Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian

September 2, 2021 No Comments

This Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian is a real treat for the senses! It smells so good and tastes so delicious. It is a bit rich in taste as the eggplant and paneer are both fried in oil, so definitely an occasional treat, not an everyday meal!

I have heard of and tasted cauliflower, mushroom, and chicken Manchurian, but I have not seen or heard of Manchurian made from eggplant. So, I was curious to see how this would turn out.

Usually in this dish, the vegetable is deep-fried in a batter and then added to the sauce. I wanted to try it without deep-frying the eggplant, but the eggplant absorbed so much oil that it was as good as deep frying it! I think the next time I make it, my trusty air fryer will be used! If you would like to use less oil, I suggest air frying or baking the eggplant.

In the end, I was happy with how it turned out, it tasted so delicious, what a great and different way to use up an eggplant!

What are the Ingredients for Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian?

Eggplant

Paneer

Spring Onions (Scallions )

Garlic

Ginger

Green chilies

Cilantro

For the sauce:

Soya sauce

Sriracha

Tomato Ketchup

Vinegar

Oil

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How do you make this dish?

Cut the eggplant into slices, ( I soaked the eggplant in salt water for about 15 minutes to remove the bitterness, after that I washed the eggplant slices and dried them with a kitchen towel)

Next, cut each one into 4 quarters. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant quarters till golden brown, the eggplant does soak up a lot of oil. I drizzled a little bit more now and then.

I think the next time I will use my air fryer or roast the eggplant in the oven just to reduce the amount of oil used. You can try this if you want to make it less oily.

After the eggplant is fried, keep them aside.

Pan-fry the paneer with a little bit of salt and pepper. (Once fried, put them in hot water until ready to use, this keeps them soft)

Chop your scallions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies.

Heat up a pan with some oil, when hot add in all the chopped ingredients. Stirring quickly so they do not burn. Add the sauce mixture. Mix it all well and add in the eggplant and paneer.

Let the sauce coat the eggplant and paneer well.

Last, add the green parts of the scallions and cilantro. Mix it all up and your delicious Manchurian is ready!

Eat with Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice, Quick Chicken and Egg Noodles, roti, or paratha.

Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian

Eggplant and Paneer fried with scallions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro and then cooked with a spicy chili sauce.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Indian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Total Time 40

Author Nandini

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
10 cubes Paneer
3 Scallions
4 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
2 green chilies
Oil as required

For the sauce

1/4 cup Soya sauce
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Instructions

Cut eggplant into slices and then into quarters, sprinkle salt on them, and let them sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This brings out the bitterness in them.
After 10 minutes wash the eggplant slices and dry them with a kitchen towel.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the slices till golden brown on both sides. You can also use an air fryer or oven to use less oil.
Pan-fry the paneer cubes till golden brown (sprinkle with salt and pepper), and keep them in hot water. This makes it remain soft.
Chop the spring onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and keep the sauce aside until needed.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium-high heat, when the oil is hot, add the chopped ingredients except for cilantro and scallion greens.
Add the sauce and mix well. Immediately add the fried eggplant and paneer(drained). (The paneer can be seasoned with some salt and pepper at this point)
Mix well so the sauce coats the eggplant and paneer well. Check for salt, and add if needed. Lastly, garnish with scallion greens and cilantro.

NOTES:

The eggplant and paneer can be air fried or baked to reduce the amount of oil that goes into this dish.
This dish is spicy, to reduce the spice level, add fewer green chiles and less Sriracha sauce.
I do not mention salt in the ingredient list as the soya sauce is salty, but you can taste it and add salt in the end if required.
You can use chopped onion instead of scallions but using scallions is preferred.

Do try out this different way of cooking eggplant. Let me know your feedback if you try it out by commenting below.

Thank you for visiting my little blog! I appreciate you being here!

You might also be interested in these other simple and delicious vegetarian recipes:

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Beetroot Cutlets

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

Quinoa Upma

Image by Marta Kulesza from Pixabay

Recipes

Paneer Masala

July 31, 2021 No Comments

This Paneer Masala is a creamy delicious curry that tastes best with Naan or paratha. It does not have any cream but gets its creaminess from the cashew nut paste. To make it vegan you can use tofu instead of paneer.

I love paneer and have it at least once every week. If you like paneer this recipe is a must-try! You might also like to try my palak paneer recipe and my mixed vegetable and paneer curry.

First, let’s talk about this life-changing Onion Masala!

I use Instant Pot onion masala in this recipe. I highly recommend making this over the weekend and you can have all your meals ready in no time for the week. This is a lifesaver and a must if you cook Indian food every day or even if you like eating Indian food. If you have this onion masala your life becomes so much easier! I follow this recipe from Ashley over at her blog myheartbeets.com. Her blog is full of recipes using onion masala and she has tons of Instant Pot recipes too. Do check out her website.

If you do not have onion masala, you can start the recipe by making your masala as follows:

Heat oil in a pan, add onions(1 chopped)fry till slightly brown. Add ginger garlic paste(1 Tsp), fry a little, add tomatoes(2 chopped)with turmeric 1/4 Tsp), chili powder ( 1 Tsp), coriander powder(1 tsp), and cumin powder (1/4 Tsp). Mix, cover your pan and let it cook. When the oil floats on top your masala is ready.

Wait for it to cool down and purée it in a blender. Or use an immersion blender.

Your onion masala is ready.

If you pre-make this onion masala and have it in your freezer, cooking Indian food becomes much simpler! The baby food freezer cubes from Amazon seen below are what I use to freeze my onion masala cubes.

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Ingredients required for Paneer Masala:

Paneer- cut into cubes about 200 gms, soak the paneer in hot water till you use it, this makes it soft.

Onion Masala – 2 cubes ( or make the masala as stated above)

Red onion – 1/2 cut into cubes

Green bell pepper- 1/2 cut into cubes

Vinegar

Cashew nuts – soaked in warm water for 15 minutes

Kasuri Methi – Dried Fenugreek leaves are available in any Indian store, you must use this for the best taste.

Sugar – 1 Tsp

Spice powders- Turmeric, Kashmiri Chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt to taste.

How do you make this Paneer Masala?

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cubed onion and green bell pepper. Fry for a few minutes. It has to remain crisp and not become soft. Take them out and set them aside.

In the same pan, add the onion masala, all the spice powders, the vinegar, sugar, and a little water. Close the pan and let this come to a boil. Add the cashew paste. Mix and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Add water to thin it out if you like.

Next, add the paneer along with the Kasuri methi and a sprinkle of garam masala powder.

Mix and cover it, so that all the flavors meld. The masala will be thick because of the cashew paste. You can always add a little water to thin it out, but check for salt and add some if required.

After 5 minutes switch off the flame. Add the onions and bell peppers into the paneer masala.

Your delicious Paneer Masala is ready!

Enjoy this with Peas Rice, Naan, or Paratha.

Paneer Masala

A creamy paneer gravy made with onion tomato masala with added spices, green bell pepper, and red onions.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

200 grams Paneer ( around 25 cubes)
2 cubes Frozen Onion Masala (around 1/2 cup)
½ Red onion cut into cubes
½ Green bell pepper cut into cubes
1 tsp White vinegar
15-20 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
2 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Spice powders

¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp Garam masala powder

Instructions

Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan. When hot add the cubed onion and bell pepper. Fry for a few minutes, it should remain crisp and not become soft. Take them out and set them aside.
In the same pan add 1 tbsp oil, then add the onion masala, the spice powders, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a little water. Mix it all up and cover the pan. Let it come to a boil. Stir in between so it does not burn.
Blend the cashew nuts into a paste adding some water. Add this cashew paste to the masala, cook for about 5 minutes, adding a little water to thin it out.
Add the paneer along with the Kasuri methi and a sprinkle of garam masala powder. Mix it and cover the pan. Cook it for another 5 minutes on low flame.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Add the previously fried onions and bell pepper to it, mix it and garnish with more Kasuri Methi or chopped cilantro.
Your paneer masala is ready! Enjoy with rice, Naan, or paratha.

Notes:

To make it vegan, use Extra firm tofu instead of paneer.
To make it even tastier you can fry the paneer before adding it to the masala. I left out that step as I did not want to add more oil to the dish.
After the curry is ready, you can serve it drizzled with heavy whipping cream on top or add a dollop of butter! That adds to the richness and taste.
Add more red chili powder to make it spicier.
You can leave out the onion and bell pepper if you do not have them.

Let me know if you try this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment.

Thank you for visiting! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Here are some other vegetarian recipes you might be interested in:

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Chickpea Masala

Beetroot Cutlets

Air Fryer Tortilla Samosas

Easy and Tasty Chickpea Burgers

Indian Lime/ Lemon Rice

Air Fryer Okra Fries

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Recipes

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

June 21, 2021 2 Comments

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry is a great way to use up all your vegetables! It tastes delicious with rice or with paratha, roti, or naan.

The gravy is creamy yet spicy. Once you have all your ingredients ready, it takes just about 20 minutes to come together. You can add any vegetables you like. I love paneer so I added it. You can skip the paneer if you are vegan. A good substitute for paneer is tofu.

The vegetables I used are carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, beans, and peas.

You could also use potatoes, broccoli, pumpkin, eggplant, bell peppers, or mushrooms.

The creaminess comes from the cashew nuts, and the spice is from the Chili powder, green chili, and garam masala.

What are the ingredients for Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry?

Mixed Vegetables – about 2 cups of mixed vegetables like carrots, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes, peas, etc.

Paneer – about 100gms ( maybe 20 cubes). I use a store-bought paneer. I cut it into cubes and soak them in hot water until I’m ready to put it in the gravy. Drain the water just before adding the paneer to the gravy. This always results in the paneer remaining soft in the gravy.

Onions – one small yellow onion chopped.

Tomatoes – 2 tomatoes finely chopped or liquified in a blender. I

I used one cube of homemade tomato paste. Making homemade tomato paste and freezing it in cubes is easy, it makes everyday cooking so much easier!

Blend about 12 to 15 tomatoes in your blender, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep pan, add the tomatoes and cook them down on low flame for about 3 to 4 hours. With just a little bit of work, you can have easy meals all week!

Ginger garlic paste

Green chili

Cashew nuts – a handful soaked in warm water

Spice powders – turmeric, chili, coriander, garam masala, and salt to taste

Cooking oil – any neutral cooking oil is fine

How do you make Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry?

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry for some time, add ginger garlic paste, and green chili, fry till the onions turn slightly brown. Next, add the tomatoes or tomato paste. Mix well. Fry for some time with the pan covered. Wait until the tomatoes are soft and you can see oil floating on top.

Add all the spices, stir and add all the vegetables. I recommend adding cauliflower later as it cooks really fast. Add a little water, cover, and cook till all the vegetables are tender.

Make cashew paste and add it with a little water to get a nice gravy consistency. Add the paneer pieces with crushed kasoori methi if using. Check for salt and add more if required.

The gravy will thicken because of the cashew paste, you can always add a little water to thin it out.

After adding the paneer, cover and cook for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves. Switch off and serve hot.

Enjoy this yummy dish with Peas Rice, naan, roti, plain rice, or paratha.

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

Creamy and Spicy Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Gravy

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Author Nandini

Ingredients

2 cups Mixed Vegetables
1 Onion chopped
2 Tomatoes (or 1 cube of homemade tomato paste)
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1 Green Chili (or more if you like it spicy)
15 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, and ground into a paste)
20 Cubes of Paneer (soaked in hot water)
1 tbsp Crushed Kasoori Methi (optional)
2 tbsp Olive oil (or any cooking oil)
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Spice powders

¼ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Chili powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
½ tsp Garam Masala powder
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Heat oil in a wide pan. Add chopped onions, and fry for some time.
Add ginger-garlic paste, and green chili. Fry till the onions turn slightly brown.
Add chopped tomatoes or homemade tomato paste. Mix well and fry till oil floats on top.
Add all the spices, stir, and add the mixed vegetables. Add a little water, cover, and cook till all the vegetables are tender.
Add cashew paste, and a little more water to get a nice gravy consistency.
Add the paneer cubes, and kasoori methi crushed if using. Cover and cook for a few minutes.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves.
The gravy will thicken because of the cashew paste, you can add a little more water to thin it out.
Switch off and serve hot with Rice, Naan, Paratha, or Roti.

Notes:

Cut all the vegetables more or less the same size, so they get cooked at the same time.
If you are adding vegetables that cook really fast like cauliflower and broccoli, add them a little later.
Paneer cubes are soaked in hot water so they remain soft. Do this just before starting cooking.
Cashew nuts are soaked in warm water so it makes it easier to grind into a paste. Soak them just before you start to prep for the recipe, grind them just before you have to add it.
The cashew nut paste will thicken the gravy, so you can always add a little more water to thin it out when reheating.
Kasoori Methi is dried fenugreek leaves, it does give the gravy a nice taste. It is optional.
I use store-bought garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, and paneer. All of them can be made at home. Here are links to amazing homemade recipes if you would like to try. All are from Dassana from VegrecipesofIndia.com Homemade Garam Masala, Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste, Homemade Paneer

All her recipes are so well explained with step-by-step pictures. So please visit her website to try any of these recipes.

Do try out this delicious Mixed vegetable and paneer curry, it’s a great option if you are having family and friends over.

This dish goes very well with Instant Pot Peas Pulao, or 2 Ingredient Naan

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Recipes

Palak Paneer

May 21, 2021 2 Comments

Palak Paneer Is Indian cottage cheese in Spinach puree with Indian spices.

Paneer is Indian cottage cheese. Palak is Spinach and the combination of the two is just so flavorful.

This dish is on the menu of every Indian restaurant. It originated in North India. It is one of the most popular dishes from India and is available throughout this world.

This is a very simple recipe that comes together fast.

The ingredients you need for Palak Paneer are:

Paneer – I use store-bought paneer, but you could make it at home too.

Here is a step by step recipe to make Paneer at home

Spinach – A big bunch of spinach

Ginger – about 1/2 an inch

Green chilies – 2

Kasoori Methi – Dried Fenugreek leaves

Onion

Tomato

Red chili powder

Coriander powder

Garam masala powder

Salt to taste

How do you make Palak Paneer?

Cut paneer into cubes and soak in hot water till ready to use. I find that it makes the paneer softer.

Blanch spinach leaves, green chilies, ginger, and about 1 tbsp of Kasoori methi in hot water. To make it even quicker, I just put them in the microwave for 2 minutes with a little water.

Once it cools down, blend in a blender. It does not have to be a very smooth paste.

Heat up oil in a pan, add onions, fry till translucent, add tomato and powders. Cover and cook till oil floats on top.

Add spinach mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add drained paneer, sprinkle some garam masala, salt to taste.

Crush some Kasoori methi in your hands and add to the dish.

Mix and let it cook for a few more minutes.

Optional:

Just before switching off add a little bit of heavy cream. Or whole milk if you do not have cream.

To make it vegan you could use Tofu as suggested by one of my readers Ms.Sandra. And instead of cream/milk, you could use cashew paste to give it a rich taste.

Palak Paneer

Indian Cottage Cheese cubes in Spinach onion tomato gravy.

Author Nandini

Ingredients

20 Paneer cubes (or 200 gms of Paneer)
1/2 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
1 tbsp Cooking oil (I use olive oil)
½ tsp Kashmiri Chili powder (You can use regular chili powder)
1 tsp Coriander powder
½ tsp Garam masala powder
Salt to taste
½ tbsp Kasoori Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
2 tbsp Fresh cream or whole milk (optional)

For the spinach puree

1 bunch Spinach
½ inch Ginger
2 Green chilles
½ tbsp Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

Instructions

Cut paneer into cubes and soak in some hot water till ready to use. I find that this makes the paneer softer.
Put all the spinach puree ingrediants together and blanch in hot water. To make things quicker i usually put the spinach, ginger, green chillies, and Kasoori Methi in a glass bowl, add about 1/2 cup water and microwave it for about 2 minutes.
Once the spinach mixture has cooled down, puree it in a blender.
Heat up a pan, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil. When hot add the chopped onion, fry till translucent.
Add chopped tomato, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix it well. Fry till oil separates about 15 minutes on medium-low flame covered with a lid.
Add the spinach puree and mix it well. Add salt to taste.
Let this cook for about 5 minutes uncovered.
After 5 minutes, add drained paneer with garam masala and crushed Kasoori Methi.
Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
To add some creaminess to the gravy, you can add about 2 tbsps of fresh cream or whole milk.
Switch off the flame and your delicious Palak Paneer is ready!

Enjoy your Palak Paneer with Peas Pulao, Ghee Rice, or homemade 2 ingredient naan.