and blend well until creamy.
5. Add milk, water and salt and bring it to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in Pesto Sauce, and then macaroni and cook for another couple of minutes. (Before adding in pasta, I mashed the broccoli with a fork and as you can see in the picture it blended nicely with the slightly green sauce)
7. Cook few more minutes if you want to thicken the sauce more, however it does thicken a bit as it cools down anyways.
8. Serve hot and garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle some black pepper to add a little kick.
Black pepper can be mixed in when cooking the sauce as well but to keep the recipe ‘toddler friendly’ I preferred adding it while serving it for adults!
Enjoy! And yes, my son did enjoy his dinner very much so I am happily tagging this recipe is ‘Toddler Friendly’.
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
Tip: Stir in grilled chicken towards the end of the cooking to make it ‘Creamy Pesto Chicken pasta!’. Serve as is to the little ones and with a side of garden salad and sour dough bread for yourself.
Chana Biryani
Jun 13th
Chana Biryani
I read a similar recipe years ago and found the combination of chickpeas or chana in a biryani dish very different. Usually a vegetarian biryani is made with assorted diced vegetables and I have never seen one with chickpeas served anywhere (or the places I ever ate at). Over the years I have made chicken biryani countless times (even with different recipes) and trying this one out was I guess on a back burner. Lately, I have been using chickpeas a lot – seems like I have found my long lost love for them as I don’t remember making dishes with chickpeas so much. Since these days I always have boiled chickpeas on hand, last weekend I finally decided to make this biryani for a potluck dinner with my family. In addition to chickpeas I also added potatoes as they go very well together. We ate at our neighborhood lake park, and hot biryani with chickpeas on a cool evening just hit the spot!
You need:
3 cups long grain (basmati) rice
4-5 medium onions, sliced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3.5 cups boiled chickpeas (chana)
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 bay leaves
3 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
3-4 cloves
1/2 tsp cinamon powder
3 tbsp Canola oil
pinch of Asafoetida powder
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp MDH Meat Masala
2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 tsp salt – or to taste
10 fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaved, chopped
3 tbsp milk
1. Boil 10-12 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice, few mint leaves and some salt. Boil rice until almost done-a rice grain breaks in two when pressed between two fingers. Do not overcook, drain water.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan/karahi. Add Asafoetida powder, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, garlic and saute for few seconds.
3. Add onions and fry until golden brown(medium heat). Take out about 1/3rd of onions and keep aside.
4. Add tomatoes, all spices, salt and cook on medium heat until tomatoes are mushy and the tomato-onion mixture start to leave oil.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F
Cook chickpeas and potatoes
6. Add potatoes, remaining mint leaves,1/4 cup water, cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add 1 cup water, chickpeas/chana cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Cook uncovered for couple minutes.
7. Take a large baking dish-9*13″ or larger. Grease its base with oil. Spread a layer of rice. Spread a layer of chickpeas (along with the curry). Sprinkle little fried onions (saved from before)
Chana Biryani prepare layers
8. Alternate layers of rice and chickpeas (number of layers depend on size of the baking dish used). It is up to you whether you want the top layer to be chickpeas or rice. I just had a handful of chickpeas left I spread them on top layer along with some fried onions (saved from before).
9. Spread milk all over the top layer.
10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 18 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with some sliced white onions on side and yogurt.
Serves – 8
Tortellini with roasted vegetables
May 27th
Tortellini with Roasted Vegetables
Here is a great example of under 500 calorie dinner. Very easy to prepare and great on taste buds. 500 calorie dinners are part of Fitness magazine’s popular diet plan when combined with moderate exercise helps you lose weight in a healthy manner.
Tortellini pasta is anyways filling and addition of roasted vegetables adds a lot of flavor and bulk without adding too many calories.
