Chicken Biryani

Very very aromatic!
Delicious. A staple at all weddings!
Biryani has many variations and you can make it as complex or as simple as you want. This is a chicken biryani from Lahore Pakistan.

(This recipe will serve 6 ppl)
(Prep time: 1 hour)
Marinade for the chicken

The spice and salt content might seem a bit high. But since the chicken gravy will be mixed with rice it will mellow out.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 1/2 lbs (cut up to approx 2" chunks)
Black pepper 2/3 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1 tsp
Cilantro/coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Black cumin 1/2 tsp
No salt!Salt is added while cooking because adding salt to the marinade will draw out the juices and make the chicken dry. The spices listed above will be enough for a simple basic biryani.

Mix the spices together.
Rub well into the chicken and let it sit on the counter for 30 mins.
The chicken should be at room temperature before cooking.
Heat about 2 Tbs oil in a wide non stick pan.
Use one and a half times the amount of salt you would normally use (I used 1 1/2 tsp for this)
Sprinkle half the amount over the meat and fry quickly for 3-4 mins on high heat (reserve the other half of salt for the gravy)
Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside for now. It will cook fully in the gravy.

For the gravy

Red onions sliced 2 cups
Tomatoes diced 1 1/2 cups
Garlic chopped 1 1/2 tsp
Fresh plain yogurt 1/3 cup
Cooking oil 1/3 cup
Salt (leftover from frying the chicken)
Heat the oil in the same pan used to sear the chicken.
Fry the onions until light golden brown in color.
Add garlic. Fry for 2-3 mins.
Add tomatoes, salt and cover the pan.
Turn the heat to med high and cook until the tomatoes break down. Should take about 5 min or so.
Whip the yogurt with a fork and add it to the pan. Mix well.
Cover and cook for another 10 mins. Use a blender to turn this into a smooth thick gravy.
Now,
Add the chicken and cook on med heat for 20 min or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Cook uncovered so that most of the water evaporates. Use a splatter screen to prevent a mess.
The gravy is ready.

For the rice
Boil 4 1/2 cups of long grain Basmati rice in pot full of boiling salted water, like you would pasta.
Add to the water a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves.
The rice should be half cooked, sort of el dente.
Drain out all the water and discard the cloves and the cinnamon stick.

Final step... Layering the Biryani
You will need,
A large, deep pot with a heavy base like a Dutch oven or something similar.
You will also need 1/2 stick of unsalted butter thats about 4 Tbs.
And some saffron strands about 15-20 soaked in approx 2 Tbs lukewarm milk.

This process doesn't have to be perfect at all. Don't worry about making precise layers. It will all be mixed in towards the end.

Spread 1/3 of the chicken gravy at the bottom of the pan.
Now layer 1/3 of the rice over the gravy.
Drop 1/3 of the butter over the rice.
Repeat.

Your top layer would be rice with a dollop of butter.
Lastly, pour down the saffron milk concoction along one side of the pot. The idea is to have some rice colored bright yellow and ofcourse the addition of the wonderful aroma of saffron.
Sprinkle a little water no more than a Tbs over the rice.
Cover tightly with a lid.
Some people find it useful to wrap a moist kitchen towel around the lid before covering the pot to make it air tight.
Cook over low heat for about 30 mins.
The rice will fully cook in the steam created inside the pot.
Mix well!
Done!
Goes really nice with a cool cucumber or mint raita!

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Dahi Barey

A very very popular street food. Eating this from the street is almost always on the to-do list when people visit home.

It seems like a lot of work. Of course back home no body usually goes through the trouble of making it. Around here is a different story we haven't found a place that truly catches the flavor.

