Although India is not a country known for its cheese, paneer is the cheese that has left an indelible mark on Indian cuisine. Used in recipes like mattar paneer, paneer tikka, palak paneer, it is the most common Indian form of cheese. Paneer is an unaged and acid-set cheese that is similar to queso blanco, except that it has no added salt. Paneer is also a non-melting kind of a cheese, which is why it is often fried before being added to a dish. Unlike a lot of cheeses in the world, paneer is not made by the addition of rennet; it is therefore completely vegetarian.
thyme flavoured paneer
Here, fresh paneer is just a phone call away, so we don’t always make this at home. I was also a little worried about this homemade one not turning out as good as the store bought one, but after making this, I realise that the homemade version so much creamier. In fact, this time around I even tried a herbed variation – just before it’s time to set the cheese, I added salt, pepper and thyme. None of my friends could guess what it was because 1. it was so wonderfully creamy and 2. the addition of flavor threw them off, because traditionally, paneer has absolutely no salt added.
Paneer
Yield: 250gms/9oz.
1 litre/ 1/4th gallon whole milk
2 tsp lime/lemon/vinegar*
- Bring the milk to a rolling boil and add the lime juice or vinegar, whichever you are using, and keep stirring.
- You will see that the milk curdles into the cheese and whey. Turn off the heat at this point and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Line a colander with a cheesecloth or use a fine mesh to drain off the whey.*
- Adding flavour: If you’d like, add salt, pepper and herbs and this point and blend it it with the panner
- Let this sit for an hour or so. If you’re using the cheesecloth then you can gather the sides together and wring it to get rid of the excess whey. While using the fine mesh strainer, press the paneer with a spoon.
- Here, I’ve drained the paneer for about an hour to achieve soft cubes.
- For firmer paneer, place some weight (heavy pan, pile of books, watermelon:)) on the paneer covered in cheesecloth for another 2 hours.
- Once firm, you can use it immediately by cutting into cubes or whatever, the recipe requires.
* A reader, Amy pointed out that when using bottled lemon juice, she needed to use 3-4 tablespoons of it (thanks, Amy!).
The paneer will keep in an airtight container in the refrigertor for upto a week.
Don’t drain it off the whey in the sink because it is can be used as a healthy addition for boiling rice, kneading into dough to make rotis or parathas!
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Jamuns (aka jambuls, jambun or java plums) are fruits that are exclusive to the subcontinent. And for once, I’m happy to say I’d have these over any of the berries (or rather the lack of them) I’ve been crying over. No, I don’t need raspberries,cranberries and blackberries, I’d much rather have jamuns.
Jamuns are fruits with a blackish-purple skin. They can be white inside with a purple seed or deep purple all together. Come to think of it, they look like large black olives. When they’ve just begun entering the market they’re usually quite tart, but as they mature, they still have the characteristic zing but are much sweeter. They’ve got an astringent after taste that will keep reminding you of the flavour and you will end up eating a lot more of these than you intended!
Jamuns start making their appearance during early April and are found through June on every other busy street with women selling them by the kilo. There are a few jamun trees in my apartment complex as well, but I’d need a huge bamboo stick and a taller person to help me get those down! Each time I see the fruits on the tree I’m reminded of the summers of my childhood. All the girls in the neighbourhood would come out with their bicycles and run amuck though the sunny days. We’d pluck jasmine flowers to make tiny garlands, we’d make tents with bedsheets between two trees, we’d play with the turtles that resided in the fountain (well, here I’d just be watching) and we’d run around with vessels picking up jamuns that some of the older boys would pluck with bamboo sticks. Jamun picking was my favourite part. After collecting as much as I could, I’d run back home to show mum my new found treasure. Mum would then rinse them in running water, drain them and then put them in a saucepan with a little rock salt and shake it up together with the lid on. This way, they become nice and mushy, with the salt beautifully rounding off the tartness. No sooner were they laid out in a plate than I’d be on a marathons of sorts – eating up as much as I could, and in the process not just staining my fingers and tongue a shade of deep purple, but also my clothes (much to my mum’s chagrin).
