Bitter Gourd Podi / Kakarakaya Karam Podi

Kakarakaya Karam podi is the a healthy bitter gourd spice powder from the Andhra Cuisine. This bitter gourd dry chutney made using roasted lentils, peanuts, seeds and whole spices along with added tamarind and jaggery is both aromatic and flavorful. It is a perfect way of adding the healthy goodness of bitter gourd to the daily diet of fussy eaters. With a good shelf life this diabetic friendly podi is vegan and gluten free. You can serve it as a side dish with steamed rice and chapati or pair it with breakfast dishes like idli, Dosa or Adai.

Bitter Gourd and its health benefits. Source

Bitter melon or bitter gourd is known as Karela in Hindi, Kakarakaya in Telugu, Pavakkai in Tamil, Pavakka in Malayalam, Hagalkai in Kannada, karela in Gujarati, Karle in Marathi and Korola in Bengali. It is a unique vegetable that can be used as food or medicine. Let's have a look at the health benefits of consuming bitter melon.

• Bitter gourd is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It contains iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins like A and C. 
• It contains twice the calcium of spinach and beta-carotene of broccoli.
• Various anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are present in bitter gourd. 
• Bitter gourd also helps in lowering bad cholesterol levels, thus reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
•  It also strengthens immune system, improves respiratory healthy, boosts skin health and contains anti-ageing properties.
• Bitter gourd acts as a hypoglycemic agent. It is a rich source of soluble fiber and is low in glycemic index, which helps in lowering the blood sugar level.
• It is an excellent source of dietary fiber. Regular consumption of bitter gourd contributes to relieving constipation and indigestion. It supports healthy gut bacteria, which favors digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Bitter gourd is low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. These properties together help in weight management. It keeps you full for longer, so you avoid over-eating.

              

Bitter But Good @FoodieMondayBlogHop

Foodie Monday Bloghop is a Facebook gourmet group, where a bunch of like-minded bloggers share their culinary creations each week depending upon a pre-decided theme. Bitter but good is the theme for the 262nd week on this group. Seriously speaking i had never tasted or heard of a chutney made using Bitter gourd until i saw my blogger friend Aruna posting it on her space, Aruna'sVegKitchen. Click here for the original recipe. I was amazed to read the recipe and i immediately shared it with my mummy as my papa is diabetic. My mom tried it out and was very happy with the taste. The chutney tasted delicious. Thereafter i tried it myself and my husband also liked it. My little one who hardly took a slice of bitter melon in his plate, too had it in little quantity. This week when Sasmita who blogs at Firsttimercook suggested that we come up with recipes using bitter vegetables, i knew that i was going to share this bitter melon podi for the theme. Meanwhile do check out Sasmita's space for authentic Odia recipes and other recipes from around the globe. I have bookmarked her Stuffed karela with potato curry and Neem flower patties to try out soon.

                                                       

What goes into this Andhra Style Kakarakaya Podi  / Bitter Gourd Chutney ?

 As mentioned above i have referred this recipe from my friend Aruna's blog. I have added few ingredients in this podi apart from what she has mentioned in her recipe. Lets see all the ingredients.

• Bitter melon - This is a bitter gourd podi. I have used 250 grams of bitter gourd in this recipe. Always select fresh green bitter melon for best results. Mine were tender and did not have any seeds in them. But even if there are seeds we can use the whole bitter gourd in this recipe. We grate the entire bitter melon and thus this is a zero waste recipe. 
• Lentils : Urad dal (skinned and split black gram) and Bengal gram ( chana dal) are dry roasted and used in this podi.
• Seeds: Cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds were mentioned in the original recipe. Apart from these i have added sesame seeds , flax seeds and fennel seeds also in this podi.
• Peanuts and coconut : Peanuts and dry coconut flakes are dry roasted and used in this recipe.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic adds a wonderful flavor to the podi. However you may skip it for a satvik version of podi.
• Dry Red Chilies and Curry leaves:  Curry leaves are fried in  little oil along with dry red chilies. The amount of dry red chilies mentioned here gives a moderately spicy podi. You may adjust the quantity as per your spice tolerance.
• Tamarind and Jaggery : This podi has bitter, spicy, tangy and sweet flavors that makes it tasty. Gooseberry size tamarind is used and a little quantity of jaggery as well. You may skip jaggery if you wish. I have added a bit more jaggery than what is mentioned in the original recipe.
• Oil: Very little oil is used in this recipe.

