A creamy comeback! Part 1

What with lots of academic pressures and other social activities clouding my days, my cooking schedules became so erratic over the past few months that I somehow just didn't feel like blogging for some time.But thankfully,that phase is now over,and I plan to religiously chronicle my adventures in my little kitchen from now onwards.Thanks to dear friend S, for that much-needed push.

Our family is leaving base for 2 whole weeks come the month of October for a much deserved family vacation after ages.Whilst we all are looking forward to that,I personally face a new dilemma.I have this habit of stocking up my fridge with stuff that I don't use for ages,and by that I mean spice pastes,frozen food,condiments and so on.Not the fresh vegetables,they always get used up,thankfully!

So now I face the daunting prospect of cooking up my fridge full of supplies in the next 2 weeks,because after that the refrigerator is going to be switched off for a fortnight. Food wastage is a big no-n0 in my house,we are always giving away extra food to friends,neighbours and neighbourhood birds.Therefore I have taken up the challenge of adjusting and scheduling my day so that everyday I make something with my pantry excess.I will be blogging side by side about the dishes which turn out blog-worthy as well.

First of all,I started with the small pack of fresh cream I had bought ages ago to make icecream.That didn't materialise somehow, so last weekend I made two tasty dishes with the cream. Firstly,a staple favourite of Indians for lunch/dinner, Malai Paneer and a classic Indian dessert,the Malai Kulfi. Needless to say,whimsical that I am,there were twists to both the items. Since they both turned out to be great,here is chronicling both of them.


MALAI MAKAI PANEER
(Cottage Cheese cubes and juicy niblets of Corn in a rich tomato-puree and fresh cream gravy)

Serves:3





ingredients:
300 gms paneer/cottage cheese
2 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 capsicum cut into long strips
4 tbsp tomato puree
a fist full of sweet corn kernels,frozen will do
3-4 green chillies slit lengthwise
4 tbsp fresh cream
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
3 tbsp white oil

procedure:
heat oil in a pan.temper with cumin seeds.fry onions till they turn soft n pale.add capsicum and tomato and fry for a few minutes.add tomato puree,turmeric,red chilly, cumin powder.mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.add the paneer pieces.stir to coat well with the sauce.add salt to taste.add a cup of water and bring to boil.add corn and let it cook for 4-5 minutes.beat the cream with sugar.add to the pan.stir well so that no lumps are formed.lower the temperature,cover and cook for a few minutes till the gravy thickens to your desired consistency. serve hot with any Indian bread.



The overall combination of the tangy tomato puree with the sweet cream was a rich yet light,subtly beautiful curry that left everyone at the table licking their fingers and craving for more. We had it with homemade rotis but it would work great with tandoori roti or naan as well. The corn is always optional but I had a big bag of frozen corn to finish off and hence the addition.Normally one can use frozen green peas in the same way. Peas and Paneer are a match made in culinary heaven,they always work beautifully with each other.