Itihaas Chilli Paneer Recipe

Ingredients

•	Cottage cheese (paneer)	200 grams
•	Cornflour/ corn starch	4 tablespoons
•	Oil	2 tablespoon + to deep fry
•	Garlic,crushed	3-4 cloves
•	Green chillies,sliced	3-4
•	Onions,sliced	2 medium
•	Green capsicum,seeded and thick strips	1 large
•	Vegetable stock	1/2 cup
•	Salt	to taste
•	White pepper powder	1/2 teaspoon
•	Soy sauce	2 tablespoons
•	Chilli sauce	1 tablespoon
•	MSG	1/4 teaspoon

Method

Drain paneer well and cut into diamond shaped medium sized pieces. Heat sufficient oil in a wok, roll the paneer pieces in cornflour and deep fry on medium heat until the edges start to turn brown. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. Blend remaining cornflour (nearly a tablespoon) in a quarter cup of water and set aside. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok, add crushed garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add sliced green chillies, onions and green capsicum. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Add fried paneer and stir in the vegetable stock. Add salt, white pepper powder, soy sauce, chilli sauce, MSG and stir well. Stir in the blended cornflour and cook on high heat, stirring and tossing until the sauce thickens to coat the paneer and the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Itihaas Tarka Daal Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup red split lentils

3 cups of water

½ level tsp salt

1 small onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp garam masala

1 small tomato

2 tsp chopped coriander

Method

1. Rinse the lentils in cold water and put them in a saucepan with the water and salt and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes skimming off any froth. Now partly cover the pan.

2. Cook for a further 40 minutes stirring now and again. At the end of the cooking time you should have a pale yellow soup like mixture.

3. During the final 10 minutes of cooking time fry the onion and garlic in the ghee or clarified butter until the onions are pale brown. Add the tumeric and garam masala to the onions and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Stir the onion mixture into the cooked lentils. Serve hot sprinkled with the chopped tomato and chopped coriander.

Itihaas Chana Masala Recipe

Ingredients:

·         1 can chickpeas in water (also called garbanzo beans) or 1 1/2 cups precooked + 1/2 cup water

·         1/2 onion, diced

·         3 cloves garlic, diced

·         3 tbsp olive oil

·         juice from one lemon (approx 2 tbsp)

·         1/2 tsp curry powder

·         1/2 tsp coriander powder

·         1/2 tsp cumin

·         1/2 tsp garam masala

·         1 large bunch of spinach or two handfuls, rinsed

Preparation:

In a large skillet or frying pan, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add chickpeas straight from the can, including all the water. Add spices and lemon juice, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed, until chickpeas are cooked and soft.

Reduce heat, add spinach and cover. Allow spinach to wilt for 2-4 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy your chana masala!

Itihaas Vegetable Jalfrezi Recipe

Ingredients:

Medium pot of water
Salt – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cauliflower – 3 cups, cut into bite size florets
Carrots – 1/2 cup, chopped
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Garlic – 2 tsp, minced
Tomato Sauce – 1/2 cup (4 oz)
Bell Pepper – 1/2, chopped into bite size pieces
Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup, thawed
Salt – to taste
Whole Coriander Seeds – 2 Tbsp, dry roasted and powdered
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – optional and to taste
Tomato – 1 small, deseeded and chopped
Lemon/Lime Juice – to taste

Method:

1. Bring pot of water to a boil and add Salt and Turmeric Powder.
2. Add Cauliflower and Carrots and boil for 3 minutes.
3. Strain the Cauliflower and Carrots and drop them into a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking.
4. Drain and keep aside after 1-2 minutes.
5. In a non-stick skillet or pan, heat 1 Tbsp Oil.
6. Add Onions and cook 2-3 minutes until light golden.
7. Add Ginger and Garlic and saute for 1 minute.
8. Add Tomato Sauce and cook until the oil separates.
9. Add Bell Pepper and Green Peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Add Cauliflower and Carrots, Salt, Powdered Coriander, Garam Masala and optional Red Chili Powder. Mix well and cook until veggies are tender but not mushy.
11. Sprinkle a little water over the veggies occasionally to provide moisture so that the dry spices do not burn.
12. Add Tomato and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
13. Sprinkle Lemon/Lime Juice and mix.