Dietary Notes:

• Vegan
• Gluten Free
• Can be made Satvik if you skip garlic cloves
• Diabetic friendly
• Healthy

Storage and Serving Suggestions:

• The bitter gourd podi stays good at room temperature for around 15-20 days when stored in an air-tight container.
• The shelf life of the podi can be increased upon refrigeration.
• The podi tastes best with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
• It can be paired with flatbread like chapati, paratha.
• It also goes well with breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, adai, upma.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1 cup podi

Ingredients:

• 250 grams bitter gourd
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoon dry coconut flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoon peanuts
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoon Bengal gram / Chana dal
• 2 teaspoon black gram / Urad dal
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 5-7 dry red chilies
• 4-5 garlic cloves 
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 gooseberry size tamarind
• 1 tablespoon jaggery powder
• 3 teaspoon oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. To begin with making bitter gourd podi, first wash and pat dry the bitter gourd using a Kitchen towel. Now grate it using a grater. Sprinkle salt over the grated bitter gourd and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile we will roast the spices. Heat a pan on medium flame. Add coriander seeds and dry roast the seeds for 1 minute or so. Add Cumin seeds and mustard seeds to it and roast for another 30-40 seconds. Remove the seeds on a plate to cool down.

3. Now roast the lentils (chana dal and urad dal ) on low to medium flame until aromatic. Remove them in the same plate. Now dry roast the flax seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds and dry coconut flakes if using. Also dry roast the peanuts and keep aside to cool down.

4. Next, add few drops of oil and fry the garlic pods, red chilies and curry leaves on low flame. Take care not to burn the chilies. I forgot to take the pic of this step. Once all the roasted ingredients have cooled down transfer them to a grinder jar. Add salt and tamarind to it and blitz to get a coarse powder.

5. Next, squeeze out all the water from the bitter gourd and adding remaining oil to the pan fry the bitter gourd on medium flame until it becomes free of moisture and turn light brown in color.

6. Allow the fried bitter gourd also to cool down before transferring it to the pounded spice powder. Add jaggery powder and pulse this mix again so that all the ingredients blend well. You can make the podi fine. I have kept it a bit coarse.

7. Spread the podi on a plate and allow it to cool down for some time before transferring it to an air tight container. Use the podi as required.

Recipe Notes:

• I have referred the recipe from here.
• Roast all the ingredients on low to medium flame
• The above quantity of ingredients is for 250 grams of bitter gourd. If you are using more or less amount of bitter gourd then adjust the quantity of spices and lentils accordingly.
• Always use fresh bitter gourd for best results.
• You can skip adding Jaggery or add more as per your liking. 
• Make sure you fry the bitter melon until it is free of all moisture for the podi to last longer.
• The podi stays good up to 15-20 in an air-tight container at room temperature and up to a month when refrigerated.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot
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Related Posts:

• Bharli Karli / Stuffed Bitter Gourd

                                

• Bitter Melon Stir Fry

                                

• Bharli Wangi / Stuffed Eggplant

                                

• Achari Baingan

                                     

• Beigun Bhaja

                               

• Karale / Gurellu Chutney - Spiced Niger Seeds Chutney

                                

Ragi Chocolate Pancake

These Ragi Chocolate Pancakes are utterly delicious and make a nutritious and soulful breakfast treat on weekends. Made with the healthy goodness of finger-millet, oats and bananas, these pancakes are fluffy and soft in texture and as jaggery is used to sweeten them, they are guilt-free as well. Unsweetened cocoa powder is used to get that chocolaty flavor which compliments very well with ragi and banana. The fruits and nuts toppings make the pancakes filling and delectable. The recipe is egg-less, gluten-free, vegan and requires just a blender jar to whip up all the ingredients into the pancake batter.

