How to make Soft Paneer Balls

March 14, 2009 | By sonzy In advice, buzzword, cooking-tips, paneer, question-answer | Comments(0)

Paneer 3

There are so many variants of the paneer ball recipe available on net and in the cookbooks. I presume that you wanted to learn the paneer or cheese balls starters served during the social gatherings. I hope you have read the blog on making paneer.

Listed are the steps to ensure that you get well rounded and soft paneer balls even when you try at home.

1) The very first essential would be to obtain a soft paneer without any pressing, which means that the coagulated milk solid is collected in a muslin cloth and hung from a height for 1 hr to drain the whey. Please refer to the blog on paneer making for complete recipe.

2) Once you have removed the paneer from the cloth, crumble them into small pieces and knead with your palm like you would do for rasagulla (please refer to the blog on rasagulla)

3) Add fine grated boiled potato which will act as a binding agent. Potato also helps to keep the paneer ball soft when it is deep fried.

4) Add the seasoning and flavouring to the paneer dough mixture and divide it into equal portion. Shape them round and deep fry on medium hot oil. Serve immediately with the chutney or sauce of your choice.

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Tags: chicken, kebab, roti, lentil, indian food, indian curry, tandoor, naan, dosa, desi

TOFU- AN ALTERNATIVE TO PANEER?

November 29, 2008 | By sherrie In cooking-tips, herbs, regional cuisine | Comments(0)

Well, if somebody is expecting me to be judgemental about the comparison between tofu and paneer and come out with endorsing superiority, I prefer to leave the decision on to you. All I can do here to present very objective view of the two wonderful ingredients and critically analyse their credentials against the backdrop of health clamour and diet regime.

Some of you may definitely have knowledge of tofu, its culinary applications and its versatility, but I wish to give some background for the rest of the readers to help them develop their understanding of the same.

Tofu or bean curd which is the literal translation is a food of Chinese origin, made by coagulating soy milk, collecting the curdled solid in special wooden blocks and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, but you can also incorporate the flavour of your choice just before the stage of straining the whey. The best example could be chillies, chopped fresh coriander, roasted cumin, sautéed garlic and onion etc. The other way to impart some flavour to this simple ingredient is by marinating them with the marinade you prefer the most. It can either me simple salt and mustard paste or more complicated western marinades.

In one of the following blogs I may be tempted to give the recipe of home made tofu which may be stretching you in the kitchen for first few times but worth taking the pain to keep the cost of this ingredient under your budget.

Some of the health aspect of tofu does portray their consumption in a very positive light, for tofu is low in calories and high in protein which is very good for people living on the vegetarian diet. It is especially good for growing child and athletes. It also contains beneficial amounts of iron (especially important for women of child-bearing age) and has no saturated fat or cholesterol. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium (important for bone development and maintenance), and magnesium (especially important for athletes). Tofu also contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogens and may have a variety of harmful or beneficial effects when eaten in sufficient quantities.

Varieties of tofu:

There is a wide variety of tofu available in both Western and Eastern markets as a result of recent resurgence of interest in this wonderful product. It can mainly be divided into two type; fresh tofu, which is produced directly from soy milk, and processed tofu, which is produced from fresh tofu. Tofu production also creates important side products like okara which are often used in various cuisines.

Fresh tofu

Depending upon the moisture content of tofu, it can be divide into three main types namely:

Silken/ soft tofu- Some people do make a distinction between these two but they are invariably the one. This tofu is made undrained which means that it possesses the highest moisture within itself and the texture is very similar to caramel custard of the west. It is often eaten as a dessert with minimal addition and fuss, but sometimes eaten with salty pickles or hot sauce. You can use this tofu to make power drinks also as a healthy beverage option.

Firm tofu- this tofu is not only drained but also pressed to remove some of the moisture which is essential to obtain firmness. It has the firmness of raw meat but bounces back readily when pressed. This type of tofu is very good to replace paneer in the dishes like matar paneer (paneer and green peas), kadhai paneer (wok toseed paneer with vegetables), palak paneer (paneer with spinach) etc. This type of tofu often has the impression of muslin cloth on top of its skin as a result of gentle press.

Western firm/dried tofu- This is an extra firm variety of tofu with the least amount of moisture of all fresh tofus. It has the firmness of fully cooked meat and a somewhat rubbery feel similar to paneer. When sliced thinly, this tofu can be crumbled easily.

Fresh tofu is usually sold completely immersed in water to maintain its moisture content. It is a good alternative for grated paneer dishes like paneer bhurjee (scrambled paneer), paneer paratha (flattened Indian bread stuffed with paneer) etc.

Processed tofu

Many forms of processed tofus exist, due to the varied ways in which fresh tofu can be used. Some of these techniques originated as the need of the hour to increase the shelf life of tofu and imparthing definite interesting twist to the otherwise blacd block of protein.

