Wholewheat Parmesan Oregano Subway -Style Rolls

 After a long (read that as revival from the dead !!!) hiatus, I am back to the "blogosphere" with a recipe for Wholewheat Parmesan Oregano Subway style rolls. Did that not make your mouth water? In this ongoing stay-at-home scene, eating out has totally and completely been stopped. But what about the cravings?? Do they stop - nope they are like a green-horned monster which keeps rearing its head every now and then. This time I got an intense craving for Subway Sandwiches on my favorite bread Parmesan Oregano with loads of fresh veggies oozing with cheese. 

So what do I do next? Well, after doing a tonne of research (read books, google and pinterest searches, you tube videos etc) I tighten up my apron strings, roll up my sleeves and get started to recreate the magic in my very own kitchen. I have been doing almost all my bread baking at home from the last six months from loaf breads, pav, burger buns to sourdough experiments and rustic loaves I have improved my game a lot and I can confidently say that I can now even get away with just eyeballing the ingredients instead of painstakingly measuring them to the minutest precision. I have also gotten down to making the stuff first and writing it down based on the outcome for the subsequent rounds. This is one such recipe which has stood true to repetitions. So here we go with the recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 tsp Instant Dry Yeast ( If using Active Dry Yeast use 2 tsp)

2 tsp Honey

1.5 C Lukewarm Water + Milk

300 gms Atta ( I used Aashirvad Select)

100 gms Chiroti Rava (fine Semolina)

2 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten

2 Tbsp Milk Powder

5 gms Salt or to taste

2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmesan Oregano Topping

1/2 C Grated or Powdered Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Garlic Powder

4 Pkts Dominos Oregano Seasoning (which is what I used) or 1 Tbsp Oregano

1 tsp Olive Oil

1. Proof yeast. Yes I used instant dry and yes I still like to proof it just to know that the final product will be fine. Mix in honey in half qty of lukewarm milk water mixture. Add instant yeast and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In the meantime, combine the rest of dry ingredients, slowly add the yeast mixture and the remaining milk water mixture and start to knead the dough. This will start from a shaggy mix and transform to a smooth pliable dough in about 10-12 minutes of hard kneading. Stretch and pull technique works best for me after the initial kneading. Now incorporate the olive oil and knead for 2-3 minutes more. Now the window pane test - stretch a small portion of dough as thin as you can and should stretch without tearing and you should be able to look through to the other side. If not, continue kneading till you get a successful window pane.

If you have a stand mixer, knead on slow speed for 3 minutes and medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes till you have a smooth and pliable texture. Add in olive oil and knead for a minute or 2.

3. Set aside for bulk rise 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in volume.

4. After it has doubled, gently remove the dough on to a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal parts of approximately 200 gms each.

5. Shape each of these into rolls and set aside for second rise.

6. After 45 minutes, score the baguettes, lightly coat with olive oil taking care not to deflate them and tap the parmesan oregano topping mixture on each of the baguette. 

7. Keep oven to pre-heat at 230 C for 15 mins. After 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 200 C and slip in the tray into the oven.

8. Bake the baguettes at 200 C for 20 mins. Pull out the tray and apply butter on top of the warm rolls and bake for another 5 mins.

9. Set aside to cool on wire rack till you to do the prep-work for the subway style sandwiches

10.  I made veggie delite sandwiches with homemade eggless Mayonnaise and homemade Southwest Chipotle sauce

Enjoy !! Do leave your comments below to let me know if you try these ..

Pita Bread

In my mind I always thought making Pita bread would be a very time consuming laborious process involving a lot of luck and precise planetary alignment but that surely is not the case. Especially for us rolling pin wielding - roti-making Indians the stovetop version is similar to how we make our chapatis and fulkas everyday. I adapted the recipe from here and here's what I did different from the original recipe.

A big thank you to my friend Subha for clicking all the pictures.

Ingredients
3 C All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Semolina
2 Tbsp Olive Oil  (* I read this incorrectly from the original recipe, but I will stick with this measurement as I think it helps in rolling out perfectly shaped Pita which doesn't spring back as much)
1 C Warm Water + 1 to 2 Tbsp
2 tsp Salt  (* Will reduce this to 1.5 next time on it wasn't gratingly too much but a little less wouldn't hurt)
1 Pkt Rapid Rise Yeast  (* That's all I had at home)

