Pear/Apple Crumble/Crisp

This is a rather easy dessert that I make very frequently when I don't have the patience to make an elaborate dessert. It also provides a good way to use up apples or pears that you have lying around ready to spoil. When paired with vanilla bean ice cream (note, vanilla bean and not just vanilla), it proves to be a super elegant dessert.

Ingredients:

1. Pears/Apples - 3 semi ripe, sliced lengthwise
2. Cinnamon powder - 1/4th tsp
3. Brown sugar - 1 tsp
4. Lemon zest - 1/4th tsp
5. Apple crisp mix - you can get this in the store and usually it is a mix of oats, flour, sugar and some spices
6. Instant oats - 1 cup
7. Butter - 1 stick

Directions:

1. Add the cinnamon, brown sugar, zest to the sliced pears and give them a quick toss to mix together.
2. Place in a buttered and floured baking dish.
3. Mix the oats, apple crisp mix, melted butter and add to the top of the dish as shown in the picture.
4. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the top turns brown.
5. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Recipe for the crisp/crumble topping: Mix together 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 cup of instant oats, 1/3rd cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 stick of melted butter and use this as a topping.

Paneer 65

Its been a long break since my last blog post and the primary reason is laziness:D:D. I know people complain about lack of time and I would too except that I know myself only too well and I know that if I wanted to make time for something, I will. Work has been exceptionally crazy and I haven't been a very creative cook recently either. Hence for the lack of a better dish, I am posting this quick Paneer 65 recipe that relies solely on the magic masala called aachi masala which Vidya akka recommended to me. Its really tasty and gives you that flavor that you get at restaurants. Here goes -

Ingredients :

1. 1 slab of paneer - chopped into small cubes
2. 1 cup yogurt
3. 2 tsps chicken 65 aachi masala (or more if you want it spicier and saltier...A word of warning - the masala itself has a lot of salt, so don't add any more. Although the masala is for chicken 65, the ingredients are all vegetarian)
4. Curry leaves - 10
5. Oil - 1 tsp
6. Geen chillies -3, slit lengthwise
7. Garlic - 2 pods, finely chopped
8. Lemon juice - 2 tsps
9. Corriander - 1 cup finely chopped
   

Directions:

1. Mix the yogurt and the masala and marinate the paneer cubes in it for 2 hours
2. Heat oil and sautee the garlic, curry leaves and chillies in it
3. Add the paneer without the excess liquid and stir fry until the paneer gets well roasted and has brown edges.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice and corriander and enjoy hot!