STIR-FRY PEPPERS AND PANEER

Nothing can cure your evening hunger better than this quick and easy batch of stir-fry peppers and paneer.

Whenever I don't feel like cooking or spending an hour in a kitchen I always make a small snack for myself. Last weekend, I made a batch of stir fry peppers and paneer. It's a 15 minutes recipe. I was so surprised when I tried this easy, quick vegetarian snack. It turned out really delicious. It's my perfect go-to recipe. It can be served as a starter or a nice main course dish if you have a big enough bowl. It's colorful and loaded with fresh tastes. It's an incredibly appetizing and a delicious side dish that goes well with steamed rice, vegetable platter or any of your favorite dish.

This snack is quick and easy to make and sure to wake up your sleepy taste buds. You can also make this recipe on a lazy weekend or for thanksgiving. It's a great party appetizer to serve your guests. The paneer in the recipe provides with a lot of protein and calcium and the crunchy bright colored bell pepper provides with a lot of vitamins, folate and antioxidants.

It's an Indo - Chinese dish, inspired with Asian sauces using Indian ingredients. It's quite an easy dish to make. You just need 3 veggies and few ingredients to make this delicious starter. If you don't have the Indian spices available near you, add salt and pepper and it'll taste exactly the same. I added the green bell pepper in this dish. Feel free to use your favorite bell pepper. You can add any of your favorite veggies in the snack, so just be creative and surprise yourself!!

Do try these lightly fried onions, pepper and paneer cubes mixed with Indian spices. Drizzle some red tomato sauce, vinegar and/or lime juice and you'll love it! I totally adore the combination of peppers and paneer. They add crunch, color and sweet flavor to the meal. I'm sure you'll love it too!!

STIR-FRY PEPPERS AND PANEER

Serves : 3-4 People

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS 

250 grams - Indian cottage cheese (paneer), cut them into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium size - Bell peppers or capsicum, cut them into  1 inch square pieces

2 medium size - Onions, sliced

2 tablespoon - Olive oil

1/2 inch - ginger, peeled (grated)

5-6 - garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon - Salt or as per taste

1/4 teaspoon - Turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon - Red chili powder

3/4 teaspoon - Coriander powder

1 tablespoon - Vinegar

1 tablespoon - Red tomato sauce

1 tablespoon - Lime juice (optional)

chopped coriander leaves

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil or butter in a non-stick skillet. Add grated ginger followed by chopped garlic cloves over medium to high heat. Cook for 40-50 seconds.

2. Add a sliced onion and sauté it for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add all the spices - salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix it well.

4. Next, add capsicum and chopped green chillis and toss it. Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes on high/medium flame.

5. Add Paneer cubes and reduce the heat of the skillet. Toss it for 2-3 minutes. 

6. Drizzle some red tomato sauce, vinegar and/or lime juice. Stir fry to combine!

7. Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves and transfer immediately to a serving bowl. Serve it hot!

NOTES

1. If you don't have the Indian spices available near you, add salt and pepper and it'll taste exactly the same.

2. Feel free to use your favorite bell pepper in the dish.

Sautéed Broccoli And Carrots

Heat up your pan and get ready to dig in to the best sautéed broccoli and carrots recipe that goes well with noodles, steamed rice or a vegetable platter.

This dish is a crispy and crunchy which will definitely surprise you! It’s a party in your mouth with lot of explosions. A perfect vegan dish for anytime of the day and gets ready in less than 15 minutes.

Sautéed broccoli and carrots is a colourful and delicious side dish. It's super simple and super easy to make. I make these sautéed vegetables recipe so often at our house, as my family love this recipe. I make this dish with carrots, broccoli and bell peppers as these are my favorite vegetables.

Broccoli is the best of all the cruciferous vegetables. It can be eaten raw, but blanching it in boiling water helps it give to a more crisp-tender texture. It protect your body from various diseases. It is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants. t’s a rich source of Vitamin A, K, C and many other minerals.

Carrots are the versatile vegetable and can be used in various dishes. It has a crunchy texture and a sweet taste. It comes in red, orange and yellow color which is due to pigments. Carotene makes the carrot orange and anthocyanin makes it bit yellow and red. They are rich in Vitamin A, B8, C, L, Folate, Potassium, Iron, Copper and Manganese.

Bell Peppers gives colorful, crispy, crunchy, sweet and salty flavour to the recipe. It comes in three colors - green, red and yellow. You can use pepper of any colour in the dish. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and C and are also a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin E, B6 and folate.

I typically serve this comfort meal as a side dish but you can serve it as an easy appetizer. It is a nutrient dense meal, so tender and tasty which fills you up quickly and tastes best with noodles, steamed rice or a vegetable platter.

