Arpana's Cooking: Ep 23 Red Christmas Soup with Roasted Tomatoes on Pane...

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 22 Paneer Koliwada and Bombay Sandwich Salad

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 21 Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) Burger and Pao Bhaji Mash

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 20 A Celebration Veggie Burger Contains Egg

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 19 Mushroom Rice Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce with...

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 18 Cheese and Beer Soup with Shakshuka on the side

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 17 Tutti Fruity Cheese Roll with Old Monk Fruit Kebabs

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 16 Power Packed Soup with a bonus Party Season Punch

Ep 15 Paani Poori with a side of Capsicum Chaat 1

Ep 14 Eggplant Lasagna? Vegetarian Moussaka? Or a Hybrid?

Arpana's cooking: Ep 13 Mushroom Masoor Pulao + M3P

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 12 Dal Khichdi

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 11 Paneer Pav Bhaji A La Gvalani

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 10 Palak Paneer Rolling In Tomato Gravy A La Gvalani

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 09 Mac N Mung

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 08 Deconstructed Pav Bhaaji

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 07 Vegetable Soup, Potato Lollypops with One Chille...

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 06 2 Ways Veggies, Saute and Barbecue, with Garlic ...

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 05 Chicken with Mushrooms in Red Wine Sauce

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 04 Mangalorean Fish Curry

Ep 03 Palak Kofta

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 02 Kadhai Paneer

Arpana's Cooking: Ep 01 Vegetarian Hakka Noodles

My version of Butter Chicken / Paneer

I usually make this with boneless breast of chicken. But due to limited availability of ingredients, we made it with pre-cut chicken with bones. Rest of the ingredients, specially the spices, are usually stocked.

Again, this is the way I chose to make it. Not to be compared to the original / authentic? recipes. Everyone has a recipe close to them, which are amazing. This one's probably common, but then again, simplified for my sweet cousins.

Since most of my family is now vegetarian, the portion here serves 2-3 max.

Step 1 marinade (3-4 hours before cooking)

1/2 kg pre- cut chicken  / 300 gm paneer
4 tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream or  sour dahi
1 tbsp paste of  boiled red Kashmiri chilly without seeds
1 tbsp ginger, garlic paste
1 tsp Tandoori Chicken Masala
1 tsp Amritsari Fish Masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for 3- 4 hours or overnight

Remove from fridge. When in room temperature, heat a non stick pan and cook the chicken/ paneer  and cook till brown on each side. Keep aside.


Step 2 Gravy
1/2 kg onions, finely chopped
1/2 kg tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, garlic, chilly paste
1 bay leaf
salt, chilly, garam masala powder as per taste
2 tbsp hung curd or plain thick curd
1 tbsp kasoori methi soaked in filtered water
Oil for cooking (used 2 tbsp vegetable oil here)

One small piece of coal and a tsp of ghee for smoking (optional)

Heat oil in a pan / kadhai and add the bay leaf followed by the onions. Cook the  onions till they turn red, add the ginger garlic chilly paste and further cook till it lets out a nice aroma. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add in the powdered spices, and salt and cook further for a couple of minutes. Switch of the heat and let the gravy cool. Blend the mix and bring it back on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook further for 10- 15 minutes with the curds. Add the drained and torn kasoori methi and cook further for 3- 4 minutes, or till it reaches a thick consistency.

Heat ghee in a small stainless steel bowl which can fit in the pan. Put the coal in it and place the bowl on top of the gravy and cover the pan for a couple of minutes for the coal to release the smoke to add flavor. ( Again, this step is optional)

Optional again: Add 2 tbsp cream or butter for added flavor in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Ready to eat. Enjoy.

Mushroom Spinach Pizza Topping

Very basic recipe for pizza topping.
Because, missing the woodcutter's pizza from our regular pizza delivery in this lock-down.
If not as topping, this can certainly be served as a side to any main course.

This was for 6 regular, ready- made pizza bread available in Indian grocery stores. We used home made pizza sauce. Will post that recipe another time.

4- 5 large garlic pods,  slivered
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch spinach. torn into medium size leaves, blanched
2 packets mushrooms, chopped
Grated cheese, as required. Any cheese of your choice. I have used Go Cheese Colby
2 tsp Olive oil

Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and cook till the water it leaves dries out. Add a pinch of salt and cook further til it's totally dried out again. Bring thee pan off the heat and stir in the blanched spinach and onions. Topping ready for pizza. Add cheese as required. We made a vegan version without cheese for dad.

Fish in Lemon Almond Butter Sauce, with side of baby potatoes

Fish:

4 fillets of white fish
Salt and pepper for seasoning Olive Oil for pan frying


Sauce:
6-7 almonds, soaked overnight, skinned and cut in slivers
4-5 large garlic pods, cut in slivers
Juice of 2 lemons
100 gm butter, cut in 4 slabs
1 tsp parsley

Baby potatoes:
200 gm baby potatoes, boiled and peeled
3-4 large garlic pods, cut in slivers
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Potatoes:

Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for a minute. Toss in the potatoes with salt and mixed herbs and cook till well coated. Set aside.

Fish:
Season the fish with salt and pepper an hour before serving. Pan fry the fish on both the sides and set aside on a warm service plate.

Sauce:

Pour lemon and garlic on a hot pan on medium flame and bring it down to half. Incorporate the butter, one slab at a time to the lemon reduction till it's got a shiny glaze. Stir in the almonds and some parsley and cook further for a minute. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with the potatoes.