GRILLED SPICY PANEER SANDWICH

This sandwich is amazing! There, I said it. What's not to love about a grilled cheese sandwich? Comfort food at it's best,right? This recipe uses Paneer and that's another way I eat the mild Indian cheese.I have had this on my mind for so long because we used to eat a Paneer Cheese Sandwich from a joint opposite St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore.It was delicious. I used to pack that as my dinner for the overnight bus journey's to Kannur.

The crisp buttery bread which acts as the base for the sandwich filling plays a big role. So chose the bread you love the most. I used to be a white bread lover but now, I've developed a liking for multigrain breads and enjoy them as much I would enjoy a slice of white bread. Having said that, nothing beats the Kannur bakery breads! What are they made of? Clouds? It is super soft and  so yum!

I've used an 8 grain bread here but you could use whatever kind you like. Just don't forget to forget the calories a few spoonfuls of butter can carry. You need some good buttered slices of bread to have them grilled to perfection.And then when you slice the sandwich into two triangles,it should make a crisp noise which eventually would make you drool! A big thanks to Monica for sharing this delicious recipe!

GRILLED SPICY PANEER SANDWICH
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 serrano chili, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups grated paneer
Salt & pepper

8 slices of bread
1 medium sized green bell pepper,roasted and sliced thin
Plenty of butter

Method: Heat the oil in a medium sized saute pan on medium-high heat and once hot, add the sliced shallots,garlic and chili and saute for 2 minutes.Add this to the grated paneer and season with salt and pepper.  Take 4 slices of bread and divide the paneer mixture equally over it. Top each of them with strips of roasted bell pepper. Cover it with another slice of bread and apply some butter over it. Heat a grill pan on medium heat and place the sandwich buttered side down. Cook till they are golden nnd crisp with grill marks. Apply some butter on the slice of bread that's facing you and flip the sandwich over. Grill till golden on side two and repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Slice into two and enjoy it with some chilled Blueberry Lemonade.

I've lost the number of times I've this sandwich last week.The texture is so good that you wouldn't miss the meat !Since I am so choosy about Paneer dishes, I am so glad I went out of my comfort zone to taste it at that restaurant in Bangalore. This is an awesome sandwich! Like any grilled cheese sandwich,it tastes best straight off of the grill pan.
 

CREAMY TOMATO & COCONUT FISH CURRY

Ijust realised that I don't experiment a lot with fish. It usually is served in the form of a Fish Fry, a Meen Vevichathu or a Kannur Style Meen Curry. I never went beyond that because I never felt the need to.I was very happy with the same old curry or maybe an occassional Malabar Fish Masala & a Fish Moilee. A few days ago, I was browsing through Monica's cookbook and realised that she had many recipes for seafood and her signature Fish Curry caught my attention.

It's simplicity is beyond words.The texture is super creamy and the curry tastes very mild even though there's a kick from the serrano and the bite from the cayenne.I was tempeted to add more cayenne than what she had suggested but later realised that it would have been a bit too much. Or,it could be the brand of chilli powder that I am using.The heat varies from brand to brand.So add accordingly.And the beautiful red mini cocotte that the curry is served was gifted to us by Honey Sarah Naveen,when we met her back in June.

After Ian was born, I know my day (s)can be unpredictable.I cannot predict what I will have to run after, as soon as I put my hand in to the tray of raw fish/meat/poultry.It could be him climbing on our sofa, on our ottoman or even our LazyBoy!Luckily, he is very sensible for his age.He is careful about what he does. Even though I am running behind him clearing up whatever he pulls out or drops, I am constantly thinking of what to cook/bake next!

Many of you ask me how I manage my day/daily chores with a baby on my hips! The thing is, to be honest, I really don't care! I just do what I have to without thinking much. I've noticed that I've been cooking a lot more than what I used to,before he came into our lives. I think it's because I need something else to concetrate other than just the baby.Cooking is such a pleasure for me. Whenever I cook, I give it my full concentration. I've even noticed that I enjoy peeling garlic and ginger so much more than before,just so that I can get busy in my head,in my own world. I have always been 'from the scratch' kinda cook but now, I am obsessed.I even bake our daily bread! Baby magic? Well, I like to think so :-) That keeps me going!

CREAMY TOMATO & COCONUT FISH CURRY

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
3 big cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger,grated
2 serrano chilies, chopped
10 curry leaves
1 large tomato,chopped
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, to start with
1 pound fish, cut into bite sized pieces
Scant 1 cup thick coconut milk

Method: Heat oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds and when it pops, add crushed garlic,grated ginger, chopped serrano chilies & curry leaves and saute for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomato and cook it for 10-12 minutes or until you get to see the oil released. If it is sticking, add a little bit of water to aid the process.Add the powders and saute for minute. Now, add in the fish,stir and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and let the curry simmer until the fish is cooked.Serve hot with steamed rice.

Getting back to the curry. It was absolutely marvelous and we loved it. I mopped it up with some homemade Milk Bread (the one you just saw in a photograph above).There's something magical about simplicity in recipes and if you want to be a believer,I insist you to give this recipe a try.
Ian loves his toy fish. So when I was feeding him, I told him that he was having rice with fish(chorum-mee mee-um).As he gobbled it up, I could see his little eyes wandering around to locate his favourite toy! I couldn't help but smile and the same time felt sad thinking what must have gone through that little innocent mind of his :-)