Me and my sweetheart LOVE this stuff... I think our mutual liking for it is one of the reasons we got married :-)

(I make this much for just the 2 of us :-) but this should be enough for 6-8 normal ppl)
(Prep time: 1 hour + overnight soaking)
For the dumplings (Barey)

Soak 1/2 cup Maash daal overnight
(Black gram, urad dal, udad dal)
(The daal should be the washed variety. The one that's all pale yellow and without the husk. )
In a blender add the following
Garlic 1/4 clove
Salt 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Baking powder 2/3 tsp
The soaked daal
Water 1/4 cup

Blend blend blend until very smooth. Should take about 3 mins.
To this mixture add
Cumin 1/4 tsp
Besan 2 Tbs
(Gram flour)Mix this vigorously.
The consistency should be fairly thick... must drop like a dollop of cottage cheese.
Let this sit for about 10-15 mins.
Heat some oil for deep frying.
Now drop small amounts of the mixture into the oil.
To avoid big oil splashes, I normally take a table spoonful, bring it very near the oil and slide the mixture down with the help of another spoon.
The daal mixture should form a ball shape and rise to the surface of the oil in just two seconds. If this doesn't happen, your oil isn't hot enough.
And if it starts to break and doesn't hold the shape the mixture is too thin. To fix this just add more besan to the mixture and thicken it.

Once you have dropped the mixture into the oil. And they look round and are floating happily, lower the heat a bit. Cook for about 6-7 mins. Turn the dumplings while cooking to ensure they cook through. Take them out when they are light golden brown and dunk them in a pot full of cold water. They should soak up water for no longer that 20 mins to be just right. Soaking more than that would make them too soft and they will break. After 20 mins, take them out of the water, give them a gentle squeeze to remove water. The barey are done and ready to be arranged in a dish.

Papri

For those who are unfamiliar with this food, the papri are the crispy bits that are sprinkled on top just before serving. You can certainly omit this altogether but its addition will make everything more yummy!

It's simple enough.

Take about 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
Add a generous pinch of salt and cumin
1 Tbs of cooking oil
Enough water so that after kneading the dough should be stiff like pasta dough.

Roll out the dough as thin as you can.
Cut into strips and drop them in hot oil.
Cook until golden brown.
Cool fully on some tissue paper.
Take them in your hand and crush slightly and they are ready to be sprinkled over the dahi barey.

If you want to cheat, you can fry some spring rolls wrappers or wontons, not the same but close enough :-)

Yogurt sauce

Plain whole yogurt about 1 1/2 cups
Water 2/3 cup

Spices
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Cilantro/coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp
A touch of sugar
Salt
Pepper

Chutneys
Tamarind chutney 2-3 Tbs
Mint chutney 2-3 Tbs

Vegetables
Red onions sliced thinly 2-3 Tbs
Tomatoes diced 1 small
Green chilies diced very fine 2-3 tsp
Boiled potatoes diced 1 small
Garbanzo beans 3-4 Tbs
Cilantro leaves chopped 1 Tbs
You will also need boondi about 1/4 cup. I like to soak it in water and add it when its soft

Add a 2/3 cup of water to the yogurt to make it thin.
Mix in the spices well.
Add the veggies and mix gently taking care not to break the boondi or the potatoes.
Arrange the barey in the bottom of a deep flat dish.
Pour the yogurt mixture over the top.
Drizzle the chutneys.
Cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Sprinkle the papri just before eating.

There is no rule about the veggies, the spices or any of the condiments.
You can add more or less or omit anything according to your liking.
Just be sure it doesn't get too crowded in the serving dish and you have enough room to for the barey to feel snug.
It makes sense to serve the add-ons in separate bowls so people can add what they want.
And to keep things very basic and fuss free just use yogurt and store bought chaat masala.
:-)

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Almond crusted Halibut

Sounds crazy but I don't eat fish or anything that comes out of the ocean!
Hubby loves it. So I made this for him today.
He is a genuine cutie pie :-)
Something tasty and light for summer in Seattle. I served this with the left over citrus sauce and panzanella salad.


