Paneer Nugget Casserole that we made for lunch today, turned out so yum that i wanted to share the recipe with you all, right away!
This is a healthy, quick and easy side dish that combines the meaty texture of soya nuggets and paneer (Indian cottage cheese), studded with capsicum, tomatoes and peas, and, flavored with a medley of aromatic herbs and spices. You can enhance the flavor of this dish by adding some lime juice and coriander or mint. It tastes phenomenally well with freshly made lacha paratha and fried rice.
Soya are a great source of high quality protein, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It's a nutrient rich plant protein that has all the essential amino acids, and make an excellent substitute for the meat-based products. You can buy the packet of soya nuggets in an Asian market, and, if you don't have an Asian market near you, you can easily find them online. Soya nuggets can be added in variety of dishes like biryani, pulao, manchurain, soya chunks curry and other stir fry dishes. They are soaked in hot salted water, until, they are soft and fluffy. Once soaked, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and they are ready to cook. Soaked soya nuggets should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.
Paneer, is the star ingredient of this dish. It gives a very mild and a rich creamy texture to this dish. You can either buy paneer from the market or make your own. It should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 2-3 days. I always pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it's shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor, and, doesn't melts.
Paneer Nugget Casserole is an open-end recipe and it's variation are endless. You can always toss in few extra veggies and add brightness to your recipe. I always try to make it differently, depending on what is available at my home. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets. You can control your spice level, mix in your favorite veggies and make it according to your taste preferences and requirements. So just follow your tastebuds and enjoy!
PANEER NUGGET CASSEROLE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Author:
Ingredients
1 cup soya nutri nuggets
100 gms paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cut them into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large bell pepper, sliced and deseeded, cut them into 1 inch square pieces
1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 medium-size tomatoes, finely chopped
4 small green tomatoes, should be firm, and feel heavy in your hand, cut them into half (optional)
1/2 inch inch ginger, peeled, grated
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
chopped coriander leaves, garnishing
Method
1. Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 10 minutes. Once they are soaked, wash few times, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, gently add paneer, a pinch of salt and pan-fry them for about 3 minutes. Flip them over and let the other side also fry and keep aside.
3. Next, roast capsicum for 2 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. After 2 minutes of roasting, transfer it to a bowl.
4. Now, heat oil in the same pan, and, add grated ginger, followed by chopped garlic cloves. Give it a stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and well cooked.
6. Add the green tomatoes, sprinkle the salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add peas followed by cumin and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add the soya nuggets and the roasted capsicum. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the nuggets and capsicum are softened.
8. Add the roasted paneer cubes into the pan. Mix it together to coat the spice on paneer cubes. Cook for 2 minutes.
9. After 2 minutes, check for salt and add any, if required. Now, add some garam masala at the end and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
10. Squeeze some lime juice and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, give it a mix and serve hot.
Notes
1. You can add your favorite veggies or whatever is available at home. The idea is to make the dish more colorful and delicious.
2. Remember to pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor and doesn't melts.
3. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets.