Butter Naan

 Made Naans at home today…they came out well. Soft, warm and homemade. By the way it’s a really easy recipe….And you don’t need a tandoor …. you can make it on your stove top…..

 Aniket(my sonny) would’ nt even let me take proper snaps as he wanted to eat more…He pointed to the Naans sitting on the table and made a sorry face…So I first made sure his lil tummy was filled with this dinner delight. Aniket , loved it. So did Appu his friend…..Both the kiddos chomped away the naans without the usual storytelling and coaxing, usually a prerequisite to even eat a morsel….These days kids are choosy about what they like and what they don’t…unlike our times…..they want change and mothers like me have to constantly strive to live up to their expetations…

Naan is basically made with yeast leavened dough cooked in a tandoor served hot brushed with butter….Naan is a word that originated from Iran where it is used as an everyday name  for bread.I have used both wheat flour and all purpose flour in the recipe….

I garnished My naans with sesame seeds and fresh chopped coriander leaves. You can use onion seeds/kalonji seeds/Nigella seeds .This may be added while kneading the dough or at the end while garnishing the Naans…..                                                                                                                                                            

Ingredients

All purpose flour-2 cups

Wheat flour-2 cups

Warm milk-1 cup or more

Sugar-2 tsp

Instant yeast/Active dry yeast-2tsp

Salt-2 tsp

Oil-2tbsp

Yogurt-3 tbsp

Baking soda-3/4 tsp

Garnish

Butter for brushing

Nigella seeds/Sesame seeds

Coriander leaves

Method 

Mix sugar ,milk,yeast.Stir and keep aside to rise. Cover the vessel with a lid.

In a bowl take wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt.Seive and mix.

Add yeast mixture , oil and yogurt to dough. Knead with hand or a food processor till dough is smooth, pliable and elastic. You may use more milk if required.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl .Cover with a lid. Allow to rise to double in size for about 1 hour.

When dough doubles after 1 hour punch it back and knead for 2-3 minutes

Allow to rise again to double in size in a covered vessel.

Divide into balls and roll out  balls into oval  or tear shape which is not too thin.

Sprinkle nigella seeds, sesame seeds and chopped coriander. Use rolling pin to press them onto  the dough

Take a non-stick pan and heat it till hot.It is important that the pan is really hot otherwise the naan will stick to the pan.

Lift the naan and apply water with your palm on the side that is not garnished with seeds and coriander leaves .

Place the  wet side down on pan. Allow Naan to puff  up in places .Now use kitchen tongs to place the garnished side directly over the flame and allow it to be cooked uniformly all over.. Allow it to puff up. Make sure they donot get burnt or charred by using the tongs to move it over the flame rather than holding it to cook a particular area for a long time.

Butter the naans and serve hot with any curry of your choice.

Khaliat Nahal (Honeycomb buns/ Beehive Buns)

I loved these beehive like looking buns....Well I loved the taste tooo....I even went ahead and used the savoury version without filling for a grand Pav Bhaji breakfast this morning....

I was happy my buns came out fine....Since my oven is a small one I had only a small honey comb shaped Khalait Nahal .....Well like how Aparna's blog says Khaliat Nahal means bee hive in arabic as suggested by its appearance.They are baked close to each other in a round pan where they form a honeycomb like pattern.They are usually made sweet with slightly sweetened dough filled with cream cheese.After they are baked they are covered with sugar syrup/ glaze which is typical of many Middle eastern confectionery.



This bread is served for Iftar and its shape lends itself to be torn apart easily to serve oneself.Though they are made sweet usually they can also be made with savoury fillings without glaze....
This recipe makes 18 small buns or you can halve the recipe and make 9-10 buns in a6''or7'' round pan.



