Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra"

Dylan Thompson
5 years ago
Views:

1 Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra Coconut, dried fruits, nuts and rich spices are what make exotic Shahi cuisine fit for royalty and for you and I. Dishes created in imperial kitchens during the rise of the Mughal Empire (in the heart of northern India and on the now India-Pakistan border) echoed the deeply aromatic flavours of Persia. The Mughals, known for their extravagance and majestic style, were no different to their eating habits. Rich sauces made

2 with ground nuts, kebabs, koftas and kormas are some of the most delicious and popular bites to come from this era. My recipe for Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra is not a traditional Mughlai dish it s entirely my own creation cooked up during a 2am food fantasy. I ve taken my inspiration from the delicious Shahi cuisine I love to indulge in a little too often. By now you must know how I love contrasting flavours and textures, and if you do too, you need to try this. Juicy okra stuffed with homemade paneer which has been spiked with golden sultanas and heady fennel. The individual okra are then drenched in a sweet and tangy sauce laced with cardamom and made creamy with ground cashews. This aromatic sauce is similar to the kind used in my recipe for Melt in the Mouth Paneer Kofta (which, to be completely honest, should be a part of the Mughlai banquet you re hosting and inviting me to). This is going to be so delicious.

Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra (serves 4) Ingredients 500g whole okra, washed and dried (do not cut your okra before washing because they will become sticky

3 Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra (serves 4) Ingredients 500g whole okra, washed and dried (do not cut your okra before washing because they will become sticky and inedible) For the stuffing: 350g fresh homemade paneer, crumbled (made from around 2 pints whole milk) 30g sultanas, soaked in hot water and drained

4 3 tbsp desiccated coconut 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 ½ tsp finely ground fennel seeds -1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste) 1 very small pinch bicarbonate of soda (to help cook the okra and to keep the paneer light) For the sauce: 60g cashew nuts, boiled until tender then ground to a puree 2 tbsp ghee or oil 1 tsp black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) or regular cumin seeds 4 large red chillies, minced (or to taste) 5 tbsp concentrated tomato puree 100g creamed coconut, grated 200ml milk 1 tbsp honey ½ tsp cardamom powder Salt to taste To garnish: White poppy seeds Desiccated coconut

5 White poppy seeds (khus khus) Method 1. Cut the stems from the washed and dried okra, then split them lengthways, not cutting all the way through. Take your time, you don t want the okra to fall apart. Set aside. 2. In a bowl, crumble together all the ingredients for the stuffing. Use your fingertips to lightly rub the mixture to make sure it s well combined.

3. Stuff the okra with the paneer mixture and place on a tray. Enlist the help of a slave if need be. 4. Once all the okra are stuffed, you will need to microwave them in batches of three.

6 3. Stuff the okra with the paneer mixture and place on a tray. Enlist the help of a slave if need be. 4. Once all the okra are stuffed, you will need to microwave them in batches of three. Place a third of them in a microwavable dish and cook on high power for 6 minutes. Do not cover. Repeat another two times for the remaining okra. Set aside. 5. In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil or ghee and add the cumin seeds, chillies, cashew puree and tomato puree. Cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and pulse until smooth. If you re particularly anal, sieve the sauce for an extra silky finish. Return to the pan to heat through until just bubbling. 6. To assemble the dish, pile the okra into a large dish, spoon over the sauce and allow to warm through in a moderate/low oven for 5-10 minutes. Be careful, you don t want to overcook the okra. Serve sprinkled with poppy seeds and desiccated coconut.

I served my stuffed okra with aromatic turmeric basmati rice, but you can create your own Mughlai feast (the one I already decided you re having) by pairing it with Peshwari naan and

7 I served my stuffed okra with aromatic turmeric basmati rice, but you can create your own Mughlai feast (the one I already decided you re having) by pairing it with Peshwari naan and Shahi pulao, or apricot biryani (recipe coming soon). A bowl of creamy doodh vari sev (sweet noodles in cream) would be the perfect way to round off your royal banquet no pressure or anything.

