Mini North Indian Thaali - No Onion No Garlic (Pitru Paksh Special)

 It is that time off the year ,when almost every household in India observes a 15 day Vegetarian meal only  food practice . Yes,it is Pitru Paksha ,also known as Mahalaya Paksha . 

These fifteen days starting from Poornima /Pournami (Full Moon Day) to Amavasya / Amavasai (New Moon day) people abstain from eating non veg , alcohol and also most people avoid the usage of Onion,garlic as part of their  cooking. 

Pithru Paksh / Shraadh Paksh is one fortnight where we pay obeisance to the departed souls ..it is believed that during this period ,our ancestors visit our homes to bless us and partake the food offered to them as part of the ritual.

If you ever thought, that cooking without Onion and Garlic will not make a tasty meal,then you are mistaken my dear friends. 

Here,I have a curated a simple Thaali with lipsmacking delicacies made totally without Onion and Garlic. Click the links below to get a detailed recipe of every item on the Thaali . You can include Fulkas or Puris if you want it to be a little more elaborate. 

Menu on the frame ,
Jeera Rice 

Matar Paneer 

Boondi Raita 

Masala Chaas 

Paneer Tomato Grilled Sandwiches

 Paneer Tomato grilled sandwiches are a perfect choice for packing in kids' lunch box or even for adults when you want to carry something filling at the same time  not messy to eat on the desk .

You can also serve this as an after school snack or even makes for a perfect light dinner when paired with some warm Italian style Tomato soup . (Recipe source - Priya Iyer's blog)

Paneer takes care of the protein quotient for the day and the tomatoes keep the sandwiches moist and don't let it get too dry and stuffy.  Adding some mozzarella chees gives a nice gooey and melt in mouth texture. 

I love to work with different fillings that go into the sandwich and this is yet another successful attempt as my family loved the flavor and the crisp grilled bread. 

For the spice, I have used only red chilli powder and 1 small green chilli chopped.  Some boiled corn was added for the crunch and tomatoes used were firm and deseeded to prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy .

Some sandwich varieties from my blog that you must definitely try 

Classic Veg Cheese Grill Sandwich 

Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich 

Paneer Cheese Corn Grill Sandwich 

Chutney Cheese Sandwich 

Mumbai Special Toast Sandwich 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Grilling Time - 3 to 4 mins per sandwich 
Complexity - simple 
Makes 3 sandwiches 

Ingredients 

6 slices of bread 
100 gms paneer 
2 medium firm tomatoes
3/4th cup boiled sweet corn
1 tsp Chilli powder /chilli flakes
Salt as needed 
Fresh corriander chopped 
1 green chilli
Grated mozzarella cheese as needed 
Butter to apply on bread 

Method 

• Firstly grate the paneer, crush 3 tbsp of corn kernels with green chilli in a blender and de seed the tomatoes and dice into small cubes. 
• In a mixing bowl mix the Tomatoes, crushed corn , paneer, boiled corn ,chilli powder ,salt, chopped corriander and mix it all well . Let it rest for 5 to 10mins . Our filling is ready .
• Donot let the filling sit for extra time because the tomatoes will release water when mixed with salt and the filling will become soggy .we don't want that 
• Heat the grilling pan,  apply butter on one side of the bread , place some filling on it ,spread grated mozzarella cheese as per your wish ..close using the other slice of bread . 
• Apply some butter to the grilling pan and grill the sandwich on both sides until crisp and golden brown .
• Cut the sandwich into wedges and enjoy .
• If packing for lunch, then place foil paper in the inside of the lunch box ,place the cut sandwiches once they have cooled down .this will prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy .

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Paneer Cheese Corn Grill Sandwich

 Sandwiches are always welcome at my home and we love to experiment with different filling inside the sandwich.  This time we all enjoyed a delicious breakfast of Paneer Cheese Corn Grill Sandwich and hubby termed it as Royal delicious Breakfast. That compliment is more than enough to describe how cheesy and tasty the sandwich must have been.

