Mattar Paneer with a side of Fried Okra
the combination of texture was HEAVENLY 😮💨
who knew we’d meet someone so talented just walking down the street?! 🤭🫣
if you haven’t watched already, we coincidentally bumped into Kesang, and not only did she graciously host us, she even taught us how to whip up a delicious bowl of Matar Paneer and Bhindi Kurkuri in just one afternoon!
she introduced us to one of her must-have condiments at home, mustard oil, which adds such a rich depth of flavour, and showed us her beautiful spice box, filled with all the essential spices in Indian cooking. Kesang shared that whenever she misses her mother’s home-cooked meals, she would give her mum a call—and that’s what first sparked her love for cooking.
fast forward to today, those recipes are now ingrained in her memory, and she generously shared a few of them with us! We definitely enjoyed both dishes and we hope you do too :)
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Mattar Paneer (Peas and Paneer Curry)
(serves 4)
200g paneer, thawed from frozen
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
200ml tomato puree
3/4 cup yogurt, whisked
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt, to taste
masala paste
3 tbsp oil
3 cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
5 cloves
2 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves + 20g ginger (blended into a paste)
2 green chillies, sliced
2 medium-sized tomatoes, cubed
8 raw cashews
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
directions
making masala paste
In a pan on medium heat, heat oil and temper the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for 20 seconds. Then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the chillies and tomatoes and fry until softened. this usually takes about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the dry spices and cashews and mix well. cover the pan an let the spices cook out for about 6 minutes, adding water if the mixture gets too dry.
Turn off the heat and remove the whole cardamom cinnamon and cloves. add the mixture into a blender with about 1 cup of water. puree into a fine paste and add it back into the pan on medium heat.
finishing the dish
Add the paneer and peas along withe the tomato puree and some salt. cover and cook until the paneer becomes soft.
pour in the yogurt and garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes. season the sauce to taste.
serve mattar paneer with a garnish of coriander leaves, and enjoy alongside chapatti or rice!
Bhindi Kurkuri (Simple Airfried Okra)
(serves 4)
10-15 okra (ladies finger), sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
2 tbsp chickpea flour (besan flour)
1 tbsp mustard oil (or other oils)
2 tsp chaat masala
directions
in a bowl, combine okra with dried mango powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder and chickpea flour, salt and oil, mix together evenly until all the okra pieces are well coated,
place the okra pieces in a single layer in an airfryer and air fry for 10-12 minutes at 180 deg Celsius or until crispy.
serve hot with other side dishes.
if you are looking for more curry related recipes, check out the following:
Mutton Varuval - South Indian-style dry curry
this quintessential Singaporean (& Malaysian) dish could be one of the most iconic dishes reflecting our food culture
Curry Laksa Fishball - hearty, rich, shiok!
as far as ‘laksa-type’ noodle dishes go, this is one of the easiest to prepare! unlike a Nyonya-style or Katong laksa which requires making a prawn stock beforehand, a classic Singaporean/Malaysian Curry Laksa has the pungency and spice forwardness of curry powder taking centre stage, while still being creamy, mild and light with the addition of coconut…
Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) - Delicious and Hearty Curry Noodles from Northern Thailand
for many, food is a bridge which connects people to their cultural identities. when we spoke with 24 year old second generation Singaporean-Thai drag queen, Earth Na Khaa, he swears that no stall/restaurant in Singapore makes Khao Soi as as authentically and as deliciously as his mother does.