Shaam Savera/Palak Paneer Cheese Ball#SundayFunday

Shaam-Savera is one such dish. it's one of the signature recipe that Chef Sanjeev Kapoor had created when he had just started hosting the cookery show way back on TV. This cheese ball is called kofta in India other neighboring countries. Cottage cheese balls surrounded by spinach roundels are so gorgeous, gluten free and impressive dish to look at.

Ingredients
For the Kofta / Cheese Ball
4 Cups Spinach
2 Tablespoons Oil
½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Green chillies- chopped finely or to your spice level
2 - 3 Tablespoons Chickpea Flour / Besan
Salt to taste
For The Cheese Ball
1 Cup Cottage Cheese / Paneer - Homemade
½ Teaspoon Cardamom powder
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
For The Makhani Gravy
2 Teaspoons Oil
1" Piece Ginger - chopped
4 Cloves Garlic -chopped
4 Whole Cashewnuts
1 Large Onion - chopped
3 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
1 Tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Cumin powder
3 Dried Red Chillies
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Sugar
½ Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1 Tablespoon Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cream - Optional
1 Teaspoon Crushed Dried Kasuri Methi
Method
For The Koftas

Clean and wash the spinach leaves in water. Bring some water to boil in a vessel and add the spinach leaves to it. Blanche for 3- 4 minutes Remove and transfer the spinach to ice cold water.Squeeze out all the water from the spinach.
In a pan, heat a teaspoon oil and add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a minute. Add salt, besan and mix well to avoid any lumps, drop the spinach leaves immediately. Give it a good mix until everything is combined and the mixture is dry. Keep it aside to cool, Then grind it to a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, crumble the paneer and add cardamom, pepper powder and salt to let and knead well. Make small gooseberry sized balls out of it.

Take a small portion of spinach mixture and flatten it using your hands. Place a paneer ball on it
Gather all the edges and close in the shape of a ball.
Repeat the same for all.
Deep fry the balls in oil and drain the excess oil using a kitchen towel.
Once they are cooled down completely, cut them in to halves (optional).
For The Makhani Gravy

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Now add cashews, fry until cashews starts changing its colour. Add onions and salt. Saute till it becomes translucent. Add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and dried chillies. After a minute of frying, add the tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder. Mix everything well. Close the pressure cooker lid. Do not add any water. The water released by onion and tomato itself is enough to cook everything.

Allow it for 3 to 4 whistles. Let the pressure release by itself and then open the lid. Let the mixture completely cool down.
Grind this in to a very smooth paste. Make sure you don't get any chunks of cashews or almonds after grinding. Everything should be blended perfectly. Then add the yogurt and just pluse it once. Your basic Makhani gravy is now ready.
For Final Assemble

In a pan, on medium low flame heat butter and oil add the prepared gravy. Add ½ cup of water to it. Let it cook till oil surfaces, taste for salt. Add cream, garam masala powder, sugar mix well. Cover and cook for a minute and switch off the heat. Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your hands and add to it. Keep it closed for few minutes.

In a serving dish, pour the makhani gravy and place your Spinach Paneer Cheese Balls on it. This dish turned out so delicious . Enjoy with rotis , naan or pulao.

Labels: Cottage Cheese, Spinach, Indian, Main course, Cheese Ball, Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday we are sharing recipes of "Cheeseball".

Bald Eagle Cheeseball by Amy's Cooking Adventures 
Everything Bagel Smoked Salmon Cheeseball by Food Lust People Love

Jalapeno Pecan Cream Cheese by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Pineapple Cheese Ball by Our Good Life
Shaam Savera/Palak Paneer Cheese by Sneha's Recipe

Honduran Salpicón- Keto#EatTheWorld

Beef Salpicón is a traditional Honduran dish that is both delicious and very easy to make. It's actually a meat salad served over steamed rice or veggies, totillas or lettuce leaves. What I like about this recipe that doesn’t require any additional fats or oils, the dish is low in fat. It's a perfect keto meal recipe. This Honduran recipe is prepared with culantro, which is a variety of culantro with large leaves that grow from the root. Since I did not have this, used coriander leaves, which I, read in google can be subsituted for it.