(Single serving)
(Prep time: 45 mins)
For the citrus sauce

Use freshly squeezed juice for best results.
Pink grapefruit juice 4 Tbs
Orange juice 4 Tbs
Lime juice 2 Tbs
White wine vinegar 4 Tbs
Orange zest 1 tsp
Ginger zest 1/2 tsp
Store bought orange juice 4 Tbs
Salt

Combine all the liquids in a pan and reduce to half over low heat.
Stir occasionally.

Preparing the fish

Fresh halibut fillet 1/2 lbs
Panko or bread crumbs 1/4 cup
Flat leaf Italian parsley - chopped fine 1 Tbs
Almond flakes 1-2 Tbs
Olive oil about 2 Tbs
Salt
Pepper

In a bowl prepare the topping for the fish.
Combine the panko, 1 Tbs of olive oil, chopped parsley, sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Mix well so that the oil is well incorporated.
Lastly add the almond flakes and toss gently so they don't break.
Brush a little of the citrus sauce over the fish.
Season the fillet lightly with salt and pepper.
Spoon the almond mixture on top.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and sear the fillet on one side.
Cook for about 2 mins and transfer the fish to a pre-heated 400 degree oven to finish cooking.
The fish cooks very quickly and after about 8 mins it will be nice and flaky!
Ta da!


{heart}

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Panini

Pastrami ciabatta panini with homemade pesto...

We had a very very hot week in Seattle, reaching about 106 degrees!
This was just one of the few things we had that required very little time near the stove.

(Serves 1)
(Prep time: 30 mins)
(Pesto recipe will yield a cup)
Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/8 cup of pine nuts
Use about 1" cube of Parmesan Reggiano
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper!

Put all of the above in a blender.
Add about 2 Tbs of the olive oil to begin with and gradually pour a little more while blending.
All together you would use about 5-6 Tbs of oil.
Blend for a 2-3 mins.. and that's basically it!


Caramelized onions

Cut round 1/4" thick slices of a valida onion.
Heat some oil in a pan. Use just enough to coat the base of the pan.
Add the onions, sprinkle of salt.
Lower heat to med-low and cook for about 20 mins, until soft and tender and very light brown.
Keep turning to ensure even browning and It would be easier on a non stick pan.


Now for the Panini

I got some wonderful organic Ciabatta bread. Some great deli pastrami. Use a little less than 1/4 lbs per sandwich.
Sliced some tomatoes
Thin slices of Parmesan Reggiano
1/4" thick slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese

Slice the bread, spread a little pesto on both sides.
Arrange the meat over one half of the bread..
Spoon some onions..
Lay the tomatoes..
Layer the Mozzarella and Parmesan (as much as you want)
The other half of the bread comes next.
Brush a little Olive oil on the outer sides of the bread..
I used a stove top panini press and grilled the sandwich for about 4-5 min each side!

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Tortellini Salad

Fabulous summer salad!
Leave the sausage out for a vegetarian salad.

(serves 4-6)
(prep time 30 mins)
Ingredients

Fresh cheese tortellini 1 Lbs (cook al dente according to package instructions)
Diced roma tomatoes 1 Med

Very thinly chopped red onion 2 Tbs
Basil leaves 4-5 cut into thin strips
Cooked peas 1/3 cup
Red pepper diced 2/3 cup

Chopped black olives 2- 3 Tbs
Diced beef franks 2-3 links
1/2 cup shredded fresh Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Mayonnaise 4 Tbs
Homemade Pesto 2 Tbs

Make sure your pasta is cold otherwise the mayo will melt.
Mix the pesto with the mayo.

Toss everything together.
Chill well before eating.
No salt no pepper needed!

{heart}

Nabia

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Dal Puri

(makes 4 puris enough for 2)
(prep time 30 mins + 2 hours soaking time)
For the puris

All purpose flour 2 cups
Whole wheat flour 1 cup
Warm water
Salt 1/2 tsp
In a large mixing bowl. Sieve the flours and the salt together.
Gradually add warm water and work it into a dough.
Knead well.
The dough should be soft and flexible similar to a chapati dough. (Infact if you used whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose flour this would be the dough for chapati.)
Leave aside for at least 20 mins.

