Paneer Matar – Food plating techniques.

Twice as nice in a glass – Because you first eat with your eyes, I believe that the food vessel is as important as the food item itself. Food on a plate should be clean, crisp and fresh. Deconstructing menu items is very popular now days. Visually we see all of the elements of a well known dish broken down into its basic form. This also helps to bring more components to the menu item, and making the plate more colourful and vibrant.

My blog has a collection of recipes containing plenty of food plating ideas for you to bring a smile to the faces of your friends, family and guests with your home made delicacies – The sky is the limit when it comes to creative ideas.

Food presenting in glass is a great idea to really make your glasses work double and triple duty. Glasses are always great for serving food because, unlike most other containers, they can make the natural colours and the shapes of the ingredients and the dishes look so appetising. Restyling simple plate ware and glass ware to make them seem unique and unusual. Use what you have and re-style it either with napkins or garnishes.

With few of our fellow bloggers we have created a food group in Facebook where we met few amazing food bloggers and food photographers outside word press. We would get to learn more from them. If you are interested please join with us in Foodie art files

Paneer matar is a delicious combination of soft paneer and green peas in a silky tomato based gravy. An absolute treat to the taste buds!!

Paneer Matar

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
serves: 3-4
Ingredients

Paneer/Indian cottage cheese -150 grams
Fresh/frozen  peas – 1/2 cup
Onion – 1 cup chopped
Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp
Tomatoes – 3 medium size
Cashew nuts – 8- 10 numbers

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder  -1 tsp
Salt to taste

Oil  – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
Bay leaf – 1

Method.

Blanch the tomatoes, run under cold water and allow to cool. Remove the skin and puree it.

Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 15 minutes and then grind it to a paste adding less water.

Boil peas till soft. Cut paneer into cubes. Deep fry slightly into a slight brown colour and soak in water for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan,  add cumin seeds, bay leaf, add finely chopped onions and sauté until light brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.

Then add tomato puree and all the dry powder.

Cook on medium flame until tomatoes leaves out oil.

Add the cashew nut paste and sauté for a few more minutes until the raw flavour of the paste goes.

Add the cooked peas and paneer.

Let the paneer and peas get cooked well with the masala.

Adjust the consistency by adding required water.

Mattar Paneer is ready to serve with some garnish of fresh cream and coriander leaves