Green masala paste

Aloo Chutneywale

Ingredients

7-8 medium size potatoes

For filling (mash together)
125 g cottage cheese (paneer)
3 green chillies (chopped fine)
1½ teaspoon fresh ginger (smashed)
10 cashew nuts (chopped)
Salt to taste

For Gravy
Few sprigs mint leaves and a few sprigs coriander leaves (ground together)
½ cup oil/ ghee
½ cup boiled onion paste
½ teaspoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon garlic paste
3 tablespoons Ferns' Green Masala Paste
½ cup curd
½ cup cashew nut paste
Salt to taste

Method
Scoop potatoes from one end, fry until golden brown. Put the filling in and seal with a little mashed potato. Heat oil, fry the boiled onion paste until the raw flavour disappears.
Add Green Masala Curry Paste, ginger garlic paste and mint and coriander paste and beaten curd. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and the potatoes, simmer for 2 minutes. Cut the potatoes into halves, place them in the center and surround them with the green gravy.
Garnish with swirl of cream.

Green Masala Chicken

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 kg chicken breasts, skinned
6 cloves garlic, minced
2" piece fresh ginger, ground fine
3 tablespoons Ferns' Green Masala Paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and put in enough chicken pieces to form a single layer. Brown on both sides. Remove pieces and place in a bowl. Repeat till all the chicken is fried.
Add garlic to hot oil. When it turns medium brown, add ginger paste. Stir fry and add the Ferns' Green Masala Paste. Stir and cook for a minute. Put in all the chicken pieces and juices from bowl. Add 2/3 cup water, salt and lemon juice.
Stir and bring to boil. Lower flame and cook for 10 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and cook for a further 5 minutes or till tender.
Serve with rice or naan rotis.

Nilgiri Korma

Ingredients

500 g mutton/ lamb
4 teaspoons Ferns' Green Masala Curry Paste
2 teaspoons ginger & garlic paste
1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
1 cup curds/ yogurt
½ coconut
1 teaspoon powder of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves (garam masala)
2 onions
¼ cup oil

Method
Clean and cut mutton into cubes. Marinate with turmeric, ginger and garlic paste, curd and salt and Ferns' Green Masala Paste. Chop onion, grate & grind coconut* to a smooth paste. Heat oil, add chopped onions, marinated mutton, fry until fat separates from the gravy. Add water and salt and cook until mutton is tender. Finish off with ground coconut paste. Serve hot with fried rice and parathas.

* Instant coconut powder or cream may be used instead of freshly grated coconut.

Green Masala Salad Dip

Ingredients

2 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon Ferns' Green Masala Paste
2 flakes garlic
A sprig of coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Adjust the seasoning and use as required. Serve with finger sized cut vegetables of your choice. Some suggested vegetables are carrots, blanched mushrooms, cauliflower florets, broccoli, spring onions, cucumber, celery stalks etc. The dip goes well with other bite size snacks and crackers too.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

500 g cottage cheese (paneer)
¼ cup oil
½ cup onion paste
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
2 teaspoons Ferns' Green Masala Curry Paste
2 teaspoons cheese or cream for garnish
¼ cup curd/ yogurt
1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder
1 teaspoon coriander seed (dhania) powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ teaspoon clove powder
1 bunch spinach

Method
Cut paneer into cubes. Blanch the spinach leaves and purée in a blender. Heat oil, add onion paste and sauté until lightly coloured. Add ginger garlic and Green Masala Paste and curd. Add paneer and the powdered masala. Stir in the spinach purée. Add salt and fenugreek powder. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot immediately with a swirl of cream or grated cheese.

Mutton Palak

Ingredients

½ kg mutton/ lamb
1½ bunch spinach
¼ cup oil
2 sticks cinnamon
2 pods cardamom
2 cloves
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons poppy seeds - roasted & ground
¼ cup coconut paste
2 teaspoons Ferns' Green Masala Paste
1 cup onion paste
½ cup curd/yogurt
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method
Cut mutton into cubes. Marinate with ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, Ferns' Green Masala Paste and curd. Heat oil, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and onion paste. Fry the onion paste until golden, add the mutton and poppy seed paste and fry until fat separates from the masala. Add 2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Simmer until meat is tender. Add coconut paste & spinach purée. Serve hot with fried rice and a bread of your choice.

Mince Croquettes

Ingredients

500g minced beef
2 medium sized potatoes
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
1 green chilli, chopped fine
1 egg
2 slices bread
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Ferns' Green Masala Paste
Bread crumbs
Oil for shallow frying

Method
Bring ½ cup water to the boil. Add mince and simmer till water dries and mince is cooked. Boil potatoes, peel and mash while hot.
Soak bread in water, squeeze and put in a bowl. Add mince, mashed potatoes, onion, chilli, coriander and mint leaves, egg, salt and pepper and Ferns' Green Masala Paste. Mix thoroughly by hand. Roll into sausage shaped oblongs, coat with bread crumbs and shallow fry over gentle heat. Serve with French Fries.

Ferns Fish Florentine

Ingredients

8 pomfret fillets
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon peppercorns
2 cloves
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
6 teaspoons Ferns' Green Masala Paste
½ bunch spinach
4 tablespoons cheese (grated)

For white sauce
2½ tablespoons refined flour
2½ tablespoons butter
1¾ cups milk
Salt to taste

Method
Make a stock with 4 cups of water, sliced carrots, celery, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Poach the fish fillets in the stock for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Purée the blanched spinach leaves and mix with Green Masala Paste. Make a white sauce with refined flour, butter and milk*.
Grease an ovenproof dish. Place the fish fillets at the bottom. Cover with spinach purée and top with white sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and grill in the oven until golden brown. Serve hot.

*To make white sauce:
Melt butter, Add flour and stir until the raw flavour disappears. Add milk slowly, whisking vigorously so that no lumps form. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and use as required.