‘Only’ Event For March and The Giveaways

Hi friends!

For the month of March again we have two giveaways. The first one is  of $60/£60 by CSN stores. The CSN stores offer a variety of products and this month we will check out there wooden swing sets.

Apart from the swing sets one can check out a large number of items from their online stores, you name it and CSN has it.

The second giveaway is from www.tarladalal.com and they have offered to give the winner a book on Pizzas and Pasta.

The ‘Only’ series in month of march throws  a BIG challenge for the foodies. This month don your cooks cap and use your grey cells wisely and innovate new recipes which are completely original. This month’s challenge is hosted by Nivedita of Nivedita’s Kitchen. The details and rules can be checked at her space  here.

Participants from US/UK/Germany/Canada leave your links here in the comment box after you have sent entries to Nivedita. Leave a comment per entry. Only links left here will be used for choosing CSN giveaway winner.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Sorghum Idlis….Health all the way!!!

Hi!

Idli or rice pancakes are a common item in all South Indian homes. Idli is considered a very healthy breakfast, light to eat and easy to digest. The only problem that I believe is that since it uses rice in it’s preparation it has high glycemic index.

Sorghum is a grain with low glycemic index and is perfect for diabetics and everyone who is conscious about their health. This particular Idli recipe was shared by S’s aunt Leela, who is an excellent physics teacher and still tutors at the age of 70. She makes this Idli regularly at her place and recommends this highly. She was so sweet to provide me with a batch of sorghum meal to try this preparation.

I was curious and at the same time a little apprehensive to try this out. My all apprehensions vanished after the first batch was ready. This preparation is surely a keeper and tastes perfect with a spicy chutney. The Idlis are soft when eaten immediately and do harden a little on cooling, so if you are not planning to eat it immediately then before eating, sprinkle some water on them and microwave for  a minute and they are soft again.

Ingredients

3 katori sorghum/ jowar meal

1 katori  white lentil/ urad dal

1 tsp. fenugreek/ methi seeds

Method

Soak white lentil and fenugreek seeds in water for about 2-3 hours. Also, sprinkle water on the sorghum meal to make it a little damp.

Grind the dal and seeds to a fine paste and also run the meal once in the grinder. Mix both and let it ferment overnight or for 7-8 hrs.

To the fermented dough add salt to taste and a little water to make the Idli batter. One can read more about the Idli batter procedure here.

Make Idli’s in the usual fashion and serve the Idli with a spicy onion-tomato chutney.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Strawberry - Buttermilk Panna Cotta ..an utterly delicious dessert

Hi!

Finally I made a dessert after a long time and treated the strawberries well. Yup, I made my favourite, The Panna Cotta and I was so happy looking at the final product. The pictures surely do not do justice to the end product but rest assured that this is one exotic dessert to try out which is actually quite simple to make. To read in detail about this Italian dessert, check out my previous post on Mango Panna Cotta.

I had two packs of strawberry in the refrigerator staring at me for about a week. S, also cautiously reminded me that the strawberries are a delicate fruit and might get spoilt. I took the hint and decided to make a nice dessert for him and also to show him that I did not let the strawberries spoil.

 

As I type this post the three of us in the family have already relished the dessert and DH still has not tasted it. The younger one got his well deserved treat after he came back from school, as he has been doing excellent in his assessments independently without my help. My confidence in him that he can manage well in his middle school after he graduates in a few days  has surely increased and my decision that I can start working again seems correct right now.

Ingredients

about 200gms strawberries pureed to make about a cup

200gms cream

1-1/2 cup butter milk

about 1-1/2 tbsp. gelatine/ 10gms. gelatine

11-12 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. strawberry essence

Method

Mix the strawberry puree in butter milk and sieve it.

Pour warm water on the gelatine and melt it on a double boiler and sieve, mix it in the buttermilk- strawberry mix.

Pour cream  and sugar in a pan and stirring continuously bring it to a boil, cool and add the essence.

Mix the buttermilk-strawberry mix into the cream and stir thoroughly.

Pour these into the rinsed ramekins and refrigerate for 5-6 hrs. and then serve chilled.

One can also top it with  strawberry coulis or strawberry crush, I served it with freshly sliced strawberries.

Sending this to my event Veggie/Fruit a Month- Strawberry started by Priya Mitharwal

to Priya Mahadevan’s ‘Best Western Desserts’

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Spicy Stuffed Dinner Rolls

Hi.

Today morning was quite depressing as I woke up with a spitting headache and the outside weather was even more depressing as it was foggy, with a visibility of about 5 meters. I just made some Maggi with veggies for me and S and after sending him off to office I was wondering what to cook for lunch.. but just did not feel like getting up and cooking. I wanted to recharge myself in someway but today was not the day. I read my post on feel good hormones here and here and I felt a little better. After cooking some stuffed paratha for the younger one I felt much better so I decided to bake.

And I must say, I am elated after making these rolls and why should I not be? Every time I work with yeast it turns out to be most happening and satisfying experience, an experience that I look forward to. The aroma of freshly baked bread in the kitchen is always heavenly and I was missing it so much..  I have always found baking a bread therapeutic in cheering me, what’s your take on that?

The roll turned out scrumptious with a feather light sponge and an absolutely tasty and spicy filling, just perfect to make me feel at the top of the world.

 

I was quite excited in using the new entry into my kitchen the Very Hot Peri Peri sauce, this is a South African  sauce and is available in various categories but I opted for the very hot. If you get a chance to visit Inorbit Mall in Malad, Mumbai, do visit the Nando’s Peri Peri Restaurant.

 

Ingredients ( makes 8)

For Dough

4 cups APF and more for dusting

3 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tbsp. sugar

1-1/4 cup luke warm milk

1 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. butter

Filling

3 large garlic pods crushed

3-4 spring onion whites

2 spring onion greens

2 tsp. very hot peri peri sauce

1/3 cup sweet corn

1/3 cup frozen peas/ blanched peas

100gms cottage cheese cubed

salt to taste

1 tsp. chilli pwd.

1 tsp. coriander pwd.

1 tsp. Oregano

Method

For the Filling

Heat 2-3 tsp. oil and add crushed garlic to it and sauté, do not let it brown, add the spring onion white and salt to taste and sauté again. Now add the peri peri sauce and mix.

Add the corn and peas and sauté. Also add the cottage cheese. Mix the spring onion greens, oregano, chilli pwd and coriander pwd into the mix and cook till the filling is dry. Cool it.

For the Dough

Proof the yeast in luke warm water and sugar.

Heat the milk luke warm and add the butter to it.

In a food processor jar with the kneading attachment, take the APF, salt. Add the yeast solution and milk gradually and knead for about 2 mins.

Remove on the dusted floor and knead more for about 5-6 mins to produce the gluten. The dough is sticky so keep dusting your hands but avoid adding flour to the dough else you will land up having a dense roll.

Grease a bowl and the dough, cover it with a cling film and rest it in  a warm place, let it double in volume. You can check this in detail here. Meanwhile make the filling.

Punch down the dough and roll it into a square shape on a dusted floor and cut it into 8 equal parts.

Fill each part with 2-3 tsp. of  filling and close it from all sides and shape it like a ball.

Place the balls on a greased baking tray, cover it with a cling film and let it double in volume.

Bake it at 350F/ 180C temperature for 20-25 mins or till the crust turns golden in colour and when tapped produces a hollow sound.

Cool on a wire rack and serve with some butter and cheese spread.

Sending this to my event ‘Only’- Cooking with Bread.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bi Coloured Italian Sandwich

 

Hi all!

Hope all my friends had a great valentine’s day. Today I am posting a very filling, healthy, attractive sandwich which was an instant hit with my family.

Sandwich is normally a term used to describe one or two bread slices with one or more fillings in between them. One can make so many variations by changing the fillings. There’s an interesting story behind ‘why sandwiches are called a sandwich’. Sandwiches are called "sandwiches" after John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. The story is that he was such an avid gambler that he refused to break for meals, asking instead that cold meat on bread be brought to him so he could eat while continuing to gamble.

This particular sandwich was inspired by something which I had seen on TV show. I was attracted by the colour and the flavours going into it and I was eager to try it. I changed a few ingredients and spices and made this version which takes you straight to Italy when you bite into it, all the Italian flavours explode in the mouth. One can grill the sandwich, like I did or else just eat it like that. The best part of this sandwich is that so many veggies go into it making it a very nutritive choice. This is perfect for lunch box and even as an evening snack.

Ingredients (makes 4)

12- whole wheat bread slices

butter

For Yellow Mix

1 cup frozen corn crushed

1 yellow capsicum chopped

1 large garlic pod

1/2 tsp. mustard

2 tsp. red chilli flakes

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt to taste

1 tsp. olive oil

For Green Mix

1 cup frozen peas crushed

1 green capsicum chopped

3 tbsp. pesto sauce

2 tsp. chopped green chillies

salt to taste

1 tsp. oil

For Pesto Sauce

2 cups basil leaves

1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

1 tsp. garlic

3 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. black peppercorns

1/2 tsp. salt

Method

For Pesto sauce-

In a mixer jar first grind garlic followed by peppercorns and pine nuts. Add salt to taste, basil leaves and EVOO and grind to a paste, if required add a few drops of water.

For Yellow Mix-

Heat oil and add crushed garlic, do not let it brown and add the crushed corn, mustard and sauté. Add the chilli flakes and Italian seasoning.

Add the chopped capsicum and sauté.

For the Green Mix

Heat a tsp. of oil and add the green chillies followed by crushed peas.

Tip in the chopped green capsicum and salt.

Mix about 3 spoons of pesto sauce and mix thoroughly.

For Assembling Sandwich

Apply butter on two bread slices and keep these layers outside.

On one such bread slice on the inner side apply a layer of yellow mix.

Keep a plain bread slice over the yellow mix and cover it completely.

On the plain slice apply a layer of green mix.

Then cover this layer by the second buttered bread slice with the butter facing outside and grill it.

Cut into halves and serve hot with pesto sauce and tomato sauce.

 

Sending this to my event ‘Only’- Cooking with Bread, Priya and Aipi’s Bookmarked recipes Vol.28

Srivalli’s  Kids Delight – street food,

Sujana’s  Celebrating Sandwiches

Reposting for Only Bread

Pizza Style Braided Bread

Potato and Peanut Chaat in Bread Cups

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Absolutely Yummy Bread and Peanut Squares

 

Hi! Wish you all a ‘Very Happy Valentines Day’.

Today I’m here to share a recipe which I had heard from my dear friend Anu ages back when we studied together and she was all gaga about this preparation which her elder sister would make for her. Every time she mentioned this preparation my mouth would water and I would crave for it, the only thing that I remembered clearly about it was that it had peanuts. Somehow I never asked her to tell me the recipe until recently and this time I wrote it down and after I finished writing my first expression was ‘is that all, only a few ingredients in it’.

A few days back I made the preparation and gave it to my kids in their lunch box and I must tell you it was a hit as both of them came back and asked me what it was, as it tasted very nice. Thanks Anu for sharing such a wonderful preparation with me and many thanks to Aparna didi for innovating this recipe.

This time I made the preparation in the exact fashion but I realised that that many more innovations can be done with it which I will surely try. This preparation can be an excellent starter or an evening snack for kids. Do not go by it’s colour, it surely tastes awesome .

Ingredients

250ml milk

7-8 slices whole wheat bread

1 cup roasted and pounded peanuts

2 tsp. soy sauce

4-5 green chillies finely chopped

salt to taste

1 tsp. white pepper

bread crumbs

For Corn Starch Mix

4 tbsp. corn starch + 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt

Method

Take milk in a pan and bring it to a boil, add chopped chillies and bread and with a wooden ladle keep mixing, the bread will soak milk and turn mushy. Add the soy sauce, salt to taste, peanuts and white pepper and mix thoroughly.

Grease a square plate and spread the bread-peanut mix evenly and refrigerate for half an hour. Cut into square pieces, dip in corn flour mix and roll in bread crumbs then deep fry or shallow fry. Remove on a kitchen towel and serve with tomato sauce.

Sending this to my event ‘Only’- Cooking with Bread.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad