100% Whole Wheat Bread (Slow Rise)

I'm no expert baker, and am learning. Bread baking gets easy only when you are willing to attempt it. I have been persistent at my efforts in baking 100% whole wheat loaves, some hard, some dense, some brittle, some soft, have had them all. Flour doesn't go too well with me, hence I never tried a loaf with all flour. I kept trying different methods and it looks like I have nailed it this time. 

This loaf definitely deserves a special mention of NO added gluten, half the yeast (of a standard recipe), and a slow rise. All three together! I was certainly prepared to risk it. 

After a lot of reading on why whole wheat bread doesn't turn as soft and pillowy as plain flour bread, I understood that the wheat bran in the WWF cuts through the gluten not allowing it to develop.(This requires addition of Vital wheat Gluten in most WWF bread recipes) Also, the bran tends to absorb water, thus becoming softer, and making the dough dry. This made me conclude that I could use slightly more water, adding it in one teaspoon at a time and kneading as I do. 
Adding salt at the last leg of the hand kneading stage helped me here. Had read that salt retards the growth of yeast, hence added it at the fag end. This gave an additional 20 minutes for the yeast to work on, in the dough. I also added curd, which must have been a factor in the bread rising well. 

I did not use any thermometers for measuring any temperatures. Just followed my intuition.

Here is my recipe: 

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 3 cups + 3 tbsp for dusting, if needed. 
Active Dry Yeast - 1 tsp 
Sugar - 2 Tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Curd - 2 Tbsp
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp for greasing
Water - 1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp + more for later 


Procedure

1. Heat water (1 1/4 C + 1 T) till lukewarm, just tolerably warm to touch on the back of your wrist or your little finger. Dissolve the sugar in it. Add the yeast, give it one quick stir and let it sit for 10 minutes, preferably covered with a bigger vessel. (gives better warmth for the yeast to activate) 
2. Be ready with the flour. I used my food processor for the first part of the kneading. Add  the oil, curd and the water with proofed yeast, and knead well. Add water as you knead, as the bran absorbs water, so gradually add water in measures of tsps. The dough should have left the sides of the bowl and should be a like a ball.  ( I have a small food processor, so I had to do this twice). 
3. Take it our on the counter top and get ready to knead by hand. If the dough got sticky by chance, in step 2, add a little flour, maybe one Tbsp and knead again. Once you start kneading, you will see it is soft and supple, but the bran inside is continuously absorbing water. So very carefully, add one tsp of water and knead well. Do this for about 8-10 minutes, till the dough is nice and pliable and very soft, but not sticky. The dough ball must hold its shape, and not stick to the counter or your hands. If it does, you could consider waiting for a minute or two, before attempting to work on it again.
4. after about 6-7 minutes of kneading, add one tsp of Salt. Continue kneading. 
5. After 10 minutes of kneading, take the dough in your hands and shape it into a round loaf. See detailed pictures on this link - http://www.thekitchn.com/baking-technique-how-to-shape-66140
6. Place this in the greased bowl and leave it in a dark spot for the first rise. Usually, a slow rise bread is refrigerated in its first rise, however, I did not do this. 
7. It would have doubled in size in six hours time. Take it out, punch it, knock it down to release any trapped air, shape it again, and leave it for another rise for about 45 minutes. 
8. After the second rise, take the dough, punch it, knock it, and shape it into a loaf, and place in the greased leaf pan. The third rise will take about one hour. To see how to shape it into a loaf, see this video from 1:23 http://www.kingarthurflour.com/videos/bread-101-basic-white-bread-shaping-and-baking-the-loaf
9. Pre-heat the oven, brush the loaf top with milk. You could slash the top to ensure it doesn't rise non-uniformly while baking. Bake at 155 deg C for about 40 minutes, watching the top closely after the first 20 minutes. (All oven temperatures are different, hence this is not a standard, it's just what I used) 
10. Tap the pan sides to check whether the bread is done. A hollow sound means its done. 
11. Let the pan sit in the oven for about 5 minutes after its been switched off. 
12. Take the pan out of the oven and generously brush it with butter. Unmould after 5 minutes. 
13. Allow to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

Moong Dosa/Pesarattu (Moong dal ka cheela)

Moong is one of those legumes from the entire legume family considered healthy and easy even for a 6 month old baby. We all know that a  restorative a rejuvenating diet,more often than not, consists of Moong Dal Khichdi! Yes, easy and light for the tummy, yet yummy and flavourful!

This Moong dosa / Pesarattu is a traditional Andhra recipe. 

Coming to the north-indian variation of the humble Dosa - the Cheela, is usually prepared with skinned, yellow split moong dal. Here in my recipe, I have used whole moong, that give a wonderful green colour to the dosa, which also means since its not been skinned, we have more fibres in this meal. 

I would equally relish the "Cheela" as much as the "Dosa", though!

The best part about this dosa is that it requires only soaking and not the regular fermentation like regular dosas. That makes it an easy breakfast item, which is yum and healthy.

This whole moong dosa tastes heavenly when topped with onions and pairs very well with Coconut chutney.

Ingredients: 

For the Dosa batter:

Whole Moong - 1 cup (soaked overnight and drained) 

Green chillies - 3-4 nos (adjust to taste) 

Salt - to taste

Water - 1/2 cup

For the Dosa: 

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp to be mixed into the batter

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp to be mixed into the batter (this gives a lovely colour to the dosa) 

Finely chopped Onions - 1 no.

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp 

Oil - 4-5 tsp 

Method: 

1. Take the ingredients for the dosa batter and grind them in the food processor. Add water in small measures as you grind. The batter should not be too watery. You may leave it slightly coarse in texture if you like, or you may fine grind it. 
2. Pour the batter into a bowl, add the turmeric and asafoetida and mix well.
3. You could keep this for 30 minutes or even start making Dosas right away. Moong is best consumed fresh, So take care to grind only enough quantity of Moong for the batter as much as needed. The Moong can be tied up for sprouting incase if you feel its excess. 
4. Heat a Cast Iron gridle(tawa), a non-stick one also will do. and lightly grease it with oil. 
5. Spread a ladle full of batter on thr gridle and sprinkle cumin seeds and onions. Drizzle some oil on the periphery of the dosa. 
6. Flip it after two minutes, and let the other side brown a bit. 
7. Moong Dosa / Pesarettu is ready!
8. This goes well with Chutney Pudi or the humble Coconut Chutney!

Red Lentil Salad

The festivities are over and the air is crisp. Offcourse, the festivities have left behind lots to shed off ;-), and making us look forward to the next year! 
What better time for the shedding off than Winter? 
Winter,for this reason, happens to be my favorite season, as all winter vegetables and greens are available in plenty and are reasonable. 

I wanted something light for the tummy for dinner and this Red Lentil Salad crossed my mind. This salad involves a little of preparation, but, its totally worth it. 
Salads are typically flexible, so you can add in whatever suits your taste as long as ingredient doesn't cancel out the effects of another. Yes food combinations are a thoughtful subject, but I leave this here. 

This salad is perfect as a wholesome dinner, as there are lentils and loads of veggies. 

Red Lentils - Picture Source - Internet

Here is what I used: 

Red Lentils (Masoor) - 3/4 cup 
Fresh Spinach Leaves - about 15
Capsicum, Carrot, Onion, Cucumber, Tomato - 1 each - finely chopped
Cabbage - finely shredded - about a handful 
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Walnuts - 4-5 chopped
Rock Salt - to taste 



Directions: 

1. Soak the red lentils for 6 hours.
2. Boil 1/2 a cup of water (about as much as is enough to cover the lentils completely). Let this boil for 10 minutes

   

   This is what the boiled lentils look like

3. Take this off the flame and allow to cool. 
4. Transfer the lentils into a bog mixing bowl.
5. Mix in the vegetables, chilli flakes, Salt and walnuts. 

   

   Chopped Vegetables

6. Chill in the freezer for 10 mins. 
7. The yum Salad is ready to serve.

You can zing this up with a dash of lemon juice.

Like is mentioned earlier, you can add other vegetables like Beet Root, Yellow and Red Bell peppers, Red Cabbage...

Pudi for Vegetable and Rice (South Indian Garam masala)

The title must have got you wondering what Pudi is. Pudi is the generic South Indian name for any red, dry chutney powder that is an accompaniment to any of the south indian dishes like Dosas, Idlis, Appams, Curd Rice, Rice preparations etc. There are many variations to the humble Pudi and this one is slightly different.

This Chutney pudi is not the ones you would want to eat directly. I would call it the Garam Masala of the South, that you could use to add to any vegetable or Rice preparation and give it a classic twist.

