Cottage cheese is a brilliant source of body building protein and bone and teeth building calcium for vegetarians. The right amount of potassium and sodium stabilises the blood pressure and keeps the heart healthy, the magnesium in it boosts the immunity and folate helps prevent anaemia. Plus it is a high satiety food that keeps one full for a long time.
The best part is that it is loved almost universally by everyone. Another good news is that it is an amazingly versatile ingredient that can be eaten in multiple ways.
Try out these simple recipes to make your paneer more interesting.
Grilled Peri Peri Paneer Salad With Veggies
To make peri peri sauce blitz 3 dry red chillies, half a red pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 4-5 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper to taste and 1 tbsp oil. Coat 200 gm sliced paneer pieces in peri peri sauce and pan fry on both sides till golden brown. Or just pan fry lightly. Mix all the dressing ingredients well. Stir fry 10 button mushrooms, 100 gm broccoli, and 100 gm red and yellow pepper each and season with salt and pepper. And add a dollop of peri peri sauce to them pair with grilled paneer and enjoy.
Paneer Stuffed Besan Chilla
Take 1 besan, a pinch of ajwain, 1 tsp each of red chilli powder and coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt to taste in a bowl and mix well. Mix in 2 tbsp yoghurt and little water at a time to make a thin batter. To make the stuffing mix 100 gm crumbled paneer, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped green chillies, add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder and jeera powder, and add some coriander leaves and keep aside. all the stuffing ingredients so that spices are well blended. Keep aside.
Coat some oil on a pan, pour a ladle of batter and spread it into a circle cook on both sides for about 2-3 minutes each. Place 2-3 tbsp of stuffing in one side of the cheela and roll. Enjoy with mint and coriander chutney.
Stuffed Paneer French Toast
Mix 50 gm crumbled paneer, with 1 chopped onion and 1 tomato and 2 chopped green chilies and salt to taste. Spread butter one slice of bread. Layer the paneer stuffing. Top with another bread slice layered with butter. Beat one egg with salt and pepper to taste. Dip the bread sandwich in the egg mixture on both sides and cook on a heated pan till golden brown on both sides.
Litchi Paneer Delight
Deseed 200 gm litchi, stuff it with lightly sweetened with honey or sugar 100 gm chaina (crumbled cottage cheese), chill and have.
Spicy Snacks Paneer
Make a paste with 1tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 2 tbsp of yoghurt, salt, pepper to taste and 1 tbsp oil. Add a pinch of haldi. Marinate cubes of 100 gm paneer (coat well). Let it sit for an hour. Then put in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. When done sprinkle herbs of choice on top
Fruity Delight
Blend into a paste 100 gm cottage cheese along with 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp milk, and a drizzle of vanilla essence using a mixer. Place one bowl of mixed fruits (any) cut into small pieces in a bowl. Add the paste, mix it gently, and chill and eat.
Naan Pizza
Spread 50g of cottage cheese blended well with 2tsp milk cream over a naan or accha parantha. Then spoon 1 tbsp of mint-coriander chutney. Top with slices of capsicum and onion (can add some ham too). Drizzle with a little olive oil and grill on medium heat for 7-8 minutes until the veggies are slightly browned. Cut into slices and serve hot.
(Kavita is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico), Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa) and Fix it with foods.)
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