This cheese corn paneer sandwich will now be a regular brekfast or dinner item at home. In addition to the Vegetable Cheese Grill Sandwich  Bombay style toast sandwich and chutney cheese sandwich.

In Bombay sandwiches are a favorite street food delight and it makes a filling and quick meal for tired shoppers , salesmen on the move  , college students and also many working ladies grab a sandwich on their way back home to keep them fill during  travel . When I moved to Bangalore I missed these yummy sandwiches and would yearn to gorge on them on my trip to Bombay. Now ,I have started experimenting with various varieties of sandwiches and will release them one by one on the blog as I perfect them to the style and taste that I have on my memory

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Roasting/Grilling Time  -  3 to 4 mins per sandwich 
Complexity - Simple 
Makes - 4 sets of sandwich 

Ingredients 

8 slices of sandwich bread / brown bread 
Salted (table) butter at room temperature 
1 cup grated paneer (100 gms) 
2 small Chiplets or 1/2 cup grated processed cheese
1/2 yellow bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 green capsicum finely chopped 
1/2 cup boiled corn kernels 
1tsp chilli flakes
Finely chopped corriander 
1/2 tsp pepper powder 
1/2 tsp chaat masala 
2 tbsp tomato ketchup 
Salt as needed 

Method

Preparing the filling 

• In a large mixing bowl ,add the chopped bell pepper, capscium and paneer with the chilli flakes and mix it lightly. 
• Next add in the corn kernels , grated cheese , pepper powder , chat masala and gently mix with a spoon until they combine well.
• Lastly add the sauce, finely chopped corriander and if you like you may add some chopped onions too.  Gently mix again and check for salt, if need be sprinkle lightly and mix.  I did not add extra salt as the salt from cheese and chat masala was enough for our taste. 
• Let this mixture rest for 5 mins.

Preparing the sandwich 

• Heat the grill pan or if using electric grill turn it on to get heated.
• Take two slices of  bread and spread this cheese corn paneer filling on one slice and cover it with the other and keep ready ..repeat the same for all slices of bread .
• Spread some butter on the grill pan and once heated place the sandwich on the pan for grilling. Keep the flame on medium. 
• Once the bottom side gets roasted well , apply some butter on the top side and flip it over for it to get roasted. 
• Roast it till you get nice deep brown grill marks and the bread turns crispy . You may add some butter while grilling for added taste .
• Once both sides are nicely grilled ,take it off the pan and let it cool for a minute . Cut into slices as desired by you and serve hot with some sauce or mayonnaise. 

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Jain Matar Paneer

 Matar Paneer is a favorite gravy among kids as well as adults. Today we shall see how to prepare this gravy without using Onion , Garlic and Ginger. We shall call it Jain Matar Paneer as it does not use Onion, garlic and ginger.

Onions and Garlic are omitted in cooking when cooking for some special occassions like Poojas or some festivals and specific months of the year in the Indian Calendar. Staunch Jains donot partake any tuber/ root vegetables as a part of the regular meals.


Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 30-40 mins
Serves : 3-4
Complexity : Medium

Ingredients
3 medium sized tomatoes - roughly chopped
8-10 cashews soaked in warm water
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
2 tsp dhaniya powder / coriander powder
250 gms paneer cut into cubes
50 gms fresh / frozen peas
Salt
Pinch of sugar
1 green chilli finely chopped .
1/2 tsp jeera
2 tsp kasuri methi
fresh chopped corriander

Method

• In a wok/kadai add some 2 tsp of oil and splutter the jeera . 
• Now sauté the tomatoes and green chilli until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy . 
• Blend into a fine paste once the tomatoes cool down.
• Meanwhile, soak the chopped paneer in warm water - this ensures the paneer remains soft.
• Blanch the peas in boiling water with a pinch of salt until it becomes soft .
• In another mixie jar , blend the cashews into a fine paste and keep aside . 
• To prepare the gravy, heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter in a frying pan . 
• Add turmeric , red chilli powder and dhaniya powder and fry it well , do it on low flame
• and donot burn the spices .
• Quickly pour in the tomato paste and mix it well , you will get a bright color . Allow the tomatoes paste to cook well until the oil begins to separate from the gravy . Sprinkle some water , if you feel the gravy has become dry .
• Add the cashew paste and 1/4 cup water ; mix well . Add salt , garam masala and a pinch of sugar and cook till the raw flavor of cashews is lost . The gravy will look bright orangish and the aroma will be wafting through your kitchen . 
• You may adjust some water and spices if you feel it is too dry or spices are less . 
• The gravy is ready when you can see the oil has separated well and is floating on top . 
• Now, add the paneer cubes , blanched peas with 1/4 cup water and cook for 8-10 mins until the flavors of the gravy blend well into the paneer and peas. Adjust salt if needed .
• Turn off the stove and garnish with kasuri methi and chopped corriander. 
• You can also add some fresh cream as garnish.

Linking this recipe to MLLA event #130 hosted by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds for Lisa who manages Lisa's Kitchen.

Capsicum Paneer Paratha

Capsicum Paneer paratha is a very nutritious and healthy breakfast option loaded with the goodness of capsicums/ bell peppers and cottage cheese i.e paneer. This can be even packed for lunch box for kids as well as adults. The addition of paneer provides the necessary protein requirement for the day making it a wholesome meal . Serve it with some thick curd / raith or some pickle .Can also be paired it with some gravy or dhall if serving for lunch or dinner.

Preparation Time : 10-15 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins
Complexity : Medium

Palak Paneer | Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy (No Onion No Garlic)

Palak Paneer absolutely needs no introduction. A very very healthy and nutritious recipe with the loaded health benefits of Palak/ Spinach and Paneer.
 By now as all of you must be aware ,I concentrate on presenting recipes as  No Onion No garlic versions, so for this Palak Paneer recipe ,I have used cashew paste to add to the richness of the gravy and also a mild nutty and sweet flavor.

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Complexity : Simple

Palak Paneer | पालक पनीर - winter special

Palak Paneer is an Indian recipe made using Palak (Spinach) & Paneer ( Indian Farmer's cottage cheese ).

Palak is available all round the year,but the palak we get in winter is very tender and tasty. So ,I definitely look forward to winters to make this delicious palak Paneer gravy.  Tonight for dinner we polished off creamy palak Paneer with soft and hot fulkas . It was soothing and something we needed to ward off the chillness .

There are many ways to make palak Paneer,but I follow this simple and quick recipe which never fails me . I also have a no Onion No garlic recipe on the blog. The link is marked here , No Onion No garlic paneer palak 

I keep the spices very minimal to bring out the flavor of palak . Onions and cashews blanched with the palak,give a creamy texture to the gravy . The subtle sweetness from onions and cashews enhance the taste making palak Paneer very delicious. 

Avoid using spinach or any green leafy vegetables during monsoon. It is possible that due to rains ,the leafy grains may contain some bacteria which is not good for the stomach and we may end up with a stomach bug.

My friends love my palak Paneer a lot and it was always on my cook list when we used to host a lot of friends during our stay in the US. Hubby's office colleagues, who are Americans loved palak Paneer so much that they asked hubby to get it for a potluck event at their company. 

What more is needed for a passionate cook ,other than these appreciation? I was on cloud 9 and am still feeling nostalgic as I am typing it. 

I  had posted this recipe in my early days of blogging, sometime in 2013 when I used to have a small digital camera using which I used to shoot my photos. Editing tools weren't so easily available and lack of knowledge, I had posted all raw and amateur images . As I am working on my old posts these days ,I have updated the post with a collage of step wise recipe progress and a few decent final photos of the recipe.  