Method
1. Proof yeast using one cup warm water and yeast. Seeing yeast froth is something that gives me the confidence that the final product will turn out well, this is entirely optional unless your packet of yeast explicitly states so.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, semolina, salt and yeast and mix on low to medium speed for about 4-5 mins. Adding water as required.
3. Add olive oil and mix for another minute or so till the oil is well coated. Transfer the dough or just cover up the bowl and leave for rising up till doubled up in volume.
4. Oven Method: Followed the method from here with a minor change
Preheat oven to 450F, put your baking sheet also in the oven to heat up. In the meantime roll out the Pita bread to your desired size but make sure it is not very thin. Once oven is preheated and all your Pita rounds are rolled out remove the baking tray carefully, place the Pita circles and place them in the oven for 3 minutes.
5. After 3 minutes remove from tray from oven, carefully flip each Pita over to the other side and put it back in the oven for 2 minutes. This gives the Pita bread a few spots and IMO makes for a better Pita pocket. If like me you forget to remove them from the oven and they remain in the oven, these will turn into dried Pita chips.
6. Stovetop Method: Ok so I followed the instruction in the original source for being able to refrigerate the dough and the next day I tried Pita on the stovetop.
Heat the griddle on the stovetop keeping a med-high heat. Constant heat and pressure is the key to puffed up Pita bread.

 

7. Roll out the Pita bread and then slap them on the griddle. Once the first side shows signs of lifting from the griddle and a few spots turn it over and apply even pressure with a clean kitchen towel.

Watch it puff to a beautiful round. Ooh and aah over it and repeat for as many Pita's as you want.

8. I cut them into halves as soon as they were off the heat fearing that it may lose the pocket if I didn't do this. Should have tried leaving one round without cutting to see what happens ..maybe next time ...

The Verdict:
The Pita breads made in the oven remain puffed up whereas the ones made on the stovetop tend to flop down, retaining their cavity and softness.
9. Enjoy with whatever filling catches your fancy ...

Hummus

As much as I love eating Greek and middle eastern food I had never made it at home. This was one thing on my to try list for so long and then Nupur of One Hot Stove organized a swap, my swap partner sent me Sumac and I decided to put it to use. So I made Hummus, Falafel, Homemade Pita Bread, Tzatiki and a Warm Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad. I was very happy with the way all of the recipes came out and my husband and my friends certified that these were a hit. So here is how I made Hummus. I read a lot of recipes online but haven't stuck to any particular one. I didn't have Tahini and I basically just used toasted sesame seeds with olive oil. I am not sure this is how Tahini is to be made but this is how I made it.

I would like to thank Subha for clicking the pics and sharing them with me. Many a recipe remains in my drafts for the lack of pictures ....

Hummus - I pronounce it as Hoo-mus this was how I first heard a kuwaiti friend refer to it, I have heard others pronounce it as Hum-mus I don't know which is correct or authentic, if you do please let me know ...

Ingredients

1 15Oz Can Chickpeas

3-4 cloves of Garlic

1/4 C Olive Oil (I used Extra Virgin but I guess a lighter, fruitier olive oil will work too)

Juice of Half Lemon 

Tahini (Note:  I used 1/2 C toasted sesame seeds, powdered them and then added 2 Tbsp of EVOO - Not sure if this is authentic but didn't have it on hand so decided to make it)
Warm Water (as needed)

Salt

1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin and Pepper Powder

1 tsp Sumac

Method
1. Empty the can of chickpeas in a colander and rinse it under hot water to remove all the gooey canned residue. I also think it reduces the tinny taste.
2. Remove the skin off the chickpeas as much as you can, it is kind of boring but I read somewhere that it results in a smooth textured hummus.
3. In a food processor add the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Grind the ingredients till they start to form a paste. I needed to add warm water to bring them all together, if the mixture doesn't seem to be coming together add warm water little at a time.
4. When it starts to become into a paste, add salt, cumin powder and half of olive oil and continue to pulse.
5. Transfer to a bowl, taste test for the seasoning adjust if required. Make a swirly mark with your spoon, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with Sumac on top.
6. Serve with Pita bread, chips or veges ...

The tomatillos make a good prop ;)

Cabbage Mishmash

Today was one of the rare days when my refrigerator vege section was nearly empty .. I mean I almost always suffer from the other extreme of having too many vegetables but not today. All I had was half a bell pepper, half an onion, one measly carrot, almost a third of a head of cabbage and that was by far the biggest portion, a couple of tomatoes, one small potato. So I decided to make something with this mishmash and since cabbage was the highest in quantity I have decided to call it a Cabbage Mishmash. This time I would say that the "whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts". The flavor of this vegetable mishmash was so yummy that I decided to post the recipe so I can make it again.

Ingredients
1/3 Cabbage sliced thinly
1/2 Capsicum cubed
1/2 Onion cubed
1 Small Potato cubed fine
1 Carrot diced
2 Tomatoes diced
Handful of Frozen Peas
1 Pod Garlic
1 Small piece ginger
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
Small piece Jaggery (optional)

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger and garlic sauté for a minute, then add onions sauté for a couple of minutes then add carrots, potato keep stirring. Add cabbage, mix well and continue sauteing. Then add capsicum and  peas continue to sauté.
2. Add salt, and all dry spices. Mix well.
3. Add tomatoes and continue till cooked. Add jaggery mix well cook till jaggery is dissolved switch off the gas. Adjust salt and seasoning as needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro, serve with phulkas.

Notes: This mishmash reminded me of the vegetable filling in the vegetable puffs available in farsan shops and local railway platform shops in Mumbai.
2. This will make a beautiful filling for vegetable wraps or grilled sandwiches, inside pita bread or frozen puff pastry dough ...one mishmash endless possibilities .. Enjoy !!!

Small Batch Strawberry Jam

All I can say is I am a happy woman. I have always wanted to experiment with making jam at home but a couple of things (or lack of them) have held me back - namely Pectin and no knowledge of canning / preserving techniques. However, this time I decided to try it with a small enough batch of strawberries so I can simply save it in a glass jar and use it up real quick and I am so very happy with the result. If any of you out there decides to try this please let me know how it turns out and if possible share your pics and also if you decide to use different berries or different amount of sugar etc do let me know. I am a newbie and would love to hear your experiments and experiences ...

Ingredients
1 lb Strawberries
1 C and a little less than 1/2 C Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 pieces Candied ginger chopped fine (*Optional)

1. Cut up strawberries into really small pieces .. you could also pulse them a few times in the food processor I think ...
2. Put a couple of small plates in the freezer to chill ...we need these to test the consistency of the jam.
3. Take a heavy bottomed pan with tall sides ** tall sides are important otherwise you will have a tough cleaning job on hand **  and mix together mooshed strawberries, sugar and lemon juice.
3. Put on medium heat and let it cook. Keep removing the whitish foam that floats to the top ...
4. You will notice that the mixture will go on thickening as it reaches a rolling boil - a rolling boil is basically when the liquid bubbles in your pot threaten to explode in a colorful spray around you .. be careful sugar burns can be dangerous.
5. Let it boil for 8-10 minutes or till the mix starts to appear like an almost set jello or fruit jelly. At this point remove one plate from the freezer, and run a small amount of jam in a straight line. Tilt the plate if the mix is too runny, let it cook for a couple of minutes more and repeat the test. If the jam appears to be just a wee bit thinner than regular bottled jam it is time to switch the gas and take the pan off the heat.
6. Since this is a small batch I did not use canning techniques. I just nuked a small glass bottle in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I removed it from the microwave and filled hot jam into the hot glass jar and put a lid on it but not before leaving out a good tablespoon on the cold plate for me and hubby to enjoy immediately.
7. Leave the jam to cool for about 10-12 hours then ..well then just enjoy it with toast or pancakes or ....

I know I have the ingredient candied ginger listed above, I had intended adding it once the mixture started to bubble vigorously but I forgot to add them. I have sampled strawberry jam with candied ginger at one of the farm stands a while back and it does taste yummy.

A hot and spicy bowl of Vegetable Jalfrezi

I have been MIA from my blog. Last year was a momentous one for me I became a mother and well another great thing that happened was I got to spent a good five months with my own ma learning the tricks of being one from the best one. This was the longest time I have spent with my mother after I moved to Bombay for my studies and it has been the most wonderful time of my life. I have written earlier also that my mummy is a terrific cook, I got to savor my favourite foods when she was here and found out that over the years she too has been experimenting a lot with food. I am sharing one of her recent recipes which she has reverse engineered from her favourite take-out place menu - Vegetable Jalfrezi. I have no idea why it is called "Jalfrezi" but I love the flavor of this vegetable and the fact that it is simple and quick can be paired with Roti, Bread or Rice or eaten plain straight from the bowl. Another good thing about this one is that you can add / subtract and or substitute vegetables of your choice. I am giving you the version I enjoy.

P.S: I forgot to thank my good friend Subha for patiently clicking the pics ...

Ingredients:

14 Oz Paneer

2 Medium Onions
1 Green Bell Pepper

10-15 Green Beans (less or more is upto you)

1 or 2 Carrots 

1 Tbsp Ginger / Garlic Paste (More ginger less garlic, can also add green chillies if you like it hot)
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1-2 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Pdr
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder (More if you like it spicy)
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp Oil

1. Chop the onions in big cubes, similarly cut bell peppers in big chunks, peel and chop carrots into rounds or if they are really big in half moon shape. String the beans and cut them in 2 inch pieces.
2. Cut Paneer into cubes. I like big chunks for this recipe. Also, here in the US I use Nanak brand Paneer and I like to wash the Paneer cubes with cold water and microwave them for 2 minutes before adding them to the wok as I think it yields softer paneer.
3. In a wok heat the oil, add onions and sauté for a couple of mins till slightly translucent but not mushy. They should still have a crunch in them.
4. Add ginger and garlic paste saute, add carrots, beans, paneer and mix. Add salt and seasoning sauté till vegetables and paneer are coated with spices. Add bell pepper and mix. Now add the ketchup and vinegar, mix it all together. Let cook for a couple of minutes. All the veges should still have a bite more like chinese stir-fry veges take care not to overcook else you will end up with a regular mixed vegetable.
5. Adjust salt, spices and sweet and tart balance by adding more ketchup and / or vinegar as needed. You can also add a couple of spoons of water if you want it a little bit on the wet side.
6. Put it in a bowl and enjoy. Even my non-Paneer loving husband enjoys this one ...

NOTE: I will be honest, I usually eyeball and add my ingredients so most of my recipes are approximations rather than exact quantities. You can adjust the quantities to suit your taste buds.

Spring Greens Salad with Sweet & Tangy Dressing

It's summer time and one of the most satisfying meals for me is a huge bowl of salad with loads of fresh vegetables and of course cheese ;). I just love the Organic Spring Greens Mix from Sams Club which contains a mix of red and green romaine, red and green oak leaf, lollo rosa and tango lettuces get a little kick from mizuna, arugula and radicchio. It comes in a one pound box and stays nice for a week. 

Ingredients

Spring Greens Mix

1 Small red onion, chopped fine

Handful of grape tomatoes - chopped in quarters

Handful of red grapes ( I love the contrast in flavor this brings)

Feta Cheese Crumbled ( Any other shredded / crumbled cheese of your choice)

Croutons ( love the ones with Sea Salt and Pepper)

Jalapenos (Optional - Hubby's topping)

Cucumbers (Optional - My topping)

For the Salad Dressing

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 of 1/4 cup Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar 

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 Lime Juiced

1 Tbsp Honey

Salt & Pepper

Crushed Red Chilli flakes (as per taste)

Italian Herb Seasoning (as per taste)

1 Garlic Clove minced

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (Strictly optional)

Method

1. In a salad mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the salad and toss lightly to mix.

2. In a glass bottle or mason jar, measure out all ingredients for the salad dressing, close the lid and give it a vigorous shake, till the dressing appears to be homogeneous.

3. Add the dressing to your salad mix well and adjust seasoning to taste. Add more cheese if you like or are like me ;)

4. Enjoy with a chilled glass of wine.

Stuffed Mushrooms

It has been a long hiatus from my blog, no I didn't stop cooking -in fact, if you ask me I have done some of my best and most creative cooking during this time period. I however had a small problem with my camera which prevented me from taking photos and well I just didn't feel like posting recipes without pictures. But I have finally freed myself of that thought or rather what has freed me and pushed me into posting again is this quote from William Denton "Food is to eat, not to frame and hang on the wall." So I say touche to that and am back with a post on Stuffed Mushrooms. I have been meaning to make them like forever but never got down to making these. This time however, when I picked up this big box of mushrooms on my regular grocery trip I had decided then and there that a good part if not all of these mushrooms were gonna be stuffed.

Ingredients

16-20 White Button Mushrooms 

1 Tbsp Finely chopped Garlic

1 Medium White Onion finely diced

1 Jalapeno Pepper finely diced *(Optional but we love it hot)

Handful of Baby Spinach leaves, blanched and chopped fine

2-3 Sundried tomatoes finely diced

2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs

2 - 3 Tbsp Feta Cheese

1 Tbsp Olive Oil 

Fresh Rosemary 

Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Wash mushrooms in cold water and pop out the stems. Chop the stems finely and set aside.

2. Finely dice onion, jalapeno pepper, sundried tomatoes. You can also use a chopper but do chop each ingredient separately.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. In a saute pan, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. I used this gorgeous rosemary and red-pepper infused EVOO that I picked up on one of our road trips ..

4. Add finely chopped garlic you will need approximately 4-5 garlic cloves and let it become golden brown.

5. To this add chopped onions and jalapeno pepper (if using) cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat till onions start to turn brownish. Now add the chopped mushroom stems and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, then add chopped blanched spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

6. Season with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary. The mixture should be on the dry side if not cook for a couple more minutes till dry and then turn off the heat. 

7. Once the mixture has cooled a little, add bread crumbs and feta cheese and mix well.

8. Start stuffing the mushrooms with this mixture, smear into the cavity and heap a little on top as well, go on placing these in a baking tray.

9. Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

10. I bite into one and am instantly transported to foodie heaven - an old ad jingle keeps ringing in my ears "ek baar khaoge to khate reh jaoge, No one can eat just one" ;) 

Enjoy !!!

A word of caution: The mushrooms leave out a lot of water, so be careful handling the hot baking tray with hot liquid.

Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake

I just so love the concept of upside down cakes. The beautiful swirls of fruit created at the bottom of the pan, baked golden and glossy become the top of a beautiful cake. The first time I came across an upside down cake was when my sis and bhabhi 'S' made it for my birthday. Oh those were some days - sis and I used to bake cakes for each and every family member's birthday or any other special occasion. Our whole family used to back us up and appreciate the end products, even daddy whose drink cabinet we would raid for our supply of rum or his finest cognac for our cake experiments :). Well the recipe I am now about to share is one with a very unusual (IMHO) combination ginger and pear. I wanted to try the recipe only for this combination and the verdict - both of us liked the flavor, it looked beautiful and tasted nice but we thought this was one cake which cannot be stored for very long, it was fab on day 1, mighty fine on day 2 but beyond that the difference in taste was quite noticeable. Since this is a big cake when I make it again I will halve the recipe if I am making for just two of us or bake it when we have company.

Ingredients
1 Cup Whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon Pdr
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 Cup Unsulphured Molasses
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
2" piece of Fresh Ginger Root peeled and grated
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lime
3-4 slices of Pear mashed and added to cake *(Optional - I had some extra pieces ;))
2-3 Tbsp of Raisins
For Topping or should I say bottom layer ??
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1&1/2 tsp Cinnamon Pdr
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 Big Bartlett Pears peeled and sliced

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small microwave proof bowl, add the first four ingredients of the topping and mix till butter is melted, approx 2 mins.
3. Pour this mix in an 8"cake tin and move it around and let it coat the entire surface of the tin, then arrange pear slices all around in a circular fashion. If you are a raisin fan like me feel free to add a few on top of pears.
4. In a mixing bowl sift all dry ingredients and in another mix all wet ingredients.
5. Now mix all wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, throw in the raisins mix lightly, then pour it over the pear slices.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the cake tester comes out clean. Let it cool just a little bit, slice and serve.

Applesauce + Cookies = Applesauce Cookies

So I made this big jar of applesauce a month ago when the whole blogosphere seemed to be posting apple related recipes. My confession is that I don't much like apples so for me to make something primarily with apple seemed like a waste of time, effort and materials. But then there are times when an idea just refuses to get out of your head despite all the practical reasons for not following through. So I had to had to make applesauce.  Since I have never tasted applesauce before - ya another confession ... I read a whole bunch of recipes, did not write any of them down. So in a minute I will tell you about how I made my applesauce, but for now just assume that I now have this whole bottle of applesauce in my fridge and I don't know what to do with. Well I went on a hunt for ways to use up applesauce and found this recipe for applesauce cookies on Tastes Better with Friends. I tweaked it a bit though not too much - the result floored us. I had halved the original recipe so the yield was around 20 cookies, and the two of us finished these in two days.

Well true to the spirit of the blog from where I picked up the recipe " Tastes better with friends", I am sending these cookies virtually to my dear friend 'S' and I really wish I was in India making these for her. For now enjoy these virtually 'S and you can pester 'R' to make it when her oven is not exploding ;)

Ingredients for Applesauce(Makes 450 gms or 16 Oz)
4 Apples peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Pdr
1/4 tsp All Spice
Juice of half lemon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Cool & mash with a potato masher. Store refrigerated in a glass bottle.

Applesauce Cookies
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 C Applesauce
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger Pieces chopped fine (instead of nuts in the original recipe)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Cream butter, sugar then add applesauce and blend it.
3. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the above mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Add the raisins and ginger pieces and stir until combined. At this point, this mix was more like a thick muffin batter than a cookie dough.
5. Drop by tsp onto a greased baking sheet spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake about 12 mins or lightly browned. I baked for 14 minutes.
6. At this point I should say cool completely before devouring but I love warm cookies and these were so cake like in texture I couldn't wait ....

So Ms S here they come your way ..

Bajari No Rotlo / Bajri Roti / Millet Flatbread

Bajari or Millet Flour as it is known in English is one more of the gluten-free flour variety. During winters, we used to have these bajari rotis or flatbreads along with a bit of jaggery. The reasoning behind this given to us as children was that bajari is heat inducing so helps the body's heat retention, I do not know the truth behind this one but another reason I suspect was also that the fresh green garlic shoots used for flavoring these flatbreads are mostly available in the winter months. Of course you can substitute garlic pods for fresh green garlic but the taste changes quite a bit.
Baingan Bharta or Ringan No Oro (in gujarati) along with Bajri Rotlo is commonly served in Gujarat and is generally a part of the Kathiawadi thali. I will be posting the Baingan Bharta recipe soon till then here is how to make these easy and tasty flatbreads.

Ingredients
1 Cup Bajari / Millet Flour
2-3 Tbsp Fresh Green Garlic and Fresh Coriander(Cilantro) leaves ground to a paste with very little water
2-3 Thai Green chillies ground to a paste
Salt to taste
Method
1. In a mixing bowl, take bajari flour, add salt, chili paste, green garlic and coriander paste and knead into a smooth dough.
2. Make 4-5 equal portions of the dough. Take a Ziploc bag, slit two sides and make it into a rectangle. Apply some ghee or butter or oil, sprinkle some dry bajari flour.
3. Now take a portion of the dough and put it on the Ziploc, flatten with your hands similar to Sorghum Flatbread
4. Gently ease it out of the Ziploc bag and slide it onto a hot griddle. Cook on both sides on medium high heat till brown spots appear. Apply some ghee and serve hot with baingan bharta or a piece of jaggery or with plain yogurt.

Hubby's Aloo Matar / Potatoes and Peas

My dear hubby is a good cook. He is not a fancy schmancy chef but he certainly has a few signature dishes which in his words "..are a repeatable process". You can see he has been in the IT industry for far too long ..sigh!! On days when I feel rather bored to cook something or when I am not in a mood for eating my own food(oh how I wish mom would be here on such days) my sweet hubby offers to make something for us. This time he made his signature aloo matar which is very very different from what I make but it is mighty simple and finger licking good.

Ingredients
4 Small - Medium Boiled Potatoes
3/4 C Peas / Matar
1 Tbsp Hunts Tomato Paste
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder / Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Method
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise.
2. In a saute pan, heat oil, add cumin and let the seeds sizzle and give out a good aroma. Add the potatoes and stir till well coated with the oil cumin mixture.
3. Now add peas, salt, turmeric, corriander powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Stir well and cook for a few minutes till the peas are nearly done.
4. Now add a tablespoon of the hunts tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes till tomato paste is well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5.Serve hot and gloat ;)

My Favourite Breakfast

I am not too much of a breakfast person - all I prefer in the mornings is a good big cuppa chai and a couple of my favourite Parle-G biscuits. That said, I still do have some favourite breakfast items and almost on top of my list is a delicacy which I have been extremely fond of since my childhood days. The white steaming fluffy white cloud like idlis in my opinion are one of the best things we can have for breakfast. There are enough and more recipes for Idlis in the blogosphere so I am not going to put a recipe for this one. This will just be a simple photo post with Idli, Molgapodhi, Sambhar and Tomato Onion Chutney a feast for breakfast.

Baingan Bharta / Ringan No Oro / Smoked Eggplant with Onions, Tomatoes and Fresh Garlic

Ages ago when we were children growing up in an India when cable television and cartoon network were not so prolific and Doordarshan channel was our only source of entertainment there was a children's program called "Baingan Raja" where the eggplant being the king's favourite veggie was elected as the king of the vegetable kingdom. I have much forgotten the story but what lingers on in my memory is that how as a child I could not relate to Eggplant being the king of any kingdom as it along with bitter gourd was one of the least of my favorites. Now the roles are reversed and if not baingan then karela surely should be treated as a king of vegetables ;). My hubby is already grinding his teeth ...grr...he dislikes both these veggies, but this is my blog and sometimes it is about my favorites. So yes today I am going to share one of my favorite eggplant recipe and one that is common to western as well as northern parts of India and is known by various names - Baingan Bharta, Ringan No Oro which translates in English as Smoked Eggplant with Onions, Tomatoes and Fresh Garlic.

Ingredients
1 Big Eggplant
1 Big Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Bunch Scallions / Spring Onions, white and green parts separated and finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Green Chilli, Ginger and Fresh Green Garlic paste
1/2 Cup Green Peas boiled, if using frozen thawed and microwaved for 3-4 mins
1/8 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Amchur Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1-2 tsp Corriander Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder * Adjust to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
Method
1. Wash and wipe the eggplant. Now coat it with some oil, place it in a baking tray and broil till the skin turns black and starts to peel. Time to remove the eggplant from the oven and switch of the oven. I prefer doing this on a gas flame but since I have an electric stove I have to use the oven.
2. Place an inverted baking tray, remove the eggplant with tongs and place it on this. Now place a baking tray on top of the eggplant and press it down with some heavy weight object. This will remove the juices from the eggplant. As per traditional Indian cuisine, the juices of the eggplant are supposed to be heat intensive and by removing the juices and seeds the supposed heat is removed from the eggplant. Peel the eggplant and separate the pulp.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, add a Tbsp of oil, let it heat then add mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. Now add the onions and white part of spring onion saute till they change color to pinkish brown, Now add the pounded green chilli, ginger and garlic paste, saute for a couple of minutes before adding the eggplant pulp. Saute for additional 3-4 minutes till nicely mixed.
4. Add all the spices and then add tomatoes. Allow to cook till tomatoes are cooked through and the whole looks like a homogenous mass.
5. Now add green peas and cook for additional 3-4 minutes. By now the bharta should start leaving the sides of the kadhai. Garnish with the green parts of spring onions. Optionally add a little lemon juice and serve with Bajri No Rotlo or phulkas.

Collard Greens with Mung Beans

My world view of the greens was limited to Spinach, Fenugreek and Mustard leaves (sarson) and may be a couple of others. All of which I happen to love. The greens here in the grocery store always caught my eye and beckoned to me but I was always reluctant or hesitant as to what will I make with them? This time the collard greens looked so fresh that I just couldn't stop myself from reaching out and plonking them in my shopping cart much to the consternation of my hubby whose mute question was "What in the world are you going to do with that?" I ignored it and brought these home. Next began a war for space in my usually packed refrigerator. The bunch of collard greens was occupying a third of my veggie drawer and after a couple of days of jostling for space with other veggies, my husband finally asked me "What are you going to make with that broom?" Broom did I just hear you say broom to such beautiful greens, well it is blasphemy and so went the war of words. Finally I got to thinking of what I would make with these, the internet search was not too helpful as most of these were relegating the greens to a secondary side dish whereas wanted them to be a star. Finally I decided to try and use collard greens instead of spinach in the traditional manner in which our very famous Sindhi Sai Bhaji is made. Well this seemed like a win-win since hubby likes Sai Bhaji ok not just likes "loves". Trust me this turned out to be so beautiful. The only thing I changed from the traditional recipe was instead of chana dal (split chickpeas) I used mung dal since it is quicker cooking. For more on lentils see Food Subs. Do not be daunted by the list of ingredients, this dish has just a unique flavor and surprisingly with not as many spices as one expects from an Indian main course dish.

Ingredients
1 Bunch Collard Greens *It actually had 4 separate bunches so it was really a big one

1/4 Cup Yellow Mung Dal
1 Small Potato peeled and cubed
1 Small Onion peeled and diced small
1/2 Zucchini or any other squash, cubed same size as potatoes
1 Carrot peeled and cubed
4 Medium Tomatoes small diced
1 - 2" piece Ginger Root chopped fine
6-7 Thai Green Chillies * Adjust heat according to your own taste buds
a pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp Kasuri Methi Dried or a handful if using fresh leaves
1 Tbsp Oil
Method
1. Wash and soak mung dal in water for 15-20 minutes till you finish all the prep work. Wash and chop the collard greens.
2. In a pressure cooker, add a tablespoon of oil let it heat then add the ginger, green chillies and asafoetida. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the onions, potato, squash and carrot. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Now add half of the collard greens, then add the mung dal follow with the rest of the collard greens.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and kasuri methi do NOT mix.
5. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles.
6. Switch of the gas and allow to cool completely before opening the pressure cooker. If you are in a hurry you can use the cold water treatment but be very careful.
7. After you open the pressure cooker, take a whisk or a handheld immersion blender and mash the veges. At this point it is very very easy to mash them. Add salt and switch on the heat and reheat till it starts bubbling.
8. Enjoy with soft warm rotis or with Garlic Rice or Plain Rice.

Notes:
1. You can use Chana Dal instead of Mung Dal. It requires a longer soaking time than the mung dal
2. You can also use a small bunch of dill leaves, it takes the taste to the next level
3. Some people also enjoy adding a tempering of almost browned garlic on top of the cooked greens.

Mini Cake Doughnuts - Two Ways

I brought a mini doughnut pan purely for its cuteness value. It looked so cute that I had to have one. I bought it home and then had it stacked away with all my other baking pans. Now me and my friend R love doughnuts. we have spent many of our lunch breaks walking down to a donut chain called Mad Over Doughnuts in Mumbai to ogle at and share a donut and coffee for lunch yeah you heard me LUNCH or at other times just like that. So when my dear R, sent me a one liner telling me about a new job offer for her, I decided to remove my doughnut pan and bake donuts for her. So what if  I can share them only virtually ..it's the thought that counts right.

I basically followed the recipe that came with my pan and varied it only to add a couple of spoons of maple syrup to one part and a 1/4 tsp of vanilla essence to the other batch.

Ingredients
1 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour *original recipe called for Cake flour, since I didn't have any ...
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk * I used 2-3 Tbsp Plain Yogurt diluted with water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup * See method below
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract * See method below
Method
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray mini doughnut pan with cooking spray or oil.
2. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together and stir with a whisk.
3. In another bowl, add all wet ingredients, whisk till egg and buttermilk have blended. Now add butter and whisk it nicely.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk well. Do not overbeat.
5. Now divide the batter in two bowls, to one add maple syrup and to the other add vanilla essence.
6. Take a ziplock bag and fill the contents of the vanilla batter to the bag, snip a small hole and fill in the each donut cavity about 1/2 full. Bake for 4-6 minutes till the top of the doughnut springs back to touch.
7. Since I wasn't very happy with the color on top, I flipped the donuts on the other side and slipped the pan back into the oven for 2 minutes. This is strictly optional.
8. Now remove the donuts and fill in the maple batter bake for 4-6 mins.
9. For Sugar Glazed donuts - in another ziplock bag, fill in 2/3 C Sugar and dunk a few minis at a time, shake the bag till well coated, remove and repeat till all vanilla donuts a dozen of them are coated with sugar
10. For the maple glaze, in a bowl mix 1/2 C powdered sugar, 2-3 Tbsp Maple Syrup and mix well, glaze each donut and set it on a serving platter.
11. Enjoy with coffee - our choice Black with no Sugar added.

A special note for R: Remember NSE cafeteria?? Instant black coffee and "Are you girls insane looks?" of the cafeteria guys ;)

Zucchini Pancakes

This has to be the fastest that a recipe I have made has made it to my blog almost instantaneously after I made it. OK well it's been a few hours since breakfast but whatever ...
I love pancakes I can have them for breakfast, for lunch or for dinner doesn't matter - but my dear hubby is not so very fond of them. He challenged me to come up with a savory version of the pancakes for him and I am proud to say this one here has won his approval :). As for me I think this sure is a good way of getting some veggies in early in the morning.

Ingredients (For 6-7 pancakes)
2/3 Cup Bisquick Pancake Mix
1/2 Zucchini, washed and grated
1/2 Yellow Onion, peeled and grated
1 Thai Green Chilly, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper
A dash of Italian Seasoning
A dash of Red Pepper Flakes
2/3 Cup Water
6-7 tsp Olive Oil


Method
1. In a mixing bowl, measure of the bisquick, add salt, pepper, seasoning and red chilli flakes and mix them together.
2. Add grated zucchini, onions and thai green chilli. Now add 2/3 Cup water and mix it well.
3. Adjust the liquid till you get the perfect pancake batter. Optionally you could use eggs instead of water.
4. Heat a skillet on medium high, pour out a ladleful of the pancake batter, add a little olive oil and cook on both sides like pancake.
5. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or just plain ol' ketchup.

Roasted Tomatillo & Hot Pepper Salsa

I have decided to explore nature's bounty and expand the horizon's for my taste buds or unwillingly, grudgingly also those of my hubby's :). Every regular grocery trip I have decided to pick-up atleast one vegetable that I have not used in my kitchen before. Last week I picked up tomatillos. I have always been fascinated by the way they look like green tomatoes but with a papery husk. I used to shy away because I didn't know what to do with them ... then I had Salsa Verde and that was the turning point. So armed with tomatillos and some really hot peppers I set out to make salsa

Ingredients

6 Tomatillos husks removed, washed and halved

1-2  Red Fresno Pepper (These are super hot)

1 Jalapeno Pepper

4 cloves garlic peeled

Cilantro a big handful

1 Small Red Onion or a quarter of a big one chopped fine

Cumin Powder

Corriander Powder

Salt

Method

1 In a baking sheet pan, place the cut half of tomatillos, chilli peppers and 2 cloves garlic and roast them at 400 F for 10-15 mins till the outside of tomatillos has charred and inside is soft to touch.

2. Let cool for 5 mins, then put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl serve warm or let cool some more and serve with chips.

Notes: 

1. This one is super delicious but super hot. Feel free to reduce the number of chillies or substitute milder ones.

2. I believe this will make an awesome marinate for fish like tilapia fillets for a smoking hot grilled fish.

Queso

What is gooey, creamy, cheesy,spicy and absolutely irresistible? Ya you guessed it's Queso pronounced kay-so  aka Chili con Queso or cheese with spices. I serve it with tortilla chips, pita chips or fresh veggie sticks and even some Indian appetizers. Did I hear you say it's versatile - you bet it is.

Ingredients
8Oz Velveeta, grated
4Oz Cream Cheese
1 Can Rotel Original Tomatoes with Chillies
2 pods Garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers, diced fine
1 tsp Black Pepper crushed

Note: This is an ideal recipe for a slow cooker, since I don't own one I made it on the stove-top, if you have one by all means use it :)

Oh! The cream-cheese shied away from posing :(

Method
1. In a heavy bottomed pan, add grated velveeta, cream cheese and set it on medium-high till melted.
2. Now add the can of Rotel tomatoes, diced jalapenos, garlic and mix well.
3. Mix thoroughly and lower the heat and let it bubble for a few minutes. Add crushed black pepper. Mix well.
4. Serve warm with chips of your choice.

Note:
1. In case, of leftovers, you can reheat in a microwave and again use it as a dip or
2. Dilute with milk and use as a sauce for mac n cheese or pasta ;)
I like making penne pasta, coating it with diluted queso, adding mushrooms and broccoli and baking them till there is a nice golden layer. Yummy !!!!