Farfalle Parmigiana

Farfalle is a type of pasta in the shape of a bow-tie, hence it is popularly know as bow-tie pasta in the US. I had read somewhere that the name Farfalla in Italian means "Butterfly". Here is a simple and quick recipe that I tried at home using the butterfly pasta and it turned out yummy.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Farfalle - 3/4 cup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 4 tsp

Salt

Pepper - 0.5 tsp

Onion - 1/2 (chopped)

Tomato - 1(chopped)

Garlic - 1 clove (crushed)

Basil Leaves - 6 (chopped)

Parmesan - 1 cup

Water - 3 cups

Preparation:

1. Bring water with some salt to a rolling boil and add the pasta to it until the pasta is al dente.

2. Meanwhile, until the pasta is ready, we can start with the sauce. Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and saute it until the onion cooks completely.

3. Add crushed garlic and mix.

4. Once onions are cooked, add tomato, salt and pepper. Let it cook.

5. Once the tomato cooks completely, add farfalle pasta and mix well on low flame.

6. Add parmigiano (parmesan) and mix well.

Basil Farfalle parmigiano is ready to be served.

Paneer Vindaloo

We went to this Indian restaurant - Kiran's for celebrating our anniversary and this starter just made me fall in love with paneer and this dish. It was so delicious and full of flavors that it left me guessing the ingredients that went into making it. Luckily, when i tried this at home, it turned out almost like the one I had at the restaurant. So here's the recipe and I hope you enjoy its myriad flavors.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 cube (cut into rectangular pieces. Make sure the paneer is fresh and soft)

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 8 cloves

Ginger - 1 inch

Coconut - 1/4 cup (grated)

Red chillies - 3

Cinnamon stick - small piece

Cloves - 4

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)

Jaggery - 1 small cube (grated)

Salt - to taste

Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp 

Preparation:

1. Roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, grated coconut, red chillies, cinnamon stick and cloves for few minutes and then keep it aside.

2. Next, add turmeric powder, 1/2inch ginger, 6 garlic and lime juice and grind it into a fine paste. 

3. Marinate the paneer cubes with this paste and leave it for 30 mins.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions and fry till brown, next add ginger-garlic paste (prepared from remaining ginger & garlic) and let it cook.

5. Next add the red chilly powder, grated jaggery, salt and marinated paneer pieces and let it cook for few mins.

Paneer Vindaloo is ready. Serve it hot!