Mango Lassi

Makes 8 cups

Growing up, this used to be a summer delight. With easy access to mango puree in the stores, this is now a regular drink. It can be mixed with a spoon for a traditional texture, or machine-blended for a smooth texture. I recommend making this a couple of hours before serving and refrigerated in serving cups.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups mango pulp
• 4 cups ice
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt

For the garnishing

• 1 tspn cardamom, ground
  
• 1 tspn almonds, pistachios, finely chopped

Preparation (5 minutes)

1. Set aside pulp.
2. Finely chop almonds and pistachios. 

Instructions (5 minutes)

1. Blend the ingredients for 3 minutes.
2. Mango lassi is best made a couple of hours before serving. If refrigerated for more than 4 hours, it needs to be blended again before serving.

Garnishing (optional)

1. Pour into cups and sprinkle the garnishing on each cup.

Serving

1. Goes well with Indian, Asian and Western appetizers. 
2. If the Mango lassi is made to be served within a couple of hours, it can be poured into cups and garnished and refrigerated, ready to be served. 

Paneer Makhani (Paneer in rich gravy)

Makes 8 cups of paneer makhani

I do not enjoy the smooth texture of a blended gravy, so I use finely chopped ingredients. But I have family that likes the restaurant look-and-feel of a blended gravy.

Ingredients

• 4 tbspn vegetable oil
• 2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• 2 medium tomato, finely chopped - optional
• 1 cup cashew paste (soak cashews for 10 minutes and blend) - optional
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped   
• 16 rectangular 1 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes of paneer

Preparation

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and finely chop onions and tomatoes.
3. Beat the sour cream with a spoon.  
4. Pan-fry pieces rectangular cubes of paneer in vegetable oil, and keep aside. 

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, and stir for two minutes.
5. If you prefer blended gravy with a restaurant look-and-feel, take the gravy off the heat and allow it to cool till it is lukewarm. Blend till it is smooth, and then heat on medium-high.- optional
6. Add cashew paste and stir well. - optional
7. Add salt to taste. 
8. Add sour cream and sugar and stir well. - optional
9. Stir on low-medium heat for another minute, and take off the heat.  

Garnishing

1. Put paneer cubes in a serving bowl. 
2. Stir in the curry. 
3. Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan.
2. It can also be served with hot steamed Basmati rice.  

Parantha (pan-fried flat bread)

Makes 8 paranthas.
I use whole-wheat flour for daily cooking. Parathas are traditionally made with a mix of equal measures of maida (refined flour) and aata (whole-wheat flour) - making them whiter in color.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbspn vegetable oil for dough
• 1 cup water 
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for pan-frying

Preparation

1. Make a dough with the flour and oil - this should need slightly more than 1/2 cup of water.
2. Cover the prepared dough with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. 

Instructions

1. Heat the pan. Using a non-stick pan minimizes the need for oil.
2. Make eight balls from the dough.
3. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circle. 
4. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a semi-circle.
5. Brush lightly with oil, and fold into a quarter-circle.
6. Roll it to get a triangular parantha. 
7. Take a few drops of oil in the pan, and place parantha. 
8. Add a few drops of oil at the edges of the parantha. 
9. Press down lightly with a flat spatula on different points of the parantha.
10. Turn the parantha after a minute, and pan-fry to cook completely. 

 

  Serving

1. Serve hot with stir-fried vegetables or curry. 

Palak Paneer (Spinach and soft cheese)

Makes 8 cups of palak paneer

Ingredients

• 4 tbspn vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - optional
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 cloves garlic, grated - optional
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• 2 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 cup cashew paste (soak cashews for 10 minutes and blend) - optional
• 4 bunches of spinach
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped   
• 8 rectangular 1 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes of paneer

Preparation

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and finely chop onions, tomatoes and spinach.
3. Beat the sour cream with a spoon.  
4. Pan-fry pieces rectangular cubes of paneer in vegetable oil, and keep aside. 
5. Put the well-washed spinach in boiling water with peppers and tomatos for 5 minutes, and blend into a paste.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add cashew paste and stir well.
5. Add the spinach paste.
6. Add salt to taste.   
7. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, and take it off the heat.

Garnishing

1. Put paneer cubes in a serving bowl. 
2. Stir in the spinach curry. 
3. Sprinkle cilantro on top.
4. Decorate with sour cream. 

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan, and refrigerated lassi (yogurt shake).
2. It can also be served with hot steamed Basmati rice.