PANEER POLLICHATHU

Paneer Pollichathu is a protein rich re-creation inspired by Kerala's fish recipe. The tomato onion spice base is very common to South Asian vegetarian and meat based cooking.Wrapping Paneer in banana leaves plays an important role in imparting a unique flavour to the dish. This piquant snack is a nice tea time companion.  To nail it perfectly please use only fresh Paneer and not the frozen. Without much ado, let me run you through the recipe. 

Preparation time: 30 min ( includes marinating and preparing the tangy masala)
Cooking Time : 10 min
Category: Snack, Starter
Spice Level: Spicy
Difficulty level: easy
Cuisine: Kerala
Serves : 2 to 3
Nutrition Facts
Servings 3.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 187
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13 g20 %
Saturated Fat 8 g41 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 1 mg0 %
Sodium 521 mg22 %
Potassium 31 mg1 %
Total Carbohydrate 12 g4 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g9 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 6 g11 %
Vitamin A27 %
Vitamin C28 %
Calcium4 %
Iron5 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
INGREDIENTS
MARINADE
  •  200 gm Fresh Paneer / Cottage Cheese 
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper powder
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp Water
  • 2 tbsp Coconut Oil and Peanut Oil ( 1 tbsp+1 tbsp)
MASALA
  • 1 big Onion
  • 1 big Tomato
  • 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 slit green chillies
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder (regular or Kashmiri)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper powder
  • 1/4 turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp masala powder of choice ( optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • Curry leaves
  • Chopped coriander, mint and raw onions for garnish
OTHER
  • 2 tender Banana leaves 
METHOD
  • Mix all the dry powders mentioned with lime juice, salt and water to make a smooth lump free batter of medium thickness.
  • Cut the Paneer block into two.
  • Dip and coat in the marinade mix and set this aside for 30-40 min to infuse well. 
  • Chop the onion and tomato. Prepare fresh ginger garlic paste. 
  • Assemble spice powders, curry leaves, salt and get the garnish ready. Slice thin rounds from the other half of lime. Set all these aside. 
  • Heat 2 tbsp oil and flash fry the Paneer slices in oil. Cook each side for say a minute and carefully drain it on a plate. Take care not to break the Paneer. 
  • While the heat is still on, saute Onion, green chilli and ginger-garlic paste with some salt. When this turns transparent, add the tomatoes and continue sauteing. 
  • Add all the spice powders, salt and sugar and continue until all the oil separates and the mix turns aromatic and tangy. Give it a taste and balance flavours if need be. 
  • Turn the heat off.
  • Expose banana leaves to the the open flame from tip to base to make it pliable. 
  • Cut a small piece of  say 10 inches from both the leaves and place it in the middle of the larger piece. 
  • Spread out a small portion of the Masala on the small leaf like a sandwich filling. 
  • Place a fried Paneer slice on it. Top up again with more Masala and spread to cover the slice on the sides as well. 
  • Top up with curry leaves, coriander, chopped mint leaves.
  • Now wrap the small leaf around the Paneer and simultaneously wrap he outer big leaf to make a pocket and secure with a thread to hold the content compact and tight. Repeat to make another pocket. 
  • Place a large iron pan on the stove and heat 1 tbsp oil on low flame. When hot gently place both the leaf pockets and cook for 3-5 min. Close with a lid.
  • Similarly, flip and cook the other side. Serve hot. Garnish with raw onions and  serve with lemon slices. 




Comments

  1. wow !! am in for anything in those wilted banana leaves, makes me drool ..yummy!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The banana leaf adds a unique flavor and aroma to the dish. It's a must try recipe for vegetarian days ;)

    ReplyDelete

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