Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Kashmiri Dum Paneer (no onion, no garlic..yet rich and thick)

 
 
Kashmiri cuisine, to the rescue...
 
 
There was a time ..not very long back..just a few months, actually..and still kindof ongoing in many parts of our country, where onion brings tears to our eyes not coz of peeling..but..more.....coz, of its rapidly rising price.
 
 
 
It did make headlines.
 
And that was when, i started looking into non-onion based recipes and came across the Kashmiri vegetarian style of cooking in which neither onions , nor garlic is used. And more interesting, was that , it was very much in lines to one of my previous post here, on cooking with yogurt as the main base without curdling.
 
Read the post here -  "Yogurt & Heat - dont you worry"

 
It's said that Kashmiri Pandits or the vegetarians refrain from the use of onions and garlic, and depend on the fat of the milk products that are available to them in plenty to protect themselves from the biting cold of the region
 
And a very common dish in their cuisine is the "Kashmiri Dum Aalo". I have adapted a similar recipe, but done it with  paneer and mix veggies (optional) and have added some coconut milk too to the very end (again, this is not typical authentic Kashmiri..but, just a slight tweek from my side)
Ingredients
·         Paneer – approx. 200g ms (cut to 1 and ½ cm cubes)
·         Butter – 4 tbsp
·         Bay leaf – 1
·         Yogurt – 1 ½ cups
·         Ginger paste – 1 tbsp 
·         Cashewnuts  - a handful, soaked in water and ground to a paste
·         Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
·         Fennel and cumin seeds powdered together – 1/2 teaspoon
·         Coriander powder – 1.5 tbsp
·         Kashmiri Red chili powder – 2.5  tbsp
·         Tomato puree – 1 .5 tbsp
·         Salt – to taste
·         Cooked green peas, carrot cubes (optional )
·         Coconut milk – 1/2 cup (again, this is optional too, and a tweek from the regular authentic Kashmiri cuisine )
Method :

Add the cubed paneer to a bowl filled with salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes. If using store bought paneer, it helps to soften them by briefly soaking them as said. Once the paneer is softened, drain and set aside.
 
Into a wok, drop in 2 tbsp of butter.
Slightly toast the paneer in the butter till light golden brown. Take a small pinch of fennel and cumin powder from the said ingredient list and sprinkle above the paneer while it gets toasted in the butter.



 
Soak a handful of cashew nuts in hot water for about 5 minutes and ground to a fine paste.   (* -ref. notes)
Now take yogurt in a bowl. Add to it, ginger paste, the ground cashew paste with all the spice powders (cardamom powder, fennel and cumin powder, coriander powder and kashmiri chili powder). Mix well in ONE DIRECTION only and keep aside. (* - ref. notes)

 
 
Into the same wok used to toast the paneer, add 2 tbsps of butter.
Once hot, drop in a bay leaf and sauté for about 30 sec.  
Add the yougurt –spice mix. Stir immediately and keep stirring till it starts to boil.

 
 
Once the sauce boils and the raw taste of the spices leave, add in the toasted paneer.
Add a cup full of cooked green peas and cooked cubed carrots. (can add these if we need it as a mixed veggie dish. Else, can stick to paneer alone)
Add the tomato puree to the mix, salt to taste  and keep closed for the gravey to be absorbed by the paneer. Keep stirring once in a while. It may take about 10-15 minutes.

 
 
 
The yogurt gravey is too absorded by the vegetables that it ends up like a very thick sauce around the vegetables. So, to keep the dish with a thich gravey while serving, you need to keep it at a very loose gravey consistency to the end of the cooking.
You can add 1/4 cup of coconut milk too to make the gravey more diluted. (you don’t add coconut milk in authentic Kashmiri dum recipes, but as I said…its optional )
Serve hot with roti, paratha, naan or even pulav.
 (notes : You can avoid mixing the chillie and coriander powder to the yogurt and directly add it to the wok after the bay leaves . Slightly fry the powder in butter and then add the yogurt mixed with just the remaining spice powders as in the ingredient list.
 
It is common that yogurt made of cows milk curdles when heated. To avoid this, we add the cashewnut as powder or as paste (as in here) to stabilize the yogurt. We can also stabilize yogurt by whisking-in any starch before cooking in ONE DIRECTION only to prevent it from separating. Add one teaspoon of cornstarch, or 1½ teaspoon of other flours (Atta, Maida, or Besan) to one cup of yogurt)

35 comments:

  1. oh don't talk about the value of onions... now we get here onions for 2 dhs, but it is so fluidy, hate food cooked in it... :( this paneer dish looks so good, would love to try it for my brother someday... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah..do try...but i wud suggest you fry the chillie n corinader in the butter too, as given in the optional head. else, it wud take a longer time for the raw smell to leave. :)

      Delete
  2. Hi My dear Sona, how you doing? Your this dish look very appetizing and delicious. I might need extra rice for this. :)) With yogurt I'm sure it taste very rich and creamy. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Over here the onion and garlic price follow the peak and off peak season, the off peak the price??? * faint*

    Have a nice day, regards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hey hey Ame-dolly !!! how u doing ??? yes, indeed..the dish is really rich..but very less fat from oil. And lol...u fainted ?? pouring some icy water on ur face nw...get up !!!! ;) . You too have a great day ahead..sweetheart !