What are Pancakes?

A pancake is a flat, thin or thick flatbread, mostly round in shape, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk, and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as frying pan in oil or butter. The shape and the structure of a pancake vary worldwide. In England, pancakes are often unleavened and resemble a crepe. In the North America, a leavening agent is used (typically baking powder) creating a thick fluffy pancake. when buttermilk is used instead of milk the pancakes develop a tart flavor and are called as buttermilk pancakes. Pancakes may be served at any time of the day with a variety of toppings or fillings but in America they are typically considered breakfast food.

If you are looking for more pancake recipes, do check out the following from this blog. Vegan Potato Pancakes, Carrot Oatmeal Pancakes, Beetroot Oats Pancakes, Msemen - Moroccan Square Pancakes, Sarva Pindi - Rice Flour Pancakes from the Telangana Cuisine, Whole wheat jaggery pancakes.

What is Ragi / Finger Millet ?

Finger millet is a nutritious cereal that resembles mustard seeds in appearance. It is called as Ragi in Hindi, Telugu and kannada, Nachani in Marathi, Kodra in Himachal Pradesh and Mandia in Oriya. Ragi is a super grain and has been a part of Indian diet, especially in the Southern Karnataka where it is eaten as a wholesome meal. Ragi is rich in calcium, protein, vitamin, fiber, and carbohydrate.

                                           

Health Benefits of Ragi Source

• Strengthens Bones: Ragi is a rich source of calcium. In fact, it is considered as one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium. Calcium is an essential mineral required for keeping our bones and teeth healthy and strong.
• Prevents Obesity: Ragi is rich in dietary fiber. This keeps you the feeling of fullness and prevents from overeating.
• Battles Anaemia: Ragi is an excellent source of iron. It is considered as a great food for anaemic patients and individuals with low hemoglobin levels.
• Manages Diabetes: Ragi is a low glycemic index food and helps in keeping the blood sugar levels stable. So diabetic patients are advised to incorporate ragi in their regular diet.
• Improves Digestion: The dietary fiber in ragi aids in smooth bowel movements, helps in proper digestion of food and prevents constipation.
• Good for Lactating Mothers: The presence of amino acids, calcium and iron in ragi enhances the milk production in lactating mothers.

If you are looking for more recipes using Ragi / Finger Millet, do check out the following links from this blog. Ragi Ladoo , Ragi Chocolate Milk Shake, Baked Finger Millet Crackers, Ragi Banana Chocolate Bundt Cake, Healthy Gingerbread Cookies using Ragi.

What goes into my Ragi Chocolate Pancake?

As mentioned above these ragi chocolate pancakes are egg-less, gluten-free and refined sugar free. Let's have a look at the ingredients one by one.

• Finger Millet / Ragi:  The first and the most obvious ingredients of these pancakes is Ragi or the Finger Millet. I have used it in the flour form. You may use plain or sprouted finger millet flour that is easily available in Indian grocery stores. I had some whole ragi so just powdered it using my grinder jar.
• Oatmeal: Apart from ragi flour i have used a small amount of oatmeal also. You may make it at home by simply grinding the instant oats in grinder jar.
• Ripe bananas: The pancakes are egg-less and the ripe bananas are the replacement to eggs in this recipe. You may use 2 small or 1 large overripe or ripe banana.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The pancakes get the delectable chocolaty taste from the cocoa powder. Use good quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Jaggery Powder: Refined sugar is replaced with jaggery powder in this recipe which makes it a guilt-free affair.
• Milk: Use any plant based milk like almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk. If not following a vegan diet, you may use dairy milk as well.
• Vanilla Extract: I have flavored the pancakes with vanilla. You may use cinnamon powder instead.
• Baking Powder: I have used just a small pinch of baking powder to get the fluffy texture. It is purely optional and you may skip it f serving the pancakes to small kids and toddlers.
• Oil: Any neutral cooking oil can be used to cook the pancakes

Serving Suggestions:

• The pancakes taste best when served warm. Stack the pancakes and spread butter ( vegans may use coconut or nut butter) on it.
• You may drizzle, maple syrup or homemade chocolate syrup over the pancakes.
• Top the pancakes with dry fruits, nuts, chopped fresh fruits or berries just before serving.

Dietary Notes: The ragi chocolate pancakes are

• Vegetarian
• Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Healthy
• Toddler/Kid Friendly
• Satvik

 Related Event:

 It is month-end and time to post for my Facebook gourmet group, Shhhhh Cooking Secretly challenge. This group was started by Priya's versatile recipes and taken further to date by Mayuri di who blogs at Mayuri'sJikoni. Mayuri di is also our hostess for the month of August and she proposed Chocolate as the theme for the month. I have bookmarked her Chocolate Phirni and Chocolate dipped frozen bananas to try out soon.

In this group, each member takes turns to propose the theme for the month. All participating members are divided into pairs and both partners exchange a set of secret ingredients using which, both have to prepare a dish as per the theme. The other members of the group, take turns to guess the two secret ingredients just by looking at the picture of the dish. Doesn't all this sound interesting ! If you are a blogger and wish to join this group, do let us know in the comments section bellow. My partner for this month is Renu who blogs at . I gave Renu, dates and almonds as her secret ingredients and she prepared Chocolate Puffed Amaranth Bars using it. In return she gave me jaggery and vanilla essence and i made these delectable ragi chocolate pancakes. Meanwhile do check out Renu's space for some delicious recipes from around the globe. her Whole wheat chocolate crinkle cookies is next on my to-do list.

                                                 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 1 large or 2 small over ripe bananas
• 1 cup finger millet / ragi flour
• 1/2 cup milk or as required
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup jaggery powder
• 2-3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of baking powder (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Oil for cooking the pancakes

For serving

• Honey/ maple sugar or homemade chocolate syrup for drizzling over the panackes
• Fresh fruits of your choice to top the pancakes
• Dry fruits, slivered nuts or choco chips as toppings

Method:

1. To begin with making the ragi chocolate pancakes, take a grinder jar and add peeled banana to it. Pulse it. 

2. To this add the ragi flour, oatmeal, jaggery powder and cocoa powder and a pinch of baking powder if using. Blitz to get a semi solid mass. Add vanilla extract and milk to it and blitz again.

3. The pancake batter should be not very thick or free flowing. Add more milk if required to adjust the desired consistency.

4. Heat a pan. Grease it with oil. Add a ladle full of batter in the center and spread it a bit in circular motion. Drizzle some oil at the edges and cover cook the pancake on low to medium heat for a minute or two. Flip the pancake and cook the other side also.

5. Make all the pancakes similarly and allow them to cool a bit. Stack the pancakes. apply some butter on the top if using. Drizzle honey/ maple syrup or chocolate sauce and top the pancakes with chopped fresh fruits, nuts and dry fruits before serving .

6. Enjoy the healthy and delicious ragi chocolate pancakes with your loved ones for breakfast with a glass of milk or at any time of the day.

                        

Recipe Notes:

• Use good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for best results.
• Do not add baking powder if serving to toddlers.
• You may use choco chips or berries of your choice apart from fresh fruits and nuts as topping over the pancakes.
• Pancakes taste best when served warm. You may reheat the leftovers if any in a microwave before serving.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot
• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/
• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B
• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Related Posts:

• Chocolate Halwa

                                        

• Chocolate Biscuit Cake

                                        

• Chocolate Kalakand

                                  

• Chocolate Icecream

                                  

• Banana Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

                                   

• Chocolate Nankhatai

                                 

• No Bake chocolate Swiss Rolls

                                   

• Eggless Chocolate Cake

                                   

• Homemade Chocolate Syrup

                                   

• Chocolate Modak

                                  

