Marinated Paneer Cheese With Saffron Yogurt Sauce Recipes

PANEER: HOMEMADE INDIAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
• In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
• Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
• Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
• Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
• Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
• Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese! You did it! You can now use this in any number of traditional Indian dishes, like saag paneer.

MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS WITH LEMON PEPPER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. For the kebabs: in a plastic bag or airtight container, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Add chicken, toss well to coat evenly, and refrigerate overnight.
• 2. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• 3. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and season well with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and juices of chicken run clear when pricked with the end of the skewer. Thread 3 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Serve with Lemon-Pepper Yogurt Sauce.

MARINATED CHEESE

Steps:

• In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.
• Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.

YOGURT-MARINATED FRIED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND PAPRIKA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine saffron with 1 tablespoon water and let soak 10 minutes. Place in food processor with yogurt and garlic and purée until smooth and yellow. Place chicken in glass or ceramic bowl; pour yogurt mixture on top, turn to coat; cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, paprika, mint, salt and pepper. Heat a generous half-inch oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Drop in a bit of bread to test temperature; oil should bubble vigorously. Working in batches to avoid crowding, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, then fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately, topped with walnuts and lemon wedges.

MARINATED PANEER CHEESE WITH SAFFRON YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the saffron. Prepare the paneer cheese, then cut it into triangles about 1/2 inch thick. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt and saffron and allow to steep at least 30 minutes. Then add in the ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, ajwain seeds, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt. Add the paneer cheese pieces and mix well. Cover and marinate at least 4 and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the paneer pieces until lightly golden, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.3. Mix together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the marinade left sticking to the pan.4. In a small nonstick wok or skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat then add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly mix in the coriander and the cornstarch mixture and bring to a quick boil over high heat. The sauce should thicken immediately. Mix in the cardamom seeds. Drizzle the sauce over the paneer cheese, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MARINATED PANEER CHEESE WITH SAFFRON YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the saffron. Prepare the paneer cheese, then cut it into triangles about 1/2 inch thick. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt and saffron and allow to steep at least 30 minutes. Then add in the ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, ajwain seeds, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt. Add the paneer cheese pieces and mix well. Cover and marinate at least 4 and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the paneer pieces until lightly golden, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.3. Mix together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the marinade left sticking to the pan.4. In a small nonstick wok or skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat then add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly mix in the coriander and the cornstarch mixture and bring to a quick boil over high heat. The sauce should thicken immediately. Mix in the cardamom seeds. Drizzle the sauce over the paneer cheese, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.