Award: Quintet of Radiance

My dear Belsbror,

Thank you for nominating my humble little space for the award. It has been a ride to get this one going, but your likes on the posts make me feel wanted; they make me want to write. 🙂

Thank you for the patience and persistance.

So how does this award work?

1. Display the logo in a post

2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back.

3, Using the alphabet, describe yourself in a word or a phrase.

4. Nominate at least few bloggers.

Here is my ABC 🙂

A- Always amazed

B- Been there done that

C- Curt

D- Dessert lover

E- Engaging conversations

F- Fit and fat

G- Girl power

H- Happy to help

I- Important/Innovative

J- Jab tak hai jaan is the movie that I hate

K- Kutte main tera khoon pee jaunga is the dialog that I love

L- Love

M- Marriage

N- Nook

O- Opposites attract

P- Power play

Q- Quiet lovely

R- Restless

S- Saint-like

T- Tweets

U- Uber social

V- Very bindaas badass

W- Water baby

X- Xtreme pressure kills me

Y- “Y” me is what I question

Z- Ze blog is my baby :*

I nominate:

• The Life and times of an Indian home maker
• There and Their
• Harsh Reality
• Ang Sarap
• Taste Buds Required
• Forty Two and counting
• Potts and Pans
• A Whisk and a spoon
• Traces of the soul
• Shail’s Nest

Stay blessed guys.

Cheers,

 

 

 

Beignet #BM38

I have been fascinated by Bignet’s ever since I laid my eyes on them on a TLC show. These pillows of fried dough with loads of sugar on top are as delicious as well. Love love love them.

For the BM#38 series for the week, I have chosen fried dough as the theme.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 38

You shall need:

1/4 cup …butter (melted)
1/4 cup… water
1/4 teaspoon… salt
1 cup …all-purpose flour
1/2 cup…. yogurt
1/2 tsp… Baking soda
2 tbsp… castor sugar
oil for deep frying
icing sugar

Method:

• In a bowl, mix slat, baking soda, castor sugar and all purpose flour.
• Now add butter and mix it in the flour.
• Add the yogurt next.
• We need to make a soft dough.
• Now add water as need be.
• The dough will be little sticky, but we need to knead it until it all comes together properly.
• Let it rest on the table counter in a oiled pan, covered with cling film, for about 2 hours.
• It shall be fermented till then, roll it out and cut shapes that you desire.
• Fry them in the hot oil  (on a medium high heat) until they get an even color.
• Take them out on a paper towel.
• Serve with a generous amount of dusting of icing sugar on top.

Cheers,

 

Dessert Naan

Well I am doing the Blogging Marathon after ages and boy I am glad to be back 🙂 This week I am doing 3 variations of naan’s. I thought let me start by doing something sweet.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 38

For me things that ring a bell of dessert are nuts, cinnamon, sugar and nutella. So I used up all this in the naan. 🙂

Here is all that you shall need: (Makes about 5-6)

1 cup… All purpose flour

3.5 tbsp… Ground sugar

2 tbsp… Granulated sugar

1 tsp… Baking soda

1/2 tsp… salt

1/4 cup… Almonds

2 tsp + 2 tsp… cinnamon powder

2-3 knobs of butter

1/2 tbsp… Oil

4-5 tbsp… curd/yogurt

Nutella/honey

Method:

• In a small bowl mix, granulated sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon powder.
• In a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt and powdered sugar. Mix well using a fork.
• Now add the curd and knead it into a dough. Add a touch more curd, in case it is dry.
• Knead until nice and soft.
• Now add the oil and knead again.
• Put it on a oiled bowl and leave on the kitchen counter (covered with a tea towel) for about an hour.
• Pre heat oven at 190C.
• Make 5-6 balls out of the dough with the help of little oil/butter in your hand.
• Oil/ butter a tray and place the balls about 2 inch apart.
• Press the balls down gently to form discs, you may use rolling pin but I like the more rustic form.
• Sprinkle some of the sugar and cinnamon mix on it and top with some almonds.
• Bake for 10 min and then take them out. Smother some butter on top using the back of a spoon/a brush and bake for another 5 min.
• To serve, top it with nutella or honey.
• Serve with love.

Cheers,

 

Review- To Persia with Love- Persian Terrace

I learnt to appreciate Middle Eastern Food under the guided and able influence of two of my Egyptian friends who I met when we all were at Oracle. The most striking features about the people from the Middle East are the fact that they know they know their food, love it and are passionate about it. They have extremely fabulous flavor sense. Thanks for the awesome ride through the culinary delights Mokh and Fahim. 🙂

The Persian Terrace, Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway is playing host to Chef Abdel Wahed who brings with him the aromas and delicacies of the middle east. He has an experience of about 17 years in the world of food and has been with Sheraton for about 6 years or so. He mixes traditional spices with the contemporary ones and brings together all the flavors of the middle east on one platter. It was a delight to speak to him.

A group of bloggers were invited for tasting of the special menu that Chef Wahed will be serving at the food festival. Here are selected few:

• Hummus- The traditional and creamy chick pea, fresh lemon, olive oil and sesame dip served with pita bread. It is always my pick at a middle eastern feast.
• Mohammara- This dip was made with nuts, bread crumbs and pomegranate. Oh what a piece of heaven this was. I duly finished my serving among the raving bloggers.
• Sambousek cheese- The Indian Samosa counterpart was stuffed with mild spiced cheese.
• Spinach fatayer- We helped the chef make a couple of these. The dish uses a dough like the one we make for pasta stuffed with spinach which is topped in garlic, olive oil and seasonings. Very clean flavor. It is folded like a tortalini/ravioli.
• Okra tagine- To be very frank this tomato based okra tagine was my least favorite. The sweetness of the dish didn’t quite match my tastebud expectations. However it wasted well when paired with the cous cous.
• Kebbeh- This stunning kebab was the show stopper for me. Such beautiful marriage of the spices with that beautiful cold dip. Marvellous.
• Chicken Shawarma- The shawarma was made in front of us with the chicken that was marinated in a host of spices. He also added onions, peppers and seasoning to it. It was all wrapped in a tandoori roti and grilled. What really caught my fancy was the garlic cream. Boy oh boy!! It was made with egg whites, garlic and olive oil. Simple, clean and amazing. 🙂
• Sojok roll- This lamb based dish was a pastry with spicy filling, rolled, cut at an angle and served hot with a pickle.
• Chicken borak- The braised chicken strips which have been marinating in the spices is deep fried and served with phyllo pastry.
• Moussaka- The Eggplant lasagna, to the layman, is a harmony of vegetables like tomato, potatoes and a spicy sauce. It is topped up with parmesan cheese.
• Khataief asafiry- This was my most favored dessert. Fluffy pancake stuffed with crème fraiche and nuts is topped with a flavore3d sugar syrup.
• Zienab finger- These are semolina fingers that are deepfried, dusted with sugar and dipped in rose syrup.
• Maamoul walnuts- These roasted semolina dumplings are stuffed generously with nuts, cinnamon and sugar.
• Mohalabia- Is like kheer and is made with milk, dry coconut and nuts.

Do try out the stunning dishes being served. Here is the image of the invite:

Image courtesy: Sheraton Bangalore Facebook page

Do you miss the images, please find them here and here.

Cheers,

Lauki Methi Koftas

Oh yes yes I cant get enough of that previous Kofta sauce okay. Mom usually makes Lauki kofta in tomato onion sauce, well since I am her offspring I need to make my own changes to it 😛

Here is that you shall need for the Koftas, the recipe for the gravy remains the same as here.

1.5 cup…. Bottle gourd (Wash, peel and grate it)

3-4 tbsp…. besan (gram flour)

3/4 cup… Fenugreek leaves (wash and chop)

Salt and red chilly powder to taste

1/2 tsp… Turmeric powder

1  tbsp… Dhaniya powder (coriander)

1 tsp… carom seeds

2 tbsp… warm oil (keeps the koftas soft on the inside)

Oil to fry

Method:

• In a bowl, add the lauki and the methi, mix well.
• Squeeze the lauki juices using the palm/with a fist.
• Add the spices, oil and gram flour.
• Make a dough that is of a fritter consistency.
• Test a small dollop of the koftas in the oil.
• If it splits, add little gram flour at a time and test.
• Be very careful and add only that much flour that will make sure that the kofta dont split, we dont want a pakora flavour. 🙂
• Fry them on a medium-high heat until nice and golden.
• Lower them in the gravy as described in this blog post.

Cheers,

 

A-Z blogging

I completed A-Z blogging at my other blog recently. Oh boy it took time and effort but it was all worth it. 🙂 I met a fantastic set of bloggers who are passionate, talented and ready to help.

Here is a recap of my entries:

A for Abandoned Ship

Bulgar wheat and Spinach cutlets

C for Callous Autodrivers

D for Desert

E for Eerie Silence

F for Frenemy

G is for Gratitude

H for Hangry

I for Item Number

J for Jamanwar

K for Kindly Keep Quiet

L for Lallygagging

M for M

N for No Name Basis

O for OMG

P for Pervert

Q for Quiet time

R for Rest time

S for shame

T for Trees

U for Unicorn

V for Vicious Me

W for water

X for Xoanan

Y for Yaar

Z for Zigzag

Cheers,

Crispy Baigan Bhaja with Mango Rice

Oh one of the days when I don’t have the pati around And I have just few things in the fridge.

• Left over rice
• Half a Kachha aam
• 2-3 small eggplants

This recipe is part of the 30 day Blogging Marathon for this month. Check out other participants here in the Blogging Marathon page.

Theme- Occasions

Occasion for Day 4- Solitary Dinner

you shall need [Feeds 1]

For the Bhaja-

1 cup… Boiled rice

3…. Small eggplants or 1 medium size eggplant [Wash and cut in rounds]

1.5 tsp … salt

1 tsp… Red chilly

1 tsp… Turmeric powder

1/2 cup… Rice flour

mustard oil to shallow fry

For rice-

1/2… Mango [Washed, peeled and sliced thin]

1 tbsp… Vegetable oil

1/2 tsp… Mustard seeds

Salt and pinch of turmeric

Method:

• In a bowl, add the brinjal rounds, salt, red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
• Coat the brinjals properly and keep it for 10 min.
• In a pan, heat mustard oil till it smokes, reduce the heat to medium.
• Put the rice flour in a plate and coat the brinjals with it lightly. Remove the excess.
• Lower them one by one in the pan.
• Cook on each side for 3-4 min or until nice and cooked.
• Once done, remove on a paper towel.
• In another pan, heat vegetable oil.
• Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Add the salt and turmeric and red chilly powder.
• Add the mango pieces and the rice.
• Mix them well.
• Serve rice on the plate and put the brinjals on and around it.
• Serve hot.

Cheers,

White Bread- Tangzhong method

Oh Baking partners never fail to surprise me. They make me make bread at home. It was such a masterpiece. Soft, wholesome and very yumm.

Tangzhong method is the one where we make a flour and water paste by cooking them on gas. It is added to the bread mix when it is cooled. Most of the recipes suggest that we must wait overnight to use the Tangzhong for better results.

You shall need [makes 1 loaf]

Ingredients For The “Tang Zhong”:
1/3 Cup (25g)…. Bread flour
1 Cup (125g)…. Water

Ingredients For The “Dough”:
125g (125ml) ….Full fat milk

120g….Tang zhong

2 1/2 Cups ….flour

3 Tbs + 1 Tsp (50g)…. Castor sugar

1 Tbs…. Powdered milk

15 gms… Fresh Yeast

1 Tsp…. salt

3 Tbs (45g)…Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature

1 Tbs …oil, for greasing the bowl

 

Method:

• Mix the flour and water in a pan and cook on a low heat.
• Continue whisking gently until lines are visible in the roux [Flour-water mix].
• The mix shall become thick. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.
• Let it cool completely. Cover the bowl with a cling film.
• Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl.
• Add to the processor, churn it once so that everything mixes properly.
• Now in a small bowl, mix the milk and tangzhong.
• Add it to the dry ingredients.
• Churn for 5 min first, using a spatula scrape the sticky dough from the mixing bowl onto a floured surface.
• Knead the dough until it is nice and soft and amalgamated.
• You must be able to pull a small ball of dough apart and see a thin membrane form.
• Transfer it to a oiled bowl and cover with a cling film.
• Let it rise in a warm place to the double its size. Usually takes 50-60 min depending on the warmth of the place.
• Once it has doubled, punch the air out.
• Add some flour to a flat surface, make 4 equal size balls from the dough.
• Using a rolling pin, roll it out to an oval.
• Fold the lengthwise parts inward and roll the dough from top to bottom.
• Repeat for the other 3.
• Place them in the baking tray/bread mould and let it proof for another 40 min.
• Once done, brush with milk sprinkle sesame seeds and put in a pre heated oven at 180C for 50 min or until the bread is nice and golden [I didnt let that happen to my bread hence the pale color]
• Once baked, tap the bottom of the bread to hear the famous hollow sound. This means you can pat your back for a job well done.
• Let it cool on a wire rack. Cut and serve

Cheers,

 

 

Pasta Baskets

BM#26 brought with it some really really interesting topics. 🙂 I chose the theme cook 3 dishes for 3 different courses with 1 ingredient. Phew…I have chosen Pasta as the ingredient.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26.

Here is me Starter Dish : Pasta Baskets

You shall need: [Makes about 6-7 baskets]

1/2 cup… Pasta [I used mini farfelle] Boil al dente

3 tbsp… Tomato puree

1 tsp… Kasuri Methi [Dried fenugreek leaves]

Salt and pepper to taste

6-7… Bread slices [Cut round]

Softened butter

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 180C.
• Butter the round bread pieces and fit them in muffin mould like a basket.

• Bake in the oven for 15 min or until they are nice brown and crisp.

• In a small pan, heat about 1/2 tbsp butter.
• Add the tomato puree , salt and pepper.
• Cook until it leaves the fat.
• Add the pasta to the puree.
• Toss well.
• Add the dried fenugreek leaves.
• Set aside until you are ready to serve.
• Once the bread baskets are done, fill them with the pasta and serve warm.

Cheers,

This goes to:

at homemakers Diary brain child of Vardhini

at Sumee’s Culinary

at simply food

Whats with my cuppa & Nupur’s event announcement here.

 

 

Methi Ni Bhaji na Bhajiya

Oh I have mentioned this so many times to so many people that I HAD to out this up now. This is a lentil mixture with fenugreek leaves that is steamed, crumbled and served with lots of oil. This can be had warm or cold.

Usually we aka Gujarati bahu’s have the option to use the ready made Kanki Korma loth or a flour made of lentils and rice. For the benefit of the crowd at large, I shall give the full recipe to make this one from scratch.

You shall need: [Feeds 4]

1 Cup… Rice

1/2 Cup… Tuvar Dal

1/4 Cup… Chana Dal

1/4 Cup… Dhuli Urad Dal

1 cup… Methi leaves [Wash and chop]

2… green chillies [finely chopped]

3 tbsp… warm oil

2 tbsp… Jaggrey

1/2 tsp… Ajwain [carom seeds]

1 tbsp… Sesame seeds

2 tbsp… Yogurt

a pinch of Soda bi carb

Salt to taste

Oil for serving

Water

A steamer and a big bowl

Method:

• Soak the rice and lentils over night and grind into a thick paste next morning. Do not all too much water. We need a thick paste.
• To this mixture, add soda bi carb, sesame seeds, carom seeds, salt, green chilly, warm oil and yogurt.
• You should be able to make dumplings out of this mixture.
• If it feels too dry, add a few tbsp of water.
• Heat the steamer, oil the try in which you are going to steam.
• Make cylindrical dumplings from the mix and steam for about 12-15 min.
• When they are done, let them cool a bit and then crumble them using a fork.
• Serve with a nice helping of oil on it. [Oil helps it get moistened as after steaming, it tends to get dry]

Stir Fried Sprouts, Methi ni bhaji na bhajiya and water melon

Hope you enjoy this authentic Gujju dish and relish the beautiful flavor. This was served for breakfast one of the days 🙂
This post is a part of Healthy & Tasty Recipe Contest with Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil & BlogAdda.com
Cheers,