I was going through my blog last night,i realized that I have not posted a single paneer (cottage Cheese) recipe despite being an avid paneer lover .
Paneer is a dominant culinary
symbol for Indian vegetarian recipes because it makes a great meat substitute
for vegetarian cuisines. From sweets, to fried snacks, to cream-drunk royal
curries, paneer is used in North Indian cuisine extensively. Its mild
taste, unique texture, and capability to soak in flavors and withstand high
cooking temperatures make it a household favorite.
For experimenting purpose
paneer is just perfect to mix it with various ingredients. Today, I am
attempting to mix paneer with Jamaican sauce to enrich its texture. Jamaican
sauce is used for marinating meats, fishes and various types of vegetables. For vegetarians
like us, we can use this as a barbeque sauce for marinating cottage cheese,
tofu, mushrooms and vegetables. This is a
spicy sauce which can be refrigerated for several days.
The origins of this sauce are integrated
with the British colonial rule. Jamaica was ruled by British Colonists for more
than three centuries and they captured the local Arawak Indians and made them
their slaves. Then they began importing slaves from Africa. Some of these
slaves escaped the British Army and migrated to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica
in the early 1700’s. They prepared marinade using peppers, salt, and spices and
rubbed it on their food. The initial style of cooking was to wrap their marinated
food in leaves and cooking it in clay pots. This style became synonymous with
the cuisine of Jamaica and gradually more spices were added to the marinade.
With time, choice of spices used for making this sauce has
evolved depending on individual taste preferences. Some of the popular
ingredients include garlic, cloves, onion, pepper, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar
and soy sauce. All the ingredients are combined and pulsed in a food processor
for obtaining a better texture. The sauce is then kept in an air tight
container and refrigerated.
I have also done some
variation in terms of the ingredients used for the sauce. Here is the recipe
and like always this too is a simple but yet unique recipe.
Preparation Time: 45 Minutes
Cooking Time: under 20 minutes
Serves: 4 People
