Father’s Day recipe: Feed dad’s heart and soul with almond pesto paneer tikka

The third June of every year is marked as Father’s Day to honour all the ways that our fathers go above and beyond with their sacrifices to fulfill our needs and wishes without any complaint. Their influence is not only limited to providing a feeling of security, both physically and emotionally but also in promoting a child’s inner growth and strength development and to honour this paternal bond, we will be celebrating Father’s Day 2021 on June 20.

Ahead of our man’s big day, we stumbled upon a delectable recipe of almond pesto and paneer tikka which we are bookmarking to feed dad’s heart and soul. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach so, let your dad know just how much you appreciate and care for him by treating him to this special recipe of almond pesto and paneer tikka.

Ingredients for paneer:

cottage cheese (or paneer), 250 gms

almond flakes, ¼ cup fresh

coriander leaves, ¼ cup

basil, 8-10 leaves

chopped ginger, 2 tsp

chopped green chilli, 1 tsp

salt, to taste

grated parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp

chaat masala, ½ tsp

Ingredients for marination:

fresh cream, ½ cup

chopped fresh coriander roots, ½ tsp

green cardamom powder, a pinch

turmeric powder, a pinch

salt, to taste

refined oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Roast the almond flakes in preheated oven at 180-degree celsius for 4 minutes and crush it to powder form once cooled. Blend fresh basil, coriander leaves, chopped ginger, chopped green chilli, chaat masala and salt to coarse paste.

In a bowl, take out blended mix and add grated parmesan cheese, crushed almonds and mix it well. In a bowl, mix fresh cream, chopped fresh coriander roots, green cardamom powder and a pinch of turmeric powder to get a pale yellow colour marinate. adjust the seasoning with salt.

Cut the paneer in 2'x2' size with 1' of thickness. slit paneer pieces from centre to fill it with pesto. Fill in pesto mix inside the slit. coat the paneer with yellow marinate. Heat refined oil in pan, sear marinated paneer evenly on both sides to get golden brown colour.

Once done, take off paneer from pan and serve hot with chutney.

(Recipe: Chef Manish Mehrotra)

Benefits:

Packed with healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E, almonds not only reduce hunger and promote weight loss but also lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels along with reducing blood pressure. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating almonds in place of typical snacks may reduce the drop in heart rate variability (HRV) that occurs during mental stress, thereby improving cardiac function.

As for the nutritional benefits of eating paneer, it is loaded with the goodness of healthy fats and milk proteins and helps builds a strong immune system which is on everyone’s top priority currently amid the Covid-19 pandemic, aids in the normal functioning of the digestive system and builds better bones and teeth courtesy its rich calcium content. It is not only an essential component in weight loss programs but is also an ideal food for diabetic patients and reduces the risk of cancer.