Paneer pakoda

Paneer pakodas are simple to make. It gets ready in jiffy. You can serve them as starters or snacks as you want but make sure the paneer is fresh. I made them for iftiyar and served it with mint chutney and spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredient's:
150grams paneer cut into bite size pieces
1 cup besan/gram flour sieved
1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
1tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
A pinch soda
Salt as per taste
Water as required
Oil for frying

Method:
In a bowl add in besan,salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, ajwain seeds, and soda mix it well. Pour in water little by little and make a thick batter. Make sure no lumps are formed so stir it well. Keep it aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat kadai/wok pour in enough oil for frying. Once the oil is hot reduce the flame to medium. Now take the cut paneer and dip it into the batter coating it well on all sides and put it into the hot oil. Do this with all paneer and fry until its brown and crisp. Take them out in a plate lined with paper towel to absorb all excess oil. Serve it hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup or sprinkle some chat masala and have as it is. Enjoy

ROWANGAN CHHAMAN

This dish is one of my favorite paneer dishes and its also one of the dishes of wazwan. Always use fresh paneer for cooking this dish

INGREDIENTS:
500grams paneer/ cottage cheese cut into squares
1 kg tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 black cardamom crushed
2 green cardamom crushed
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric
1tsp zeera/ cumin seeds
2tbsp ghee
Oil for frying paneer
Salt to taste

MEATHOD:
In kadai heat oil. Once its hot keeping on low flame fry paneer pieces golden brown and then soak them in warm turmeric water ( 2 cups warm water + 1/2tsp turmeric). This keeps the paneer soft. In cooking pot heat 2 tbsp ghee and add in tomatoes with garlic paste. Keeping flame on high cook the tomatoes. Add in all spices and salt and continue to cook until tomatoes are soften up and leave out lot of water. Then simmer it for ten minutes on low flame with lid on. After ten minutes mash up the tomatoes with spatula into smooth paste. Once done add one small cup water and drained paneer pieces. Give a good stir let it simmer on low flame for 5minutes until paneer has absorbed all flavors. Garnish with coriander leaves. Rowangan chhaman is ready. Enjoy!!!

Tip:
1.Be careful while frying paneer as oil will splutter.
2.If you don't want to use ghee in this dish you can replace it with oil left over after frying paneer. Ghee gives it a rich taste.
3.You can also use tomato puree Instead of chopped tomatoes.