Happy Diwali!!!

Even though Square Meals was started as a combined effort, we have not cooked anything together after the EgglessBlueberry Muffins made early last year. We have been wanting to do it again and finally got a chance today. We cooked together… virtually! Standing in two kitchens, about 350 miles apart, but brought closer by technology: we made rasgullas via Skype. Funny, isn’t it?

Rasgullas have always intimidated us, and it has has been in our 'must conquer' list until today. So when one of us (Aparna) found a blog with an elaborate step by step procedure for making rasgullas, we did not want to miss the opportunity. The explanation, along with the captivating photographs gave us a glimmer of hope.

Diwali being around the corner, we decided to make it over the weekend, right on time for the festival of lights.

We started out in the morning, making the paneer and hanging it for the whey to drip completely. After a few hours, we took it up from where we had left off and continued with the procedure. Both of us were still a little apprehensive about how it would turn out and it was only after our first two sample pieces came out spongy and gorgeous looking, that we gained the confidence to keep going. The sight of the fluffy white balls swimming in sugar syrup was absolutely drool worthy and the final verdict came when both the husbands tasted one from the first batch and said 'It is gooood'.

Taking a little detour from our excitement, we would like to introduce you to a wonderful organization called Maitri. I (Gomathi) have been a volunteer at Maitri for the last four months. Maitri is a non-profit organization that helps women fight domestic violence, in the Bay Area. Being a part of this organization has enriched my outlook towards life. Aparna and I would like to request all of you to support this noble cause.

There are multiple ways to show your support:

• Become a volunteer at Maitri
• Like and share their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/maitribayarea
• Add their website's URL and hotline number to your email as a signature line http://www.maitri.org/ 1.888.8.MAITRI
• Help spread awareness

A tiny gesture from your side can be a big help to Maitri and to the numerous victims they care for.

Finally, we would love to thank Soma of e Curry for her wonderful recipe and we wish her, her family, and all our readers a Very Happy Diwali!

Masala Paneer Spread

Let me start by telling you that my father loves to experiment with food and is known for his chutneys and sandwiches. So it was no surprise when my mother mentioned a sandwich that he had made and all the compliments he had received from her colleagues. So when I asked him for the recipe, he said, "I sautéed some onions and tomatoes in a little oil. Added salt to taste and all the masala powders that I could think of and when the mixture had come together well, I added some paneer pieces and sautéed it for a few more minutes. After the mixture cooled down, I put it in the mixie (blender), blended it and put it back into the pan for further thickening. Once it was of spreadable consistency, I took it off the heat and used it as a spread for the sandwiches."

The thought of blending paneer did not sit well with me at first, but I had made up my mind to try it anyhow. So I bought some paneer during our weekend trip to the Indian grocery store. Before I could get to the sandwich, though, I made a paneer curry for dinner. A simple tomato-onion gravy with green chilies, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, chili powder , cumin powder, and garam masala.  I had a little left over and was wondering what to do with it when a bright bulb went on in my head!!! Wasn't this quite similar to my father's paneer mixture (before blending)? Without losing any time, I took the paneer curry out of the fridge, put it into the small jar of my mixie and blended away until it was a smooth paste. I added a small piece of paneer (because I have the very bad habit of picking out paneer pieces from the gravy and eating them separately, leaving very little pieces Vs gravy).

The mixture was super fragrant from all the spices that had gone into it the previous night, the only thing missing was the bright color of the tomatoes, because I had added a little milk to the gravy. Anyway, I added a bit more chili powder and salt and poured it into a small pan and let it simmer on low heat for a while. My kitchen was filled with an amazing aroma as the paneer mixture sat and reduced into a perfect spread-like consistency. 

Alternately, I think this will make a nice Indian style dip/topping for chips, vegetables and crackers too. What say? Bon appétit.