For the filling

Chana dal 1 cup (soaked for at least 2 hours)
(Called split chickpea. You can get this easily in any indian store or in the international isle of a grocery store)
Cayenne pepper 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cilantro/coriander powder 1 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Nigella seeds 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf (chopped) 1 1/2 tsp
(also called kari patta, tez patta)
Oil 1 Tbs
Water
Salt
(since this is the stuffing, keep it a little on the salty side)

Ok...
So the trick here is to cook the lentils and keep it very dry.
I started with adding the lentils into a pan and I poured enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. About 1/4 cup.
Add all the spices but keep the curry leaves for last.
Cover the pan and simmer over med low heat.
I kept checking in between and if the water was gone I added a little more.
This took about 30 mins to cook.
I added the curry leaves in the last 5 mins.
Mash the mixture with a fork.
Also in the last 5 mins, I took the cover off the pan, added a little oil and made sure all the water was gone.
I have attached a pic to give you an idea about how dry the dal should be. Hope that helps :-)
Make sure this mixture is cool enough to handle before you start the assembly procedure.

Final show down

We will prepare the dough balls like parathas ( I will post this soon).
I perfer this way. You can do it yours :-)
Divide your dough into equal parts.
Round them into balls close to 2 inches in diameter.
Keep your rolling pin and board dusted with flour.
Roll out a ball of dough really thin, rub a little butter all over its surface.
Roll it up into a long log.
Now roll the log onto itself and round it off in your hands.
Phew!
Almost done :-)
This part is actually fun!
Now for the stuffing.
Roll out a prepared ball of dough to about a 4 inch diameter.
Schmear a dab of salted butter in the center.
Now, take 2 Tbs of the stuffing and squeeze them in your hands to make a ball.
Put this in the center of the dough and bring the sides of the dough up and seal at the top!
Flatten it a little with your hand... and then roll out one final time.
It should be about 6 inches in diameter.
Fry it in frying pan with a little bit of butter or ghee!
:-)
There!
We had this with tamarind chutney and alu choley! Yumee!

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Fajita

(Serves 2)
(Prep time: 30 mins + 6 hrs marinating time)

Meat preparation

Skirt or flank steak 1 lbs

Lime juice 2 limes

Garlic (crushed) 2-3 cloves

Cumin 1 tsp

Red Chili flakes 2/3 tsp

Pepper 1/4 tsp

Tequila 6 oz (optional) - I used 3 Tbs of apple cider vinegar

Cilantro 1/4 bunch

Salt

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and then pour over the steak. Cover with saran wrap or seal in a ziploc bag. Let this sit overnight in the fridge.

Before cooking the steak bring it to room temperature.

Pour off the marinade. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Turn the broiler on to high and cook each side for 8 mins for a medium steak.

This can get too smoky and might set off the fire alarm.

Another way is to heat about 2 Tbs oil in a large oven proof skillet.

Cook the steak for 4 mins each side.

Finish in a 375 pre-heated oven for 8 min for a medium steak.

Loosely wrap the steak with aluminum foil and let it stand for about 10 min to seal in the juices.

Cut very thinly along the grain of the steak!

I served this white cheddar potatoes, bell peppers and a sliced fresh hass avocado!

Veggies

Green bell pepper (sliced) 1 med

Red bell pepper (sliced) 1 med

Red onions (sliced) 1/2 med

Green onions 2-3 stalks

Thyme 1/4 tsp

Pepper

Salt

Olive oil

I cut the bell peppers into strips fairly equal in size. And steamed them over salted water for about 5 mins.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions until they are tender.

Add the thyme.

Add the green onions.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the bell peppers.

Give everything a good toss.

Cook for a min or two.

Ready!

White cheddar potatoes with chives

Red potatoes 2-3 med
Butter (unsalted) 2 Tbs
Milk 1/4 cup
Aged white cheddar cheese (shredded) 1/2 cup
Chives (chopped fine) 2-3 Tbs
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt

Boil the potatoes in salted water.
Pour off the water when done and put the potatoes back in the same hot pot so any left over water drops dry off completely.
I like to keep the skins of potatoes on. Put all the ingredients in and smash with a potato masher! You can make these as chunky or as smooth as you want.