How To Make Stir-Fry Vegetables?

It requires basic ingredients you likely have on hand like -  broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, olive oil, a splash of vinegar and flavourful herbs and spices.

1. Add harder veggies first, followed by softer veggies.
2. Only cook the veggies until they’re tender and crisp, but do not overlook them.
3. Feel free to substitute your favourite veggies.
4. Add your choice of flavourful herbs and spices.
5. Add your choice of sauces or condiments, which add flavour boost to your food, and make it savoury, sweet or spicy.
6. Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for sautéing vegetables but in case you don’t have olive oil in hand, you can use butter.

This recipe is a beautiful blend of carrots, broccoli and bell peppers. I totally adore the combination of these beautiful veggies. I'm a great fan of these veggies, but feel free to substitute your favourite veggies. You can control your spice level according to your taste preferences and requirements.

I love making this recipe a lot. It has so much flavours and textures. It tastes best when vinegar and cayenne powder is added, and is served hot.


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To prepare this yummy dish, first blanch broccoli in hot water then drain them into the bowl of cold water and strain them again and keep it aside for some time. Next, heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, and add carrots and stir-fry them for 3 minutes or until they are tender. Add bell peppers, stir-fry for 2 minutes but do not overcook. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute. Then add cayenne powder and stir-fry for 1 minute. Season with salt to taste and sauté them for 2 more minutes. Drizzle vinegar and sauté for 1-2 minutes and enjoy.

Make it exciting, but not bland or boring. Add your favourite veggies and condiments and your kids will love it!

Check out my other post on easy and yummy stir-fry recipe - Sautéed Broccoli with Bell Peppers and enjoy!!

Sautéed Broccoli and Carrots

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3 people
Author: The Food Root

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 large carrots (cut them into thin strips)
1 medium broccoli florets  (300 grams)
1 medium bell pepper (Remove the seeds and cut 1/4 inch slice off)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt or as per taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp rice vinegar

Method

1. Bring in a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with a cold water preferably with ice cubes in it. Set it aside. When the water is boiling, add 1/2 tbsp of salt and broccoli florets. After 3 minutes, remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon or drain the florets in a colander. Now plunge them into the bowl of cold water and after 1 minute, strain them again.

2. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of virgin olive oil or butter. Reduce to low medium heat, when the oil is hot enough, add carrots and sauté approximately for 3 minutes or until they are tender.

3. Then, add bell peppers, and stir well for 2 minutes or until they are tender, but do not overcook.

4. Add the broccoli and toss it for 2 minutes.

5. Next, add garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute.

6. Season to taste with salt and cayenne powder and stir well for 1 minute.

7. Drizzle vinegar and continue to stir-fry about 2 minutes. Serve Sautéed Broccoli And Carrots and enjoy!

Notes

1. In addition to the florets, the broccoli stems are edible. The stems work well in a stir fry recipes but make sure to peel the skin and cut them into thin circular shape.

2. You can drizzle any sauce you want like - soy sauce, miso sauce or barbecue sauce to enhance the flavour of the meal.

3. You can add lemon and this will enrich your recipe.


* Keep it simple and find vegetables you actually enjoy eating, and try Sautéed Broccoli and Carrots and let me know how you like it!!

Paneer Nugget Casserole

Paneer Nugget Casserole that we made for lunch today, turned out so yum that i wanted to share the recipe with you all, right away!

This is a healthy, quick and easy side dish that combines the meaty texture of soya nuggets and paneer (Indian cottage cheese), studded with capsicum, tomatoes and peas, and, flavored with a medley of aromatic herbs and spices. You can enhance the flavor of this dish by adding some lime juice and coriander or mint. It tastes phenomenally well with freshly made lacha paratha and fried rice.

Soya are a great source of high quality protein, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It's a nutrient rich plant protein that has all the essential amino acids, and make an excellent substitute for the meat-based products. You can buy the packet of soya nuggets in an Asian market, and, if you don't have an Asian market near you, you can easily find them online. Soya nuggets can be added in variety of dishes like biryani, pulao, manchurain, soya chunks curry and other stir fry dishes. They are soaked in hot salted water, until, they are soft and fluffy. Once soaked, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and they are ready to cook. Soaked soya nuggets should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.

Paneer, is the star ingredient of this dish. It gives a very mild and a rich creamy texture to this dish. You can either buy paneer from the market or make your own. It should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 2-3 days. I always pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it's shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor, and, doesn't melts.

Paneer Nugget Casserole is an open-end recipe and it's variation are endless. You can always toss in few extra veggies and add brightness to your recipe. I always try to make it differently, depending on what is available at my home. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets. You can control your spice level, mix in your favorite veggies and make it according to your taste preferences and requirements. So just follow your tastebuds and enjoy!

PANEER NUGGET CASSEROLE

Serves: 3 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Author: The Food Root

Ingredients

1 cup soya nutri nuggets
100 gms paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cut them into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large bell pepper, sliced and deseeded, cut them into 1 inch square pieces
1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 medium-size tomatoes, finely chopped
4 small green tomatoes, should be firm, and feel heavy in your hand, cut them into half (optional)
1/2 inch inch ginger, peeled, grated
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
chopped coriander leaves, garnishing

Method

1. Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 10 minutes. Once they are soaked, wash few times, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, gently add paneer, a pinch of salt and pan-fry them for about 3 minutes. Flip them over and let the other side also fry and keep aside.

3. Next, roast capsicum for 2 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. After 2 minutes of roasting, transfer it to a bowl.

4. Now, heat oil in the same pan, and, add grated ginger, followed by chopped garlic cloves. Give it a stir and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and well cooked.

6. Add the green tomatoes, sprinkle the salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add peas followed by cumin and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the soya nuggets and the roasted capsicum. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the nuggets and capsicum are softened.

8. Add the roasted paneer cubes into the pan. Mix it together to coat the spice on paneer cubes. Cook for 2 minutes.

9. After 2 minutes, check for salt and add any, if required. Now, add some garam masala at the end and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

10. Squeeze some lime juice and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, give it a mix and serve hot.

Notes

1. You can add your favorite veggies or whatever is available at home. The idea is to make the dish more colorful and delicious.

2. Remember to pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor and doesn't melts.

3. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets.

JEERA ALOO

Awaken your senses with the exotic flavor of Jeera Aloo. The stir-fried potatoes are tampered with the flavors of cumin seeds, asafoetida, mango powder and other dry spices. It's an excellent side dish that goes well with poori, roti or parantha. It's a real treat for all potato lovers!!

This fabulous dish can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can also prepare this for fasting. It's a delicious recipe and can be prepared in minutes. It's definitely a lunch that you can put together in a tiffin, when you are in a rush and don't have much time in the morning.

The secret ingredient of this recipe is cumin seeds. While these light brown cumin seeds are small but enough to provide plenty of flavor. To infuse the entire dish with the cumin goodness, fry them in hot oil until they make crackling sound, but don't cook for a longer time, as they can burn easily. They are added at the beginning of the dish. Cumin has a deep and warm aroma with a complex profile and a unique property of enhancing the flavor of the dish.

This dish is usually prepared with boiled potatoes but I choose to use uncooked potatoes to get the nutty and crunchy flavor of the dish. I love eating Jeera Aloo with a bowl of fresh yogurt. I know, it's a weird food combination but it taste really good!! I think I really like this dish and I'll be making this one again soon.

Oh before I sign off, I want to thank you all for following me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you for all the love I keep receiving. It really motivates me a lot. Thank you once again.

Have a wonderful weekend and stop by again as next few weeks are shaping up to be good with few posts in a pipeline!
Much love
Anshika
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Jeera Aloo

Serves: 2-3 people
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Author: The Food Root


Ingredients

4-5 medium size - Potatoes, cut them into thin circular slices

2 tablespoon - Olive oil or clarified butter
Pinch of asafoetida

1 teaspoon - Cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon - Turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon - Red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon - Coriander powder
1 teaspoon - Salt or as per taste
1 teaspoon - Mango powder
1/4 teaspoon - Garam masala
2 green chillis, chopped

Chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Wash the potatoes under the running water. Place the potato on a chopping board, than slice them into thin circular slices, using a sharp knife. Soak them into water so that they don't turn black.

2. Heat olive oil or clarified butter in a non-stick skillet. Add a pinch of asafoetida and cumin seeds. Sauté the cumin seeds until they crackle.

3 Now, lower down the heat and add all the dry spices (salt, turmeric, red chili and coriander) except mango powder and garam masala and stir it for few seconds.

4. Add the sliced potatoes, followed by chopped green chillis and toss it for 5 minutes on high medium flame, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

5. Mix in the mango powder and garam masala. Sauté it constantly. Cook until potatoes are tender but still crisp.

6. Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves and transfer immediately to a serving bowl. Pair it hot with roti, parantha or poori.

7. Enjoy!!!

Notes
1. You can boil the potatoes if you want but for not more than 5 minutes.

2. Cut potato slices into desired shape and thickness.

3. If you don't have mango powder, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of lime juice for 1 teaspoon of mango powder.