Satvik Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter Masala also known as paneer makhani is a creamy rich curry from the North Indian Cuisine. It is made by simmering soft cottage cheese (paneer) cubes in an onion-tomato base gravy. Today, i am sharing a satvik (onion-garlic free) version of paneer butter masala which is equally delicious and can be enjoyed on festive occasions. This Jain style paneer butter masala is mildly sweet and tangy in taste and gets a wonderful aroma and spicy flavors from the whole spices used. The curry is made using low fat home-made paneer and the milk cream is replaced with skimmed milk, melon seed and cashew paste to keep a check on the calorie count without compromising on the taste. Paneer butter masala can be easily made at home and served with any flat bread like naan , chapati, paratha or paired with jeera rice and some salad for lunch or dinner.

Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese

Paneer or the Indian cottage cheese is a fresh, unaged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with fruit or vegetable derived acid such as lemon juice. Paneer is a good source of protein and calcium. It is an integral part of Indian cooking and we Indians fondly use this versatile ingredient in our curries, snacks and desserts. 

What is Paneer Makhani / Paneer Butter Masala?

Paneer butter masala or paneer makhani is one of the most popular paneer recipes and is often found on menus of restaurants and dhabas. Paneer makhani is a delectable curry from the North Indian cuisine in which soft paneer cubes are simmered in a rich and creamy curry base made with onions, tomatoes, nuts, whole spices, butter and milk cream. Paneer makhani cooked in this way is a obviously rich in calories and should be consumed in moderation by weight watchers. I do not mind such indulgence once in a while on special occasions and festivals though. Click here for the recipe.

                            

What is Satvik Food?

Satvik diet is a diet based on foods that contain the quality (guna) sattva as per Ayurveda and yogic literature. A Satvik diet is essentially vegetarian as it is based on the religious principle of Ahimsa, not causing harm to other living things. It includes food and eating habits that are pure, natural, essential, vital, energy containing, clean, conscious, true, honest and wise. Satvik diet emphasizes on seasonal foods, fruits,dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat based proteins. Sedative foods also called as static foods, or tamsic foods are foods whose consumption, according to Yoga are harmful to either mond or body and are not included in satvik diet. Such foods include meat, fish, fertilized eggs, onion, garlic, scallion, leek,chive,mushroom, alcoholic beverages, durian (fruit), blue cheese, eggplant, opium, and stale food. Source

Related Event

Now you all must be wondering, why my whole post is revolving around the word satvik food? The reason is that #SatvikTreats is the 91st theme on our Facebook gourmet group, Healthy Wealthy Cuisines,  where a group of like minded food bloggers post recipes every fortnight depending upon pre decided themes. This theme is suggested by a talented and versatile food blogger Ruchi who blog's at RuchisVegKitchen. Ruchi who is Jain herself, wanted us to share onion-garlic free recipes that are just apt for the ongoing festive season. This delicious paneer butter masala cooked in Jain style is my contribution towards the theme. Meanwhile, do check out Ruchi's space for delicious vegetarian recipes mostly Gujarati. I have bookmarked her Sandwich Dhokla and Pinwheel Samosa recipes to try out soon. Following are the contributions of my fellow bloggers on this theme.

• Moong Dal Dosa by Ruchi
• Coconut Rice by Jayashree
• Doi Potol / pointed gourd in yogurt gravy by Sujata di
• Bhindi Kadhi by Preethi di
• Pune Nut Paste Pasta by Shalu di

                                    

What goes into my Jain style / Satvik Paneer Butter Masala?

During special occasions and festivals like Diwali, Dushera and Navratri, we offer the food to the deity (Naivedhyam) and later on consume it as prasad. Such food essentially has to be satvik. Also any fast is opened with a satvik food. For such occasions, such festive onion garlic free recipes are the best. Jain food is essentially satvik too. So, the thought of making this satvik version of our all time favourite paneer butter masala came to my mind. I experimented it few weeks back and it was a great hit at my place. Since then i make this curry often to open our Monday fasts. Recently, i made it during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

In this satvik version of paneer butter masala, the base for the curry is tomato puree and the paste made from cashew nuts and melon seeds. I have cooked the curry in skimmed milk. No milk cream is used in the recipe, it is only used for garnishing. Also i have used homemade low-fat paneer in this recipe. Some recipes call for frying or sauteing the paneer cubes in butter. I have directly added the paneer pieces to the curry. Tomato puree can be made by 2 ways, the first method is directly making a fine puree of the chopped ripe tomatoes and the second method is to first cook(blanch) the tomatoes, peel its skin and then make a puree of it. I always prefer the second method. Always use ripe red tomatoes to make the puree so that the curry does not become more tangy and you do not end up adding more sugar to balance the flavors. Ready made tomato puree can also be used instead. Whole spices like cinnamon, black and green cardamom, cloves and pepper corns make the curry very flavorful and aromatic. So let's get started.

                                

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 250 grams Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese
• 4 medium sized ripe tomatoes
• 8-10 Cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoon melon seeds / magaj
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 2 green chilies
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2-3 cloves
• 2-3 black pepper corns
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon roasted cumin coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup skimmed milk, boiled and cooled
• 1 teaspoon crushed  dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri methi
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Milk cream and fresh coriander leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1. To start with making, satvik paneer butter masala, first soak cashew nuts and melon seeds in hot water for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, we will make the tomato puree. For that, wash the tomatoes and make 2 cuts (resembling+sign) at the base of each tomato using a sharp knife and add the tomatoes to boiling water and cook on medium flame for 5-7 minutes. On cooling peel the skin of the tomatoes and chop them, try to discard as many seeds from the tomatoes. Add the peeled and deseeded blanched tomatoes to a grinder jar and blitz to make a lump-free puree. Also crush the ginger and green chilies and keep aside until use.

2. Also, grind the soaked cashews and melon seeds to a fine paste. add water as required to make a fine paste.

3. Heat butter in a sauce pan. Tip in the whole spices - cumin seeds, followed by bay leaf, slightly crushed black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, black pepper corn and cinnamon. Allow the spices to fry in the butter for few seconds. Now add the crushed green chilies and ginger to it and stir fry for a few seconds on low to medium flame.

4. Add tomato puree to it and cook the puree for 2-3 minutes while stirring intermittently. Once you see a layer of oil floating above the tomato puree, it is cooked well. Lower the flame and add spice powders, turmeric powder, red chili powder , roasted coriander cumin powder,salt and sugar. Stir fry the spices with the cooked tomato puree for around a minute on low flame.

5. Next, add the cashew melon seeds paste and blend well. Stir in the boiled and cool milk to it. Add around 1/2 cup water also to it. Mix everything well and allow the curry base to boil.

6. Add the large paneer pieces to the curry and allow to cook on low to medium flame for 5-7 minutes.

7. Once the curry has a cooked well and reduced to the desired consistency, put off the flame. Add crushed kasuri methi and garam masala and give a good stir.

8. Garnish the delicious paneer butter masala with cream and coriander leaves and serve with flat bread like chapati, naan or kulcha or with jeera rice and some salad. Enjoy the satvik meal with your loved ones !

                             

Recipe Notes:

• Always use red ripe tomatoes to make the tomato puree for the curry or else the curry will be tangy and you would end up adding more sugar to balance the flavors.
• You can saute the paneer cubes in little butter before adding it to the curry. I have added it directly.
• I have used home made low fat paneer in the recipe. You may use store bought one.
• You may choose to use store bought tomato puree or make it at home using any of the two methods , either grinding tomatoes directly to make puree or blanch the tomatoes first and then make its puree.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot
• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/
• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B
• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Check out the following links for more satvik recipes

• Achari Aloo

                            

• Broccoli Stir Fry

                            

• Mysore Rasam

                               

• 21 veggie Stir-fry

                            

• Kaddu ki Sabzi

                            

• Aloo Rasedar

                           

• Vegetable Korma

                           

• Pindi Chole

                           

• Kerala Style Avial

                          

• Panch Phoran Tarkari

                         

• Odia Dalma