Source:My diverse kitchen

Ingredients

Milk-1 cup lukewarm

Instant yeast-11/2 tsp

Sugar-1 tsp

All purpose flour-2 1/2 cups

Sugar-3 tbsp(for sweet bread)

Salt-3/4-1 tsp (for savoury bread)1/4 tsp(sweet bread)

Butter-40 gms

Milk-2 tbsp

White sesame seeds-2 tbsp

For filling

1 cup of filling (approximately) of your choice, either sweet or savoury

Savoury - cream cheese OR crumbled feta cheese OR crumbled paneer/ cottage cheese

Sweet - cream cheese (traditional filling), or any other filing of your choice like chocolate,   dried fruit like dates, apricots or raisins, chopped nuts, chopped fruit , sweetened coconut filling, etc.  

Sugar syrup/glaze

Sugar-3/4 cup

Water-1 cup

Saffron-one pinch

Honey-1 tbsp

Lemon-1 tsp

Method


Make sure your melted butter has cooled down a bit before using it. Put 2 cups of the flour, salt,sugar (if making the sweet bread only) and melted butter in the bowl of your processor. Run a couple of times to mix well.

Combine the milk, sugar and yeast in a small bowl and keep for 5 minutes. Add this to the processor bowl and knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough which is not sticky. Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour as you /need to get this consistency of bread dough. 


Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning it to coat completely with the oil. Cover and let it rise till double in volume, for about an hour.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface. You won’t really need to flour it as the dough is quite manageable as it is. Cut it into 2 halves. With your palms, roll out each half a “rope”  about 9” long. Cut each rope into 1” pieces so you have a total of 18 pieces.

Take each piece and flatten it out a little and place half a teaspoon of filling in the centre. Pull up the sides and wrap the dough around the filling, pinching it closed at the top. Smoothen it into around ball. Place this in a well-greased round 9” cake tin. Repeat with the remaining 17 pieces and the filling. Arrange the filled balls of dough in concentric circles, filling the base of the cake tin.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 30 to 40 minutes. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle the sesame seeds over this. Don’t use the sesame seeds for sweet bread, only for the savoury one. Bake the buns at 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes, until they’re done and a nice golden brown on top.
Let them cool in the tin for about 5 minutes and then on a wire rack.

If you’re making the sweet version, make the sugar syrup/ glaze during the first rise of the dough. For this put the sugar, water and saffron in a small pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes until it starts thickening a bit. Take it off the heat and add the honey and the lime/ lemon juice. Mix well and let it cool. Keep aside till needed

When the sweet buns come out of the oven, pour the syrup all over the top of the “Honeycomb”.  The bread should be hot and the syrup/ glaze should be cool. If you want your Honeycomb Buns to be less sweet, just brush the syrup/ glaze over the top.Let it sit for a while for the syrup/ glaze to set a bit. Serve them warm with tea/ coffee.

Dahi Vada

Hello there....Do u like Dahi Vadas?Hot crispy vada dipped in yogurt spiced with masalas with the ocassional crunch here and there of kara boondi.....lovely starter to a perfect south Indian breakfast isnt it?

 Well making the medhu vadas ,especially getting the correct shape -round doughnut shape.... is a little difficult,it comes only from experience....Be careful not to add water while grinding,just keep sprinkling water as and when necessary .... The batter should be very  thick otherwise you will not be able to shape the vadas properly.

So here are the dahi vadas for you.....I have included both the South Indian as well as North Indian recipe for tempering....So have a look.....



Ingredients

Urad dal (without skin)-1 cup

Green chilli-2-3 finely chopped

Small onion-10 chopped into small pieces

Ginger-1/2 inch piece chopped

Curry leaves-2 tsp finely chopped(optional)

Jeera-1/2 tsp crushed(optional)

Pepper-1/4 tsp crushed (optional)

Water

Salt


Method

Soak urad dal for 1 hr atleast.Drain  and keep aside till dry.

Grind in mixture till fluffy sprinkling water now and then.

Once batter is ready add chilli,onions,ginger,curry leaves, pepper,jeera.

Batter should be thick.So donot add too much water.

Take a polythene sheet and grease with oil. For Uzhunnu Vada/Medhu Vada  take a dollop of  batter and put it on the sheet.Shape it into a ball and flatten .Make a hole in the centre . Carefully transfer into a kadai with heated oil.

For Dahi Vada Take a dollop of batter on the sheet and shape it, transfer it to the oil  carefully

Fry till both sides are golden brown in colour over medium flame.

Recipe for South Indian Dahi Vada tempering

Ingredients 

Yogurt-3 cups

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Coriander Leaves-1/4 cup

Grated carrots-1/4 cup

Ginger-1 tsp grated

Chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin (jeera) powder-1/2 tsp

Sugar-1 -1/2tsp(optional)

Salt

oil-1 tbsp

Method

Soak vada in  warm water for 1/2 hr-15 minutes maximum

Squeeze out excess water by pressing in between your palms

Crackle mustard seeds in 1 tbsp oil

Whisk yogurt with salt sugar,ginger and mustard seeds

Arrange vadas in adish and pour yougurt over it .

Garnish with chilli powder, cumin powder ,carrots and coriander leaves.

Recipe for North Indian Dahi Bhalla tempering

Ingredients

Yogurt-3 cups

Chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Roasted cumin powder-1/2 tsp

Chat masala-1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves-1/4 cup

Boondi and sev-1/4 cup

Tamarind  chutney

Green chutney

salt

Method

Soak vada in  warm water for 1/2 hr-15 minutes maximum.

Squeeze out excess water by pressing in between your palms.

Whisk yogurt with salt sugar,ginger and mustard seeds.

Arrange vadas in adish and pour yougurt over it .

Garnish with chilli powder, cumin powder , coriander leaves, chat masala,boondi,sev,tamarind chutney and green chutney.

Green Chutney

Mint Leaves-1 cup

Coriander leaves- 1 cup

Lemon juice-2 tsp

Sugar-1/2 tsp

green chilli-3

Salt

Method

Blend all ingredients inthe blender and serve in a bowl

Tamarind chutney

Tamarind-1/4 cup

Jaggery- 1/4 cup

Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp

Asafoetida(Hing)-1 pinch

Salt

Method

Add tamarind, jaggery and 1 cup of water in a non stick pan and simmer for 15 minutes.Stir occasionally.Add more water if required.

Blend in pulser and strain.

Add chilli powder asafoetida and salt.

Pots De Creme

 I saw  a flurry of posts for Pots de crème this summer….I loved the creamy creamy look these little pots of joy carried…So I made a mental note that I will be making them..

My sonny Aniket now goes to play school .So I get enough time to explore my cooking fantasies ….One such afternoon I made pots de crème . They came out really well...When he came back from school I promptly gave him some….he had his bowlful...full....scraped clean..

But more than him my mom  loved her bowl of Pots de crème…..my mother is very frank when it comes to my cooking which is why I always ask her for her unbiased opinion….and this time I loved to hear it from her…..she commented ‘’Could u make me more?''

From: Joy of Baking

Ingredients

Egg-1(50 gms)

Egg yolk-2(35 gms each) room temperature

Granulated sugar-50 gms/1/4 cup

Vanilla extract-½ tsp

Salt a pinch

Heavy cream /heavy whipping cream (30-40 butter fat content)- 120 ml/1/2 cup

Milk-1/2 cup

Cooking chocholate-60 gms

Instant coffee/expresso powder-1/2 tsp(optional)

Method

Beat eggs,yolks,sugar,vanilla extract,salt till light and fluffy for 1-2 minutes.

In a saucepan add cream,milk,chocholate,coffee powder .Heat and stir with a spatula .Let it simmer  till it bubbles  around edges ,at medium heat.

Gradually add the hot cream milk mix to egg mix while whisking it constantly so that eggs do not curdle.

Pour the mix into a saucepan again and heat it till in low heat stirring constant (less than a minute- so that mix  bakes faster).

Drain the mix and pour into ceramic bowls or ramekins.

Put them into a tray  and pour boiling water in the tray halfway up  sides of tray.(water bath).

Cover with aluminium foil with holes.

Put in the oven 30-40 min at 150 C till  set but they are  wobbly.

Take them out of water bath and cover them with plastic wrap after they cool for 1 hr.Chill overnight or for minimum 6hrs.(You can chill it for 5 days maximum) .

Serve cold. 

Peas and Carrot Rice

This is  an easy PEASy recipe .A tasty quick fix .Something you could  make when you  don’t want to go through the long process of making a biriyani but u still w ant to be enamoured by the  delight of flavoured rice .Just boil the peas and chop the carrots add the garam masala and spices and there you are ready with some flavoured colourful good looking rice.

Well I had frozen peas in my freezer and I wanted to make something with it. So I decided to welcome Aniket with the carrot peas rice when he came back from playschool. Aniket loves carrots so he would eat the carrots first when I fed him his afternoon meal .Then he meticulously picked out the peas and ate it,last came the rice.....

As for me what more do I want…..flavoured  rice with a favourite salad….yummy lunch isn’t  it? I loved it…..

From:You Too can Cook

Ingredients

Basmathi-1 ½ cups

Water-21/2 cups

Onions-1 sliced long

Carrots-2 chopped into cubes

Peas-1/2 cup

Green chilli-1

Star anise - 1 

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long stick  

Bay leaf - 1 

Peppercorns - 1/4 spoon (Optional) 

Cumin seeds - 1/4 spoon 

Fennel seeds - 1/4 spoon 

Salt - As per taste 

Ghee /Dalda- 4 to 5 spoons 

Method

Par boil the chopped carrots.

Boil water and add frozen peas .Cook till peas is soft.

Soak rice for 15 minutes and wash well(3 times)

Take dalda or ghee/clarified butter and sauté fennel seeds, cumin seeds ,peppercorns, bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon sticks.

Add onions sliced. Saute till translucent.

Add greenchilli, peas and carrot chopped.

Add rice and fry.

Add water and close lid of pressure cooker without weight.

Cook in high flame till steam comes

Lower flame and cook for a minute or two

Switch off gas,put on weight  and allow to cool for 10 minutes

Use a fork to mix the rice after opening the pressure cooker.

Serve hot.

Malai Kulfi......

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The best Kulfi I ever tasted was from the little Kulfi shop outside my college. One Kulfi or may be two to beat the heat did wonders….As soon as we would get out of the college we would walk up to the already overcrowded shop for The Kulfi of the day. When we would be waiting for our bus we would still be gulping down the kulfis.

One day we bunked a boring lecture for a surprise kulfi party…..a feast of 2 or 3 kulfis per person….ummm sweet memories…..Sometimes we would sit in college garden chit chatting…our mouths constantly chattering only taking a break to bite the melting kulfi in our hands….. Whatever the occasion whether it my friend topping the class, or a birthday or the college day we would certainly treat ourselves with a Kulfi……

When I first made kulfi at home it was a big mess….the kulfi dint hold its shape and watered down soon…So I used some cornflour the next time they were made and my kulfis came out just fine…..

Ingredients

Boiled milk-11/2 cups

Milk powder-1 cup

Saffron-few strands

Cornflour-11/2 tbsp

Sugar-4 tbsp or more

Cardamom-a pinch

Amul cream-11/2 cup

Almonds-1 cup

Method

Take cornflour and dilute it with water (3 tbsp or more)and keep aside.

Heat  milk. When bubbles come in the sides add milk powder, saffron strands, sugar cardamom. Mix.

Add corn flour and boil milk mixture.

Once milk boils and bubbles up switch off gas and whisk. While mixture is still hot add cream and stir . Add badam also and stir.

Cool to room temperature and pour in moulds. Refrigerate for 7-8 hours or overnight.

Insert ice-cream sticks or toothpicks  and  gently tap the  kulfi moulds on a plate, after 5 minutes of taking the moulds out of the refrigerator. You can also use a knife to detach the kulfi from its mould.

Serve cold.