:-)

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Egg Salad croissant

(single serving)
(prep time 20 mins)
Very basic no frills egg salad

Hard boiled eggs (cooled) 2
Butter 1 Tbs
Salt
Pepper
And a very very small pinch of cayenne pepper

Put everything in a mixing bowl.
Mash it up with a back of a fork.
Speard it inside a lightly warmed croissant.
Good morning!

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Gajjar halva with khoya

Easy.

Takes forever to make.

Totally worth it.... sometimes :-)

(Serves 6-8)

(Prep time: 8-9 hrs)

You will start with about 20 oz of coarsely shredded or matchstick carrots. If you used very finely shredded carrots your halva will be very mushy and will stick to the pot a lot. A gallon of whole milk. 2 cups of sugar, 4-6 pods of cardamom (whole) and I throw in a stick of cinnamon for extra yumminess. All in the biggest pot you have over med high heat. Keep stirring after every 15 mins or so specially when the milk is half gone. Don't be hasty and turn the heat up. The milk will burn and ruin the whole thing. Patience is the name of the game!

I have posted pictures of the halva in different stages. It took me around 8 hrs from start to finish!

When the halva was done I took out the cinnamon and the cardamom. Then I added a stick of unsalted butter (8 Tbs) and stirred it for 10-15 mins. Lastly, I turned the heat off and added 1 cup of khoya and mixed it all well. Some people also like to add chopped nuts and raisins at this point.

finito.... phew!!!

This dessert is best when eaten warm.

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Butter Chicken

(serves 3-4)
(prep time 45 mins)
Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1" squares) 1/2 lbs
Red Onions (sliced) 1 med
Tomatoes (diced) 2 med
Green chilies (chopped) 1 Tbs
Garlic (crushed) 2 tsp
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Fresh lime juice 1/2 med lime
Turmeric powder 2/3 tsp
Kashmiri mirch (crushed) 1 tsp
(Kashmiri mirch is a whole dried red chili. Use any red chili flakes or cayenne pepper instead)
Black cumin 2/3 tsp
Mustard seeds 2/3 tsp
Fenugreek seed powder 1/3 tsp
Salt
Oil enough to cover the bottom of your pan
Butter (unsalted) 3Tbs

Method

Firstly, sear the chicken meat in hot oil for a min or until it has a golden brown crust. Put the chicken aside, it will later cook completely in the gravy.
Now fry the onions until golden brown.
Add the garlic and the chilies stir for a few seconds and finally add the tomatoes.
Give everything a good stir. Lower heat to med high.
Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes break down to a mush.
Blend this mixture in a blender with yogurt. Keep aside.
Now we are going to toast the spices.
Heat about a Tbs of oil. Put the mustard seeds in and wait till they crackle. Add the rest of the spices (no salt) and stir for about 10 seconds. .
You can now season with salt and add the yogurt mixture and the chicken.
Give it a good stir.
Cover the pan and cook on med low heat for about 20 mins or until the chicken is done.
Turn off the heat.
Add lime juice and the butter.
Let the heat of the pan melt the butter.
Stir.
And you are done :-)

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Khagina

(serves 1)
(prep time 20 mins)

This is a breakfast dish...

Something like a spicy scrambled eggs.
You will need the following
Eggs 2 large
Potatoes (diced) 1/4 cup
Onions (diced) 1/8 cup
Green chili (chopped coarse) 1 tsp
Cumin 1/4 tsp
Chili flakes 1/4 tsp
Pepper pinch
Oil 2 Tbs
Salt

Whip the eggs with salt and spices in a bowl. Leave aside.
Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the potatoes and fry in oil until half cooked.
Now add the onions and cook until potatoes are done and onions are translucent.
Add green chilies and stir.
Pour in the eggs and cook over med heat.
Stir often..
Cook until eggs are set.
Eat this with buttered toast or a paratha!