We usually have this powder ready in a big jar, which lasts about two months. Some veggie combinations go really well with this masala, and I am too fond of the rice.


Simple to make and a great variation to the palette from the regular Garam Masala. Take my word, try this out.


Ingredients: 

{the main ingredients have been measured using a regular lunch bowl}

Coriander Seeds (Whole Dhania ) - 1 cup
Split Bengal gram (Chana Dal) - 1 cup
Split black gram (Urad Dal) - 1 cup
Grated Dry Coconut - 1 cup
Cinammom Sticks (Dalchini) - 3" long sticks - 4 nos
Dry Red Chillies - 25-30 - adjust to taste
Cardamom - 10-12
Cloves - 15


Method: 

1. Dry roast all ingredients separately. This is because each ingredient takes its own time to get roasted well and uniform roasting ensures that you will be able to grind this into a fine powder.
2. You can add a few drops of oil to the chillies and the Urad Dal while roasting them.
3. Let all ingredients cool completely. 
4. Finely powder all the roasted ingredients
5. You could keep a small quantity in a small jar for regular use and store the rest in airtight packing in the refrigerator. This preserves the flavour of the Pudi. 

Using this Pudi, you could give a neat twist to the while making dry vegetable dish with Potatoes, Ivy Gourd, Brinjals, Capsicum-Potato-onion combination, just to name a few.
This is the South Indian Garam Masala for sure!!!

Curry Leaves Chutney

Indian food - South-indian food, to be specific, is characterised by the presence of Curry leaves in the tempering. When this is so common, yet a chutney?

Well, the list of the benefits of curry leaves are endless. Just to name a few, Curry leaves can keep iron levels high, fights Diabetes, protects you from liver damage.

This chutney is anyway too yummy to be given a miss. Its simple to make and is an Andhra special. Spicy, tangy, healthy, all in one! This chutney stays well for about 2 weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

The Ingredients for the Chutney

Corainder Seeds - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 - 1 1/2 cups
Dry red chillies - 25
Tamarind - about the size of a lemon
Garlic - 15 cloves
Oil - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Musrard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 8-10
Garlic cloves

Directions:

Roasted Ingredients

1.  Roast the Cumin, corainder, dry red chillies, and 2 only cloves of garlic in a few drops of oil. The rest of the garlic will be used in the tempering. Ensure that garlic is browned well. 
2. Roast the curry leaves very well. 
3. Take all the roasted ingredients in a mixer jar, add the tamarind, salt and grind all of this into a fine paste. Use 1/2 a cup of water. It shouldnt become too runny.
4. Heat oil in a heavy round bottomed pan. Add the mustard seeds. After they sputter, add the curry leaves and the rest of the garlic cloves. Saute this well. 
5. Add the blended curry leaves paste to this and saute it really well for about 15 minutes. If youwish to preserve for longer, add some more oil and saute for a little longer. 
6. That's it! The chutney is ready! 

Preserve in a clean, air tight bottle. 

Garlic Groundnut Chutney

An easy chutney recipe that is done in under 15 minutes!! 

Surprised?? 

Well, this really gets done in under 15 minutes, given that you have some of the basic ingredients ready. 
At my home, we always have roasted and powdered ground-nuts ready. We use tis powder in other wet chutneys and some other preparations. 

The roasting, cooling, and skinning the ground-nuts is a time consuming process. The roasting should be done uniformly on medium flame. This is something you cannot hurry with. If the nuts have been roasted well, the skinning becomes an easy job. the nest step is to separate the skin from the nuts. 
We do small batches frequently, hence doesn't take too long. 

And groundnuts are a healthy vegetarian source of protein. So this is a must have. 

The dry chutney is really simple to make. 

What goes in: 


Roasted powdered groundnuts - 8 tbsp  
Garlic cloves - 8 - chopped into two 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Red chilli powder - 2-3 tbsp 
Salt to taste 


Directions

Take everything in a mixer bowl and pulse till fine and everything is mixed.Keep checking, as groundnuts could get oily if you pulse for a longer duration and you will ave an ioily mass instead of a fine dry powder.   Adjust the chilli powder and salt to suit your taste.

The dry chutney powder is ready.

This can go with Corn Dhoklas, Regular Khaman, Dhokla, on Bread, inside Roti Roll, Aloo Tikki, Vada Pav, Vegetable Fritters, Methi Paratha - with just about anything! 

