Sourdough Bread

Home baked bread is one of my weaknesses. Its not in the eating, but in the making of it. The waiting for the rise, or rather the 'dramatic wait' for the rising the dough and then the aroma of break baking in the oven. And then the aroma differs from whether you are baking a garlic and herb infused bread or a cinnamon roll or any other kind of bread, pizza or a naan. So while doing a lot of yeasted bread with success, partial success and no success.... I came across something called the Sourdough - what is it. Well I did a lot of research and came across many and I have now settled for a recipe of my own for the tropical weather of India, specifically Kochi in Kerala. Well yes, I have to be specific because the Sourdough goes through a long, slow process of rising and little bit variation in the temperature can upset the process and the result.

If you are still enthusiastic about the bread after seeing the picture and the write up above, okay, lets do it. This is my quick version of the recipe and rule of thumb is not to play around too much tweaking the recipe. Because the amount of water or rather the moisture in the dough is crucial.

For the starter 

Mix 100gm wheat flour with 100 ml water and leave it for 12 to 24 hours. The mix should have doubled in size. 

Once the starter is ready, add 400 gm wheat flour, 50 gm all purpose flour, 200 ml water, 1 table spoon sugar, 2 tablespoon oil and 3/4 tsp salt and give a mix with a spoon to make a wet dough. Leave it aside for about 1 hour. Now fold the dough about 10 to 20 times. If it is not soft and wet enough, you can sprinkle few drops of water. Repeat this one or two more times. Leave it to rise for about 7-8 hours or overnight. Make sure it does not over prove. 

Once it has doubled in size. Sprinkle some flour and give a gentle fold. The dough should be smooth but not wet now. Shape it into a smooth ball and leave it to rise once again. It would take about 2 to 4 hours. A sourdough bread is baked in a deep pan with a lid because the dough will further rise while baking. It commercial terms it is called baking in a Dutch Oven. Before baking the bread you have to score it with a blade or anything thin and sharp to cut through at least 1 cm deep. Preheat oven to 220C or 200 C in a convection and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You can make stencil with flour as you see in the picture. Just put some flour through a paper stencil and it will stay there. I cut out these leaves and asked my  daughter to fill it with flour. Thats it.

Prawn Moilee | Kerala Prawn Stew | Chemmeen Ishtew

I was trying to test a new method of cooking with prawns. The recipe for this is the same as the recipe for a Fish Moilee . This tastes good with bread, idiyappam, palappam or even chappathi and Kerala parotta.

Palappam / Velleppam

Rosemary & Garlic Bread

Idiyappam

Kerala Wheat Parotta

Stuffed Vegetable Paratha

Idiyappam Recipe - Soft, Buttery

Buttery, Soft Idiyappam (String Hoppers) or Noolputtu

Yesterday I was writing an article for an epicure magazine. I actually wrote these lines - the search for the perfect recipe or ingredient is never ending. This idiyappam recipe is something like that. After years of research i learnt that the amount of rice flour should be equal to the amount of water, i.e. when measuring 1 cup flour use 1 cup salted water. However this took a twist when using certain brands of rice flour. The flour wouldn't absorb the 1 cup water or sometimes the 1 cup water wouldn't be adequate to collect all the flour into a dough and then I will end up in a soup (like the kolaveri soup story, especially if it is in the morning :-] ). Then I have to think about some other recipe to use up the watery or dry dough. Later i learnt that you should add water as the flour absorbs the liquid and stir the mix then and there. Then comes the butter story. When I visited my aunt i saw her pouring a lot of coconut oil into the idiyappam dough. She said it gives a soft texture. It was true. When we had the idiyappam later, it was just melting in the mouth. However, i am not a fan of coconut oil so i first used ghee and then i thought a saturated fat would be more apt. So I tried using butter and the string hoppers were as good as the aunt made ones even with just 1/2 tsp butter.

ingredients for the string hoppers

rice flour - 2 cups

water - 2 1/4 cups*

butter - 1/2 tsp

salt - 1/3 tsp or as needed

grated coconut - 1/4 of a coconut (optional)

* Use the same cup to measure rice flour and water. The 1/4 cup water is only a reserve. Use it only if required. Because once you mix the dough and then feel that it is too dry and try to add water, the idiyappam will not turn out good.That is why the reserve.

method

Place the rice flour in a wide bowl. Boil the water with salt. Once boiled, pour it into the flour continuously but slowly in a circular motion. This will give time for the flour to absorb and you will have time to stir the flour (use a spoon) and water mix. When you have used up almost 2 cup water check whether the flour has absorbed all the water or if the dough requires more water. Add the remaining water and mix well if need be. At this point the dough will be hot. Place the butter at the back of the spoon and roughly spread it on the dough and give a quick mix. Let the dough cool. When it is cold enough for your hands to handle knead it into a smooth dough. 

Prepare idli moulds by placing a teaspoon of grated coconut. Press the dough over the coconut to form idiyappams. Steam it for 10 - 15 minutes. If you have banana leaf, cut it into small squares and press the idiyappams over it and steam it. The banana leaves give an aromatic floavour to idiyappam.

Serve the idiyappam warm with vegetable stew or beef stew or masala curry (Kadala or black garbanzo bean) or with vegetable kurma or mughlai chicken. There are actually unlimited combinations for string hoppers.

Enjoy!!!

Thattil Kutti Dosa with Garlic Chutney

This dosa-chutney combination requires no introduction to  Malayalis, who would have watched the movie Salt & Pepper. Yes, this dosa was the root cause or rather the plot of the movie.....

Thattil kutti dosa is a small fluffy dosa which is not spread but just laddled onto the griddle pan.

The garlic chutney also has a mention in the movie and i have come out with my own version because the recipes which i searched in the web used lot of tamarind or sometimes coconut. This is a simple, garlic-onion-lemon juice recipe.

ingredients for the garlic chutney

garlic - 20 large cloves, vertically slit
onion - 1 small, roughly julienned
salt to taste
deseeded green chilly - 1 (optional) - i did not use
lemon juice - 1 tsp

method 

To prepare the garlic chutney, heat 2 tbsp of oil  in low flame and add the garlic and onion. Saute till the raw smell goes off but before it turns brown. Drain the onion and garlic from oil and place it in a blender. Add salt and few tablespoons of water and grind it to a smooth paste. Place the chutney in a bowl and mix in the lemon juice. You can serve the chutney with dosas or spread it on to roti like a mayonnaise, you can see the texture in the picture.

Saute the  chilly also if you are using green chillies

ingredients for the dosa

dosa batter - as much as you need

method to prepare thattil kutti dosa - grease a non-stick pan or the traditional cast iron pan and pour a ladle full of batter and let the batter take shape by itself. Drizzle few drops of oil on the sides and top of the pan. When the dosa is cooked and crispy, flip the dosa with a spatula. Let the other side also turn crispy.

Serve hot with the garlic chutney.

Filter Coffee - - -- - - without filter

Somehow the chillness or the laziness of winter is keeping me away from the blog world. I thought I’ll jumpstart by preparing and writing about the illustrious and legendary Filter Coffee.

Well, the filter coffee is indeed a legendary drink especially if you have lived in Tamilnadu and experienced the taste of it in all those vegetarian restaurants after a nice masala dosa, poori masala or even a tasty plate of idlis.

Now that I live in Kerala once in a while we dine for Masala Dosa and the coffee is something that completes the meal. I drink filter coffee even at night.

Though I am all crazy about this coffee my efforts to own a filter has not yet been successful. May be I have not been able to convince my husband about the nostalgia that accompanies the filter coffee.

So I usually prepare the filter coffee without the filter by just placing the coffee in a tall tumbler or a slim / vertical jug overnight so that you can pour the clear coffee out the next morning leaving behing the residual coffee powder and a little bit of the liquid. This would give the same taste and you can decide how strong a coffee you need.

The decoction I prefer is medium because a very strong coffee would give me burning sesation.

Recipe inspired from Priya Sreeram’s Bon Appetite

the recipe for a medium strong filter coffee is as follows:

1 ¼ cup water

3 cup boiling hot milk

4 heaped tsp coffee powder

the method

Place the 4 tsp coffee powder in a silm jug or any vertical container. Boil the water and pour it over the coffee powder. Close the container immediately and let it stand overnight.

The next morning, carefully pour the coffee into another vessel (use a sieve if you need though it is not need because the coffee will be clear). Leave the residue with about ¼ cup coffee remaining in it.

Take out the clear coffee / decoction. Use ¼ cup decoction with ¾ cup milk. Add adequate sugar, mix and drink. I like the filter coffee in a bitter sweet taste.

the recipe goes to Radhika's Blog Hop

Kerala Porotta / Parotta ( with wheat flour) + Chilly Tomato

It would be very hard to find a Malayalee who does not like Porotta / Parotta. The problem however is that Porotta is made out of Maida. The reviews that are going around even in television shows are about the hazards of consuming maida. I am trying to avoid it in day to day cooking. 

This is a parotta recipe using home made pure wheat flour. We dint miss anything in terms of taste. We had the parotta with Chilly Tomato and Chicken Curry. Though the best combination is chicken, it tasted good actually with the chilly tomato. Now if you have a question why two curries....it is because i prepared this on a weekday morning and kids are not allowed to take non-vegetarian food to school.

 the recipe

Wheat Flour – 3 cups

Egg  - 1

Warm Milk – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Salt – ¾ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

ingredients to roll the parotta / porotta

Oil

Rice flour / wheat flour

the method

In a bowl, place the egg, salt and sugar and lightly beat them. Stir in the wheat flour and roughly crumble the ingredients. Knead the flour into dough by gradually adding the warm milk. When the milk is completely used and the dough is still sticking onto your fingertips add 1 tsp oil by sprinkling it into the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fingers and smoothen the dough. Divide it into 8 large lemon sized balls and leave it in the refrigerator for 20 - 30 minutes.

Take out the dough, sprinkle few drops of oil on a surface and roll the ball into a thin sheet. Pour few drops of oil and sprinkle wheat flour or coarse rice flour (used to make puttu). Fold the sheets as if folding a fan. Gently twist the folded sheets to form spiral shape. Fold it into a round shape. Gently roll it into a parotta. Heat a gridle / tawa place the parotta and sprinkle few drops of oil. Cook for a minute or two. Turn and cook. Serve hot with a dish of your choice.

the recipe goes to Hearth and Soul Blog hop 73: 11/8/11 and to the Kerala Kitchen at Fajis Hot Pot

    

Chilly Tomato

Paalappam / Velleppam / Lace Appam / Hoppers / Aappam

Preparing palappam is an art by itself. The lace like edges of this exotic rice wafer has earned it a name as 'lace appam'. Traditionally 'toddy or kallu'  - a milk like liquid from the coconut tree was used to ferment the rice. In the modern recipe yeast is used to ferment the batter. The addition of coconut water gives a very soft, thin and wafery edge to the palappam. It is crispy outside and fluffy inside.  While preparing the palappam a portion of the batter collects itself in the middle to give the fluffy part. 

Palappam or hoppers can be prepared for breakfast or for special occasions. The accompaniments are usually spicy curries though this can be had with milk or coconut milk. Try it and you'll love it.

the following quantity yields 16 – 18 palappams

Raw rice – ¾ cup

Water – ½ cup ( + 2 tbsp if need be)

Coconut water – ¼ cup

Salt – ½ tsp

Sugar – 2 tbsp

Yeast – 1 tsp

Cooked rice – ¼ cup

Coconut, grated – ½ cup

 the method

Soak the raw rice for about 5 hours. The quality of the rice has an effect on the outcome of the palappam. Choose sticky rice with a pure whitish color. In Kerala, we get a rice called ‘Mavu Rice’ which is very good for a perfect palappam or a dosa.Heat ¼ cup water alongwith sugar and salt. When the water starts to boil turn off heat and add the yeast. Let the yeast melt.In a mixer jar add the coconut, cooked rice and a little soaked rice and the yeasted water and grind it to a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl. Add the remaining rice and water to the mixer jar and grind it to a smooth paste.  Pour the batter into the bowl and add the coconut water and mix well. Let the batter ferment for about  6-8 hours. The fermenting depends on the temperature. Place the batter in a warm place. After the batter is fermented check whether the batter is still thick but in a pouring consistency. Add the 2 tbsp water if need be.

 

preparing the hoppers

Heat an appachatti or a deep pan and pour a ladle full of batter.  Lift the pan from the heat and swirl it. Cover it and cook for about 1 – 1½ minute or until the whitish colour disappears from the middle of the palappam / hoppers. Serve hot with vegetable stew, beef stew, chicken curry, vegetable kurma, egg curry , soya mince curry or just serve with sweetened milk or coconut milk.

Pazham Nurukku (Traditional Onam Breakfast)

I stumbled upon the name 'Pazham Nurukku' while I was preparing an Onam related article for the publication I was working for. It would have been the year 2005 or 2006 and an immediate search for recipe did not yield any result. Every year then on I would remember about the Pazham Nurukku during Onam season. Finally, one day there was a recipe in the The Hindu - Metro with a title, 'Pazham Nurukku in Chocolate cups'. Well I knew the chocolate cup part is slightly weird for a traditional Onam breakfast. Recently i made another search in the web and got to read various Pazham Nurukku recipes  and here we go i tried it and i knew why people gave so many nostalgic account of eating the Pazham Nurukku on an Onam day morning with lots of papad. 

I have prepared a very simple and easy to prepare recipe and have avoided the use of coconut milk and cardamom powder which i read but which i thought could be ignored. This tasted really good. Try it!!

the recipe

Banana / ethapazham  - 4
Jaggery, grated - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

the method

Cut the banana into 1 inch pieces with the skin on. Steam it till it is half done. Peel the skin.

In a sauce pan, add the jaggery and melt it. Strain it to get rid off any dust particles. Place the jaggery syrup in a heavy bottom pan. Place the pan in medium heat and add the banana pieces.Cover the banana pieces with the jaggery syrup till the fruit is fully coated. Turn to medium heat. The jaggery will start sizzling at this point and thicken. Gently tilt the sauce pan so that the banana is well coated and there is no more melted jaggery. Pour the ghee on top of the banana and shake well and then gently give a stir so that all the pieces are coated with the ghee. Serve warm with papad or serve as it is.

Beef Stew (Kerala Style)

Beef Stew is a permanent dish at home for a festive day breakfast; for Christmas & Easter. I prepare this dish whenever i have a craving for it. The rule to eat a beef stew is to soak bread or hopper in it and then eat it. Well it is my way of eating the stew. This tastes good with idiyappam (string hoppers) as well as puttu too.

Ingredients for the stew

Boiled beef* - 400 - 500 gms

Beef stock – 1 cup
Potatoes – 2 or 3 diced
Carrot – 2, chopped
Green chilly – 2
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Onion – 2 medium, julienned
Oil – 2 tbsp

Whole spices

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 6 medium sized
Green Cardamom – 6 medium sized

Ghee – 2 tsp
Cashew nut – 3 tbsp
Raisins – 3 tbsp

Pepper powder – ¾ to 1 tsp

Thick coconut milk(first extract) – ¾ cup
Thin coconut milk(second extract) – 1 cup

Utensil required – heavy bottom pan or a pressure cooker

the method

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Keep the fried fruits aside. To the same pan add oil. Add the whole spices and stir till the spices release the aroma (take care that the spices do not get burnt). Add the julienned onion, ginger and green chillies. Add the boiled beef, potatoes and carrots. Add water or third extract of coconut if required. Add salt. Cook till the potatoes are done. Add the second extract of coconut milk and bring to boil. Add ¾ tsp pepper powder. Check taste. Add the first extract of coconut milk. Add the fried cashew nuts and raisins. Turn off heat when the stew is about to boil.

an optional note: dilute 1 tsp rice flour to the second extract of coconut milk to thicken the stew ( i have added  rice flour in this recipe)

*ingredients to boil the beef

Beef – 400 – 500 gms

Ginger – half inch piece
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Green chilly – 1 medium sized
Salt to taste

Pazham Puttu (Banana Puttu)

This is a recipe which i have learnt to prepare from my mother's aunt. As mentioned in my previous post, the banana used in this recipe is ethapazham which is a very nutritious fruit. The idea of mixing the puttu mix with banana is just to give a twist to the usual puttu with a sweet taste. The pazham puttu is usually prepared with rice flour and banana. I have prepared a wheat puttu with the fruit. Can be had as such or can be had with some milk and sugar. Try it....

the recipe

wheat flour - 1 cup

coconut, grated - 3/4 of a coconut or 1 (as much as you can grate)

salt - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (or according to your taste)

water - 1/4 cup or less

            (or as required - the quantity of water is based on the texture of the wheat flour being used)

banana - 2 

if you do not have a puttu mould, just place the mix in a steamer and steam it.

the method

Mix the salt with the water and keep it aside.

Cut the banana into tiny cubes.

Place the wheat flour in a wide mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salted water (1 tbsp at a time) and mix with your finger as if to form crumbs. Repeat the process till the flour is just moist and crumby. Add the grated coconut gently run your fingers through the mix. Stir in the chopped banana and gently mix it. Take care that the wheat mix does not form lumps.

Boil water in a puttu maker or a steamer and fill the mould with the puttu mix. Cook for 2 minutes after the steam comes out of the lid.

Serve warm or hot with or without milk & sugar.

Also check out MEAT PUTTU

Pumpkin & Raisin Bread

Pumpkin, grated – ¾ cup

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Flour – ½ cup

Yeast -1 ½ tbsp

Hot water – ¼ cup + ½ cup

Sugar – 1 heaped tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Olive oil / Veg oil – 2 – 3 tbsp + 1 tsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Milk – 1 tbsp

Ingredients to sauté the pumpkin

Veg Oil / Butter / Olive Oil – 1 ½ tbsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Chilly flakes – 1 tsp

Garlic, grated – 4 cloves

Mixed Italian spices – 1 ½ tsp

Raisins, finely chopped – 10

To sauté the pumpkin

Heat oil in a non-stick pan . Add the grated pumpkin, chilly flakes, salt, garlic and oil and saute for a minute and a half. The pumpkin would have reduced to 3/4th its quantity. Add the chopped raisins, stir for few seconds and turn off heat. Add the mixed Italian spices immediately and stir well. Let it cool.

before baking

In a bowl mix the wheat flour and flour. Add the sautéed pumpkin and mix it with the flour to make crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix. Add the sugar, salt and yeast. Pour ¼ cup hot water. Stir it gently and cover it. Leave it for 5 – 7 minutes. The yeast would have come on top. Start kneading the flour with the yeast mix and then gradually add the oil and the ½ cup water until a dough is formed. Add 1 or 2 tbsp flour if the dough is sticky. Knead the dough for 7 – 10 minutes. Pour 1 tsp oil over the dough and spread it thoroughly. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave it aside for 1 ½ hours. The dough would have doubled. Press down the dough.

Grease a baking tray. Place the dough in the middle of the tray. Flatten it gently. Use a dough cutter or knife to draw lines over the dough. Leave it aside for half an hour. Apply milk on top of the dough and bake it at 170 C for 22* minutes. Apply butter as soon as the bread is taken out of the oven. Serve hot or cold with butter or tomato sauce.

* Baking time may differ depending on the oven used. Check the bread with a skewer or tap the bottom of the tray to get a hollow sound to check whether the bread is baked..

Vegetable Stew – Kerala Style (without coconut milk)

Vegetable stew has a prominent place in a Malayalee breakfast. It goes well with appam (hoppers), idiyappam (string hoppers) or chappati. You can have this vegetable stew with puttu (steamed rice cake) or whatever you like.

When I mentioned a Kerala style, I wanted to imply that stew of any kind in Kerala is usually prepared with oodles of coconut milk . Since we are in the age of busy lifestyle, grating coconut and extracting milk is a tedious task. Though coconut milk or coconut powder is readily available in the market, I wanted to create something that comes in even more handy. Therefore this vegetable stew is gravied with milk, a dash of rice flour for thickening and a pinch of sugar to bring in the sweet taste which the coconut milk would have added to the stew. This is a quickie recipe which can be prepared in about 30 minutes.

the recipe

potato – 2

carrot – 3

beans – 12

oil – 1 tbsp

onion – 1

green chilly -1 or 2

garam masala – ¼ tsp

salt – ½ tsp

for seasoning

oil – 1 tbsp

ghee or butter (optional) – ½ tsp

onion – 1

curry leaf – 1 sprig

cinnamon – ¼ inch piece

cloves – 3

cardamom – 4 medium sized

other ingredients

milk – ½ cup

rice flour – 1 -1 ½ tbsp

sugar – a pinch

raisins, fried – 4 tbsp

cashew nut or almonds, julienned – 2 tbsp

pepper powder (white or black) – ½ tsp

turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp

salt to taste

 

the method

In a pressure cooker add 1 tbsp oil and sauté 1 chopped onion and green chilly. When the onions turn translucent, add the chopped vegetables and salt. Saute for two minutes. Add garam masala and stir for few second. Add 1 ½ cup water and pressure cook the vegetable for 2 whistle (as per Indian standard pressure cooker). Turn off heat.

In another pan, heat the oil and ghee. Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Add the whole spices, turmeric and stir well. Add the cooked vegetables. Bring it to boil. Mix the rice flour in 4-5 tbsp water at room temperature. Pour it into the stew and stir. Make sure that the rice solution does not form lumps. In medium heat keep stirring and bring it to boil. Add sugar. Turn to low heat and add milk. Check salt. When bubbles are seen at the side of the pan, turn off heat (overboiling will curdle the milk). Add the fried raisins and almonds. Serve hot as you please.

Stuffed Paratha

the recipe

Chapati dough – to make 12 thin chapatis ( I used 1 ¼ cup wheat flour)

black sesame – ½ tsp or more

cumin  - ½ tsp or more

ingredients for the stuffing / filling (the combination and quantity of veggies can be as per need)

potato – 1

carrot – 1

cauliflower – ¾ cup florets

beans – 5-7

onion – 1

garlic paste -  1 tsp

ginger paste -  1 tsp

garam masala -  ½ tsp

turmeric  1/8 tsp

chilly powder – ½ tsp

pepper powder – ¼ tsp

oil – 1 tbsp

butter (optional) – 1 tsp

raisins (optional) – 5

salt – to taste

the method

Heat oil in a pan and stir in the onions. When translucent add garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute and add turmeric, chilly, pepper and garam masala. Stir for few seconds and add all the chopped vegetables. Add the finely chopped raisins and salt. Add enough water to cook the vegetables till soft (pressure cooking is better). Add  butter to the cooked vegetables and mash it to a coarse paste.

Roll out the dough into thin chapattis. While rolling place a pinch of sesame in 6 of the chapattis and place a pinch of cumin in other 6 chapatis.

Assembling

Place a chapatti with the sesame on the rolling board. Place 1 ½ to 2 tbsp of the veg mash in the chapatti and spread it evenly (leaving ¾ inch space on the sides). Close it with another chapatti rolled with the cumin seeds. Seal the edges by gently rolling it. Heat a griddle and cook the stuffed parathas with oil pressing down the sides. Serve with raita or lentil curry.


the recipe goes to Stuffed Paratha event by Vardhini

Tomato Dosa

Tomato Dosa is a tasty twist to the usual ones. Kids would like this for its color. I like to have this with sugar though it tastes good with coconut chutney also. The cone shape was made to entertain the kids…

RoseMary & Garlic Flat Bread

I have considered baking a yeasted bread to be a challenge….always…..and my yeastophobia increased after reading several account of the same in the blogworld. All my fears came true with my failure at the first attempt…..the dough did not rise......but i went ahead and baked it ......hoping that it would rise once it is in the oven......the dough cooked with multiple extension of the baking time......but the final product looked like a thick vattayappam (a rice cake) ........well I dint give up….

This flatbread is a result of my second attempt and I did it….the dough did rise and the bread had a good texture….both outside and inside. But my anxiety played a little part……I forgot to grease the bread mould and as a result I had to pluck it out….carefully though…….for the photo session……hope it doesn’t look that bad ….

the recipe

Flour / Wheat flour – 11/2 cup

Yeast – 1 ½ tsp (alter quantity according to the kind of yeast being used)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Veg / Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Water – a little less than ¾ cup
Dried rosemary - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves, finely chopped

the method

Mix the flour with rosemary and garlic.

Place the yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Heat ¼ cup of the water just above luke warm temperature (if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast). Pour it to the mixing bowl and gently stir it. Close it with a lid and set aside for about 6 – 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining ½ cup water to a luke warm temperature. Open the bowl and the yeast would have melted. Add the oil and mix. Stir in the flour and pour the ½ cup water in batches till the flour is completely over. The dough should now be moist. If it is not, sprinkle some luke warm water or oil. Oil would be better b’coz the dough doesn’t get sticky. Knead the dough well for about 5 -7 minutes. 

Grease a bread mould or whatever pan you wish to use and flatten the dough. Make marks as seen in picture if you please. Leave it to rise.

I dint want to take another risk. So I boiled a pan of water, covered it and placed the bread mould on top of the boiled  water. It took about  1 ½ hours for the dough to rise to double its quantity. Punch down the dough and let it rise again. It took about 45 minutes. Preheat oven for  5 minutes at 180^oC.

Brush the top of the dough with milk or egg whites. Bake for about 16 – 20 minutes. Do the toothpick test (check whether a toothpick or skewer comes out clean).

Take the baked bread out and brush it with butter. Enjoy with more butter. We snacked it.

Kedgeree

When it comes to savoury rice it was just the pulao and biryani that I used to prepare. Kedgeree comes as a big difference because it is prepared with eggs and fish and it also gives the option to add whatever you want, like potatoes, raisins and the like.

Kedgeree is eaten as a breakfast in the UK. I would call this an Indo – British dish because it is inspired by the Indian Khitchdi. The protein rich lentil in Khitchdi is replaced by the protein rich fish and egg in Kedgeree.

Though this is officially a breakfast, I prepare this as a quick fix for dinner. As regards seasoning, I have replaced the parsley in the actual recipe with mint leaves and the curry powder with garam masala. 

A vegetarian alternative is of course the khitchdi although the non-veg ingredients can be replaced with paneer or soya chunks (both packed with protein).

More information about the recipe is found here

rice  - 1/2 cup  (i have used short grained basmati jeera rice)
water - 1 cup

oil - 2 tbsp
onion - 1
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
chilly powder - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste
tomato, chopped - 2
potato, cubed - 1
raisins - 2 - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1 pinch

Fish - 4 fillets
Egg - 2-3

the method

Marinate the fish fillets with salt and pepper powder. Fry it and flake it. The eggs can be either boiled and chopped or scrambled. I scrambled the egg to save time. 

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil. Stir in the chopped onion and sauté till light brown. Add the turmeric, chilly and garam masala powder and stir for few seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt and sauté for few seconds. Add the mint leaves, potato, fennel, rice, raisins and mix well. Pour the water and close it with the lid. Switch off heat when the first whistle blows. If using a pan, cook till the rice is done.

Add the fish flakes and scrambled egg to the rice mixture and mix well. Serve hot.

Kashmiri Parantha / Kashmiri Paratha

I came across the name Kashmiri Parantha while dining out in a North Indian restaurant in Kochi. Since the name was new to me, I was euphoric to read the menu that gave a small description about what went into the filling: paneer and dry fruits.

The parantha however had many more flavours which I had to guess ’coz a google search to find the exact recipe seemed to offer only bits of information. The search also revealed that there are veg and non-veg versions.

I prepared a veg Kashmiri parantha with the information from the menu, the web and all the taste I could recollect, and the result was ……..try it and you’ll know it!!

the recipe

ingredients for the dough

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Water – ½ cup or a little less

Salt to taste

ingredients for the filling

Paneer, grated – ½ cup

Raisins, chopped into tiny pieces – 5

Cashew nuts, chopped into tiny pieces – 3

Cherry, chopped – 5

Cumin – 1 pinch

Kasuri methi  – ½ tsp (soak for 2-3 minutes and wash it twice)

Oil / Ghee / Butter – as required

the method

Mix together the ingredient for the filling. Keep it aside.

Prepare dough with the wheat flour, water and salt. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll it into paranthas.

placing the filling

Take a parantha and place 1 – 11/2 tbsp of the paneer filling. Close it with another parantha and seal the edges. Cook it on a griddle and apply ghee/ butter / oil.

Kashmiri paranthas tastes good with pickles and raita. A recommended accompaniment is Kashmiri Paneer.

the recipe goes to Stuffed Paratha event by Vardhini

Caramel Toast for kids

This is a crispy, crunchy and sweet toast which kids and grown up kids would love to eat. Not my own recipe, though I named it for the sake of blogging. The first time I came across a toast with ghee and sugar on it was at one of our acquaintance place when I was in the second standard (at school). My mother also witnessed the same and ….

Meat & Rice Steam Cake (Puttu)

Rice steam cake or puttu is a staple breakfast of Kerala. Puttu is served with black garbanzo beans or plantain on normal days and it is served with stew or spicy curries - veg or non-veg on special occasions. Puttu is prepared with coconut for the steam to pass through the flour mix and also gives a nice aroma especially when the steam escapes through the lid. Variants of puttu are prepared with wheat, ragi or corn flour. Fruit puttu is prepared by mixing chopped bananas (specific to Kerala) in the flour mix.

Meat puttu or irachi puttu is a delicacy of its own kind. The meat strands and the rice flour makes a good combination. A puttu mould, available in Kerala either as a vertical pipe or in the shape of a coconut shell is normally used to steam the flour mix. There is a hearsay that puttu was traditionally steamed in bamboo shoots.

If the mould is not available, place a wet muslin cloth on the steamer and then place the flour mix on it and steam till brisk steam escapes through the lid.

ingredients for the steam cake

Rice flour – 1 cup

Coconut, grated – ¾ cup

Water  - ½ cup or less

Salt – ½ tsp

ingredients for the meat mixture

Meat (boiled & minced) *– 250 gms

Onion, finely chopped – 1

Green chilly, finely chopped – 1

Garlic finely chopped – 1tsp

Garlic finely chopped – ½ tsp

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Chilly powder – ½ tsp

Pepper powder – ½ tsp

Coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional) – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

* Boil the meat and mince it in a mixer grinder – place the meat pieces in a mixer jar and run the mixie for just 1 second. The meat will become strands as seen in the picture.

Heat oil in a pan and stir in the onion, green chilly, garlic and ginger. Stir till the onion start to brown. Add salt, garam masala, chilly and pepper powder. Stir for a few seconds and place the minced meat. Stir till the meat is crisp. Add the coriander and stir for few more seconds.

rice mixture

Place the rice flour and coconut in a bowl. Make a salt solution and sprinkle it on the rice mix while simultaneously mixing the rice flour to form crumbs. When the rice mix is completely moist stop adding water.

Place 1 tbsp meat mix in the puttu mould and then place 3 tbsp rice mixture and then place 1 tbsp meat mix, continue filling the mould until it is full. Cover and place the puttu mould on a steamer until brisk steam escapes through the lid. Let it steam for 2 minutes to let the meat mince turn soft. Irachi puttu is ready. Serve hot.

Oats & Banana Pancake

It is a simple breakfast recipe with loads of fibre. Pancakes are prepared for breakfast whenever i wake up late 'coz it is quick to prepare and no other accompaniments / curries are needed. The addition of eggs makes the pancake slightly rich in calories. It can be adjusted according to one's requirement or the eggs can be completely avoided. I like to try variations of basic recipes and hence i have added oats and banana and spiced it up with cinnamon.

the recipe

whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup
oats - 1/2 cup
banana - 2 (i have used the green long ones)
egg - 2
milk - 3/4 cup
sugar - 3 tbsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp (cardamom powder is a good alternative)
oil / butter - to grease
baking powder (optional) - 1/4 tsp
water - 1/4 - 1/2 cup






the method

Take a bowl and whisk the eggs. Add salt and sugar. Whisk again. Add 1/4 cup milk and mix well. Add the wheat flour 1 tbsp at a time and continue mixing. Add 1/4 cup milk when the mixture starts to solidify and add the flour. When the wheat flour, milk and flour is completely added check consistency. Add water as required (the final batter should be in a pouring consistency yet not watery ). Add the oats. In another bowl mash the bananas. Add it to the flour mixture. Add cinnamon /cardamon powder. The amount of sugar in the recipe gives a moderate sweetness. It can be adjusted according to taste.

Heat a gridle. Grease it with oil or 1/4 tsp butter. Pour about 4 tbsp batter. Flatten it gently. Turn it when it is lightly browned on one side as shown in picture. Cook the other side same way. Serve it plain or drizzle some honey.