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Koftay

(serves 3-4)
(prep time 45 mins)
For the meatballs

Ground lean beef 1/4 lbs

Garlic (crushed) 2/3 tsp

Green chilies (crushed) 1/2 tsp

Egg yolk 1 small

Cashew nuts (ground) 1 Tbs

Cayenne pepper 1/3 tsp

Cilantro/coriander powder 2/3 tsp

Cumin powder 1/3 tsp

Pepper 1/3 tsp

Salt

Mix everything in a bowl. Make into round balls about 1" diameter. Will make about 8-9.

In a frying pan heat some canola oil. Sear the meat balls from all sides. Takes about a min or two. They will cook completely in the gravy.

Gravy

Red onions (sliced) 1/2 med

Tomatoes (diced) 1 med

Plain yogurt 1/4 cup

Garlic (crushed) 2/3 tsp

Ginger (crushed) 2/3 tsp

Green chilies (crushed) 1 Tbs

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp

Cilantro powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Pepper 1/4 tsp

Salt

Water 2/3 cup

Oil 1/4 cup

Fry the onion until they turn golden brown.

Add garlic and ginger. Stir.

Add the tomatoes and the chilies and mix well.

Cover the pot and cook for 2-3 min on med high heat.

Take the mixture out and blend in a blender with the yogurt to make the gravy.

You can use the same pot and fry all the spices (minus the salt) for about half a min

Add the blended yogurt mixture back into the pot. Mix well to incorporate the spices.

Add salt. Add water.

Bring the heat to med high so that the gravy is bubbling slightly.

Add the meatballs carefully so they don't break.

Cover and cook on lowered heat for about 15 min or until the meatballs are fully cooked.

Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top.

Done! :-)

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Paneer

This is super duper easy!

(1/2 gallon of milk will make approx 4 cups chopped paneer)
(Prep time 10 mins + 2 hours draining)

Paneer is so easy to make at home, and the flavor and texture is so much better than store bought. Another advantage of making your own paneer is that you can flavor it anyway you want.
Following is a simple method for making plain paneer.  Paneer freezes well for 3 months.

Ingredients

This recipe can easily be halved.

Whole milk 1/2 gallon (use full fat)
Heavy cream 2 Tbs/cup of milk (use 36%)
(1/2 gallon is 8 cups so you will use 16 Tbs or 1 cup of heavy cream)
Some sort of acid, your options are:

1. Lemon/Lime juice you will need 3-5 Tbs
2. Vinegar 3-5 Tbs
3. Citric acid powder 1-2 tsp
4. Yogurt diluted with water
   You will need a cup and a half of plain full fat yogurt mixed with a of cup water.
   Mix these together and make sure there aren't any lumps of yogurt.

Note:

If you don't have citric acid powder, use yogurt if you can. I find that it works better because it leaves no vinegary or lemony smell and taste in the paneer. This is specially important if you plan to make dessert out of the paneer.

The cheese press

When I first started making paneer at home I made a makeshift cheese press.
Poke some holes at the bottom and all four sides of an aluminum mini loaf with a needle.
Line it with cheesecloth and and fill it about 2" with the curds.
Stack another mini loaf inside it, place a plate over it and then put a 5lbs weight on top (like a pot filled with water or a dumbell)
The whole thing sits on a wire rack so the water can easily drain.

However I have realised now that you can do perfectly well without the press.
Line a colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth, leave an extra 4" of cheesecloth hanging over the colander.
Pour the whey and curds through it and let the curds rest for 3 mins.
Grab all four sides of the cheese cloth and carry the curds onto a flat surface.
Bring the flaps of the cheese cloth over (think gift wrapping) and form a rough, tight square shape with your hands, no more than 2" thick.
Place the cheese on a wire rack.
Put a 5lbs weight on it (a cooking pot filled with water works fine).
I hope these pics help and give you a better idea.

