Vegetarian of the Week: Red Vegetable Rice with Paneer

As a lot of Indian food is vegetarian and as we try to eat vegetarian at least once a week, I decided to do an Indian inspired meal.  This might seem a little complicated but its not that hard once you get started it's just a lot of ingridients.  Paneer is an Indian cheese it turned out to be like a mix between feta and haloumi sort of... I made my own paneer but I suppose you could try buy it or even a halloumi would work (if, how should I say this... you are lazy). Papadums is a thin crisp Indian bread.  I used red rice because i like the taste and the texture of it and its also healtier than white rice.

paneer

2 liter milk

1dl yougurt

1/2 lemon

salt & pepper

1 bunch of dill

3 papadums

2 eggs 

Bring the milk to a boil, let it boil for two minutes while stirring costantly.  Add the yogurt and squeeze in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper.  At this point the milk will now break and that is suppose to happen.  Take it off the heat and add the dill strain it threw a kitchen towel, letting all the liquid run off then put it in a baking form put another form over and then put some weigth on it (I used a packet of milk). The weight is to give a nice dense cheese as well to shape it.  Place it in the refridgerator for one hour. START HERE IF YOU BUY CHEESE: Fry the papadums in oil quick so they get crunchy, then crush them into small crumbs.  Cut up the paneer, first dip it in the eggs then the papadums, then sear them in oil on both sides.  Put aside.

the rice

3dl red rice

1/2 cauliflower

4 potatos

1 spring onion

1 bunch of cilantro

1yellow onion 

4 slices of red chili

1tblsp of fresh ginger

2tblsp of minced garlic

2tblsp of grounded coriander seeds

2tblsp of black mustard seeds

2tblsp of cumin

2tblsp of grinded chili

2tblsp of curry leafes

2tblsp of turmeric

3dl of chicken stock(veggie stock if your vegetarian)

Start by boiling the rice. Then slice up the potatos, yellow onion and the caluiflower. Warm up some oil in a pan add all the spices and the chili, ginger and garlic and let it all sweat in the pan for a minute then add the vegetables and let it sear for a while before adding the stock.  After the stock is added put on a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes then add the cooked rice and let it cook together for another couple of minutes.  At the last minute add the spring onion and the cilantro.  

Warm up the paneer in the oven and we're done.  I served this with a cucumber yogurt (just chop up some cucumbers and mix it with yogurt and squeeze in some lemon).