I feel this year has been frequently about dealing with one illness after another. Everyone told that this is common with all kids in their first year of school. No matter how much we prepare ourselves, when the sickness strikes, the days just get extremely stressful. I guess that’s the contract we signed when we decided to become parents. Dealing with phases after phases. When one of those chapter hits, I go back to one of my favorite ingredients to cook with - Paneer! It cooks fast, is protein packed and there are numerous different ways to use paneer in your meal.
Paneer is one of the most common ingredients in India. This fresh coagulated cheese, unlike other cheeses, stays firm. It retains its shape as it cooks, soaks up the entire flavor and doesn’t melt. This makes it perfect for grilling, stir-fries and curries. The thing to remember about paneer is that as it sits, it gets tough but once you heat it up, it relaxes and gets spongy. Making fresh paneer is extremely easy and I don’t remember Mom every buying it. But then given the fact that it still takes effort, even if minimal and that finding a block of paneer is so easy these days. I almost always just go for the store bought ones. Store bought paneer chunks are never as soft as the homemade. One technique that always works to soften the texture is by soaking the paneer cubes in hot water for about 15 minutes.
Paneer Jalfrezi is a very common dish in India. You can find it in almost every Indian restaurants. Although the term Jalfrezi comes indirectly from Bengali Jhal (which means spicy), I like to keep , my version of Paneer Jalfrezi, gently spiced. Mostly because Avyan still cannot enjoy spicy food. Typically, this dish requires green bell peppers but I like to prepare with red and orange. It gives a vibrant shade and adds a mild sweetness too. I like this without any gravy, just stir fried. But you can add water to make is saucy. Either way it’s a very hearty fast meal that will work even on busy weeknights. Serve it with roti, rice or try my instant naan.
