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Looking back…

Chilli Paneer
Chilli Paneer

Christmas came and went, but not without filling us up to the brim with good food and great company. The cookie jars have been emptied, and the Christmas tree stands in all it’s glory waiting to be taken down by some lazy people (read: Hubby Dear!) who’d rather postpone the daunting task till the next Christmas.

While we’ve gorged on feasts of rich sinful food the past couple of days, it’s now time to loosen down a little before the biggest feast of the season - the New Year’s Dinner that I plan and carry out with much elegance. The menu has been tried and tested, the serving dishes have been laid out and friends and loved ones have been duly warned to come with ready and growing appetites.

The year end always brings me to a point where I can’t help but take a stroll down memory lane and acquaint myself once more with all the good, and some not-so-good memories that passed me by. This blog has been a wonderful outlet for me in times of joy and contemplation. My food speaks of my various moods and my write-ups brought me closer to my inner thoughts.

When I woke up this morning, I knew I just had to put in a final post for 2006, and it just had to be done today. Why? Well, because I’m a complusive hostess, and throwing a party means that I’m preparing for it well in advance. Hubby Dear can vouch for that! So, anyways, as I was saying, I wanted to write in a last post for this year, and what better than to follow it up with a recipe so dear and near to my palate. Being a sucker for spicy food, this dish brings together the best of the East and West. It’s a perfect blend of spice and all that’s nice, and quick run-to option on cold deary days when the heart wants some warmth!

CHILLI PANEER
INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE IN A SPICY SAUCE
Prep time: 10 min | Cooking time: 15 min | Serves: 4 

  • 500 gms paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 medium-sized onion, sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    		•   
  • 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with 3 tbsp water
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
  • 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • water, as needed
    		•

    FRY paneer pieces till brown on all sides, and set aside to soak in a bowl of warm water.

    IN a non-stick pan, heat oil and saute chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add chopped onions and fry till lightly browned. Add paneer pieces, salt, pepper, and soya sauce and cook for a minute. Add a splash of water and allow to come to a boil.

    ADD corn starch mixture and stir till sauce thickens, adding more water if necessary. Cover cook for 2-3 minutes to allow paneer to soak in all the favours, and garnish with chopped green onions.

    While people around me are busy making long never-ending lists of thankyou’s, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome the new challenges that await me. It’s been a fun ride so far, and I expect the year ahead to get even better.

    Have a Happy New Year, my lovelies! See you in 2007!

    This entry was posted on Friday, December 29th, 2006 at 11:45 am and is filed under Recipes: Vegetarian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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