Paneer Korma Recipe

In Urdu, shahi paneer korma would literally translate to braised paneer in "royal" curry. Shahi means royal but when it refers to paneer, it usually indicates a creamy, decadent tomato sauce.

To make the dish I started by quickly stir-frying cubes of paneer. Paneer is Indian-style soft cheese. I made the sauce with caramelized onion paste, yogurt, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste as well as several Indian spices. The paneer pieces are braised at a simmer in the curry sauce until well coated. The final touch is a little heavy cream. It’s not something you want to eat every day, but paneer korma is a perfect dish to make when you want to treat yourself.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

I prepared my matcha green tea latte with the same procedure one would use for making white hot chocolate. The drink is made with a blend of lightly sweetened matcha green tea, white chocolate, steamed milk and heavy cream. You wouldn't want to drink this every day, but that's what holiday treats are all about!

This recipe can be modified to feature many different seasonal flavors. Peppermint, cinnamon and other spices come to mind. You don't have to go to the local coffee shop to enjoy holiday specials anymore; be your own barista and save the change for stocking stuffers.

Mattar Paneer (Peas and Fried Indian Cheese Curry)

Mattar Paneer is a dish made with peas and Indian cheese.  It isn't as quite popular as palak paneer, a similar recipe made with spinach instead of peas.

In our home, mattar paneer is made fairly often because it's the girls' favorite Indian dish.  If you have kids and can't get them to eat their peas, this recipe may do the trick. The key is to make a creamy masala sauce. To make the dish even healthier, I add diced, steamed potatoes that are approximately the same shape as the paneer.

Basil and Chive Flavored Homemade Butter

Nope, this is not ice cream. I can't believe it's butter! This recipe is ultra simple; all you need is a food processor and heavy cream. I always make butter whenever I have leftover heavy whipping cream from making desserts (usually from making cake frosting).

The flavored butter can be used as a spread for sandwiches, in pasta or as a garnish for a juicy steak; the possibilities are endless. How you flavor the butter is up to you and what you have in your pantry. I had some sweet basil and garlic chives from my garden. You'll never waste your remaining cream again.

For the more traditional method, check out the tip section.

Homemade Creme Fraiche Recipe