Even today, that is exactly how I enjoy my jamuns – pounded until tender with a pinch of salt. Jamuns are used to make preserves, sauces, tarts and jams as well. I haven’t tried cooking the fruit but I’m curious to know how it would taste. Maybe I will give it a shot sometime. They can also be made into sherbets, sorbets, syrups or pulpy drinks. I recently discovered that the jamun fruits are even fermented into wine in some parts of India!
I’m sure most of you would have never heard of this fruit, but when you’re travelling to the subcontinent during the summer, keep your eyes peeled for these.
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All those who know me, know that my kind of fun is different – I’d rather be home on a Friday night and cook something nice for my family than be hopping all over the place. So last Friday, I did something I’d been planning for quite a while – a bbq at home!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge fan of all things smoked – it’s something about the warm, rustic smell of charcoal and the charred look that makes makes it so desirable. Living in an apartment, the only kind of grilling I was used to was on a grill pan – just the stripes on the meat but not the smoky flavour. Only recently did I discover that my gradmum owned a traditional
sigdi! And she was generous enough to part with it.
The sigdi is something that was used when people didn’t cook with gas. This is still the case in villages where coal and wood are a major source of fuel. You can also find them on the city streets where the hawkers grill some sweet corn. But off late it’s usually used by those folks who use it for keeping their goodies warm while the coals burn very slowly. Or in restaurants where they keep stuff warm in the buffet section. When my mom was younger, they used it for cooking almost everything – she said she used to make some very nice rotis on the coals.
The sigdi was quite rusted for it hadn’t been used for a long, long time. I had to get it cleaned and oiled before I could use it and it looked as good as new. Well almost.
So how does the sigdi work? We simply have to lay the coals on the rack and ignite them from below – some coir or newspaper should be enough to get things started. At this point things get quite smoky, so it’s best to keep all the windows open. Next, just wait for the coals to get red hot. Fanning the coals through the tiny door helps. Now you’re ready to lay the skewers on the hot coals.
So while mum fanned the sigdi and the sis skewered the meats and vegetables I just did the turning bit (I suddenly sound like the super lazy Nigella!). In my defense, I put together some chicken, button mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, baby corn, zucchini and paneer together for a nice family dinner.
For the Chicken and paneer skewers
3 chicken breasts, cubed
2 tsp paprika/red chilli powder
3 tbsp yoghurt
A handful of chopped mint
Salt
Rest of the vegetable: I simply chopped the vegetables and sprinkled a good amount of some lemon pepper salt.
This was so delicious, I didn’t really miss having some sides or salads. All in all, a fun experience.
PS: Sorry about the dull photos. I was just too excited about the bbq to take multiple shots. I promise you, the real thing is a lot better!
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One of my favourite things to have for a meal is Sindhi curry with plain boiled rice accompanied by crispy aaloo tuk. The Sindhi Curry is by far the nicest curry I’ve had. Sour, spicy and tangy – some of the flavours I’m especially biased towards. This is also good because I end up eating a variety of vegetables; something I wouldn’t have done as happily otherwise. Aaloo tuk, is nothing but twice fried potato that is fried till it is very crispy and then sprinkled with spices.
Sindhi Curry
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
A pinch of aesofetida
4 tbsp gram flour
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 green chillies chopped
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
About 20 curry leaves
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp mint, chopped
1½ cups mixed vegetables, chopped (I used potatoes, orkra, cluster beans and carrots).
- Heat the oil. Fry cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and aesofetida till lighly browned.
- Gradually add the gram flour and keep stirring with every addition. Fry till golden brown in colour.
- Add 4 cups o warm water. Continue stirring until the flour and water have blended.
- Add salt, ginger, green chillies and spices.
- Add vegetables and curry leaves and let it continue boiling.
- When the vegetables are almost done add the tamarind pulp, mint and cilantro. Add more water if required.
- Let it boil till the vegetables are done.
- Seve hot with boiled rice.
