A Hint of Spice: Tofu

Showing posts with label Tofu. Show all posts

PANEER PAKORA

Pakora are small fritters made by dipping various ingredients in spicy chickpea batter(besan batter) and deep frying them.Pakora are widely eaten throughout India and parts of Southeast Asia, where they are a very popular snack and street food, and they are a common offering in Indian restaurants outside of the Asian subcontinent. Pakora are also very easy to make at home, for cooks who want to put a quick Indian appetizer together.

There can be many types of Pakoras Eggplant,Onions,Potatoes,Cauliflower,Corn,Lentils(Daals),Chillies,Chicken,Egg,Spinach and Finally Paneer Pakoda.(Paneer is bland Indian cottage cheese.).Once deep fried, the pakora are eaten hot, and they can be eaten straight or dipped in a variety of dipping sauces, from creamy cucumber raita to spicy mint and cilantro sauce.These Pakoras are a treat on a rainy,cold day and so easy and quick to make.

INGREDIENTS
7 oz Paneer
1 cup Gram flour(Besan)
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder(Jeera Powder)
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt
Vegetable oil(For Deep Frying)

DIRECTIONS
1.Put the oil fro deep frying in a Pan.
2.Mix Gram Flour,Red Chilli Powder,Roasted Cumin Powder,Garam Masala Powder,Chopped Coriander Leaves and Salt.
3.Add water in samll quantities to the above mix to make a thick and smooth batter.
4.Cut paneer into medium size thick square shape pieces.
5.Dip the Paneer pieces in batter and let it coat the Paneer & then Deep fry the Paneer Pieces(few pieces at a time) on medium heat till golden brown.
6.Drain the fried pieces on a plate covered with Paper towel.
7.Enjoy them hot with Coriander Chutney,Mint Chutney or Tomato Ketchup.Don't forget a hot cup of Tea.
'njoy!!!!

Tips
1.You can also use Extra firm Tofu ,instead of Paneer.Just remember to drain the tofu in the whey it is stored and pat it dry using Paper Towel.
2.To check if the oil is ready for frying, put a drop of batter in it. The batter should come up, but not change color right away.

3.Make sure the temperature of oil is suitable for frying. If it's too hot the crispiness is lost and if it's not hot enough then the pakoras will be very greasy.

8:20 PM | Labels: Appetizer, Besan, Deep Fried, Fry, Pakora, Paneer, Snacks, Tofu, Vegetarian | 1 Comments

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Roasting Vegetables brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and intensifies their natural flavors.For diet-conscious folks, roasted vegetables add wonderful flavors to dishes without a lot of fat and calories. Roasted veggies like garlic, potatoes, and carrots can also work wonders as fat substitutes in recipes for mashed potatoes, sauces, cream soups, and casseroles.
This recipe of roasted vegetables is Indian style.The ingredients used for marinating the vegetables are typical Indian spices and the end result is wonderful.

Ingredients
1 medium sized red potato (you can also use baking potatoes or any other kind,although red potatoes are healthy) -chopped in medium size pieces
1 red bell pepper-chopped in medium size pieces
1 yellow bell pepper-chopped in medium size pieces
1/2 green bell pepper-chopped in medium size pieces
1 carrot-chopped in medium size pieces (or you can take 5-6 baby carrots)
1/2 Zucchini -chopped in medium size pieces
tofu/paneer(optional)

For Marinate
1 cup plain(non flavored) yogurt
1 tsp vegetable oil/olive oil
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp pav bhaji masala
1/2 tsp coriander powder

Directions
1.Line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with aluminium foil (for ease of cleaning ...you know me...love to cook,hate to clean).
2.The first vegetable to marinate and roast should be vegetables like potato,carrots,pumpkins and beets.
3.Mix the ingredients for marinate in a deep bowl and marinate the potato and carrot pieces for 30 minutes.
4.In this time period wash,scrub and cut the other vegetables in desired size.
5.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
6.Take the potatoes and carrots out of marinate (keeping them as dry as possible) and spread them on baking tray and let them cook.
7.It will take approximately 35-40 mintutes for them to cook and become tender.
8.Meanwhile mix all other vegetables and tofu/paneer in the marinade and let them stand by.
9.After the potatoes and carrots have been in oven for 20 minutes,change sides using a spatula or a spoon and then spread the other vegetables.
10.Let all the vegetables roast for another 25 minutes.
11.When all the vegetables are cooked and tender,take them out of the oven.
12.Season with chaat masala (optional ) and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Another good marinade for roasted vegetables is
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt
ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Roasted vegetables can be served with Naan,Roti etc.Leftovers can be used for sandwich fillings,pita bread fillings or even as toppings on a pizza.Yummo!!!
'njoy!!!
Sending this to girlichef for her TWO for TUESDAYS event.