Parwal Achari (Pointed Gourd cooked with Pickle Masala)

 

           This recipe of Parwal is cooked in an unusual way with achari masala, which is typically used with paneer. Here I have tried it with parwal and it simply tastes delicious and different than the usual parwal dalna or dolma. It is best had with phulkas / parathas. However, you may try with rice too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing dish.

• 7-8 Parwals (pointed gourd), washed well and drained
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste / puree of 1 tomato
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. pickle masala
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

         

         Scrape the parwals as shown and make two cuts on both ends. 

         Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and shallow fry the Parwals with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder till light brown. Keep aside.

          Heat the remaining oil and temper with cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the onion and stir fry till light brown. 

          Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and chili powder. Fry till the oil separates. 

          Now add the tomato paste and 2 tbsp. water. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Then add the fried Parwals and salt. Mix well.

          Add 3/4 cup water and cook, covered, on a low flame for 4-5 minutes or till the Parwals are tender and the gravy thickens slightly.

          Add the pickle masala and give it a nice mix. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve either with steamed rice or chapatti. 

       Scrape the parwals as shown & make two cuts on both ends. 

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan & shallow fry the Parwals with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder till light brown. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil & temper with cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                Add the onion and stir fry till light brown. 

Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder & chili powder. Fry till the oil separates. 

Now add the tomato paste & 2 tbsp. water. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                    Then add the fried Parwals and salt. Mix well.

Add 3/4 cup water & cook, covered, on a low flame for 4-5 minutes or till the Parwals are tender & the gravy thickens slightly.

                   Add the pickle masala and give it a nice mix. 

                 Garnish with coriander leaves.

               Serve either with steamed rice or chapatti. 

Achari Paneer Tikka

 

           Check out this yummy Achari Paneer Tikka. The paneer cubes and the veggies were marinated in homemade raw mango pickle, yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste and other spices. I first shallow fried them in a pan. Then threaded them into greased skewers. To give a Smokey flavor, I placed the skewers on a steel wire mesh and fire grilled on a direct flame on the stove top till it is slightly charred. 

          

            These yummy small bites are best enjoyed with green chutney and accompanied with sliced onion, lime and green chilies. They can also be served in sandwiches or as a paneer roll for a light meal on the go. You can pack them up for lunch in parathas. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 200 gms. paneer cubes
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. hung yoghurt
• 2 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour 
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp. grated raw mango pickle (recipe given below)
• few wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• few dices of onion and tomato
• chopped coriander leaves to garnish
• any chutney, sliced onion, lime & green chilies to serve

           Make a paste of yoghurt, raw mango pickle, roasted chickpea flour, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, 1 tbsp. mustard oil, ginger-garlic paste and salt.   

          Add the the paneer cubes and the diced onion and tomato. Marinate them with the achari paste for an hour in the refrigerator.

          Heat the remaining oil in a pan and sauté the marinated paneer and veggies for a few seconds on all sides. Keep aside.

          Thread the sautéed paneer and veggies into greased skewers.

          

          To give a Smokey flavor, place the skewers on a steel wire mesh and fire grill on a direct flame on the stove top till it is slightly charred. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve along with any chutney, sliced onion lime and green chilies as an appetizer. 

     

             Make a paste of yoghurt, raw mango pickle, roasted chickpea flour, 

              Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, 1 tbsp. 

               mustard oil, ginger-garlic paste and salt.   

                          Add the paneer cubes & the diced onion and tomato.

             Marinate them with the achari paste for an hour in the refrigerator.

                       Heat the remaining oil & sauté the marinated paneer.....

                       and veggies for a few seconds on all sides. 

                            Keep aside.

                   Thread the sautéed paneer & veggies into greased skewers.

                    For a Smokey flavor, place the skewers on a steel wire mesh fire 

                grill on a direct flame on the stove top till it is slightly charred. 

              Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with any chutney, sliced

                  onion lime and green chilies as an appetizer. 

Raw Mango Pickle - 

• 2 medium raw mango, grated
• 2 tbsp. dry roasted panch phoron, powdered
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup mustard oil
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp. red chili powder

          In a bowl, combine all the ingredients well and store in an airtight container. 

          Refrigerate it and consume after a week.

        

Note - 

         1.  Panch Phoron - (equal quantity of fennel, fenugreek, mustard, cumin & nigella seeds).


2.  The quantity of fenugreek seeds in the panch phoron masala may be reduced due to its bitterness.

Pan Fried Achari Paneer Tikka

 

           Paneer Tikka is a yummy and flavorful appetizer / snack found in most of the Indian restaurants and dhabas. This is a very easy and a quick paneer recipe that is very popular globally. It literally translates to marinated cottage cheese that is pan fried. It can also be pan / oven grilled to perfection.

          However, I gave a slight twist to the recipe by adding some homemade grated raw mango pickle for some achari flavour. This is a soul satisfying comfort food, a weekend menu and a great party recipe too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this delicious and succulent restaurant style vegetarian tikka.

           Paneer is traditionally grilled in a tandoor (clay oven) for an amazing smoky flavour. However, it can also be pan fried as the best alternative. For best results, marinate the paneer slices for longer duration, preferably overnight.

       

            Every individual / restaurant have their own special way of preparing it and this is my version of this yummy Punjabi style paneer tikka. It is native to the Indian State of Punjab, that is now universally popular. So do give it a try and enjoy with your loved ones.

    

• 300 gms. paneer slices
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. grated raw mango pickle
• 1 tsp. mustard oil
• 1 tbsp. yoghurt
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. besan (gram flour)
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 2-3 tbsp. oil to pan fry
• mint & coriander leaves to garnish
• Pickle oil to drizzle

          In a bowl, take all the ingredients (except oil to fry) and mix well. Marinate the paneer slices with the paste for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight for best results. 

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated paneer on both sides till light golden in colour. Serve as an appetizer / snack with or without any chutney/ dip / sauce.

In a bowl, take all the ingredients (except oil to fry).

Mix well. 

Marinate the paneer slices with the paste for 1-2 hours. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated paneer .....

...... on both sides till light golden in colour. 

                    Serve as an appetizer / snack with or without any chutney / dip / sauce.

Achari Mutton Biryani

 

           Check out my version of a yummy Mutton Biryani where I gave a twist by adding some homemade mango pickle. This gave the Biryani a slightly different flavour. I also added some dry roasted and ground achari powder and this gave a slight hint of achari taste to the dish. It turned out simply awesome. Serve this yummy one-pot delicacy with some raita, onion rings and lime wedges. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this universally popular delicacy.

          In this recipe, I cooked the mutton and the rice separately. Then layered it and cooked on a dum style. This is a perfect one-pot meal and a nice option for a weekend lunch with your loved ones. This is also a great party recipe or any special occasions. 

Marination - 

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, curry cut
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. achari powder
• 1 tsp. mustard oil
• 2 tbsp. yoghurt

To dry roast & grind Achari Masala -  

• 1 tsp. nigella seeds 
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds 
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds 

Rice - 

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1" cinnamon
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 mace

Mutton curry - 

• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 small potatoes
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp. bottled pickle masala

Garnishing - 

• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. fried onions
• 1 tbsp. ghee 
• few strands of saffron mixed in 1/4 cup milk
• 1-2 boiled eggs, 

            Dry roast the ingredients under Achari Masala and keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder. 

          Marination - Marinate the mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under MARINATION and 2 tsp. of the achari masala for 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

          Rice - Bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil along with all the ingredients mentioned under RICE. Add the rice and simmer till it is almost done (al dente). Drain and keep aside. 

          Mutton Curry - Heat oil and fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion till light brown. Add the tomato and cook till it is well mashed. 

         Now add the marinated mutton and cook, covered on a low flame till almost dry. Add 1 cup water and the fried potatoes. 

         Pressure cook for 20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. Transfer the contents back to the pan and add the bottled pickle masala and simmer till the gravy thickens.

          To Assemble - Grease a thick bottomed pan and layer with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle some fried onion and coriander leaves.

          Spread the cooked mutton (keep aside the potatoes) evenly over the rice and again sprinkle coriander leaves + fried onion.

          Top it up with the remaining rice, coriander leaves, fried onion, cooked potatoes, boiled egg, saffron milk and ghee. 

          Cover and cook on dum on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. Serve with raita, onion rings and lime wedges for a weekend comfort lunch. 

                    Dry roast the ingredients under Achari Masala & keep aside to cool. Then 

                    grind into a fine powder. 

                              Marinate mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under 

                  MARINATION & 2 tsp. of achari masala for 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

                     Bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil along with all the ingredients 

                     mentioned under RICE. 

                                  Add the rice.

                                  Simmer till it is almost done. 

                                  (al dente)

                                  Drain and keep aside. 

 Heat oil & fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Drain & keep aside.

 In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion till light brown. 

                                  Add the tomato and cook till it is well mashed. 

                                  Now add the marinated mutton.

                                  Cook, covered on a low flame till almost dry. 

                                   Add 1 cup water and the fried potatoes. 

                         Pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

                                  Transfer the contents back to the pan. 

                              Add the bottled pickle masala & simmer till the gravy thickens.

                      Grease a thick bottomed pan & layer with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle

                      some fried onion & coriander leaves.

                      Spread the cooked mutton (keep aside the potatoes) evenly over the rice &

                      again sprinkle coriander leaves + fried onion.

Top it up with the remaining rice, coriander leaves, fried onion, cooked 

 potatoes, boiled egg, saffron milk & ghee. Cover & cook on dum on a 

                  low flame for 8-10 minutes.

 Serve with raita, onion rings and lime wedges for a weekend comfort lunch.