Aaloo tuk
6 big potatoes
Oil for frying
Chaat masala (with salt premixed)
Red chilli powder
- Slice potatoes lengthwise into about four pieces.
- Deep fry them until they’re cooked.
- Lay them on a cutting board and beat with the back of a spoon until flattened. Some of it may ooze out and break – that’s okay, you can mould it with your hands.
- Deep fry the potatoes again.
- Drain on a paper towel and then sprinkle with the spices.
- Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.
Just when I thought I’d go off fried foods I couldn’t resist these super crispy treats today. My diet begins tomorrow. Hopefully. Oh no! I’ve got cinnamon buns to gorge on tomorrow. 
d
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Ever heard of Bombay Duck? It isn’t a duck, but a fish; and it isn’t found in Bombay, but pretty much all along the Indian coastline. Then why is it called Bombay Duck? I’ve come across two fairly reasonable arguments for it:
- When the dried fish was transported by the Bombay Mail it became notorious for its smell. Dak being the Hindi word for mail, Bombay Dak (Duck) became the name of the fish.
- Bombay Duck caught on because the native name Bombil or Bamaloh was too hard for the British to pronounce during their Raj.
Bombay Duck is possibly one of the ugliest fish you will ever lay your eyes on. And if you’re like me (I hate cleaning lobsters, which we’ll get into some other day perhaps), when something is a kind of a ‘lizardfish’, you are bound to get the creeps. I was in for a shock when I saw the whole fish a few days ago. Ever since I was a young kid, this was just something I’d see at the dinner table, seasoned with spices and fried to perfection by my grandmum. I’m only happy that I didn’t know so much as a kid and merrily ate whatever was served. Times sure have changed. Today, Bombay Duck is one of my favourite summer snacks – delicate, creamy and full of flavour. So what does it look like?
Fresh Bombay Duck – It’s worth the sore eyes!
Fresh Bombay Duck is a very soft fish and is susceptible to spoilage, so most of the catch is sun dried. The photograph you see below is a common sight in fishing villages along the West coast of India where the fish is hung to dry on ropes. A strong, salty, oceany smell follows.
Bombay Duck dried in the sun When dried, Bombay Duck can be used as a starter. It is awfully salty, pungent smelling and crisp. It is quite popular at Indian restaurants in Britain served with poppadams. It has a strong, fishy and excessively salty taste with a brittle, crumbly texture. One bite of dried Bombay Duck will have your mouth feel like it is flooded with the ocean salt and then finally, you are reminded of the after taste of strong cheddar cheese. A true gourmet delicacy, dried Bombay Duck can be served lightly dry roasted or fried for a few minutes. A liking for Bombay Duck is an acquired taste, so don’t dismiss it after just having it once!
A few days ago I asked my maid to buy some for me (she always gets the best bargains on the seafood – 30 Bombay Ducks for about $1.25!). She was kind enough to clean it for me so all I had to do was cook it!
Here’s a tip: the fish has a pretty high water content, so you need to place it between paper napkins and maybe even place some weights on it. So once it’s cooked it would get too soggy.
My Delicious, Creamy, Crispy, Fried Bombay Duck!
Grandmum’s Fried Bombay Duck
15 Bombay Ducks
3 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp flour
salt
- Wash the cleaned Bombay Ducks thoroughly with salt.
- Dry them on a kitchen towel. We need to have them as dry as possible.
- Mix the dry ingredients together and roll each Bombay Duck in the dry mixture. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- In a non stick pan, heat enough oil for shallow frying.
- Place the Bombay Ducks in the pan so that there is enough room between them, else they will stick to each other. Let it cook on a slow flame.
- Be careful wile turning the fish over – since it is so delicate it will not withstand constant turning – so it’s best to let it cook completely before you turn. It should be completely cooked in 10-12 minutes, depending upon the size of the Bombay Duck.
- Squeeze some lime juice just before it’s served.
Serve hot with some terrific green chutney and voila – fresh, sweet, creamy, fried Bombil ready to eat!
* The first two images are licenced under creative commons and belong to sazerac2k and Rohan Dumbre respectively.
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