ONION MUSHROOM PANEER

 

THERE ARE DAYS WHEN I DO NOT WANT TO HANDLE TOO MANY FOOD PHOTOS!

Today is one such day! I am at home since the morning, the AC servicing is going on! We should have offered him chai / coffee, earlier he would refuse! Today I forgot to offer him anything! Among us, whoever visits home, we should offer at least tea / coffee and biscuit, water! 

Thereafter, I could have gone for a long walk as I had only three photos required to be edited! It was a lethargic feel that stopped me! I think it was my decision & the excitement revolving around cooking a vermicelli upma for lunch, that after a long long time, is responsible for this lethargy! Anyway, I had always been a lazy being with no intent to exercise or eat healthy! If I do go for walks, do stretches, that I do under the pressure of staying a bit of sane! I do not wish to go back to my obese self! For years, two kinds of vermicelli; un-roasted & roasted, were lying in the kitchen counter! I had to finish the un-roasted, white variety! I cook this dish pretty well but it has got a lot of carb! 

Having had that plateful of, I had Cristine's coffee with milk & sugar, two sky flakes! I know I am a nuts but I cannot keep away from food! But I have stopped getting cookies, cream biscuits without any compulsion! I can never quit all that I enjoy having! Like I do not wish to stop having homemade & store bought frill-free cakes! T wants to relax at home in the weekends; the son refuses to talk for long & frequently; it is my food adventure trips that keep me happy without getting bored! Else, looking at my hopeless, unproductive self, I get irritated easily!

WITHIN A WEEK, I GAINED BACK WHAT I LOST!

What to do? "Rosh er Malpua" is addictive! It is better than taking to drugs! If the West want, I can export malpoa to their land! Why to look for chivalry in an instrument meant for the trained personnel! Each culture would have it's own vices! Till date, I could not forget that scene near that Ultadanga Foot Bridge; a mentally deranged woman giving birth to a child; he or she would never know who the father was, neither the mother would! I also do not understand how can one be beaten to death wanting to quench the thirst! I do not wish to be a social media warrior, hence would keep sharing food, that I do the best! Last Saturday, we had some guests, obviously there would be some overeating! Yet, yesterday both times I had carb filled meals; the "gur narkel"  stuffed bun had in between wasn't clicked!

I cooked some Lavash Bread for our dinner yesterday! They had to be thinner I believe! Our lunch for Saturday was our favourite "dim sheddo aloo sheddo bhaat"! The son loves it with dollops of butter, more than ghee! I prefer a choice of fried fish, not the egg! I ask him to go slow on red meat steak & cook this! Cristine, being a Filipino has developed a love for all sorts of flat & puffed bread like us!

WHAT IS THIS ONION MUSHROOM PANEER?

Few months back, I cooked this in a jiffy! I had no intent to blog about it, yet did some clicks & felt if we enjoy, I would blog about it! I remember, we had about 100 gm of paneer cheese left in the freezer and I got a pack of sliced button mushrooms for some other purpose! This idea of cooking the mushroom slices with paneer popped up on my mind and I went ahead with it! From the preparation to cooking, it would take less than an hour! ONION MUSHROOM PANEER is a gluten-free, vegetarian dish, easy to do with a few spice powders lying in our kitchen, paneer cheese, mushroom, onion! I may tell you without the use of the onion, it would not taste as good as it tastes with the use of it! I have not used ginger & garlic pastes in this veg recipe, not required at all! I sincerely hope I am creating an useful blogpost today for my readers, who are busy with work load, be it in their office or  students occupied with their studies! BTW, paneer cheese is an Indian Cottage Cheese & of few other South Asian Countries! This Everest brand Kitchen King Masala & the Kulambu Spice Mix have taken over me!

INGREDIENTS :

PANEER CHEESE CUBE : 150-200 GM

SLICED MUSHROOM : 200-250 GM

SLICED ONION : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP [CUT A BIT FAT]

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

LEMON JUICE : 2-3 TBSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

CUMIN POWDER : 1/4 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1/4 TSP

KULAMBU SPICE MIX : 1 1/2 TSP

KITCHEN KING MASALA : 1 TSP [I USE THE EVEREST BRAND]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We would marinate the paneer cheese with a little of salt & turmeric powder for 10-15 minutes!

Meanwhile, we would wash the sliced mushroom & soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes and then drain the water! This I must do when I cook mushrooms!

We would peel, wash & slice the onion a little thick!

We would heat the oil in the wok and temper it with the minced garlic, bay leaf & cumin seeds, give a stir! We would add the sliced onions and stir cook at medium heat until pink & translucent!

To that, we would add the mushroom slices and stir cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes adding a little of salt & turmeric! We must remember that mushrooms catch salt easily!

Thereafter, we would add all of the spice powders and fold in well! We would reduce the heat to low & add the marinated paneer & the washed & slitted green chillies! 

At this stage, we are to fold in well & carefully; we do not want the paneer pieces to break & get crumbly! We would cook for 3-4 minutes at low heat, stirring gently every minute!

We would transfer it to a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice on top! You can enjoy it hot & fresh with a variety of rice & bread!