Palak Paneer & Aloo Gobi

If you've visited Remedy Cafe in Edmonton and haven't tried the Palak Paneer, come over here so I can smack you across the head. It is the reason why I have no idea what anything else at Remedy tastes like (except the chai...ooohweee, yummy!). When a friend of mine offered to take me to a local Indian supermarket called Fruiticana, I figured this was an opportunity to attempt my own rendition of Palak Paneer and Aloo Gobi, another recipe I'd been pondering. Fruiticana is on 34th Avenue and 93rd Street and is one of a few markets in the city that offer a great selection of Indian treats.  

Make sure that you include tamarind sauce and roti or naan bread with your purchase. The palak paneer needs that sweet compliment to balance the salty one. Oh and of course, don't forget the beer!

Aloo Gobi

Serves 4

Adapted from: http://www.7spice.net

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes, diced, but not peeled
• 4 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces and parboiled
• 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
• 2 T oil
• 2 t mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 2 T garlic chutney plus 2 t
• 2 t garlic paste
• 2 t turmeric
• 2 t chili powder
• 2 t coriander powder
• 1 t garam masala
• 1 pinch of kasuri (kasoori) methi
• salt to taste
• water as required

Method

Wash and dice the potatoes and set aside. Boil the chopped cauliflower for two minutes and remove from heat. Drain and rinse the cauliflower with cold water set it aside until required.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds before adding the cumin seeds. Add the 2 tablespoons of garlic chutney, 1 teaspoon of the garlic paste and the potatoes, mixing well.  Season with salt and add about two tablespoons of water to the pan. Cover and let cook for about 5-8 minutes. Check after 5 minutes and if the potatoes, once poked feel like they're about 50% cooked, add the cauliflower. If not, let them cook another 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, another 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes. If you're using fresh peas, add them with the cauliflower. The resulting curry will be dry. 

If cooking with frozen peas, add them after the cauliflower has cooked. Once the cauliflower and potatoes are tender when poked, but still hold their shape, add the coriander turmeric and chili, mixing well. Add the second teaspoon of garlic paste and the remaining 2 teaspoons of chutney at this point. Cook for another 2 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and add the garam masala and kasuri methi. Season with more salt if required. 

Serve with warm roti and a cold lager.


Palak Paneer

Serves 4

From: The back of a box of National Palak Paneer Spice Mix (50g)

Ingredients

• Paneer 200g (I used a 340g brick of it), cut into cubes
• 1/2 kg spinach
• 1/2 cup oil/ghee
• 1 T ginger paste
• 1 T garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1 T soy leaves (didn't have these and did not substitute with anything)
• National Palak Paneer Spice Mix (50g)

Method

Boil spinach and grind in a food processor.

In a sauce pan, fry the ginger and garlic paste in the oil/ghee for 2-3 minutes or until light brown. Add the spinach, chillies and spice mix and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the milk and cook for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the soy leaves and cream and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

In a separate fry pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and brown the paneer. Remove from pan and soak in ice water for 10 seconds, then remove.  

Add paneer to the spinach mix and cook for 2 minutes. 

Serve with roti or naan and tamarind sauce.  

Chana Masala Fever

This isn't my first attempt at a masala dish, but it's perhaps the closest I've come to anything I've eaten out. I bought roti to eat this with and chowed down on pieces of the roti with yoghurt-dolloped spoonfuls of the chana masala. As great as it tasted, I've been eating a lot of Indian food lately and am still trying to figure out what needs to be in this dish to make it taste more authentic. I used fresh foods as much as I could, choosing whole spices as opposed to ground and fresh tomatoes I stewed myself. I am this close (picture my thumb and index finger almost touching!) to getting this dish to a level of authenticity I am satisfied with. In an attempt to solve the mystery, I'm throwing a sample size of this in my lunch for tomorrow and bringing it to my colleague Tanmay to try over lunch. He's going to take some home to his mother (he doesn't know this yet). I need advice. With all this criticism, you'd think the dish was pitiful. It wasn't, but I know what I like and this has a little ways to go. 

Chana Masala

Adapted From: http://aromatic-cooking.blogspot.in

Serves 6 

Paste

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 t fresh grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 t red chili paste
• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 3 T cooked chick peas
• 2 T water

             

The Base

•    1 T olive oil   
•    2 cups cooked chick peas
•    1 onion, finely chopped
•    8 T tomato puree
•    1 T Garam Masala
•    1 t cumin seeds
•    4 whole cloves
•    handfuls of cilantro to garnish
•    1-2 cups of water (depending on how thick you lick   the consistency of the sauce) 

Method

To make the paste add all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Set aside.

For the base, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the cumin seeds and cloves to the oil, stirring until the fragrance hits you.  Add the onion, mixing well until the onion is transparent. Combine the puree and paste, stirring well for about 10 minutes. Add the chick peas and the water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with cilantro leaves and yoghurt on rice or with naan/roti, etc.

Shrimp with Curried Lime Carrots

This is one of the healthier dishes I've prepared lately, but it's lacking a little flavour. If you feel like playing with it, try adding spice. Yellow peppers or eggplant added to the dish would enhance its appeal. Perhaps some curry paste might deepen the flavour too. 

From: Better Homes and Gardens - Garden Fresh


Serves 4

• 1 lb fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t ground tumeric
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t ground cardamom
• 1/8 t ground pepper
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly bias-sliced
• 2T chopped green onion
• 2 T lime juice
• 1 T honey
• 1/2 t finely shredded lime peel

In a medium bowl combine cumin, turmeric, salt, cardamom and cayenne pepper. Remove 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture to another medium bowl. Add shrimp to one bowl and carrots to the second bowl with seasoning. Toss each to coat.

Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water to just below bottom of the basket. Bring water to boiling. Add carrots to steamer basket. Cover and reduce heat. Steam for three minutes. Add shrimp. Cover and steam for three to five minutes or until shrimp are opaque and carrots are tender.


Transfer shrimp and carrots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with green onion. In a small bowl combine lime juice and honey. Drizzle over shrimp and carrots. Sprinkle with lime peel.