Updated in December 2024 

Original posting - Feb 2013

Preparation Time : 25 mins

Cooling Time - 15 to 20 mins 
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves - 2-3

Ingredients

250 grams Palak / Spinach 
100 grams Paneer
1 onion chopped
2 - 3 Green chillies
1tsp ginger garlic paste 
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
1/4 tsp sugar.
Few cashews 
Whole spices
1tsp jeera 
Small stick cinnamon 
3 cloves
2 cardamom

Method

• Clean the spinach leaves and wash it under running water.Drain the spinach in a colander.
• In a heavy bottomed vessel blanch the spinach leaves,onions, cashew and green chillies. Add salt and sugar, this will retain the green color and not fade.
• Cool it completely .
• In a blender add the blanched spinach,ginger garlic paste ,handful of fresh corriander and grind into a fine puree.
• Cut the paneer into small cubes and keep aside soaked in warm water .Drain the water before frying the paneer.
• Shallow fry the paneer cubes in a little oil till they turn a little brown
• Heat a little oil in a vessel,add cumin seeds,cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.Roast the whole spices on low flame till the flavors seep into the oil.
• Add the spinach puree to the pan and cook for a few minutes. 
• When the gravy begins to bubble, add the paneer cubes to the gravy and cook for about 2 mins
• Donot cook much after adding the paneer, else the paneer Will turn hard and rubbery. 
• You can add some fresh cream just before serving. 
• Serve hot with rotis,naan or steamed rice.

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Mattar Paneer | Paneer Matar | मटर पनीर - winter special

Mattar Paneer or Matar Paneer or mutter paneer (मटर पनीर)  is a North Indian curry and a popular item on any restaurant menu . It is a gravy prepared using fresh or frozen peas,paneer (Indian cottage cheese) simmered in a tomato onion curry and flavored with traditional Indian spice powders .

Matar Paneer is mildly spicy and pairs well with rotis, naans , jeera rice and even puris .

I have loved Matar Paneer since my childhood and mom would make it very frequently at home especially during winters when fresh peas are available in plenty in the markets .

If you don't get fresh peas ,you can also use frozen peas ,it tastes equally good .

Some people use soaked and cooked dried peas ,but I personally don't like the flavor and texture hence I avoid, but you can use that too if you like the taste of dried peas .

Matar Paneer can easily be customized to a Jain variant or a no Onion No garlic variant without compromising on the taste and flavors.  The Jain version of Matar Paneer is on my blog . You may click here for the recipe.

Just like my Palak Paneer recipe, this recipe of Matar Paneer has been a huge favorite among our friend circle.Our friends love to enjoy the Matar Paneer made by me and literally the serving bowl is polished off clean.

Each time I make Matar Paneer, I think of clicking some decent pictures for the blog,but somehow I used to miss doing that .So ,today (17 Jan 2025) I decided to click photos for my blog as I started making Matar Paneer and Jeera rice for lunch.  The post has been refreshed with stepwise photos of making the recipe and a few othe pictures too as well as the blog post . Also,I have uploaded the complete recipe making video on my YouTube Channel. 

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins
Serves : 2 to 3

Complexity - medium 

Ingredients

3 ripe tomatoes 
1 medium sized onion - cut into big cubes

7-10 cashews 
250 gms fresh/frozen green peas.
200 gms paneer
3-4 green chillies

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsps red chilli powder

1 tsp dhania / corriander powder
1/4 tsp haldi / turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 stick of cinnamon

2 cloves 
1 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp ghee 

1 tsp sugar
salt to taste.

Method

• Blanch the tomatoes, onions,green chillies ,cashews in microwave or stove top . If blanching in microwave ,set the timer to 5 mins until the tomatoes turn soft.
• Allow this to cool and then grind this in the blender into a smooth paste with ginger garlic paste 
• Cut the paneer into small cubes and slightly fry them in oil till they turn  light brown.
• Blanch the green peas with some salt until peas turn soft .
• Add the fried paneer to this warm water .This process keeps the paneer soft and moist.
• Heat the kadai with some oil and fry the whole spices 
• Add the tomato paste ,salt , dhania powder,red chilli powder ,turmeric and garam masala and cook the paste until the oil separates and the gravy is well cooked.
• Cook on medium flame and stir occasionally so that the gravy doesn't burn and stick to the pan.
• Now,add the blanched peas and paneer  to this mixture.
• Simmer and cook for 3 to 4 mins .
• Add salt if needed and adjust the gravy consistency as per your liking.
• Add some kasuri methi in the end .
• Garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot with any flavored rice,chapathi,poori ,naan etc.