Enjoy!

100% whole wheat and oats seeded bread

Bread baking is an art as much as it is a Science. 

The gluten development, how the yeast behaves in different climates is all a science. And it takes some practice to understand this perfectly. 

I have always baked whole wheat breads, and resist to try with APF. I'm no expert, am learning myself. 

Beginners find it easy to use APF for breads since it gives a great crumb and a soft and pillowy texture. But I do not use APF since it is not as healthy as whole wheat. As a result, Whole wheat bread that I bake is slightly more dense, but a lot healthier. Bread needs good quality yeast and perfect kneading. Whole wheat breads always are more dense than APF breads.

If the yeast doesn't become frothy, toss it. Good quality dry active yeast should get frothy in lukewarm water in 10 minutes. 

The water content depends on the climatic conditions. Dry and cold areas might need water slightly more than humid climate. That is why this is a science. Means after some trials (and may be errors) you will crack the correct technique!  

Here is the Recipe.

What went in

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (i used the instant variety)
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil ( I used Rice bran oil)
2  tbsp sugar
Seeds - 3-4 tbsp ( I used a mix of  flax seeds, sunflower seeds and black sesame seeds) Roast these well. 

Wheat flour for dusting 

Oil for greasing 

Milk for brushing on loaf top. 

Directions

1. Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water. Add the yeast, give it a quick stir and let it proof for 10 minutes. The mixture should become frothy.
2. Mix the flour, oats, salt and oil in a big bowl.
3. Add the proofed yeast-water mixture and mix exerything with a wooden spatula. It will look like a shaggy mass. Leave this for 10-15 minutes, which is when the wheat absorbs some of the water ( I did all this by hand and used up a lot of my energy (read calories)... you might want to use your Kitchen Aid or food processor ) 
4. After 15 minutes, the dough should look better and will start becoming one mass. ( I accidentally added more water hence had to add some flour) Start kneading it on a lightly floured countertop. Push it away with the heel of your hand and fold. Then repeat. Knead for about 10-12 minutes till it is smooth and elastic. Add the seeds till it gets uniformly mixed in the dough. Continue kneading. Kneading is complete when the dough bounces back when slightly prodded.
5. Once kneading is done, shape the dough into a smooth ball. Place it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a dark place. The oven is a good place.
6. The dough should rise to double. It took 90 minutes and I let it rest for 30 more. This is the first rise. 
7. Take the dough and punch it and knock down on a wooden surface. This will release the air bubbles. Knead for a minute or two till it is soft and elastic. 
8. Grease the loaf pan and keep ready. Flatten the dough into a rectangle with the loaf pan as a guide for the measurement.
9. Fold one edge inside and fold the other edge on top of this just like you would fold a letter. Pinch the edges and sides so that it sticks well. This will prevent formation of carbondioxide pockets at the folds as the loaf gets baked. 
10. Place the log shaped loaf into the greased loaf pan and cover with cling film. Allow this to rest in a dark place. If you live in colder climates, you might consider covering the film wrapped pan with some thick kitchen towel as well. This is the second rise. Let this sit for one hour.
11. Preheat oven to 170 deg. Brush milk generously with a brush on the top of the loaf. This will make it soft. Sprinkle some seeds. 
12. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or so, or till the pan sounds hollow when tapped from outside. If you find that the top is browning fast, place an aluminium foil loosely on the top and continue baking. 
13. Once done, remove from oven. Brush some butter on the top. Yields a softer crust. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then unmould it and let it cool.on a wire rack completely. 
14. Slice after it cools completely.

Instant Corn Dhokla (Savory corn cake (steamed))

Corn is still in season (the american corn variety), and this Dhokla is a fantastic way of being able to enjoy corn in a different look.

This Dhokla is super easy to make, under thirty minutes, and there's no way this recipe cannot come right. Yes, that's what I can confidently say after trying and testing this recipe multiple times before posting this here.

Ingredients :

Shelled Corn - 1 cup
Semolina (Rava) - 1 cup
Thick curd - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp
Ginger - Chilli paste - 1 spoon  (Or chillies and ginger)
Salt - to taste
Tumeric - 1/4 tsp
Fruit Salt (Eno) - 3/4 - 1 tsp
Oil - for greasing
For the tempering
Oil- 4 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Sesame Seeds - 1 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 8-10

For a vegan version, cut out the curd, replace with 1/2 cup of water + 1 tsp of vinegar ( I haven't tried this, but logic tells me this should work perfectly and give similar results)

Directions:

1. Get a Dhokla plate and steamer ready on the stove. The right time to pour the dhokla batter is when the water in the steamer starts boiling. Keep the greased plate in the steamer so that it gets warm to hot. (Gujaratis do this, and their dhoklas turn soft always, so I see no harm in following this) Till this is ready, we can get to the other preps.
2. In a blender, fine grind the corn, curd, chilli-ginger. 
3. Pour this into a bowl, add salt, turmeric, Semolina, water and mix well. 
4. Add the fruit salt, and mix throrougly in quick movements.
5. Pour the batter in the greased dhokla plate 
6. Steam for 15 munites. 
7. Remove from flame, and allow to cool
8. Prepare the tempering - heat oil, add mustard seeds, allow them to sputter, add asafoetida, sesame seeds and curry leaves. Remove from flame. Allow to cool. 
9. Pour the tempering over the Dhokla, cut into squares and enjoy.
10. This goes well with Dry Garlic-Groundnut Chutney (recipe coming soon) and a glass of buttermilk! 

Enjoy! 

Paalak Shorba - An Indian twist to Spinach Soup

Rainy Sunday Evening, organic Spinach that's freshly plucked, and this at 5 PM. 

How would you want to have Spincah for Dinner?

Well, the choices are many! 
Spinach Rice for a sumptuous dinner, or Spinach Fritters - the humble and indulgent Palak Pakoras, or the healthy spinach soup!! 
And when the rains make you lazy, or rather make you admire nature that you do not want to leave your couch overlooking the outdoors, wouldn't it be great to have a recipe that's done in less than 30 minutes??! No, there's no magic wand that I possess, but just the want to eat healthy on a rainy day! :-D
So, then Soup/Shorba it is - in less than 30 minutes! 

Here's the recipe : 

What goes in: 

Spinach - 1 big bundle 
Onion - 1 chopped lengthwise 
Garlic - 5-6 cloves - chopped finely
Bay leaf - 1 
Peppercorns - 8-10 - crushed coarsely 
Green chilli - 1
Salt to taste
Oil or Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1 tsp 


How you make it: 

1. Pick and wash the Spinach clean, two three times till the water is clear. 
   
2. Take a big vessel with some water and place the spinach in a colander in the vessel of boiling water, such that the colander doesnt touch the water. You might want yo use a colander with a stand, or a ring that sits in the bottom of the big vessel on which you can place the colander. Cover this vessel wit a lid.
3. Steam the spinach for about 7-8 minutes. Once done,
4. In the meanwhile, heat a saucepan, add oil/ghee. I used Ghee, it gives a nice rich taste. Once it is hot, add the crushed peppercorns and bay leaf.
   
    
5. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chilli. Add some salt and saute till the onions are translucent. Once done, turn off the flame. 
6. In a blender, blend the sauteed onions and the steamed Spinach until fine. You might want to add some water to ensure it gets blended smoothly. 
   
7. Empty this blended mixture into the saucepan, add water - about 2 cups - you can really adjust the quantity of water. Add salt to taste. You might want to add pepper powder for an extra kick. 
8. Bring this to a boil. Shorba is ready! 
   

Notes : 

• Serve with a little ghee and piping hot! 
• Cheese lovers may add grated cheese. 
• This shorba doesnt have to be very thick, the cornflour thickener is not really needed.
• Skip the Ghee, use Oil for Vegan version

Pigeon Pea Gravy / Whole Toor Gravy

Pigeon Eye Pea Gravy (Whole Toor/Arhar Gravy)
We all have toor dal, some of us, almost daily, and Indian meals are incomplete without Daal. This gravy is a
healthy, tasty and an interesting twist to the humble Toor/Tuvar/Arhar Daal. A lot of health advocates mention that whole pulses are better than lentils. Since the lentils available in the market are all polished so fine, that most of the nutrition is lost.
SO this is a recipe to try, when you want to add taste to your meal, with totally Indian ingredients!
This gravy is very simple to make and no exotic ingredients have been used hre.

