Kohlrabi or knol- kohl as it is commonly called in India is quite similar to turnips. More about this fleshy vegetable here

Impulsive buyer that I am, I bought them on a whim from the farmer’s market which happens in a mall close by and I only knew how to make sambhar /kootu with this green vegetable and my dear K , hates all kinds of sambhars and rasams with a passion and I cannot do without either.He goes to the extent of shamelessly telling our close friends who invite us to their homes, not to expect him to taste them! Can u imagine someone eating idlis without sambhar?? I really haven’t got it till now !!!

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The authentic Kashmiri Nadru Paneer calls for mincing the paneer and stuffing it in the Nadru along with nuts and raisins. Sounds exotic right?

A little variation in the cooking style and our experiment was a success. It was superb and made is to our “once in a while” list. Afterall , we all can take an extra serving of protein combined with fat once in a while. Well long after the curry got over, we were still licking our plates wanting more!!!

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Paneer Makhani….mmmmmmmmmmmm……the very mention of it makes my mouth water. Though I’m not “FOR”very fatty food, this one is one of our all time favorite. Cubes of paneer floating in thick gravy topped with butter makes this dish one for the connoisseur’s palate. Historically, it was the mughal kings who brought the mughlai style of cooking, and paneer makhani formed the vegetarian ambrosia served to Babur’s lineage.

My entry to RCI -Punjab hosted by the lovely richa of As Dear As Salt, introduced by Lakshmi of VeggieCuisine.

Ingredients:
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250 grams paneer
2 tablespoons fresh curds
3 large tomatoes
3 onions, grated
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons coriander-cumin seed (dhana-jira) powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup of fresh cream/ evaporated milk/ Half and Half
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons of Butter/Ghee for deep frying( I used low fat butter- Smart Balance)
Chopped coriander for garnishing(optional)

Method:
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1. Cut the paneer in cubes and fry lightly in ghee/butter.
2. Apply the curds to the fried paneer.
3. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes. Take out the skin and chop finely.
4. Heat the ghee/butter and fry the onions until light pink in colour.
5. Add the garam masala, coriander,cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the tomatoes and fry for at least 5 minutes or until ghee floats on top.
7. Lower the flame and add 1 cup of water and the cream. Cook for a few minutes and then add another tablespoon of butter.
8. Add the paneer and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander.
9. Serve hot with naan/roti.

This dish was purely experimental and It was fabulous when we tried it. It definitely going to be a regular at my place now. I started of making the authentic saagwala rajma assuming that I had chawli/amaranth at home realizing that I didnt have any while making the dish. I used tender baby spinach instead and it was an amazing combination. I prefer using kashmiri rajma always instead of the normal rajma because I think they taste better.Here I go…

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I am aware of certain dishes when it comes to maharashtrian cuisine as both my mother and mother in law grew up in maharashtra during their formative years. But I havent ventured much into this regional cooking except for koshimbirs, pithlay and zunka…

Well, I decided to try this restaurant special Vegetable Kolhapuri and of course Koshimbir , which I think is a soul satisfying relish! My entry to Nupur’s RCI – Maharashtrian cuisine, Originally concieved by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine

For the Vegetable Kolhapuri

Ingredients:
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1/2 cup of Beans
1/2 cup of cauliflower florets
1/2 cup of carrots
1/2 cup of peas
3 tomatoes finely chopped
1 medium sized onion finely chopped

For the Paste:
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1/4 cup dessicated coconuted(unsweetened)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 table spoon khus khus ( poppy seeds)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
3 red chillies

For the popu/tadka/seasoning
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1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon hing

Method:
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1.Do the popu, tadka /seasoning by adding oil in a skillet and adding mustard and cumin seeds. Once the pop, add the onions and saute until pink.

2. Boil the vegetables and keep aside , dry roast the poppy seeds and add the sesame seeds and grind all the ingredients to a paste. The poppy seeds should be ground first and then the remain ingredients should be added, else the poppy seeds wont crush properly.

3.Once the onions turn pink, add the paste and the diced tomatoes and cook until done or the oil separates. Add all the vegetables and cook until they blend well. remove and serve hot with rotis.

Koshimbir:
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Koshimbirs are the soul satisfying relishes according to me, I can just eat them as a main course and be done with it. I did not make the traditional peanut koshimbir but instead opted for the yogurt one.

I added carrots instead of tomatoes and of course onions were always there.

Take 2 cups of curd and whisk until there are no lumps, add 1/2 cup of finely diced onions and 1/2 cup of finely chopped or grated carrot , salt to taste.

For the tadka, add oil in a vessel, half a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a pinch of hing and also cayenne pepper. Once done, slowly add to the curd mixture and lo! the koshimbir is done.