Paneer Tikka

I always have had a liking for the smoked feel of veggies while eating,and have loved eating paneer tikkas and veggie tikkas on skewers in restaurants. My hubby also loves to have them.
Though I wanted to try it at home,I always used to hold myself back for the fear of going wrong and ending up in a bad taste.This time,I made up my mind and gave it a try yesterday.For the first time,it did come out well.I shall now make it frequently with variations and keep posting.
I thought I shouldn't be writing ,but could not resist .

Preparation Time : 45 mins
Cooking time : 30 mins
Serves : 2-3

Paneer Tikka

Paneer Bhurji / Paneer Bhurji Dosa

Vegetarian substitute of Egg Bhurji ,this is a quick and easy dinner dish when teamed with hot Rotis or Parathas.You can also stuff it in between bread,toast them and have them as sandwich.

Paneer bhurji is generally a little dry and resembles a crumble ,but this slightly runny version of Paneer bhurji at a very popular Mumbai restaurant made me a huge fan of paneer bhurji .

The restaurant version had oodles of butter while serving, but we can definitely reduce the amount of butter and oil and make a healthy version at home.

Always use fresh and soft paneer to get a melt in mouth feel . If you use old paneer or frozen paneer it will give a rubbery texture to the bhurji which is a total turn off  . 

Always grating paneer versus crumbling makes a lot of difference, so make sure to grate the paneer just before you add it to the gravy .

If you have no choice, but to use frozen paneer then soak the paneer in warm water for 20 to 30 mins to soften it and then grate it . Before grating,ensure the water is all drained out well from the paneer block .

If you ask me ,can tofu be substituted in place of paneer to make it vegan,you can definitely try it and tweak based on your taste preferences,but this recipe is purely a paneer based recipe.

If you visit the variety dosa stalls of Bombay's famous khau gallis (street food lanes) , paneer bhurji dosa is a hot favorite among the patrons.  Needless to say,it is my hubby's favorite too as he is a paneer as well as a big time dosa lover . So paneer bhurji at home gets stuffed into dosas for him while I relish it with fulkas ! 

I finally got to refurbish this 13 year old recipe today in 2026 with new set of pictures and write up but the recipe remains unchanged .

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Serves : 2

Jain / No onion no garlic variant - Skip onions and ginger garlic paste 

Ingredients

150 gms Cottage cheese / Paneer grated

1 big onion finely chopped
2 tomatoes pureed 
1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
Small piece cinnamon
2 to 3 cloves 
2-3 green chillies finely chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp corriander powder 
1/2 tsp Kashmiri red  chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp amchur powder/ dry Mango powder 
Finely chopped corriander 
Salt to taste.
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cooking oil

Small blob of butter 

Method

• Blend the tomatoes into a fine puree.
• Heat oil in a wok /kadai, crackle the cumin seeds followed by the whole spices (cinnamon and cloves) till you experience a fragrant aroma.
• Saute the onions and green chillies till the onions turn soft and pink.
• Add in the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw flavor of the paste is gone. 
• Slowly, add in all the dry spice powders one by one and fry it on low flame without burning. 
• Pour in the tomato puree ,add salt and garam masala and continue cooking on medium flame till the oil separates from the gravy .
• Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
• Continue cooking till the tomato onion gravy thickens up .
• Now add the grated paneer, mix gently. 
• Add  the blob of butter ,sugar and Kashmiri red chilli powder and cook for a minute.
• Donot cook too much after adding the paneer ,else the paneer may turn rubbery and hard.
• Lastly garnish with fresh corriander and kasuri methi and serve hot with rotis , toasted bread or toasted paav.
• You can also stuff into dosa and make a delicious paneer bhurji dosa - a popular street side delicacy at the dosa stalls in Bombay .