Ingredients
To Stew The Beef
1 Kg Boneless Beef
2 Medium Tomatoes - diced
1 Medium Onion - cut in fourths
4 Clove Garlic
1 Red Pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 Culantro Sprigs - I used Coriander Sprigs
To prepare The Salpicón
1 Red Pepper - finely diced
1 Small White Onion - finely diced
½ Bell Pepper - cut into fine strips
½ cup Bitter Orange Juice (or substitute with lemon juice or vinegar)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander Leaves
To Serve
Tomato, Onion & Avocado
Method

Put the beef in a pot together with the tomato, onion cut into fourths, garlic and red pepper. Cover the ingredients with water and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 2 hours being careful to remove, from time to time, any foam that might form on the surface of the water. You will have to stew the beef until it’s very tender, about 2 hours, adding water if it gets too dry.

Once the beef is tender, season with salt and pepper and add the sprigs of coriander. Turn off burner and let the stew cool completely. Strain the stock and serve it as a consommé or use it as a stock for another soup or in a different recipe.

Shred the stewed with a fork. Put the beef in a bowl along with the diced red pepper, white onion, bell pepper, vinegar and more salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with salad, rice, steamed vegetables instead of rice and tortillas, or in use salpicón as the filling in lettuce wraps. It's a light dish that will fill you for hours and give you energy. Enjoy!! Refrigerate to serve the salad cold, although it's best when served at room temperature.

Labels: Keto, Honduran, Beef, Salad, Low Carb, International Cuisine, Side Dish, Eat the World

Check out all the wonderful Samoa recipes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

For Eat The World we are sharing recipes of Honduras.

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Honduran Baleadas 
• Sneha's Recipe: Honduran Salpicón-Keto 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Honduran Style Refried Beans 
• Culinary Cam: Tastes of the Tropical Coastal Lowlands of Honduras

Jeerem Meerem Powder/Cladin Masala-Homemade#AlphabetChallenge

This Goan Jeerem Meerem Powder is a type of spice mix powder. It is very versatile powder which can be used for meats, eggs or vegetables. Jeerem Meerem Powder is a roasted masala which is also known as Dry Cladin Masala Powder.

Ingredients
50 Grams Cumin seeds
35 Grams Turmeric
25 Grams Black peppercorns
1 Teaspoon Cloves
2 Sticks Cinnamon (1" each)
1 Dried Red Chilly
Method

Lightly Roast all these in a dry pan. Put the spices in a coffee grinder and powder it finely. Pass the powders through a sieve & bottle. Use as required.

This recipe is very versatile and can used as a dry rub for vegetables, meats and fish. Mix it together and store in a airtight spice bottle. Refrigerate if you are using it occasionally so that the color and taste is maintained.
It can also be used to make wet spice paste, just add palm vinegar and fresh ginger-garlic paste.

Labels: Goan, Masala, Jeerem Meerem Powder, Caldin Masala, Homemade, Alphabet Challenge

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet "J" 

• Sneha’s Recipe: Jeerem Meerem Powder/Cladin Masala-Homemade 
• Blogghetti: Easy Crock Pot Chicken Jambalaya 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Armenian Jajukh Salad 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Creamy Jalapeno Corn 
• Food Lust People Love: Small Batch Strawberry Jam 
• A Messy Kitchen: Jollof Rice 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Thai-Style Turkey and Jasmine Rice Soup 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Jamaican Jerk Chicken 
• Culinary Cam: Inspired by a One-Word Text: Jjamppong 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet & Spicy Jalapeño Canned Tomato Salsa 
• Magical Ingredients: Jalapeno Popper Dip

Guava Cheese#SundayFunday

Guava Cheese is a sweet prepared by Christians for Christmas. It's very easy and has a long shelf life. This is cheesy, soft, melt in the mouth sweet. Do give it a try. This sweet has no flour or eggs, completely vegetarian, vegan, gluten free. My mom's favorite sweet. 