      Delete
  3. Kashmiri paneer looks spicy and yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dum paneer looks so delicious and nice picture.

    Visit my new blog in your free time Sona.
    http://vidyackitchen.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's no reason for us to eliminate onions and garlic into our dishes. Yet its really a great idea and I am impressed. The dish is awesome, thick will lots of wonderful flavors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. more than the onion factor, it was the yogurt - heat- curdling efffect that i was more curious in. :)

      Delete
  6. Dum paneer looks real tempting...rich and yummy..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thick, rich and delicious looking!!!! Quite a nice dish...Will get a chance to try this on coming Thursday....our last Manabasa Gurubar (no onion no garlic day)!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aah ! thats nice. never knew such a day exists ! thanks for letting me know.

      Delete
  8. It looks so rich and thick, cannot believe its without onion and garlic..
    We can try it specially in navratra
    Please come and enter my $50 Persunmall giveaway.
    http://www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com/2013/12/persunamll-50-christmas-giveaway.html?m=0
    Kisses
    www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes..its a really rich n thck gravey dish...without a spec of onion. :)

      Delete
  9. Dum paneer looks so delicious and rich dear...tempting side..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Soo inviting rich Dum paneer.......hmmmm............yummy yummy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rich tempting and yummy Kashmiri dum paneer

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very luscious creamy paneer dish........amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The price of the onions have made us all cry :(
    This no onion paneer curry is definitely a life saver..

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh onion price is so scary..So glad to see u back in action girl..
    Dum paneer with no onion looks soo yummy,

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks so delicious..rich and creamy..

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Sona, even without garlic and onions, your dish still looks so so tempting. Besides eating it with rice, I am sure it is delicious with bread too. Have a great week ahead, Sona :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. This dish looks super yummy even without onion and garlic!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Delicious n drooling gravy with stepwise pictorials!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. WOW one of the loveliest recipe I have seen its Yum :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rich n yum gravy..Very happy to follow you sona...

    ReplyDelete

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Kashmiri Dum Paneer (no onion, no garlic..yet rich and thick)

 
 
Kashmiri cuisine, to the rescue...
 
 
There was a time ..not very long back..just a few months, actually..and still kindof ongoing in many parts of our country, where onion brings tears to our eyes not coz of peeling..but..more.....coz, of its rapidly rising price.
 
 
 
It did make headlines.
 
And that was when, i started looking into non-onion based recipes and came across the Kashmiri vegetarian style of cooking in which neither onions , nor garlic is used. And more interesting, was that , it was very much in lines to one of my previous post here, on cooking with yogurt as the main base without curdling.
 
Read the post here -  "Yogurt & Heat - dont you worry"

 
It's said that Kashmiri Pandits or the vegetarians refrain from the use of onions and garlic, and depend on the fat of the milk products that are available to them in plenty to protect themselves from the biting cold of the region
 
And a very common dish in their cuisine is the "Kashmiri Dum Aalo". I have adapted a similar recipe, but done it with  paneer and mix veggies (optional) and have added some coconut milk too to the very end (again, this is not typical authentic Kashmiri..but, just a slight tweek from my side)
Ingredients
·         Paneer – approx. 200g ms (cut to 1 and ½ cm cubes)
·         Butter – 4 tbsp
·         Bay leaf – 1
·         Yogurt – 1 ½ cups
·         Ginger paste – 1 tbsp 
·         Cashewnuts  - a handful, soaked in water and ground to a paste
·         Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
·         Fennel and cumin seeds powdered together – 1/2 teaspoon
·         Coriander powder – 1.5 tbsp
·         Kashmiri Red chili powder – 2.5  tbsp
·         Tomato puree – 1 .5 tbsp
·         Salt – to taste
·         Cooked green peas, carrot cubes (optional )
·         Coconut milk – 1/2 cup (again, this is optional too, and a tweek from the regular authentic Kashmiri cuisine )
Method :

Add the cubed paneer to a bowl filled with salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes. If using store bought paneer, it helps to soften them by briefly soaking them as said. Once the paneer is softened, drain and set aside.
 
Into a wok, drop in 2 tbsp of butter.
Slightly toast the paneer in the butter till light golden brown. Take a small pinch of fennel and cumin powder from the said ingredient list and sprinkle above the paneer while it gets toasted in the butter.



