Shahi Paneer a Royal Delicacy!

Shahi paneer is a Royal delicacy of paneer  in a thick, creamy and slightly spicy gravy of tomato, onion and cashew nuts paste. 

 

 

Ingredients

 

200 grams of Paneer-cubed

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 small Onions, finely copped

2 Tomatoes- pureed

2 tsp Ginger garlic paste

1 Green Chili slit lengthwise

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

¾ cup Cashew Pieces

1 cup Milk

1 to 1 1/2 cup Water

Salt to taste

2-4 sprigs of Coriander / mint , finely chopped for garnishing

 

Preparation

 

Soak the cashew nuts in milk for about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter.

Add Onions and fry until slightly golden.

Add Ginger-Garlic paste and Green Chilli and cook for 1 minute.

Add Tomato puree and stir well and cook until oil separates.

While Onions/Tomato mixture is cooking, blend soaked Cashew nuts and milk in a blender until smooth.

Once Onion/Tomato mixture is ready, add Cumin powder, Coriander powder and garam masala and mix well. Add cashew nuts and milk mixture and mix well. There should be no lumps in the gravy. The heat should be on low as the gravy will thicken fast. Add water, Salt and bring to boil.

While waiting for the gravy to boil, slightly sauté cubed paneer in 1 tbsp oil, on medium to high heat in a non-stick pan.

Once paneer is slight golden brown in color, drain excess oil.

Once gravy comes to a boil, add in paneer and mix.

Garnish with fresh coriander, mint or additional broken cashews.

If you like thicker or thinner gravy, adjust the amount of water accordingly.

Serve warm with Rotis or Naan.

Bliss Luxury Chocolates - Review

"The Mayans believed chocolate to be the food of the Gods, and our veneration of chocolate is nothing less!" is what the creators of Bliss Chocolates have to say.

Bliss is India's first luxury chocolate brand and has brought the first Chocolate Lounge to India.They are dedicated to crafting exquisite handmade European chocolates & desserts. The first Chocolate Lounge was launched with great success at the Whitefield Forum Value Mall in Bangalore, India in June, 2009.
The Founders of Bliss chocolates are NRIs from Australia who have vast experience in a variety of fields ranging from the Hospitality Industry to Finance, IT and HR. Founded in 2008, Bliss currently has four lounges across the city – the Bliss Luxe Lounge in UB City, the Bliss Lounge at Mantri Square, Bliss Chocolate Lounge at Forum Mall and Forum Value Mall.

I and my dear friend Sweatha of  "Tasty curry leaf" were invited to the lounge for a review and how blissful is that!! 

Bliss is a premium brand that creates unique Luxury Chocolates, Cakes and Desserts. Their raw chocolate is sourced from all around the world and Their recipes are unique and created by world renowned chocolatiers and patisseries.

It was truly a blissful treat to our eye and soul. I loved the chilly and Masala chai flavor and my daughter loved strawberry flavoured chocolates:)



 The Bliss executives greeted us very warmly with these lovely spread of chocolates and desserts. We were served  Balloon brownie -A chocolate balloon over the brownie sizzles in front of you once the hot chocolate is poured over, Belgian Chocolate Truffle Cake, Chocolate mousse cake, a Chocolate Marquise -A dessert that has dark chocolate mousse layered by chocolate brownie  and chocolates with signature flavours like Rum truffle, Cardamom, Raspberry, Strawberry  Masala Chai, Cumin, Praline passion, Pina colada, Almond Sensation, Cinnamon, Honey ginger, Hazelnut and many more..

Blue berry mousse layered with vanilla sponge and topped with blueberry puree, Strawberry Mousse Cake, Mango Passion- A mixture of mango and passion fruit yogurt based dessert for the fruity lovers.

The Belgian Chocolate Truffle cake which had sponge cake layers stuffed with Belgian Chocolate Ganache is completely eggless.

They also have sugar free chocolates. Diabetics and weight watchers can now enjoy without guilt the sugar free range of chocolate bars, in which sugar has been substituted with Maltitol.

They have lovely Gifting ideas and hampers in their website.

Bliss also has launched its new range of gourmet boutique breads at Gourmet West at the Forum Mall, Koramangala, Bangalore. Gourmet West has got multigrain breads, burger buns, Whole Wheat breads, lavash, bread sticks, muffins, croissants, tea cakes and much more!!

It was truly a blissful journey into the world of chocolates especially when you get to taste Indian flavours in a chocolate!

DISCLAIMER: All the views in this post are my own and done by tasting the product. This is not a paid review.

Brown Rice Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice

1 large onion (Fried till brown and crisp)

2 medium  carrots, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

10-12 French beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 medium cauliflower, separated into small florets

6-7 medium fresh button mushrooms, halved

1/2 cup green peas, shelled and blanched

1 bay leaf

2-3 cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 inch cinnamon

Salt to taste

2 green chillies, slit

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

Soak the brown rice in four to five cups of water for two hours.  Drain and set aside

Heat a deep non-stick pan, add the bay leaf, cloves, cumin seeds and cinnamon and roast for a few seconds or till fragrant.  Add the drained rice and salt and roast for one to two minutes.

Add four cups of water.  Bring it to a boil.

Add the carrots, French beans, cauliflower, mushrooms and green chillies.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook till almost done

Add the green peas and mix gently.  Cover and cook till done

Serve hot, garnished with the fresh coriander and crisp fried onions!

Brown rice with vegetables is abundant in vitamins and minerals and the aroma of the spices whets the appetite.

Recipe inspired from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor!