I don’t remember when I started to hate Paneer, but I don’t really like it that much. When I was pregnant with Arlo, I cried so much because I hated eating it every single day for a meal. VJ would hug me and tell me a few more weeks. I think that’s one thing I hated about pregnancy – being Diabetic. My whole family has diabetes – my dad, his mom and his brother, my mom and one of her sister, but they were diagnosed with it when they were in their 40’s. So it came as a shock to me when I was diagnosed just when I turned twenty-six. I was disappointed in myself and my body. But of course, the hormonal imbalance in my body was to be blamed. So I was sent to a dietician and given a list of what I could eat. Basically, I was told I couldn’t eat what I was eating anymore.

From then I started to try and introduce protein into my diet. Chickpeas are not protein. Lentils are not protein. At least, not for a diabetic. Tofu, Paneer, Edamame, Soy Products, Peanuts, Almonds, and Walnuts are the major source of protein for a diabetic. I hate tofu. I did not discover Edamame until later in my pregnancy and of course, there’s Paneer. Most North Indian dishes use paneer, but in South Indian dishes it’s not used that much. A friend told me that I could do paneer pesarattu (will upload the recipe soon) and I like it okay. Costco has this big pack of paneer that is very good. It’s soft and not chewy like the ones that we get at the Indian store. So I pick up one every two weeks and make something or the other with it. I made Paneer Pakoda last week and I have to use it within 10 days after opening, so I decided to make some Paneer Burji with roti. Surprisingly it was okay, but I wish I had added some green chilies to make it a bit spicier. So here’s the how I made it.

 

Ingredients

Paneer – 2 cups grated (I used about 250gms)

Onion – 1 medium finely chopped

Red Bell pepper – 1 finely chopped

Green Peas – 1 cup (I used frozen)

Carrot – 1 large grated (finely chopped carrot works too)

Garlic – 5 cloves finely chopped

Butter – 2 tablespoons

Oil – 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida – 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon

Sambar Powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric – 1/4 teaspoon

Salt – as required

Coriander leaves –  2 tablespoons (for garnish)

 

How to Make

Step 1: Heat a pan. Once heated add the butter and oil. As the butter starts to melt, add the cumin seeds and the asafoetida. Once the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the garlic and fry until golden brown.

Step 2: Once the garlic has turned golden brown, add the onions and fry till translucent, then add coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder, sambar powder, turmeric, and salt. Give it a quick mix and then add the carrots, green peas, and bell pepper.

Step 3: Mix the veggies together and keep mixing them up every 3 minutes. Once the veggies are soft, especially the peas, add the paneer and mix it up.

Step 4: You can mash the paneer or leave it as it is. Garnish with coriander and serve with roti or naan.

 

Tips:

1. This recipe won’t go well with rice and only tastes good with roti or chapati.
2. You can use any veggies. You can add spinach, corn, any color bell peppers, beans, and tomatoes.
3. You can use green chilies instead of Kashmiri Red Chili Powder.

Po