 
Soak a handful of cashew nuts in hot water for about 5 minutes and ground to a fine paste.   (* -ref. notes)
Now take yogurt in a bowl. Add to it, ginger paste, the ground cashew paste with all the spice powders (cardamom powder, fennel and cumin powder, coriander powder and kashmiri chili powder). Mix well in ONE DIRECTION only and keep aside. (* - ref. notes)

 
 
Into the same wok used to toast the paneer, add 2 tbsps of butter.
Once hot, drop in a bay leaf and sauté for about 30 sec.  
Add the yougurt –spice mix. Stir immediately and keep stirring till it starts to boil.

 
 
Once the sauce boils and the raw taste of the spices leave, add in the toasted paneer.
Add a cup full of cooked green peas and cooked cubed carrots. (can add these if we need it as a mixed veggie dish. Else, can stick to paneer alone)
Add the tomato puree to the mix, salt to taste  and keep closed for the gravey to be absorbed by the paneer. Keep stirring once in a while. It may take about 10-15 minutes.

 
 
 
The yogurt gravey is too absorded by the vegetables that it ends up like a very thick sauce around the vegetables. So, to keep the dish with a thich gravey while serving, you need to keep it at a very loose gravey consistency to the end of the cooking.
You can add 1/4 cup of coconut milk too to make the gravey more diluted. (you don’t add coconut milk in authentic Kashmiri dum recipes, but as I said…its optional )
Serve hot with roti, paratha, naan or even pulav.
 (notes : You can avoid mixing the chillie and coriander powder to the yogurt and directly add it to the wok after the bay leaves . Slightly fry the powder in butter and then add the yogurt mixed with just the remaining spice powders as in the ingredient list.
 
It is common that yogurt made of cows milk curdles when heated. To avoid this, we add the cashewnut as powder or as paste (as in here) to stabilize the yogurt. We can also stabilize yogurt by whisking-in any starch before cooking in ONE DIRECTION only to prevent it from separating. Add one teaspoon of cornstarch, or 1½ teaspoon of other flours (Atta, Maida, or Besan) to one cup of yogurt)

35 comments:

  1. oh don't talk about the value of onions... now we get here onions for 2 dhs, but it is so fluidy, hate food cooked in it... :( this paneer dish looks so good, would love to try it for my brother someday... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah..do try...but i wud suggest you fry the chillie n corinader in the butter too, as given in the optional head. else, it wud take a longer time for the raw smell to leave. :)

      Delete
  2. Hi My dear Sona, how you doing? Your this dish look very appetizing and delicious. I might need extra rice for this. :)) With yogurt I'm sure it taste very rich and creamy. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Over here the onion and garlic price follow the peak and off peak season, the off peak the price??? * faint*

    Have a nice day, regards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hey hey Ame-dolly !!! how u doing ??? yes, indeed..the dish is really rich..but very less fat from oil. And lol...u fainted ?? pouring some icy water on ur face nw...get up !!!! ;) . You too have a great day ahead..sweetheart !

      Delete
  3. Kashmiri paneer looks spicy and yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dum paneer looks so delicious and nice picture.

    Visit my new blog in your free time Sona.
    http://vidyackitchen.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's no reason for us to eliminate onions and garlic into our dishes. Yet its really a great idea and I am impressed. The dish is awesome, thick will lots of wonderful flavors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. more than the onion factor, it was the yogurt - heat- curdling efffect that i was more curious in. :)

      Delete
  6. Dum paneer looks real tempting...rich and yummy..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thick, rich and delicious looking!!!! Quite a nice dish...Will get a chance to try this on coming Thursday....our last Manabasa Gurubar (no onion no garlic day)!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aah ! thats nice. never knew such a day exists ! thanks for letting me know.

      Delete
  8. It looks so rich and thick, cannot believe its without onion and garlic..
    We can try it specially in navratra
    Please come and enter my $50 Persunmall giveaway.
    http://www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com/2013/12/persunamll-50-christmas-giveaway.html?m=0
    Kisses
    www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes..its a really rich n thck gravey dish...without a spec of onion. :)

      Delete
  9. Dum paneer looks so delicious and rich dear...tempting side..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Soo inviting rich Dum paneer.......hmmmm............yummy yummy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rich tempting and yummy Kashmiri dum paneer

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very luscious creamy paneer dish........amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The price of the onions have made us all cry :(
    This no onion paneer curry is definitely a life saver..

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh onion price is so scary..So glad to see u back in action girl..
    Dum paneer with no onion looks soo yummy,

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks so delicious..rich and creamy..

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Sona, even without garlic and onions, your dish still looks so so tempting. Besides eating it with rice, I am sure it is delicious with bread too. Have a great week ahead, Sona :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. This dish looks super yummy even without onion and garlic!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Delicious n drooling gravy with stepwise pictorials!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. WOW one of the loveliest recipe I have seen its Yum :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rich n yum gravy..Very happy to follow you sona...

    ReplyDelete