PANEER MAKHANI, NAAN AND TANDOORI CHICKEN, YAKHNI EGGS WITH SAFFRON PULAO

Happy Dasara/Navratri to all of you. Have a great time. I will be cooking a feast this Sunday and can you guess what's coming next Wednesday for JFI and RCI?!:D

Now...
I cooked few dishes and yummy Pav Bhaji for us in the last two or weekends weekends while I was taking a "break". I am still getting plum tomatoes, Okra and Eggplants from my veggie patch, thought Paneer Makhani dish would be perfect to use those Tomatoes.

Bee of Jugalbandi mentioned about a Mexican cheese product called "Queso Blanco" (White cheese), which is similar to Indian Paneer in her blog. I couldn't find Queso Blanco but did buy big hunk of "Queso Fresco"(Fresh Cheese) instead, loved the flavor. I found a smaller pack of Queso Blanco a week later. Queso Fresco is lot better tasting and creamier than store bought Indian Paneer. Just add the Fresco cheese chunks (no frying) to hot Makhani just before serving, absolutely delicious!
I cooked some Palak Paneer too with this cheese. Did I tell you my daughter is a cheese freak?!:D Thanks for the Queso info Bee!:)

Menu this week:
Paneer Makhani (Cheese in Buttery, creamy Tomato Sauce)
Quick rise Naans,
Tandoori Chicken to serve with Naan or Kesar Pulao,
Saffron(Kesar) Pulao,
Flavorful Kashmiri Yakhni Ande (Eggs).

Paneer Makhani:
Paneer is Indian cheese which is similar to block of cottage cheese which is replaced here with Mexican fresh cheese. Makhani in Hindi literally means Buttery sauce.

You need: 3 cups Tomato sauce, canned or home made, 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion, ground separately to paste, 1" fresh ginger and 2 garlic, ground to paste with 2 tbsp Melon or Pumpkin seeds or walnuts or Almonds or Cashews and 2 green chillies, 2 tsp Coriander seeds pd, 1 tsp fennel seeds pd, little turmeric, paprika or chilli pd , 1 tsp Garam Masala, 1/4 tsp Cardamom pd and 1/8 tsp Nutmeg pd and 1 tsp Kasoori(dry) methi leaves(both of these are optional).
2 tbsp sweet butter, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream, salt, and minced Cilantro.
To make Makhani:
1. Heat oil in non-stick pan,add and fry ground onion until softened, lightly reddish. Add in ground ginger and nut paste,stir for a minute or two. Turn down the heat.
2. Now, add all the dry spices,stir until thickish, don't burn it. Pour in Tomato sauce, add 1/2 cup or more water.mix well and simmer for 15 mins until thickish.
3. Add in butter, and cream,simmer very gently, adjust salt and heat. Add minced cilantro. Cool slightly. Put it in a bowl and heat in the microwave with 50% for 10mins to get butter glaze up..
4. Just before serving,heat up the sauce and add cubes of cheese.Serve with lemon slice and Pulao or Naan.

Paneer Makhani with quick rising butter Naans:
I have made 3 types of Naans so far here at FH(refer to Bread on the sidebar menu). Here is another quick rise Yeast Naan recipe I made. Try and see if you like these.

You need: 3 1/2 cups of plain flour, 2 packages of Red Star quick-rise highly active yeast,1/2 tsp Baking pd, 1 cup warm water, 1 tsp Salt,1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp crushed Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp plain Yogurt. 2 tbsp melted Butter + 1 tsp Garlic pd to brush on top.
To make Naans:
1. Warm water and oil in a bowl for 40 secs in the microwave until temp is between 115F-125F,(very imp!) add yeast and sugar. Let it foam for 5-10mins.
2. Sift the flour, salt, Baking pd. Rub in the yogurt , Fennel seeds and then add yeast mix and knead well until soft dough like for Chapati or knead in the KitchenAid with a dough hook. Add more water only if needed.
3. Brush some oil on the dough, cover and rest for an hour until doubled in a warm place or in the oven with pilot light on. I preheat the oven to warm(170F),turn it off and put the covered bowl with dough in there in colder weather. Punch down the dough.
3. Divide the dough into 6-8 or more balls, press one portion with your palm into 5"-6" circle 1/2" thick on a greased foil and pull one side to make a tear shape.Place it on a sheet. Repeat. Cover them with a clean towel and let them rise for few mins or until the oven heats up to 450F.
4. Preheat the oven to 450F, slide the cookie sheet with 3 Naans at a time, bake for 5-7 mins until they are golden on top. Repeat with others.
5. Take them out, brush with Garlic butter immediately and cool on the rack or serve immediately or cover with foil until you are ready.

Oven baked Tandoori Chicken:
This is the usual basic marinade for all the Tandoori chicken I make.You can add any other spices of your choice and grill in the broiler for a caramelized crust on top. I baked this time for a softer meat, grill it after you cooked if you like.

This is how you make it:
1. Wash, poke few holes with a knife in 4-6 Chicken Drumsticks or legs, keep them aside.
2. Grind 1 onion, 1" fresh ginger, 2 Garlic to a paste, add to a big oven proof dish.
3. To this, add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp Paprika or chilli pd, 2 tsp Garam masala, 1 tbsp Tandoori masala (or 1 tsp cumin pd and a drop each of Orange and red food color), salt, 1/2 cup Yogurt, 1 tsp Lemon juice, mix well.
4. Add chicken to the this mix, coat well, cover and keep in the fridge overnight or for at least 6hrs, occasionally turning the chicken to marinate well.
5. Next day or after 6hrs, heat the oven to 375F. Keep the whole bowl in the oven and bake for 35-45 mins or until cooked well, basting the gravy over the chicken now and then to keep them moist.
6. Once cooked, take the chicken out of the liquid. You can grill the top for few mins if you want the grilled look. Serve with sliced onion rings and Lemon slices along with Naan or Pulao.
7. I reduce the liquid by cooking it in the Microwave to serve in the gravy boat or you can discard the liquid.

Kesar(Saffron) Pulao:
Make Saffron flavored and seasoned rice to serve with chicken dish or any other gravy. Lightly fragrant and colorful (not to mention the expensive spice,Saffron!:D), a great dish to serve with meat and veg gravy.

To make Kesar Pulao:
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp butter, add 4 cloves, 1 bay Leaf, few peppercorns, 1/2" Cinnamon,1 whole crushed Cardamom for 1/2 a minute.
2. Add this seasoning to a big enough microwavable bowl with 2 cups of long grain rice, 1/8 tsp salt, 3 1/2 cups of water, 1 tsp Lemon juice and 1/4 tsp Saffron strands or 1/8 tsp Saffron powder and cook uncovered on high for 13 mins.
3. Add 1 cup frozen Greenpeas, cover the bowl with a plate and cook for 6 more mins at 50% power or cook the rice as you do usually.
4. Let it rest for 2 mins and with a fork, mix and fluff the rice.

Yakhni Eggs with Kesar Pulao:

To make Yakhni Ande:
1. Hard boil 4 Eggs, peel, slice halfway and keep them aside.
2. Make 2 portions that is double the quantity of Kashmiri Yakhni (Sauce) as shown in the linked post.
3. If you want the sauce a little thicker, add 1 tbsp toasted and ground Almonds, 2 tsp roasted Chickpea flour, mix with sauce and simmer until little thicker. Add Eggs and serve with Kesar Pulao.
4. Kashmiri Yakhni sauce is usually thin but very flavorful, fragrant gravy. Any meat or Koftas can be added to the sauce too instead of Eggs.

Well...Enjoy the meal. See you all next week with RCI Festival food!:)