Homemade Tandoori Masala

You might have heard of the phrase 'the secret sauce'. For Indian cooking the equivalent phrase could very well be 'the secret masala blend'.
If I have to choose among my most favorite masala blends, it sure will be a close one between 'Tandoori masala' and 'Garam masala' - they are both absolute must-haves in my pantry! Whether you grew up eating tandoori chicken at your local restaurant or you just tasted a bite of it because someone took you along to an Indian restaurant and got completely bowled over, or anywhere in between, you would know tandoori is one of the most loved flavors in Indian dishes. And let me let you in on a secret, this is the spice blend (read: magic) behind all those lip smacking tandoori and tikka treats!

I love making homemade masalas (of course not always) but as they say homemade is definitely the BEST! Fresh, aromatic and so full of Indian-ness! Make it and use it and you’ll have a new flavor in life and in your food. Even if you regularly use the store-bought version, you will mark the noticeable difference in flavor with this fresh homemade masala. The best part is that it is so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you have not been doing it for all these years. Mom always used to grind fresh masalas on her sil-patti (stone-block). Over time, the stone block was replaced by the more convenient electric mixer/grinder, the masala and the lip-smacking taste remained unchanged.
Recently I have had quite a few requests from my readers for recipes of homemade masala blends. So here is one of my most favorite ones and stay tuned for more.

Here's a little tip- I always try to make small quantities as and when needed. Fresh-made, that's when the masala blends are the most fragrant. For grinding small quantities, I always use my coffee grinder.

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Tandoori Paneer Tikka

Paneer has been a very big part of me growing up. Those who are regular here know my obsession with this glorious cheese (if you can call cheese that, that is)! Mention paneer and there will be a sparkle in my eyes.

This dish probably needs no introduction besides its chicken counterpart being more popular. For us vegetarians out there (I have also met some meat-eaters that rave about it) this is an absolute delight on a stick. Appetizers are usually loved by people, so is paneer... add tandoori masala to it and wait there's more roast it all in an oven to get the great tandoori flavor... drooling yet?

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Tandoori Tikka Chaat

eekend mornings ~ don't we live for them! At least I most definitely do (yes I realize it is Monday and its not fair to remind you all of the weekend which is a good five days away). On weekends, we like to sleep in a little late and then I absolutely do not like waking up and having to think about what to make for breakfast. Our most common routine was to get ready and step out for a leisurely brunch at our favorite Indian restaurant. Of late, we've gotten bored of that routine, especially with a toddler. So, on most days, it is a fruit salad or juice followed by a homemade brunch. This weekend I got up a little early (yes I did :) wanted to make and eat something interesting, not the usual, something totally indulgent. I thought of making Paneer Tikka and then thought some more. I remembered seeing a recipe a while back on Sanjeev Kapoor's website. I remembered it only in its theme. After recalling the flavors, eventually it resulted in combining two of my most favorite things in one, tandoori and chaat - this killer tandoori flavored mixed veg and paneer chaat... no one was complaining :)
This is a must try for those of you who like tandoori and chaat flavors (who doesn't, right?) I can vouch for it, you will not be disappointed. As you bite into the succulent paneer and the peppers, the intense tikka flavors hits you instantly. As you savor it you realize hey wait there's more to this tikka looking dish, it in fact is chaat too. The combination of such distinct flavors make this dish an absolute delight.
Hubby has already asked to make it again ~ music to my ears :)
Unlike most weekends, I went on a cooking spree this time around. Wait for my next post to see what I made after this succulent tikka chaat!

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Paneer Calzone (whole wheat)

Friday is my most favorite day of the week. You have the whole weekend ahead of you. Also friday nights are mostly pizza nights( which my little daughter loves)... which means Pizza Hut delivery or if we have the enthu hubby and I make it together at home. Last friday I thought I should do something different and decided to make a Calzone. Of course I had to put in a desi touch to it. I remember a while back they introduced a Calzone on the Pizza Hut menu. I saw the commercials and flyers and always wanted to try it but unfortunately they never came up with a vegetarian version.
A calzone ("stocking" or "trouser" in Italian) is a sort of folded over pizza or turnover with filling. It is originally from Naples, Italy. It is made of ingredients similar to pizza, folded over and shaped like a crescent sealed on one edge, and baked. The typical calzone is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, and may include other ingredients usually associated with pizza toppings (sourced from Wikipedia).