Method

Combine the cream and the milk in a large heavy base pot.
Set your temp to med high and bring this to a soft boil.
Stir often, you don't want the milk to burn.
After the milk has begun to boil, turn the heat down to low.
Now is the time to add your acid.
Stir gently while adding the acid.

• If you are using citric powder you can sprinkle it directly into the pot.
• If you are using vinegar, lemon or lime juice. Add that 1 Tbs at a time.
• Pour the yogurt mixture continulay into the boiling milk in a thin uniform stream.

No rules just keep adding the acid until things begin to curdle.
The milk will begin to curdle very soon.
The whey should become kind of grayish.
Strain through a cheesecloth.
You can either use a cheese press or free form the cheese.
Let it drain for 2 hours.
Unwrap, cut, fry, eat!
I sprinkled some coarse black pepper on the the paneer while frying.
:-)

P.S. The whey is great to make rotis and naan with.

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Alu Choley

(Serves 2-3)
(Prep time: 45 mins)
Ingredients

Garbanzo beans 1 16oz can
Potatoes (diced) 1 cup
Red onions (sliced fine) 1 med
Tomatoes (diced) 1 med
Garlic (crushed) 2 cloves
Ginger (crushed) 1/2 tsp
Fresh lemon juice 2-3 Tbs
Plain yogurt 1/2 cup
Canola oil 1/4 cup
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Cayenne 1/2 tsp
Red chili flakes 1/4 tsp
Turmeric 2/3 tsp
Cumin 2/3 tsp
Cilantro/Coriander powder 1 tsp
Nigella seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method

Fry the onions until golden brown.

Add the garlic and ginger. Stir for a min or so.

Now time for the tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 min over med heat.

Add all the spices except the nigella seeds.

Mix in yogurt. Give it a good stir.

Cook for another 5 mins. Blend with an immersion blender.

Meanwhile,

Drain and wash the beans.

Cut potatoes about 1/2" cubes .

Throw in the potatoes and the beans.

Add lemon juice.

Cover the pan and lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 mins or until the potatoes are done.

Stir in between.

If gravy looks too thick add a little water.

Sprinkle nigella seeds at the end.

Serve with naan or roti.

Ta da :-)

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Steak with chimichurri sauce

My very first post :-)
Love love love steak!
I made this for dinner tonight with a condiment called chimichurri from Argentina. They use it like one might use ketchup.
Awesome stuff!

(Serves 2)
(Prep time 30 min + 6 hrs marinating time)

Chimichurri sauce

Fresh cilantro 1/4 cup
Fresh flat leaf parsley 1/4 cup
Garlic 1 clove
Dried oregano 1 tsp
Red wine vinegar 1 Tbs
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt/Pepper

Combine everything in a blender. Add more olive oil if the sauce seems too thick.

Potato Wedges

Yukon gold potatoes 3 med
Garlic powder 1/4 tsp
Dried thyme 1/4 tsp
Dried rosemary 1/4 tsp
Olive oil 1 Tbs
Salt/pepper

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread olive oil on a bake sheet. Cut potatoes (skin on) in wedges. Rub all the seasoning on the potatoes. Drizzle some olive oil on top and bake for about 40 mins or until done. More oil and turn sides once after half time.

Marinade

Freshly squeezed juice of orange 4-5 Tbs
Orange zest 1 tsp
Lime juice 1/2 lime
Red wine vinegar 1-2 Tbs
Honey 1 1/2 Tbs
Extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup
Garlic (crushed) 3 cloves
Dried chipotle (ground) 1 tsp
Salt/Pepper

I used 2 8oz filet mignons about 1.5" thick.
Combine everything well and marinade for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Before cooking it is essential to bring the steaks to room temperature. Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile in a cast iron griddle pan, melt some butter and canola oil. Make it real hot, sear the filet 2 mins each side. Finish in the oven for about 5 mins for medium rare.

Serve with chimichurri sauce and potato wedges :-)

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