You need:
1/2 cup boiled tortellini pasta (I used 3 cheese filling)
1/2 cup pasta sauce (about 90 calories )
3/4 cup roasted vegetables
1 tsp grated parmesan cheese
dash of Tobasco or red pepper flakes (optional)
1. Boil pasta as per package instructions
2. Add pasta sauce and heat through
3. Add roasted vegetables
4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and red peppers flakes (if using)
You can also substitute any other pasta for cheese tortellini. If you have roasted vegetables on hand and are using store bought pasta sauce, this certainly qualifies for a quick meal.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Reduced Fat)
Apr 22nd
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I am a big fan of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar soup. Although I usually prefer lowfat/or at least reduced fat soups, I usually can’t resist this soup on a cold (even rainy) afternoon. I have tried a few recipes from different sources and all were way too rich. So I made few changes, increased quantity of carrots and blended the soup for a creamy and rich texture.
Last weekend I made a big batch for my family – served soup and toasted bread for adults and as pasta sauce for little one. I boiled macaroni (overcooked) and mixed with soup for my son. Since my son liked it – one day with pasta, one day as soup and one day with rice, I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’. Even though it is a reduced fat recipe, it tasted pretty much like the original rich soup.
You need:
1.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 cups water
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, grated (medium size)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tsp garlic spread/seasoning mix
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup cream
1. Heat butter in a large pot.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute garlic
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and cook for few seconds. Add onions and saute for few minutes and cook until medium brown.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute vegetables
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and saute for few minutes. Add nutmeg, garlic seasoning and oregano and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle flour slowly and cook over low heat, stir constantly for couple of minutes.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer in medium heat for about 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add milk and cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. The soup should be thickened by now.
6. Pour in batches into a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and puree (I just pureed 3/4th the soup as I like some bigger pieces of vegetables as well).
7. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve hot, garnish with shredded cheddar.
Tip: For added flavor, you can also use low sodium Chicken broth instead of water. Although, I usually use water to keep the soup ‘vegetarian’. Chopped garlic and seasonings add lot of natural flavor to it.
Serves 6
Baked Beans Chilli with Beef
Mar 10th
By Heidemarie Swanepoel
Baked Beans Chilli
For a little taste of Mexico, I always make this dish for our family. I enjoy using sweet chilli sauce in many dishes, because it adds bite, with a sweet tang, to many dishes. I do not need to slave over finding the right flavors, in the right combinations – I just add a dash of sauce, and the effects are amazing. Seconds all around!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef – lean
2 onions – sliced
½ red sweet pepper
½ yellow sweet pepper
½ green sweet pepper
1 tin canned beans (I used baked beans in tomato sauce)
1 red tomato
2-4 yellow cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
½ cup sweet chilli sauce
Directions:
Slice the onion and the peppers. Chop the tomatoes. Heat a little oil over moderate heat in a large saucepan.
Baked Beans Chilli-saute onions and peppers
Fry the onions and peppers, adding the tomato and curry powder when the onions are golden brown.
Add the ground beef, and continue frying, while stirring continually, until the meat is well browned. Add the beans, the salt and the pepper. Add a little water, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet chilli sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve on a bed of rice with a salad on the side.
Lemony Yellow Lentils (Moong Dhuli Dal)
Dec 12th
Lentils are staple in North Indian households. There are several types of lentils and severals ways to cook them. Yellow lentils are low in calories, easy to digest and fast to cook. I served them as a soup to my son and tex-mex style with salsa for me and my husband.
You need:
3 cups water
1 cup split yellow lentils (Moong Dhuli Dal)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
salt to taste
red/black pepper powder to taste (although I did not use any)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
For tempering:
1 tablespoon ghee/ or cooking oil (clarified butter)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder (hing powder)
Combine the water, lentils, turmeric, pepper powder and salt in a large pot and cook over high heat; bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the lentils are tender and water and lentils are nicely blended together, about 15 -20 minutes. Alternately, you can pressure cook the same (5 minutes!)
Heat the ghee in a medium pan (I usually use little bit more ghee than 1 tbsp for my son’s benefit). Add asafoetida powder, after few seconds add cumin seeds, and let the seeds splutter. Stir the mixture into the lentil mixture. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice.
Serving Suggestion:
1. For my son, with a dollop of sour cream. He did have few bites so I can say it is worth a try again!
2. On bed of rice, pour lentils, 2 tbsp fresh salsa, 1 tsp sour cream. Thats my tex-mex spin on a classic Indian lentil dish. Although you don’t see tortilla chips in the picture, but I am pretty sure I must have had some with this bowl!
