Sunday, August 19, 2001		What's Cooking

PROCESSED as well as cottage cheese is not only a good source of protein but a favourite of the whole family also. It is a handy ingredient for the homemaker for making snacks or dishes in a jiffy. This week we have lined up for you an assortment of dishes that would give you enough reason to say cheese.

Cottage cheese 400 gm

Maida 3 tbsp

Milk ¼ cup

Turmeric Powder ½ tsp

Salt ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder ¼ tsp

Finely grated cheese 2 tbsp

For filling:

French beans 6-7 cut into thin slices

Carrot grated ¼ cup

Onion grated 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter ½ tbsp

Method:Cut cottage cheese into thick, big rectangular pieces of 3/4 inch thickness. Cut each piece into two from centre. Sprinkle salt and pepper and keep aside.

Mix maida and milk to get a fine paste. Add turmeric, salt and chilli powder. Add grated cheese and keep the batter aside.

Prepare the filling by frying onion in butter for 3-4 minutes. Add beans and cook covered for 5 minutes or till soft. Add grated carrots and cheese and stir for sometime. Add salt and pepper and remove from fire. Spread 1 tsp of filling on a piece of cottage cheese and place the second piece on top. Press gently. Dip the stuffed cheese in the batter to coat both sides and shallow fry in a pan till golden brown on all sides.

Serve hot with tomato or mint chutney.

Potatoes 4 (large)

Cottage cheese (mashed) 2 cups

Onions 2

Orange Juice 6 tbsp

Raisins 5 tbsp

Pepper and salt to taste

Orange slices for garnishing

Method: Wash and clean potatoes. Scrub lightly and prick with a fork. Bake these till soft. Cut in half and scoop out the flesh leaving the shells intact.

Mix paneer and orange juice in potato flesh and add raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff this in the potato shells. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Garnish with orange slices and serve hot.

Cheese grated 1 cup

Butter 250 gm

Self-raising flour 1 cup

Milk 1½ cup

Eggs 5

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan and roast the flour lightly on low flame for 5 minutes. Stir continuously and do not allow it to become brown. Add milk and keep stirring to get a smooth paste. Cook till it becomes thick.

Separate egg yolks and whites and add egg yolks one by one to the milk and flour mixture. Add salt and pepper. Set aside. Whisk the egg whites briskly till stiff peaks are formed. Gently stir these into the sauce and add ½ cup grated cheese to it.

Prepare an oven-proof dish by greasing it with a little butter. Sprinkle 3 tbsp grated cheese on its base and sides. Pour the mixture into the dish till it is three quarters full. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of it.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or till the top is golden brown.

Urad dal 250 gm

Cottage cheese 150 gm

Tomato ginger chopped 1 tbsp

Onion 1

Oil (for frying) ½ cup

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Red chilli powder ¼ tsp

Coriander leaves( chopped) 1 tsp

Method:Wash and soak the urad dal for 15 minutes. Boil 4 cups water with turmeric and salt and add dal. Cook on slow fire.

Cut paneer into small sized pieces and fry till light brown in colour.

Add these to the dal when it is half cooked. Heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan and fry onions till transparent. Add ginger and fry for some more time. Add chopped tomato and fry till oil separates. Add garam masala and add the mixture to the dal paneer. Simmer for some more time. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with roti.

Maida 150 gm

Butter 50 gm

Cheese 50 gm

Milk ½ cup

Baking powder ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Pepper ½ tsp

Method:Sift flour, baking powder and salt twice. Rub in the butter till flour looks like bread crubs. Add grated cheese and knead to get a soft dough by adding enough milk.

Roll the dough into two rounds of half inch thickness (dust two sheets of butter paper with flour and keep the dough in them and roll with a rolling pin). Sprinkle pepper powder on top and cut into ½ inch wide strips. Roll these strips around greased metal cones or horns in a spiral form and press the ends firmly. Prepare all cones in this manner. Bake these for 15-20 minutes in hot oven. Remove metal homs after these are cool. These cones can be served plain or with a filling.

Variations: The strips can be twisted or braided to get different shapes. These can also be deep fried.