Matar Paneer (veg and vegan)

(Originally posted at my blog ALDI Vegetarian)

Matar Paneer is a recipe I have been making for decades. And a family favorite. I usually make it vegetarian, and all of the ingredients (except spices) are available at Aldi. Last night I made it vegan, and it was darn good. Here are both versions! Remember you can mix the two recipes – a little tofu or coconut milk in your vegetarian version, for example.

Matar Paneer – Vegetarian  

(serves 8, you might want to halve it)
4 cans evaporated milk

2 blocks paneer (You can make it!)

1/2 cup ghee or butter

8 Tbsp. ginger root

4 Tbsp. garlic

1 onion, chopped

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp hot red pepper (you may want to adjust this for taste)

4 tsp. coriander

4 Tbsp. gharam masala

4 cups chopped tomato

2 cups peas

4 Tbsp. sugar

fresh cilantro
Put butter in skillet. Fry paneer cubes. (You can also bake them) Remove from pan.
Add more butter and ginger and garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add onions and salt. Fry for 7 minutes (until soft)

Add one can of evaporated milk.

Stir in tumeric, red pepper, coriander, gharam masala

When blended, add the rest of the milk and the tomatoes

Bring to a slow boil, and let reduce for 10 minutes

Add peas and sugar

Add paneer

Garnish with cilantro

Matar Paneer – Vegan
(serves 8, you might want to halve it)
4 cans coconut milk
2 blocks tofu (You can make it!)

1/2 cup vegan butter

8 Tbsp. ginger root

4 Tbsp. garlic

1 onion, chopped

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp hot red pepper (you may want to adjust this for taste)

4 tsp. coriander

4 Tnsp. gharam masala

4 cups chopped tomato

2 cups peas

4 Tbsp. sweetener (to taste)

fresh cilantro

Put vegan butter in skillet. Fry tofu cubes. (You can also bake them) Remove from pan.
Add more vegan butter and ginger and garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add onions and salt. Fry for 7 minutes (until soft)

Add one can of coconut milk.

Stir in tumeric, red pepper, coriander, gharam masala

When blended, add the rest of the coconut milk and the tomatoes

Bring to a slow boil, and let reduce for 10 minutes

Add peas and sweetener

Add tofu

Garnish with cilantro

We serve this with a salad and wheat tortillas. You could make papadum, chapatis, fried cauliflower, tamarind sauce, and mango lassi. 

An enlightening quote

“We believe in the Horned God and in the Goddess of the Moon.  Now this doesn’t mean that we’re silly enough to think that the Moon in the sky is a goddess.  I don’t think any educated pagan ever did think that.  What this means to us is that the masculine and feminine powers of nature were symbols; magical images, and by means of our imaginations, we can make a real contact with these cosmic forces: the forces of nature, the forces of life.”                    -Doreen Valiente

Listen to Auntie Doreen herself at about 4:00.

Melanie’s Witch Book List UPDATED!

There are so many great Pagan and Wiccan books out there. And some really awful shit. These are the books that shaped me. And that I recommend. My list is completely different from yours. So feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments.

Apocalyptic Witchcraft by Peter Grey

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Kramer and Wolkstein

Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler

 The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

The Witches Bible Complete by the Ferrars

Circle Round by Starhawk

 The Complete Book of Witchcraft by Buckland  (yes, I went there…)

 Women’s Rites, Womens Mysteries by Ruth Barrett

Ariadne’s Thread by Mountainwater 

Medicinal Plants and Herbs – Peterson Field Guide

Hatful of Sky by Terry Prachett (pretty much everything by Terry Prachett. I would say he and the Ferrars shaped me the most!)

 Read, listen, watch everything you can get your hands on by Steven Posch:  

Radio Paganistan 

Steven Posch youtube 

And this woman’s blog is a constant inspiration: http://sarahannelawless.com/ 

I have just purchased the following books – I’ll let you know when I finish them:

 

This list is a work in progress. These are the books that came to mind just this afternoon. Check back soon to see my additions, and the suggestions in the comments! 

PSG 2012 Planning (5 days to go)

     Frebur, here.
     I attended my first PSG in 1995, accompanying the one and only Sparky T. Rabbit.  That innocent trip to Eagle Cave in Wisconsin my life changed forever.
I was, at the time, engaged to a religiously tolerant Catholic woman (!).  We were getting ready to settle into a quiet suburban life with no kids (!!!!!!!), and with my altar tucked away in a dresser drawer.
     PSG was a huge culture shock at first.  It did not feel like “coming home”; it felt like landing on Mars.  But after getting to know the wonderful people there, and after living in a culture of such kindness, freedom, and creativity, PSG had me under its spell.  I remember one evening, lounging in the grass at an outdoor feast, music wafting in the air, watching women dance ballet at the edge of the trees (I think one of them was named Melanie, maybe…).  After moments like this, I knew that my body could go home, but my heart would always stay.
   And the rest, as they say, is history. 

PSG 2012 Planning (7 days to go……)

  In the late 80’s I went to Disney World. I saw a beautiful girl alone in line for Space Mountain and invited her to ride with me. Her name was Jana, and a friendship was born.
  A few years later she sent me a newspaper all about a gathering in Wisconsin called Pagan Spirit Gathering. My hands shook as I read the paper. She was going. Did I want to go with her? I lived at home and had a small baby, but she would pick me up and we could camp together.
  My first PSG changed my life forever. I met beautiful Pagan families, (even moms with nose rings!) took part in rituals, and danced naked under the moon. I met Selena Fox, Circe Queen Slacker, Otter G’Zell, Robin Grimm, and very importantly, Steven Posch. He told me stories that would forever shape my life, and even introduced me to Mother Berchta!

 I had planned to upload a zillion pictures from that year, but a quick search of the basement was unproductive. Except for this one. I’d recognize that spin anywhere.

PSG 2012 Planning (8 days to go….)

  It’s one week until Pagan Spirit Gathering. There is so much to do! My list writing is in top form. To do lists, to buy lists….. We pile what to pack in front of the hearth. Here it is today.

  Also today we did some costume shopping (it’s a surprise…), practiced hair styles, double checked raffle tent paperwork, and made a PSG tote for Wolfie. He has been wanting one to carry his Magic cards around in.

  And our Dandies vegan marshmallows came in. They are smaller than I expected. For SHF I will try Sweet and Sara.

  I went shopping for a bikini top. Nothing like bikini shopping to help motivate you to diet. I will be on a “wine only” diet until PSG.

 One of the most difficult “to dos” today was going over my and Chris’ PSG schedules and deciding what each of could realistically do.

I will keep you posted on our progress, shopping lists, activities, etc.

How do you prepare for festival?

This I believe…

 

 I am a pagan.  I have been for about 19 years.  I love our many paths, our community, our arguments, our festivities.  I am true to my gods and goddesses: Sun, Moon, Earth, Green, Horn, Storm, Winds, Sea and Fire.  I create rituals, I help at gatherings, I practice magic, I publicly defend our ways. 

But, unlike many of my pagan brothers and sisters, I don’t believe (and, yes, I practice magic, but that’s a previous post).  I guess you could call me a “pagan atheist”, but don’t.  I’m pagan.  There is no statement of faith in our religions.  There is no creed.  Which means I can stand right in ritual right next to someone who does believe, and we’re both pagans.  Neither of us is wrong, or bad, or less-than-authentically pagan. 

Let’s leave our Christian baggage at the edge of the circle.

-Frebur

Game Night

 The past few weeks I have been making an effort to play a game with the children every single day. This works out well because I love to play games (always have) and it’s definitely quality time.

  Here are our favorite games:

Psi Run
Set
Settlers of Catan
Magic: The Gathering
Clue
Scrabble
Scotland Yard
Uno
Risk: Godstorm
Apples To Apples
Princess
German Wooden Ladybug Race (for baby – I bought this 20 years ago…..)
Cadoo
Beyblades
Game of Thrones (OK, actually just me.)

What games did we miss? What are your family favorites?