Paneer is made with milk, it is easy to make your own paneer it is like cottage cheese, you can get it in shops in blocks or cubes.., I love paneer only in sweet dishes like Rasgulla, sandesh and many more Bengali sweets which are my all time favourite,  rather than the curries and Gravies.

My kids don't like Paneer at all even if you use them in spicy gravies or Curries, That is why you don't see lot of paneer recipes in my blog, especially my son, doesn't like it at all, Like me they also love to eat paneer only in Sweets :), Just like Momma.....
When Kalyani announced this month's Magic Mingle # 5 challenge it was Paneer and mint, the first thought was let me dish out some pulav, Once I made pulav which is still in my draft and my son kept mumbling over it, My H loves paneer, that is why now and then I make it.  But then I made some parathas which I will post soon, Before the parathas I made this curry, and to my astonishment, my twin girl loved it very much and even my son the curry was so tasty, totally it was only Kadai full, I made little so I don't have to eat it lunch, brunch and dinner if my kids don't like it.., But, to my surprise, it was all gone.., by the end of the day I can say I am going to make this again...
Hope you all like it and tell me how it turned out...., if you make it 🙂

PANEER BHENDI IN MINTY MASALA CURRY

INGREDIENTS:
15 Bhendi / Lady's finger Small ones
1 Large Onion
1 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste

1 Tomatoes or 2 small tomatoes
1/2 Cup Paneer Cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Amchur powder
1 and 1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Oil

To Marinate:

2 Fist ful ( 4 Sprigs ) Mint / Pudina Leaves
1 fist ful ( 4 sprigs) Coriander leaves
1 Green Chilli

METHOD:
First of all Cut the cubed Paneer into still smaller pieces ( like four pieces ), then wash and grind the ingredients under marinate, add a tbsp of water if it doesn't grind then add this to the cut cubes, mix well and leave it at least for 1/2 an hour, or until you need it.
Next wash and wipe or dry Bhendis or Lady's Finger with a cloth, you have to do this so when you fry them they will not have that sliminess in them. Then cut the top and bottom of the bhendi's these days I just cut the top only and use the tail end of it too.., you can try if you like it or you can cut that end too. Then cut the Bhendi's into 1/4'' pieces and keep them aside.
Chop Onions and tomatoes and keep them ready.

Take a deep pan /or wok add 2 tbsp oil, fry these bhendis until they are soft and slightly crisp around and keep aside.
Then again add an other 2 tbsp of oil fry the marinated Paneer until they turn slightly reddish in colour, to this add a bit of salt and fry them and keep aside.

In the same wok / Pan add a 2 tbsp of oil when hot add mustard seeds when they splutter add Ginger-Garlic paste then add finely chopped Onions fry them until they are transparent then add finely chopped tomatoes fry them until they become soft, do all this in a low flame, so they don't get burnt.
Once they are done add the dry masala powders fry them for a minute, then add Bhendi and Paneer and mix  them well add a cup of water or a little more if you like it a bit more in a gravy consistency.
Close the lid and keep it in a low flame for few more minutes which helps in absorbing the masala into them.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with Chapatis, pulkas or rice.

Tips:
Be careful if you add too much water then dissolve 1/2 tbsp of corn flour in 1 or 2 tbps of water and add it to the gravy, this helps in thickening the gravy.
Use the Dry masala ingredients to your taste, as they might be different from what I use. like my green chilli is too spicy so I have just used one, and even my chilli powder is too spicy so I have just used one tsp so, use it according to your liking.

Sending this to Magic Mingle #5

The post Paneer Bhendi in Minty Masala Curry / Mint Flavoured Curry with Lady's Finger and Cottage Cheese cubes appeared first on My Veg Fare.

BHINDI/OKRA STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:
500 gms Bhindi/Okra
2 Tomatoes
2 Big Onions(1 cup)
2 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Amchur powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3 tbsp of Oil
Salt as required

Grind to Powder:
Dry Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 clove
1/2'' Cinnamon stick
Dry fry all the above seeds and dry spices until they change colour and gives a nice aroma
2 tbsp of Anardana seeds
Dry Grind all the above Ingredients together

METHOD:
Wash and wipe the Okras clean, Remembering will not just wash away the dirt on them, it is best to use a cloth or a kitchen cloth to wipe it clean and wiping it clean also helps in stir-frying the Bhindis well, as the water content makes them gooey and will not hold them together and they might get mushed up :(.
Once they are cleaned, cut them into 2 to 2 1/2'' pieces, add the Garam masala powder, Amchur powder and leave it for kind of marinating until we need it.
Chop the tomatoes and onions, Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in  a Kadai/wok/Pan add mustard seeds, once they crackle up add chopped Onions and curry leaves and fry until they are transparent then add chopped Tomatoes Saute them until they are well cooked now add Turmeric powder and chilli powder and fry for few minutes.