This dish is also staple in Gujarat, where it is paierd with wholesome Jowar Rotis or Rice Rotis that make up a complete meal. Depending on which part of India or the world you are located, you may have to check up with the local grocer for the pigeon eyed peas. In India alteast, any gujarati grocer would happily source it for you. This may not be available in any supermarket, though you may try. I believe this is because most of the
supermarkets stock the high selling items and Toor dal surely has higher demand as compared to its humble whole grain.

The whole grain is available in two variants - red and light coffee coloured.

In this particular preparation, I used the red variety. 

The whole Toor, when cooked, as an innate, unmissable flavour, hence does not need any spices.

Simple to cook, and finger-licking good!
Here's the recipe

What goes in: 

Whole Toor/Arhar/Pigeon Peas - 1 1/4 cup - soaked overnight and cooked until tender ( upto about 5-6 whistles) 
Onions - 3 Nos, thinly sliced vertically
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Cumin - 1 1/2 tsp 
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp 
Chilli Powder - 4 tsp - adjust to taste
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 8-10
Corainder for the garnish 

How you make it: 

1.  Pressure cook the Toor with some salt until tender. Do not drain the water used for cooking. this can be used. 
2. Heat oil in a skillet, and add the cumin, asafoetida, ginger. Add the curry leaves.
3. Add the onions, a bit of salt, and sauté well till onions are translucent.
4. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, salt. 
5. Mix in the cooked toor along with the water and let this boil well for about 15 minutes. You may adjust the consistency of the gravy as you wish. 
6. And the gravy is ready! Serve Hot with finely chopped corainder.
7. This is best had with Jowar Rotis, and its the staple gujarati combination too. Chapathis/Rice also are a fine combination, if Jowar Rotis are not what you prefer. 

Enjoy! 


Note: 

• Nothing can go wrong in this recipe. 
• The Asafoetida and the Ginger help counter the bloating properties of Toor/Arhar. Make sure you add them. 
• You may add 1 tsp of tamarind paste if you wish to have a more tangy flavour. 

Choco Surprise (No cook-no bake)

Need to prepare a quick sweet-dish, out of ingredients available at home, which is a no cook - no bake variety? 

The recipe that follows is just that! 

I vaguely remember having made a Biscuit chilled cake long ago,( really long ago, I must have been in school ) and I also remember it was decently good to taste. With the recent cake baking bug that's bitten me, and having engaged into a conversion of the same subject with friends, expert tips came up that the humble Marie biscuits can be beautifully transformed into a super surprise. So,  I thought why not attempt to try out these surprise truffles.

I had some chocolate ganache, and thought this was the best way to use it up.

This was a trial and I had no exact measurements of the ingredients to be used. I was extremely happy with the results. It is definitely a surprise package! 

The recipe makes about 30 choco-surprise truffles and it took me just about 30 mins to get them ready. 

What goes in : 

Marie Buscuits - 25 nos,  powdered (it can be a coarse powder, but ensure that there are no big bits) 

Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin, approx 200g 

Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp - you can add more for a chocolatey flavour ( I used Chocolate Ganache)

Milk powder - 2 tbsp (optional) 

Milk - 3-4 tbsp (optional)

Dessicated Coconut - 5 tbsp - for the garnish 

How you make it : 

1. Take the powdered biscuits in a big mixing bowl. 
2. Add the Condensed Milk, Cocoa powder ( or Ganache ) 
3. Mix well till all the ingredients are incorporated well. 
4. If you fond the mixture dry, you may add some milk. Milk powder can be used to make the mixture stiff if you find it loose, and the milk powder also imparts a rich flavour. 
5. Since I had used Ganache made of semi-sweet chocolate, I did not add sugar at all. But if you use cocoa powder, you might want to add some powdered sugar. 
6. Nothing can go wrong in this recipe, you can add the cocoa and sugar to suit your taste. 
7. Once all ingredients are mixed well to a consistency where you can roll it into a small ball, and it retains its shape, its ready to be rolled. 
8. Roll away into lime sized balls or truffles. 
9. You might see a buttery sheen on the truffles and your palms. But don't worry, it will be absorbed by the biscuit mix. 
10. Once truffles are ready, roll them in dessicated coconut. That tastes great! 

Enjoy 

Additional Gyan: 

• Any biscuits that are less sweet and less buttery can be used. 
• You might want to skip the cocoa powder and rather add 4-5 tbsp dessicated coconut. Adjust the milk to moisten the mixture. 
• You can add chopped nuts like Cashewnuts and Almonds if you wish
• Condensed milk can be made at home in less than 15 minutes. Will be posting the recipe soon. Stay tuned. 

Eggless Healthy Cake

What do you do when one side of the brain tells you Flour( and processed food of any type)  is not good for health and, the other side pinching the hunger zone, telling you to somehow have the healthy cake, linking it to the picture you saw on social media a couple of days ago? 
Well to cut the long sentence short, what I did was I baked that cake! 


I am an aware and healthy eater. And, no, I am not choosy or picky to the bone, but I know I will be what I eat. So I choose to eat healthy. Simple. 

This wheat flour cake was inspired by a social networking picture bosted by a member on a group. And it was enough to let my imagination take over. Offcourse, this friend was kind to share what she had used. And once you enjoy cooking/baking, you are sure to try out different combinations all by yourself. And sometimes, kitchen experiments do give out reasonably good results! Definitely satisfying ones :-) This cake was one of them :-) 

Let me share how I made this healthy cake. I was trying out with a small quantity. I would recommend you too first try out a small quantity. This recipe is for a small 6" baking pan. 

What went in:

Over ripe Bananas - 3 ( I used the small elaichi variety) 
Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup
Thick curd - 1/4 cup ( a little sour is better) 
1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered jaggery ( you may want to add a little more)
flax meal - 1 tbsp ( mixed with 3 tbsp water and kept aside) 
Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp 
Oats - 2 tbsp 
Baking Soda - 3/4 tsp 
Cinnammon powder - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch 
Chopped dry fruits - 3/4 cup ( Figs, dates, raisins) 
Water - 4-5 tbsp 

(For a vegan option, add 3 tbsp oil and 3 tbsp water) 

How I made it: 

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, grease and dust the pan.  
2. Take some warm water in a bowl and soak the chopped dry fruits for some time.
3. In a bowl take the wheat flour, baking soda, cinnammon powder and sift once. Then mix the oats and salt. Mix thoroughly Keep aside.
4. In a big mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add the curd, jaggery, the flaxmeal- water mix, oil and mix all this well till it is smooth and even. You might want to add more jaggery if you prefer this sweet. If you are fine with using white sugar in this recipe, you may use it. 
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in batches of 3 tbsp each, at a time. Mix the contents well wit a gentle folding motion till you do not see any traces of dry ingredients. Repeat till all the contents are mixed well. Do not overmix. 
6.  Strain the soaked contents and keep the water aside. Add the soaked raisins to the cake batter. If you find the batter too thick, add some water. 
7. Pour this in the greased pan, tap the pan, and bake for 40 minutes. 
8. You might want to cover the top with an aluminium foil with slits on the top to prevent the top from burning. 
9. Bake till the cake passes the skewer/tootpick test. Once its done, turn off the oven and let it be in the oven for 10 mins. 
10. Let it cool for another 5 minutes after you take it out. Invert and let it cool on a wire rack. Enjoy.

Additional Gyaan: 

• Curd + Baking Soda is an egg replacer, 1 tbsp flaxmeal in 3 tbsp of water is an egg replacer for one egg, 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar is an egg substitute. 
• I have also read that mashed ripe bananas work great as egg substitutes. 
• I used three of the known egg substitutes. This made the cake too crumbly, nevertheless the taste was great. You might try with any one only. In other substitute, make sure you add 1/2 tsp baking powder. 
• You might add walnuts in the batter for a nutty flavour. ( will be trying this one soon ) 
• Cutting out curd makes this a vegan recipe. 

Eggless Banana Cinammon Muffins

Muffins - Who doesn't love them?


I tried muffins for the first time today, and was pleasantly surprised with the results!

Easy to make and yum looking super delicious muffins in just about 20 mins baking time! Wonderful, isnt it?

These can be prepared even with the least of preparation or planning, I realised. Easy to make, yum to have.

What goes in:

All purpose flour ( Maida) - 1 cup
Over ripe bananas - 3 ( I used the small Elaichi variety) ( If you are using the normal ones, I'd recommend use one)
Granulated Sugar - 1/4 cup
Curd - 1/4 -1/2 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Cinammon powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence - 3/4 tsp
Salt - just a pinch


How you make it: 

1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees, and keep your tray lined with the cupcake liners. 
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and sift twice.
3. In another big bowl, mash the bananas. To this, add the sugar, curd, oil, vanilla essence and the salt. ( I forgot the essence when I made these muffins today, and realised only when the muffins were in the oven ;) )  
4. Mix all the wet ingredients really well for about 5 minutes. You may want to use your hand blender to beat it smooth, I did not use it. Bananas are soft, and the overripe ones get mashed quickly. If you feel the mixture needs water, add a bit of it.( I added about 2 tbsp of water) 
5. One these are well mixed, add the dry ingredients mix, bit by bit. Use a spatula and a folding motion to mix, ensuring no dry flour is seen. I mixed this quantity in four batches till all the flour was mixed well. Do not overmix. 
6. The baking soda starts working and you will feel the batter becoming light. 
7. The batter would be thick, that is okay. 
8. Use a spoon to fill the cupcake liners to about three fourths of the liner. 
9. Bake for about 15-20 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Enjoy! 

I was focussed more on following the recipe right, hence missd taking pics of the exact procedure I followed...;-) A Sunday Sinner, eh ??;-) 

Recipe source: www.ticklingpalates.com

Some Gyan: 

• Batter should be thick, that would give the muffin a slightly denser texture than cupcakes. 
• Since there was Banana in the recipe, I refrained from adding milk. In my opinion, fruit and milk are not a very good combination. 
• Watch the sugar. Bananas are sweet. You wouldn't want the muffins to be too sweeeet...
• Muffins/Cupcakes take lesser time to bake. Keep looking for the top crust to change colour. Depending on your oven, you may have to change the plate orientation. I had to take out the tray, turn it and place it again, so that the ones on the inner side are on the outer side (when the oven door is opened). 
• I try almost every cake recipe(baking) in fine wheat flour ( for all the obvious health reasons). Sall be trying this one too and will keep you updated. 
• The original recipe was for double the quantity I baked. 
• The original recipe called for apple pieces too, I skipped it. The sole goal this time was to use up the over ripe bananas and to soothe the sweet tooth's at home ;-)

Hot and Sour Soup

Who doesn't like the tangy Indianised Chinese hot and Sour Soup that is so popular? 

I still doubt if the Chinese ever prepare that variation, but I am sure every Indo-chinese food loving loves this spicy sour soup! 
I prepare it with a mix of veggies (popular in the indo-chinese food), and in goes a good quantity of the spice lending humble garlic, ginger and chilli.
It is simple to make, and filling in itself. It can make up for a meal ( for the weight-watchers) or can be followed by sumptuous Chinese Fried Rice. (The recipe shall follow) 

What goes in: 

Finely Shredded cabbage 1/4 cup
Finely shredded cabbage 1/4 cup
Shredded capsicum - half of the capsicum
finely chopped garlic - 1 tsp 
Finely chopped green chilli - 1 tsp 
Finely chopped / grated garlic - 1 tsp 
Salt to taste
Oil/Butter - 1 tsp 
Corn flour - 2-3 tbsp 
Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp
Water or vegetable stock - 4 cups
Vinegar - 1 tsp 


How you make it: 

1. Take a big pan and heat the oil/butter.
   
2. Add the Chilles, garlic and ginger. Saute it for a bit, watch that the garlic doesn't brown. (Browned garlic lends a different flavour, which is quite indian) 
   
3. Put in the shredded vegetables and add some salt. This will moisten the veggies and they'll start to cook. You do not want to overcook them, soup is always better wit crunchy veggies. 
   
4. After about 5 minutes of sauteeing, add water and bring to a boil. You can add as much water, as the number of soup takers. this means you will have to adjust the veggies. 
5. Add the soya sauce, and then add salt. Soya sauce contains some salt, so you would want to taste first and then add the salt. 
6. Bring to a good boil. 
7. Take a small bowl and mix cornflour with 3-4 tbsp cold water. Put this mix into the boiling soup. in about a minute, you will see that the soup has thickened. Check the thickness. You may want to add more of the cornstarch to have a thicker soup. 
8. Mix in the vinegar and turn off the stove.
9. And the hot and sour is ready. Enjoy!!!

Some gyan: 

•  If you would like Clear veg soup, leave out the soya sauce and vinegar. Moderate the chilli, cut out the garlic and ginger. Add a handful of green peas, and serve with a dash of lemon and coriander. Clear Veg soup is not very spicy. 
• Vinegar/lime juice should be mixed after the soup boils and after you turn off the flame.