Journey of a Food Loving Mom
ShareTweetSharePin0 SharesPunjabi Baingan Bharta Recipe At my place, Roasted eggplant or Baingan Bharta is made with Litti or Batti but it is very different from the Punjabi Baingan Bharta. My dad is a big fan of Punjabi Baingan bharta. He orders it at almost every …
ShareTweetSharePin1313 SharesSundays are usually chicken curry days at my place. Fish curry is made rarely maybe because everyone likes only “Rohu” fish at my place which requires time and a lot of patience to eat. I first time had Pomfret Fish Masala Fry in Daman …
Paneer is the first thing that comes to my mind when it is about making something special for the vegetarian guests. In some houses paneer dishes are exclusively made on arrival of guests or on some special occasion, but at my place, the scene is entirely different it is made at least twice a week because everyone in my family is paneer lover. I like to make paneer masala gravy with different variations sometimes matar paneer, only paneer or kadhai paneer and I am always in search of different and new paneer recipes. Paneer is a good source of protein for all the vegetarians, so if you are on a high-protein diet it is good to add this to your diet.
My mom makes delicious paneer gravy and there is something different about the spices she uses that I am yet to discover. I have asked her for the recipe multiple times, but still feel something is always missing, so I console myself saying it must be the mom’s touch, but the fact is it is the perfect balance of spices that she uses which I am yet to master. Spices are key to make awesome Indian dishes.
Yesterday I received Tata Sampann Masala box for review. A beautifully packed basket full of spices that included Punjabi Chole Masala, Dal Tadka Masala, Paneer Masala, Red Chilli powder and Turmeric Powder. My eyes were stuck to the Paneer Masala Packet. The most important thing for the goodness of the spices is the natural spice oil, which is the key to aromatic and flavorful spices and Tata Sampann ensures to retain the natural oil and select the spices from the best farms. The best thing I found about the Tata Sampann spices is the packaging as they provide separate pouches of the masala so that the freshness of the spices is retained even after the box is opened.
The moment I opened the Tata Sampann Paneer masala pouch it was very aromatic and I felt that this time I think I got the mom’s masala (finger’s crossed!) I used red chilli powder and turmeric powder too in the gravy. Red chilli powder actually added the required spiciness to the gravy which I find missing in other powders who give more of a red color than spiciness. The turmeric gave a rich yellow color to the gravy. The final paneer gravy tasted amazing, can’t say exactly like my mom’s paneer masala because it still lacked her touch, but yes, it was the nearest I could reach to her paneer gravy.
Try out this simple recipe and if you try it do share your feedback with me. Follow me on Instagram – @savorytales
Chana Dal Fara is another popular dish of UP and Bihar. I posted the Kala Chana Ghugni recipe earlier and hope to post more regional cuisine recipes. Fara is also called gojha or peetha in different parts of the state. It is a gujiya shaped steamed lentil stuffed dumplings. Try out this Chana Dal Fara Recipe.
Black chickpeas curry or kala chana masala in very popular in UP and Bihar by the name of “ghugni” yes, kale chana ki ghugni is what it is widely called. This chana ghugni makes me nostalgic and reminds me of those special Sunday breakfasts when this spicy chana ghugni was served with piping hot puris. It even reminds of those small eateries located in the Varanasi’s lanes where they use to serve it with crispy kachoris. The “kachori galli” is certainly the “must visit” place when in Varanasi. The best part about this curry is that, black chickpeas are “powerhouse of nutrients”, a good source of protein and fibers for the vegetarians. It is a spicy and flavorful curry where the masala envelops the black chickpeas. There are two versions of it which are usually cooked dry and gravy depending upon with what you plan to serve it . I am sharing the curry version here which goes very well with parathas, puris or rice and I will share the dry version too in coming days. I prefer not to tamper with the original recipe because nothing tastes like the authentic “chana ghugni”.