Friday, October 28, 2016

Spaghetti squash lasagna



Its pumpkin and squash season and so I had to make these awesome tasting boats. This recipe uses spaghetti squash and has all of your favorite lasagna flavors without all of the carbs.

These lasagna style boats takes the basic components of lasagna - the spaghetti sauce and cheese and stuffs them into the squash, which essentially replaces the spaghetti pasta. Once roasted the spaghetti squash can be fluffed up to long strands, just like the spaghetti pasta. Replacing the pasta with the squash helps cut carbs in half, boost the fiber content, and packs lots of vegetables into each serving.

For stuffing, make your choice of pasta sauce - choose from vegetable, chicken, turkey. I made these using ground chicken. You can also use your choice of cheese. I used feta, as that is our family fave. Choose from Parmesan, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, ricotta or Romano.
If you can find small sized squash then each half will be a good portion size per person. Otherwise 2 squashes can serve 4-6 persons generously.



Ingredients:
For the roasted squash
2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
1 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta cheese 
Fresh basil, chopped
For the tomato sauce/meat sauce (recipe here)
Choose your option of spaghetti sauce from the basic tomato, meat or vegetable sauce. 
  1. Roasting the squash:  Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush the inner flesh of the spaghetti squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Roast for about 30 - 40 min until flesh is easily pierced. 
  2. Make the spaghetti sauce: While the squash is roasting, prepare your choice of spaghetti sauce. (recipe here)
  3. Cooking the lasagna boats: Using a fork, gently scrape and fluff up some of the inside of each spaghetti squash half. Divide the sauce between them and top with cheese. Bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes till flavors blend. Then broil until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes. 
  4. Serve hot garnished with fresh basil.
Variations: 
  1. Use ground beef, Italian sausage, ground chicken or ground turkey in your meat sauce.
  2. Use your choice of cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, sharp cheddar or Romano) instead of feta cheese. 
  3. Instead of making the sauce from scratch, use your favorite marinara or other tomato sauce.
  4. Instead of stuffing the squash shells, bake it casserole-style in a baking dish. Layer cooked spaghetti squash strands with the pasta sauce and cheese. Continue building the layers, ending with cheese. Bake until bubbly.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Kali Mirch Paneer Tikka


Tikkas are a big part of Indian food culture. Small marinated bites of chicken, fish, paneer and veggies are cooked in a charcoal tandoor, occasionally basted with butter till the edges get charred and a wonderful rustic smoky flavor seeps all through.

Tikkas are served as starters with drinks or as an accompaniment to the meal with raw red onion rings, salad greens, mint chutney, hot dipping sauce and even small bites of naan. Give hot tikkas a drizzle of lime juice and a sprinkle of chaat masala (a mix of spices with mango powder, cumin, black salt) for an exquisite flavor. 

There are many flavorful tikka recipes to suit every taste bud. Kali mirch paneer tikka is simple and quick to make. The coarse texture of peppercorns infuse a gentle heat to the succulent paneer pieces and red and green peppers add to the smoky charred flavor.     

Kali mirch paneer tikka
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
400 gms paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
Green and red pepper chunks
1 inch piece of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/3 tsp ajwain
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 cup hung yogurt (see below)
Salt to taste
Melted butter OR oil for basting (optional)
  1. Cut the paneer into large chunks.
  2. In a mortar and pestle add the black and white peppercorns grind coarsely & set aside. Grate (or grind in the mortar and pestle) garlic and ginger into a fine paste. 
  3. Place the hung yogurt in a large bowl and add ginger, garlic paste and ground peppercorns. Season with salt, and add garam masala, corn starch and palm crushed ajwain. Mix to make a smooth paste. 
  4. Marinate the paneer cubes in this marinade for 2 hours. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them first. Thread the marinated paneer on to the skewers along with red and green pepper chunks. 
  5. Preheat the grill. 
  6. Place the skewers on greased hot grill for 3-4 minutes. Baste with oil or melted butter, turn the skewers and cook for a few more minutes till done. Sprinkle with lime juice and chaat masala (completely optional as they taste great as is).
  7. Serve hot with onion slices and lemon wedges. 
How to make hung yogurt
Place a sieve lined with cheese cloth over a bowl. Put 2 cups of plain yogurt (yields 1 1/2 cups of hung yogurt) on the cheese cloth, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (minimum 4-5 hours). All the water from the yogurt will filter out into the bowl leaving a thick creamy hung yogurt.