Once they are well cooked add the Marinated Okras and fry them in a medium flame with another tbsp of oil in the middle of the process and saute them
Meanwhile Grind to powder all the Ingredients under that heading finely and keep aside, when the okras are still cooking.
Once the Okras are well done, add this powder and required quantity of salt, Saute for few more minutes and 5 to 10 minutes before switching of close the lid and leave the dry curry for few more minutes so the Masala powders are well absorbed in them.
Serve it with anything you prefer to eat it, I served it with my Mushroom parathas.
I am sending this to Priya's CWS event Guest hosted by me as CWS as - Pomegranate seeds.

Hope you all like my Bhindi Masala

The post Bhindi Masala or Okra Stir-fry with Anardana Seeds appeared first on My Veg Fare.

• 6 to 7 medium sized Okras (Bendekaayi)
• 1 medium sized Tomato
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp chenna dal
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 to 3 green chillies
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2 sprigs of coriander leaves
• salt as required
• 2 or 3 cups of curds

METHOD:

1. Wash & dry the okras and cut them into 1/2 or 1/4'' pieces and keep aside
2. wash & cut tomatoes, green chillies too.
3. Take a wok, heat oil add green chillies + chenna dal+urad dal+ curry leaves and fry for few minutes 
4. Then add cut Okras and fry until they become crisp & cooked
5. Then add the cut tomatoes and fry for few minutes, they get cooked fast then add the finely cleaned & chopped coriander leaves mix well and take it out from the wok and transfer it into a vessel and allow it cool.
6. Once when it is completely cool add 2 or 3 cups of curds.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with rice or chapatis

The post Okra(Lady's finger)-tomato pachadi appeared first on My Veg Fare.

VENDAIKAI MANDI:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Kg Ladies Finger (Okra/vendakai/Bendekaayi)
• 1 cup Small onions (peeled)
• 2 Green Chillies
• 2 Red chillies
• 1 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 5-6 pods o Garlic
• 2- Tomatoes
• Tamarind- small lemon sized
• 1/2 cup of Thick coconut extract
• 2 tbsp oil of frying
• salt as required

Seasoning:

• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Black gram dhal/Urad dhal
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

METHOD:

1. Soak Tamarind in warm water, Then wash and drain out water from okra, and taking a cloth wipe them clean, Then peel and slice onions &Garlic into small pieces.
2. Cut Okra into 2 inch pieces and chop the tomatoes and keep aside.
3. Take a wok, pour a tbsp of oil add the seasonings, then add the broken Red Chillies and Slit Green Chillies, fry then add sliced onions till transparent and stir in the tomatoes until they becomes soft.
4. Then add Ladies Finger pieces and fry for few minutes
5. Add Tamarind extract water and cook okra until it becomes soft and some more water to increase the quantity of the Sambhar.
6. Add salt and a tbsp of Rice flour and cook till the gravy becomes thick,
7. Mix coconut extract just before removing from fire & garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve this with hot Rice &I think it might go well with chapati too.

BANANA VARUVAL (DRY CURRY)

Ingredients:

• 2 Raw Bananas
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1/4 tsp Aniseed (saunf)
• 4 pods of Garlic
• 3 to 4 tbsp of 1 sprig of curry leaves
• Salt as required

METHOD:

1. Peel the outer skin of Bananas and cut them into four lengthwise and again cut them into thin slices
2. Mix salt, chilli powder & turmeric powder and marinate these with the banana slices and leave it for an hour or so.
3. Heat oil in a wok or a pan, once the oil is hot add nicely crushed Aniseed &crushed garlic pods and then add the marinated Banana Slices
4. Fry in a medium flame until the banana gets cooked and turn into a golden brown in colour, adding more oil gives a good crunch in them!!

It was a great dinner and we all loved it with oven baked jeera papads and Vegetable pickles, Thanks to srimathi for hosting this cuisine, I had never used Aniseed like this and it was really very nice. My family loved it very much.
This Recipe I am sending to RCI: Chettinadu Vegetarian Cuisine, event announced by Srimathi of Fewminutewonders.

The post Vendakkai Mandi & Banana Varuval for RCI-Chettinadu Vegetarian Cuisine appeared first on My Veg Fare.