Recipe Corner
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A rich recipe, redolent of the flavours of Kashmir: chillies, garam masala and ginger powder. You will enjoy this delicious recipe from Neerja Mattoo's kitchen.
Cooking time : 45 minutes
Serves : 12
Appliances Required : Juicer Mixer Grinder or Mixer Grinder, Pressure Pan.
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Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh cottage cheese
- 7 ½ tablespoons oil
- 4 cups stock or water
- 1 ½ kg tomatoes
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 cloves
- 20 gms masala vari*
- 2 level teaspoons chilli powder or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
- 5 crushed green cardamoms
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 bay leaves
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Method
- Cut the cottage cheese into thick slices, about 4 cms x 4 cms x 1 cm. Heat the oil in the pressure pan and fry the cheese slices in batches till they are golden brown.
Drain and put slices into the slightly warmed stock or water. (Traditionally, meat stock is used since this is also one of those 'wazawan' specialities, the feast in which everything - even vegetables - are cooked in a meat stock).
Blanch the tomatoes, remove the seeds and put into the grinder. Puree.
Fry onions and liquidise. Keep aside.
In the pan leave about 3 ½ tablespoons of oil. Heat and add the cloves. After a few seconds, and the ground onion paste, masala vari, chilli powder, salt and pureed tomatoes. Stir fry on medium heat till it becomes a thick sauce.
- Now add the cheese slices along with the crushed cardamoms, ginger powder, garam masala and bay leaf. Add just as much of the stock or water as you need to make the curry consistency you like. Simmer till the gravy thickens and the oil surfaces.
Note : Masala vari is a special Kashmiri spice cake. A mixture of various spices like saffron, chillies, dry ginger, betel leaves and nuts, the cakes are prepared on a large scale, dried in the sun and then stored for future use.