Friday, October 14, 2016

Haryali paneer tikka


Tikkas are a big part of Indian food culture. Small marinated bites of chicken, fish, paneer and veggies are cooked in a charcoal tandoor, occasionally basted with butter till the edges get charred and a wonderful rustic smoky flavor seeps all through.
Tikkas are served as starters with drinks or as an accompaniment to the meal with raw red onion rings, salad greens, mint chutney, hot dipping sauce and even small bites of naan. Give hot tikkas a drizzle of lime juice and a sprinkle of chaat masala (a mix of spices with mango powder, cumin, black salt) for an exquisite flavor.
There are many flavorful tikka recipes to suit every taste bud. Hara bhara paneer tikka or haryali paneer tikka is made with an array of herbs and spices and tastes fresh and herbaceous. I use hung yogurt as the base for the marinade. You can also use sour cream if you wish. Grid the green marinade fine using as little water as possible.

Hara bhara paneer tikka
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
400 gm paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
2 tsp hung yogurt (See below)
1 tsp corn starch
Melted butter for basting (optional)
Marinade
1 inch piece of ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 green chilies
Handful coriander
Handful mint
Salt to taste
1/3 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Cut the paneer into large chunks.
  2. Place all ingredients under marinade and grind them together into a thick paste using very little water. Almost like making a green chutney.
  3. Place the marinade in a large bowl and add hung yogurt and corn starch. Mix to make a smooth paste. 
  4. Marinate the paneer cubes in this marinade for 2 hours. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them first. 
  5. Preheat the grill. 
  6. Place the skewers on the hot grill for 3-4 minutes. Baste with oil or melted butter, turn the skewers and cook for a few more minutes till done. Sprinkle with lime juice and chaat masala (completely optional as they taste great as is).
  7. Serve hot with onion slices and lemon wedges. 
How to make hung yogurt
Place a sieve lined with cheese cloth over a bowl. Put 2 cups of plain yogurt (yields 1 1/2 cups of hung yogurt) on the cheese cloth, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (minimum 4-5 hours). All the water from the yogurt will filter out into the bowl leaving a thick creamy hung yogurt.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Palak Paneer

Fried cottage cheese in curried spinach - two ways


Palak paneer (spinach with cottage cheese) is a rustic dish and an old favorite of Punjab (North India).  This hearty dish is delish and abundant in flavor and nutrients. Leafy greens and paneer both are used extensively in North Indian kitchens and there are many recipes calling for these ingredients.

The five rivers flowing through Punjab make the land fertile, rich and suitable for earthy vegetables such as spinach (palak), fenugreek (methi), rapini (sarson). Being a rich farmland, dairy forms an essential part of everyday meal be it in the form of buttermilk, ghee or paneer. India being primarily vegetarian, its cuisine has developed interesting meat substitutes and paneer perfectly fits the bill. Having a mellow taste and a spongy texture paneer partners well with vegetables, pulses and grains.

Lightly fried cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and pureed spinach are simmered in an onion tomato gravy till flavors blend in. Palak paneer goes well with roti, paratha, naan and jeera rice with a side of raw onion rings and crisp green chilies. A vegan variation would be to substitute tofu for paneer. Use firm tofu for this purpose which can withstand the frying and simmering process.

I make palak paneer in two different ways. One the more traditional recipe and the other a stir fried version which is much healthier and less calorie dense. Its not as creamy as the other version but taste awesome for those quick meals. So call it the shortcut method. Make sure to try them both. Here are the two versions.  

Palak paneer (boiled version)
Ingredients:
2 lbs spinach (about 2 bunches spinach)
1 lb paneer, cubed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch ginger, grated
1 large red onion, chopped fine
1 large tomato, pureed
2/3 tsp salt
3-4 green chilies, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
Red chili powder to taste (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
  1. Wash and drain spinach. I usually boil it in a pressure cooker. Place the spinach leaves in a pressure cooker along with chopped green chilies, grated ginger and salt. Pressure cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool. Puree boiled spinach coarsely, keep aside.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a pan on medium and fry the cubed paneer till lightly golden on all sides. Keep aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a separate pan and add cumin seeds. Let roast for a few seconds before adding onion. Saute on medium high for a minute. Add ginger and garlic and saute till everything turns golden.
  4. Add the tomato puree and cook on high for a minute. Add pureed spinach and fried paneer along with all the dry spices. 
  5. Bring to boil. At this point you might want to cook this concoction covered as there will be a lot of splattering. Simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes till all the flavors blend in. Taste and add more salt if needed. 
  6. Serve hot topped with a dollop of butter with roti. 

Palak paneer - shortcut method (chopped version) 
Ingredients: 
2 lbs spinach (about 2 bunches spinach)
1 lb paneer, cubed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch ginger, grated
2/3 tsp salt
3-4 green chilies, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
Red chili powder to taste (optional)
  1. Wash, drain and chop spinach fine. Keep aside.
  2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them roast for a few seconds. Add grated ginger and garlic and saute for 4-5 seconds. 
  3. Add the chopped spinach and paneer and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and cover. Simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally till done. 
  4. Serve hot with roti.