Butter Paneer (Indian cottage cheese in tomato gravy)

This is one recipe which cannot go wrong and that's the reason why it is one of my favourites for feasts. Its really simple and doesn't take long to prepare. I love the silky texture and the sweet n sour taste of the gravy. But I must say its not the ideal recipe for calorie conscious people. Not very good to have on a regular basis but treating yourselves once in a while is OK.  So we'll move on to the list of ingredients. 

Ingredients:

Puree of 3-4 ripe tomatoes

200 grams paneer cut into 1 1/2" cubes or triangles

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp red chili  powder

1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1" piece of cinnamon

7-8 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 green cardamom

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, add butter. After the butter melts add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger garlic paste. Cook for a minute. Then add tomato puree and red chili powder and cook till the oil separates. Now add sugar, salt and paneer and mix well (if the gravy is too thick in consistency add a little water). Cover and cook for a couple of minutes on low heat. In the end add cream, mix and remove from heat.Serve with hot rotis/naan.

To make the recipe less calorific, the amount of butter may be reduced. Low fat cream may be used instead of heavy cream.

Dried fenugreek leaves may be added for enhanced taste. 

Ensure that the tomatoes are ripe or else the gravy will be too sour.

Thin Crust Pizza

It has been a long while since I posted any recipes on my blog. And it makes me feel like I have been forgotten. Well I am back now and this time with a recipe that anyone could hardly ignore. What could be better to make my presence felt than a mouthwatering pizza recipe? (May be mouthwatering pizza!!) Yeah I know. So lets get started!

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup water
1 tsp each of active yeast, salt and oregano
2 tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl add 1/2 cup lukewarm water and add the active yeast to it. Stir and keep aside for 10 minutes. Then in a large bowl mix flour, salt, oregano and olive oil. Mix well then add yeast and remaining water. Cover the bowl with a cloth and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours.

For the sauce:
1 cup pureed tomatoes (blanched, skinned and seeded)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp each of dried basil leaves, oregano, salt and olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (chopped/crushed)

In a pan heat olive oil and add garlic. Saute for a few seconds then add tomato puree and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and remove from heat.

For toppings:
1 small green bell pepper diced
2-3 jalapeños sliced
1/2 cup cubed and sauteed paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
1 onion diced
Handful of cherry tomatoes sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese grated

For making pizza, first take the dough and punch it with your fist/palm to knock out any gases from it then knead it for a few minutes. Now sprinkle some plain flour on the counter top and take half of the dough. Flatten it with a rolling pin from all sides. Pour some sauce on it and spread it evenly on the pizza base.Now spread half of all the toppings except cheese. Top it up with grated mozzarella cheese. Put in 425 degrees F preheated oven on a pizza pan for about 10 minutes. Check once after 6 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, transfer onto a serving dish and enjoy. :)

Paneer can be replaced with any grilled meat. And amount of herbs can be reduced or increased as per taste.