Itihaas Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Ingredients

·         4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

·         4 tbsp readymade tandoori paste

·         2 tbsp natural yoghurt

·         3 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         8 cardamom pods

·         1 large onion, finely chopped

·         3cm/1¼in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tsp ground coriander

·         ½ tsp turmeric

·         ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)

·         1x200g can chopped tomatoes

·         150ml/5fl oz chicken stock or water

·         1½ tsp garam masala

·         ½ lemon, juice only

·         ½ tsp salt

Preparation method

1.     Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and mix with the tandoori paste and yoghurt. Leave to marinate in a non-metallic dish for at least a couple of hours (or overnight), stirring occasionally.

2.     Heat the oil or ghee in a deep frying pan, and when it's very hot add the cinnamon, cardamom pods and onion. Fry for about 5-6 minutes until beginning to brown, then add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

3.     After the spices have cooked for about a minute, add the chicken with the marinade. Fry for 3-4 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock or water, garam masala, lemon juice and salt. Bring the curry to a simmer and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve straight away with rice or naan bread

Itihaas Lamb Rogan Josh

Ingredients

·         5 tbsp vegetable oil

·         7 black peppercorns, left whole

·         3 black cardamom pods, left whole

·         5 green cardamom pods, left whole

·         4 cloves, left whole

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         1 piece of mace

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         750g/1½lb leg of lamb or mutton, bone intact, cut into pieces

·         6 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole

·         2cm/¾in piece ginger, peeled and cut in half

·         2 tsp ground coriander

·         2 tsp ground cumin

·         ½ tsp red chilli powder

·         2 tsp ground fennel seeds

·         1½ tsp garam masala

·         salt, to taste

·         2 tomatoes, blended to a pulp in a food processor

·         3 tbsp plain yoghurt, stirred

·         handful chopped fresh coriander, leaves and stalks

Preparation method

1.     Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the black peppercorns, black and green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and mace and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the spices are sizzling and fragrant.

2.     Add the chopped onion and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown.

3.     Add the lamb pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring continually, until golden-brown all over.

4.     Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the garlic cloves and ginger with one tablespoon of water to a fine paste.

5.     Add the garlic and ginger paste to the lamb mixture, stir well to combine, then reduce the heat and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.

6.     Stir in the powdered coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, fennel seeds, garam masala, salt, tomato pulp and yoghurt, cover the pan with a lid, then reduce the heat to a low heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the sauce has almost completely dried out.

7.     Add 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water to the sauce, stir well and simmer for a further 7-8 minutes, stirring continually and adding splashes of water as necessary, until the volume of liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened.

8.     Add enough boiling water to almost cover the lamb, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer or 8-10 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked through.

      9.  Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving.

Itihaas Makhani Paneer

Ingredients

250 gms paneer

2 tbsp curds (dahi)

3 large tomatoes

3 onions, grated

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder

1 1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

100 gms fresh cream

2 tsp butter

4 tbsp ghee

salt to taste

ghee for deep frying

chopped corriander (dhania) for garnishing

Method

1.    Cut the paneer in the shape of fingers and deep fry lightly in ghee.

2.    Apply the curds to the fried paneer.

3.    Put the tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes. Take out the skin and chop finely.

4.    Heat the ghee and fry the onions until light pink in colour.

5.    Add the garam masala, coriander-cumin seed powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 1 minute.

6.    Add the tomatoes and fry for at least 5 minutes or until ghee floats on top.

7.    Add 1 teacup of water and the cream. Cook for a few minutes and then add the butter.

8.    Add the paneer and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with naan.