Get your Microwave Mojo On! I have an ambivalent relationship with burfi. This milk-based Indian sweet pushes my crave button at the strangest times for which I resent it completely.

8 Get your Microwave Mojo On! I have an ambivalent relationship with burfi. This milk-based Indian sweet pushes my crave button at the strangest times for which I resent it completely. Then when I take a bite of this dense any-flavour-tastes-good fudge, I am a chubby six year old again. A bit like the Indian, female version of Augustus Gloop. I love to visit Indian sweet shops, with their vast arrays of burfi in every colour and flavour you can imagine. Well, almost. So you can keep your Chocolate Factory, Mr Wonka. In my twenty-one years I ve munched my way through a fair load of burfi and not once have I come across pandan burfi. It s such an obviously delicious combination that I can t believe nobody has made it yet. Have they? Enlighten me. Indian fudge and the South East Asian equivalent of vanilla combined in a mega fudge? Win.

I feel a revolution coming on. So what if I go on to tell you it can all be done in a microwave? Would you laugh in my face and push me (Augustus) into that chocolate river?

9 I feel a revolution coming on. So what if I go on to tell you it can all be done in a microwave? Would you laugh in my face and push me (Augustus) into that chocolate river? How embarrassing would it be? Getting stuck up that pipe? Good job I m telling the truth, isn t it? I bet Willy Wonka never had himself any edible gold dust. Nope. He just had the Everlasting Gobstopper. Overrated if you ask me. You can make this in 10 minutes flat (plus chilling time). And everybody knows that chilling time = chilling out time so kick back, relax and enjoy this Pandan, Coconut and Chocolate Burfi at the push of a button (or two). Pandan, Coconut and Chocolate Burfi (yields 25 pieces) Ingredients for the pandan layer If you re not sure what pandan is then you can read up on it here. 3 cups whole milk powder

10 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 ½ tsp pandan extract Ingredients for the coconut layer 1 ½ ¼ ½ 1 ½ cups whole milk powder cup sweetened condensed milk cup coconut (desiccated or fresh) tsp cardamom powder small pinch saffron Ingredients for the chocolate layer 1 cup milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces ¼ cup butter Oil to grease the tray Method 1. For the pandan layer combine the pandan extract with the condensed milk. In a microwave-proof mix the green condensed milk with the milk powder and microwave on high power for one minute at a time for four minutes. Remove from the microwave in between these one minute intervals and stir. 2. Grease a 6X8 metal tray or thali with plenty of any flavourless oil (I used groundnut). 3. Press the pandan layer into the metal tray with the back of a spoon, making sure it s even all over. Set aside and allow to cool. 4. For the coconut layer combine the milk powder, condensed milk and coconut in a microwave-proof dish. Repeat the microwave process as in step one, but for three minutes this time. Remember to stir at one minute intervals so it doesn t burn. Add the cardamom and saffron and combine quickly. 5. Place the coconut mixture on top of the pandan layer and

press in tightly and evenly. Set aside and allow to cool. 6. Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high for 30 second bursts until it has melted.

11 press in tightly and evenly. Set aside and allow to cool. 6. Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high for 30 second bursts until it has melted. Remove from the microwave and add the butter. Fold the mixture with a spoon until silky. Don t overwork the chocolate. 7. Pour the chocolate over the cooled coconut layer and allow to set at room temperature. When the burfi has set, cut it into pieces with a sharp knife. I m sending this recipe to Srivalli s Microwave Cooking event, hosted by Asankhana. I think we may have a rat in the KO kitchen. I call her uhh me. Remember to vote for your favourite Wear your Food entry in the right-hand sidebar poll!

Gujarati-Style Buttermilk Kadhi

Gujarati-Style Buttermilk Kadhi Mango Summer may not have graced the UK yet, but it has made a secret appearance in my kitchen. Yesterday I was given a huge box of Alphonso mangoes which are now filling