BONJOUR SERIES # 2 - PANEER LAJAWAB

Hey Everyone, Hope u all had a great week.. At least , I know my week was crazy busy.. I was so much waiting for the weekends.. We have a new restaurant picked out so would try em' out.. wink wink :)) As u all know, that I am a last minute person.. there is no much surprise that I am writing this post now @ almost 11.40 pm and I am hoping to post this by 12.00 am.. if not a little later !  

And here is an exciting announcement - For this series, I will be selecting a winner randomly at the end of this year.. and will be awarded !! The prize, will be published in my Series # 3 Post. I decided to have this random pick done quarterly from January.. YAY !! Hope u all fun reading and knowing our guest bloggers.. 

Today's guest is our famous Priya Sreeram , Oh come on, u guys have to know her.. She owns the flaming hot space " Bon Appetit ". She is a very warm and friendly person.. a super mom of 2 blessed kids.. I bet she is a great wife and a very wonderful friend.. We started chatting on face book and went on and on and on.. turns out we had lots of common grounds. :) 

I started talking to Priya about the event way before it was even announced.. She did not take much time to sign up gracefully.. and actually, She was the one who asked me to make it a weekly event.. Thanks to Her.. Now I at least show my head here once a week..  :)) She managed to write a post for me while travelling.. and also gave it to me a week advance to the date.. Thank you Darling ! for that :)

Ok, now with no further talk.. I present you Priya Sreeram - in her own words..

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Priya Sreeram's Guest Post 

The world of food blogging is one happy heaven to be in ---- introduction to new cuisines, virtual feasting of many lip-smacking recipes and most importantly culmination of good friendships. Jabeen & I hit it off from our very  first chat and this virtual friendship promises to be a blazing tale of Jai & Veeru aka Sholay :P.I first landed in Jabeen's corner after a sweet comment left by her in one of my posts & I am glad to have come across her space which not only boasts of tasty array of dishes but also tries to bring in a healthy dimension to cooking. This combined with the efforts she takes to bring all the foodies under one roof either in the form of FOOD COURT page @ Facebook or by announcing events, Jabeen 's inspiring....

I was elated when she invited me to be a part of her new event where the bloggers had to share their signature dishes as well as  their heart & hearth experiences; a perfect platform for me to let u all have peek-a-boo in to my world--- :)

I am a happy homemaker with 2 kids and one bigggg fussy kid (my dearest hubby of course). Though I have a degree in accounting, I put my career on hold to bring up kids. Getting back to work is an option in the future but I have no regrets with this longgggggggg sabbatical. My affair with the apron & knife began (10 yrs ago) after marriage and it was not a happy start.Anyone who knows me well will remember me as the person who did not like cooking.Even making tea was a huge task for me & everyday cooking was a challenge. All changed slowly n steadily when I truly learnt that the way to my man's heart was also through his stomach and from then on there was no looking back.The food blog which happened at a time when I had a few very turbulent storms to weather was also instrumental in turning me in to a decent baker !. 

My ramblings apart, the dish I present today is Paneer Lajawab - this is the dish that my hubby cooked for me the very first time after marriage. Since then,this dish is part of any special occasion and as much I do justice to this dish, I like it better when my hubby cooks the same. I named the dish  lajawab because it is truly tasty & yum. Succulent pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) are stuffed with a mix of nuts & pomegranates and after bathing in a coat of chickpea flour/besan are deep fried.They are then dropped in a rich gravy of cashews,onions & tomatoes and the medley is an amazing treat to senses. The dish requires time & it is not one of those quick to rustle-up treats, but the taste that hits your palate makes it worthwhile.

What's in it :-
The Star Ingredient:----

• Cottage Cheese/Paneer - 300 grams (washed well & cut in to chunky rectangles)

For the Gravy :-

• Onion - 3- large- finely chopped
• Shallots - 10 to 12- pureed
• Tomatoes - 3 -medium sized - pureed
• Garlic -  10 to 12 pods - crushed with mortar & pestle
• Ginger - a big piece - crushed with mortar & pestle
• Green Chillis- 4 to 5 - to taste - crushed with mortar & pestle
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Dates & Tamarind Chutney - 1to 2 tbsp
• Coconut Milk - 150 ml
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

For the batter :-

• Chickpea Flour/Besan - 1 small cup - as required
• Red Chilli Flour - 1 tbsp - to taste
• Salt- to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida- a generous pinch
• Water - as required

For the filling :-

• Nuts - mix of cashews,raisins,walnuts,almonds,dates,dry figs - chopped- as required
• Pomegranate - a handful
• Dates & Tamarind Chutney - as required

For the garnish :-

• Fried Nuts - Cashews & walnuts - optional
• Pomegranates -as required
• Coriander leaves- a few sprigs - finely chopped

Oil-  for deep frying

How:-
Keep all the ingredients ready. In a kadai.wok/pan, add oil & let the finely chopped onions & pureed shallots saute well. The mix of onions & shallots gives the dish a fine balance. As the mix turns translucent, add the crushed garlic & stir fry. The kitchen buzzes with the wafting garlick y aroma and it’s pure bliss.Now add the crushed ginger & green chillis and saute for a few minutes. Tip in the pureed tomatoes and let it cook well. Add little water if the mix becomes too dry. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the salt & spice the mixture with garam masala, red chillis, turmeric powder & salt. Add the Dates & tamarind dip to the mix. This gives a wholesome taste to the gravy as the fuse of flavours blend.Finally round it up with the creamy coconut milk and let the mix simmer to the required consistency.

Get the batter ready by mixing the chickpea flour with salt,red chilli powder,turmeric powder & asafoetida. Add the required water to get the semi-solid batter.
In the meanwhile mix the nuts & pomegranates for the filling and set aside.
Make a slit in to the paneer as shown and apply the Dates & Tamarind Chutney and fill it with the nuts & pomegranate mix. Gently drop in to the batter & coat well. Deep fry it in oil till both sides are golden brown.

Finally assembling the mix;- In a serving bowl, place the fried beauties and add the gravy all over. Garnish it with fried nuts,pomegranates & chopped coriander leaves. Mix well & Serve hot with rotis/bread/rice.

I once read that Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power has the ability to comfort- so cook with all the love & serve with Zest. Enjoy your meal always ! Love & Cheers

Have a Great Weekend Everyone !!

Jabeen