Fermented

Pickled tofu Also called “preserved tofu, tofu is allowed to air-dry under hay which in turns produces aerial bacteria. The dry fermented tofu is then soaked in salt water, Chinese wine, vinegar, and minced chillies, or a unique mixture of whole rice, bean paste, and soybeans.

Flavored:

I have already described this version of tofu with the flavour component earlier. This is another step towards making its application universal as some of the cuisines are so robust in terms of flavour and taste. Much remains to your personal taste and preference when you make this tofu.

I will try to include few of the Indian recipes with tofu in the coming blogs so that it is easier for you to understand its boundless application in your kitchen.

Tags: chettinad, murgh, chicken, desi, idli, balti, palak, indian food, kulfi, sambhar

First Timers on Indian Food

September 1, 2008 | By kuntal In advice, buzzword, cooking-tips, question-answer | Comments(2)

Question : What would you reccomend for someone who is trying Indian food for the first time?
My boyfriend is Indian and I want to show him that I care about him and want to learn about his culture by trying Indian food. I am a picky eater and not a big fan of spicy foods. What would you recommend for someone who wants to try Indian food and will like it? (It is asked in reference to people going out and picking a dish from a menu)

Kuntal Answers : At the outset, allow me to dispel the notion that Indian food is spicy and oily. The spice present in the Indian cuisine is more than often confused with Chilli which is definitely spicy. The other spices are there to create the particular flavour and aroma which is distinctive in several of curries found in India, even with the use of same spices. The other common spices used in Indian cuisine are cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, fenugreek, dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), dried bayleaf (tej patta), peppercorn (kali or gol mirch), saffron etc.

When trying to learn the cuisine of a particular country, it is advisable to stick to basic popular choices which are easy to understand, prepare and relish as well. Some of the examples can be Kadhai preparations like Kadhai chicken, lamb, vegetables or paneer, Curries like chicken curry, Lamb Rogan Josh, fish curry, Kormas like chicken, lamb, paneer or mixed vegetable. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes are matar paneer (green peas and cottage cheese), Palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese), Aloo Jeera (potatoes spiked with ginger), Kadhai paneer (wok tossed cottage cheese with onion and tomato), Gobhi matar (cauliflower and green peas ) etc. Indian breads like tandoori roti, naan (plain or flavoured), Roti (Indian flat bread) or paratha (Triangular pan fried Indian bread which can be flavoured with fresh coriander, onion seeds, carom seeds etc.), For the rice preparation you can go for pulaos or biryanis of your choice. Spike your meal with Indian chutneys, pickles and papads.

For the starters you can go for Pakodas (Indian fritters), samosas (deep fried pastry with stuffing inside) or Tandoori vegetables and the chance for your success rate will be much higher.

For the desserts you can go with popular choices like Kulfi (Indian milk ice cream flavoured with saffron), gulab jamun (sweetened dumpling of reduced milk and cottage cheese) Kheer (rice and nuts pudding).

For more detail on popular choices of Indian dishes, you can also refer to the e-book “The Ultimate Indian Curry Manual” available with sonzykitchen.com where you will come across so many easy to prepare dishes with step by step instructions and explanations. Infact you can use that e-book to prepare a romantic dinner for your boy-friend.

Sonzy Adds : When choosing an Indian restaurant, ensure that it is run and owned by an Indian. Many Indian restaurants mislead people because cooks from other countries cook Indian food without knowing the authenticity or the technique of it.

Tags: tikka masala, tandoor, murgh, dosa, kulfi, indian curry, naan, tandoori, roti, kebab

Making Paneer Softer !

July 10, 2008 | By kuntal In Recipes, cooking-tips | Comments(0)

A reader asked us a question which is quite common :

Q – Once while in singapore, i had an excellent paneer dish, where the paneer was so soft and melts in my mouth. How do I get this? Could it be the curdling agent (I always use lime/vinegar, but I’ve read that curd is the best agent). I’ve also tried frying the paneer, and soaking in water for a softer texture,but to no avail. How do I get that soft, melt in the mouth texture?

Paneer, Indian Cottage Cheese Kuntal answers :

1) Always use the full cream milk instead of toned milk for making your paneer as the higher fat content keeps paneer moist and soft.
2) Yes, curd is the best curdling agent but you can still use lime/ vinegar to curdle the milk for the paneer. Try using the whey (drained liquid of solid paneer) for curdling the milk.
3) When you drain the liquid and collect the solid content in a muslin/ cheese cloth, dip the content (paneer) in the ice-chilled water to stop overcooking and hardening. The chilled water lowers the internal temperature and retains the moisture inside.
4) Add the pieces of raw paneer, if the recipe demands, towards the end of the cooking process and avoid reheating your dish containing paneer.

Enjoy and take care.