Ingredients
4 Cups Guava Pulp (1½ Kg Ripe Big Guavas)

4 Cups Tea Sugar
Juice of 3 Big Lemons
2 Tablespoons Ghee
Few drops of Pink/ Red color or color of your choice
Method

Wash the guavas and cut them in halves, place it in a container and steam them in a pressure cooker (like you steam rice) on high for one whistle then reduce the flame and keep it for 10 minutes ( taking care that no water enters the container). 

Cool the guavas completely then take a spoon and scoop out the seeds and keep aside, taking care that no seeds remain in the outer covering.
Take the seeds pulp in a fine strainer and remove the pulp as much as possible. 
Take the outer cover and chop it into small pieces and grind it to a fine paste without adding any water.

Measure the pulp and the ground paste in a cup or a bowl. Take the same bowl and measure the sugar. 
Place the sugar, guava pulp and lime juice in a heavy bottom base kadai and place on fire on medium low flame stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

While stirring take care to stay far away as it splutters. Keep stirring continuously, this take around 45 minutes to an hour. When the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides add the ghee and color, continue stirring till starts form a ball in the center. 

Take it our into a greased tray and spread it. Cool completely and cut into squares. Store in airtight containers.

This stays good for 3 months in a cool dry place.

Labels: Festival Sweets, Gluten free, Guava, Lime Juice, Sugar, Vegan, Vegetarian, Christmas, East Indian, Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday we are celebrating Moms Day. 

Check the recipes made to celebrate this special day!   

• Edible Gelatin Balloons for Cake Decorating from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Guava Cheese from Sneha's Recipe
• Haldi Doodh Masala Spiced Cupcakes with Burnt Caramel Buttercream from Culinary Cam
• Honey Mustard Chicken Strips from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pistachio Saffron Muffins from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Rustic Baked Potato Soup from Food Lust People Love
• Shortbread Lemon Squares from Our Good Life

Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas#AlphabetChallenge

These are instant and crispy, but not so spongy  like the freshly ground dal, but  taste delicious . Have these with this Sambar and you will enjoy this.   

The  key to make these light is to beat for at least 15 minutes with a electric hand beater till bubbles are seen and the batter is fluffy.

Makes 12 - 14 depending on the size
Ingredients
1 Cup Urad Dal Flour
4 Tablespoons Heaped Rice Flour
½ Cup Heaped Fine Rava /Semolina
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Green Chilly -finely chopped
6 Curry Leaves - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
½ Teaspoon Salt 
1½ Cups Water
Oil for deep frying 
Method 

With an electric hand beater whisk the urad dal flour with water( adding a little water at a time) till it forms a light & fluffy dough, for at least 15 minutes. When light, fluffy add rice flour, whisk till a thick & bubbly batter is formed.

Now add the rava/semolina and beat again for 3 minutes (it should be a thick dough like batter). Let it rest for 10 minutes. Then add chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander and curry leaves.

Mix well and again keep it aside.

Let this rest  till oil is getting hot in a kadai.

When the oil is hot make small vadas and fry on medium flame till crisp and golden.

Enjoy!!

We had it with  Sambar for our Sunday lunch, a change from the normal food.  Enjoyed it thoroughly!!

Labels: South Indian, Instant Mixes, Snacks, Breakfast, Main course, Deep Fried, Vegan, Alphabet Challenge

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet "I"

Alphabet Challenge Please add your Blog Name/ Blog URL/ Recipe Title in the corresponding weeks below Alphabet Challenge-Week I - Apr 23-Final

• Sneha’s Recipe: Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas 
• Blogghetti: Italian Chopped Salad 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Ice Apple Salad 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Ice Cream Wafflewiches 
• Food Lust People Love: Fresh Cherry Ice Cream 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Italian Ice 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Iced Gems 
• A Messy Kitchen: Irish Colcannon Mac and Cheese 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Italian Pasta Salad 
• Culinary Cam: Es Teler (Indonesian Drunk Ice)