I love the half moon envelope shape... they make for a cute and fun  presentation.
Calzone may be filled with a variety of vegetable combinations, cheeses and meats of choice. It is typically served with marinara sauce on the side for dipping. Here, I made them with my whole wheat pizza dough recipe (so they are healthier) and for the filling I used  the world famous indian cheese paneer sauted with some tandoori spices. The spicy tangy filling was definitely the highlight of this yummy calzone. It was a great dinner and made a yummy filling lunch the next day. They will be fun to take on picnics too and great as an after school snack for kids. We had this as an evening snack, but it was quite filling and so yummy that we ate more than what you you typically call snack portion :D. So much so that we didn't eat any dinner. It is an easy and interesting one pot meal and is simply delicious.

I know I am going to make this often.

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Paneer tikka kathi rolls

 

I love the idea of wraps n rolls... fun easy and a welcome change from the usual. These rolls make a complete meal by themselves. Great for picnics, casual lunch parties, these are always the first ones to go. They are also great for a nice cozy weekend brunch. All the goodness of paneer tikka, spicy marinated roasted paneer with tomatoes, onions bell peppers rolled inside a soft toasty chapati roll. B L I S S.
Here's how I make it-

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Paneer tikka Pan Pizza

I love pizza.. regardless of crust or toppings (of course without meat) - pan, handtossed, deep dish, brooklyn style, thin-crust even the bread and bagel pizza :-) a soft chewy bread loaded with veggies and other toppings loaded generously with cheese! Just can't stop raving about pizzzzzza.. I had my first ever pizza at Pizza Hut a few years ago after I got married and came here.. and boy.. I was completely hooked :-) Ahh good old days.. we used to order delivery, be total couch potatoes and sit in front of the TV for hours watching the 24 hrs special law and order marathon episodes :D
Never tried making them at home (r u kidding, never ever made even a simple daal before getting married) pizza was sooooo out of my comfort zone, but then I started getting comfy in the kitchen trying, tweaking, started baking and all.. and one good day made pizza.. I was jumping all around the house.. it was so good so perfect (now I make different kinds). Today I will talk about pan pizza.. I don't use a cast iron pan but instead use my round non stick baking pan (read about it in some food magazine).. yeah you heard me right, a regular baking pan. It comes out so perfect every time. You have to try it to believe me. Can be made using any kind of topping but my love for paneer and pizza is behind this recipe. In fact Pizza Hut has  a paneer pizza on the menu in India. Also I use whole wheat flour instead of the traditional all purpose flour to reduce the guilt ;)

Here goes.

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Chicken tikka

y brother was here for the weekend and he is the biggest "Chickenaholic" I have ever seen :) He can eat chicken in all its forms for every single meal. Though my husband and I are vegetarians, I make sure to prepare as many chicken dishes for him whenever he visits. It is difficult to make something without tasting it but I take it as a challenge... and my brother (he is a very picky eater) said this is the BEST tikka he has ever eaten... and this came from someone who once thought his pyari sister can never cook anything... hee hee... boy I was so happy! As his birthday is coming up soon, this one is especially for him.

Who is not familiar with the world famous chicken tikka... needs no introduction. I just made it the same way as I make paneer tikka. In place of paneer I used chicken. So here I am giving the recipe for something I have not tasted. Please try it and do let me know how it came out.

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Paneer tikka masala

 love paneer. I mean I really really love it in all the different ways it can be made. So does hubby and my little princess. I can have it every single day and for every single meal. Infact, I am yet to come across someone who hates paneer. I love eating it as well as making different and new recipes using it. Any restaurant visit is just incomplete for me without having atleast one paneer dish :) A great substitute for vegetarian protein and a very versatile ingredient, can be used in different preparations like rice, bread, curries, desserts etc. It is regular in our house, very easy to make and always tastes good. I just can't write enough about my love for paneer.

The world famous "Paneer tikka masala " is something I absolutely love among all the recipes of paneer. The rich and creamy sauce, subtle tandoori flavors and spicy roasted paneer is something absolutely scrumptious and can have you drooling just by thinking about it. You just can not go wrong with this. Try this delectable and flavorful paneer dish and you will know what I am talking about!

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