10 May 2010
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Bread Paneer Rolls - Step by Step Recipe |
8 March 2010
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Spiced Methi Paratha Recipe |
I love fresh methi or fenugreek leaves for the slight bitterness they add to any dish. Methi dal is the usual favourite for TH and me. Each time I go to Little India, I scout around for a bunch. They are not very easy to find so when I do get them, I wrack my brain on what to make with it.
Methi Paratha was the outcome one such weekend. I checked out many recipes online and a couple of cookbooks have. There are two ways to make methi paratha:
1. Make a spiced stuffing like you do for aloo paratha or gobi paratha and make methi parathas the same way.
2. Chop up the leaves and add them to the atta while making the dough and make parathas as normal.
I decided to go midway between the two options.
Methi Paratha Recipe
Makes: 6 parathas
What I Used:
4 cups packed fresh methi / fenugreek leaves, cleaned and chopped fine
2 green chillies, chopped fine
1" piece ginger, grated
1/2 tsp powdered jeera / cumin seeds
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
5 cups atta / wheat flour
Water as needed
Ghee or butter to make the parathas
How I Made It:
1. Heat the oil and add the jeera. After about 5 seconds, add the rest of the ingredients in the list up to atta. Stir until the leaves start to wilt and get lightly toasted. Don't cook it for more than 7 mins. Let this mixture cool.
2. Add the spiced methi mixture to the atta, more salt if needed and enough water to make a soft, pliable dough. Divide into 6 equal-sized balls. Roll out each and cook on a tawa or griddle until both sides are golden brown.
3. After removing from fire, pat ghee or butter on both side and keep covered to maintain softness.
Serve warm with mango pickle and curds.
4 February 2010
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Nan On Tawa or Tawa Naan Recipe - Step by Step |
Naan or Nan is TH's favourite bread. That and palak paneer are his absolute favourite dishes to order in a restaurant. I recently got the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from the library and got totally smitten by it. I don't have most of the stuff that they have mentioned as requirements, like pizza peel and oven thermometer and baking stone and even a proper oven to do broiler method of baking in but this, this Tawa Nan I could try.
1 April 2009
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Simple White Bread - Step By Step Recipe |
I first made bread when I was in Hyderabad. I'd tried no-knead bread and I used my OTG to bake it in. I didn't have a proper bread tray or any idea whatsoever what on earth I was doing! Yet, it came out fine and most importantly, edible.
Baking bread can be a bit daunting, especially for beginners. But something remarkable about it is the use of minimum ingredients, ones that are available all around the world! The technique and other stuff can be perfected in time but the idea is to take the first step.
Everyone loved my Butterscotch Blondies Step by Step Recipe and gave good feedback saying since it was step by step, it made it look less daunting. A lot of people tried it even though butterscotch chips was not easily available where they live. Many of you wrote to me with creative substitutes you used and some even sent me pictures. That was probably one of the most encouraging set of comments I have ever received.
Anyway, after my first attempt at bread, I tried agian about a month ago, but this time I decided to go for the normal bread, the one where you need to knead it. The good part is, the ingredients are very very simple and easy to get everywhere.
I hope the step by step recipe makes it less scary for people to take the first step :) If you need to skip the pictures, please scroll to the end of the post for the complete recipe, in one place.
Simple White Bread - Step By Step Recipe
Make sure that you get some good quality active dry yeast.
1. Mix together 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (1.5 tsp), 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Let it stand for 10 - 12 mins until the mixture starts to froth, like so.
If your yeast is not good enough or is nearing its expiry date, it won't froth much so that should be a good indicator.
Also, this mixture doesn't smell so good so if your husband or anyone else at home comes around saying "what the heck is that smell? what on earth are you making?", don't let that deter you. We can get back at them with the heavenly smell of baking bread very soon.
2. Measure out your flour next. You will need 2 cups of maida or all - purpose flour.
You can substitute half of this with atta or whole wheat flour if you want. Since atta is coarser than whole wheat flour, or so she says, run it through your mixer once before using it. (Thanks Nandu!)
3. Mix the flour gently into the yeast mixture with about 1/2 tsp salt, and knead until it all comes together. This dough will feel unbelievably silky. Sprinkle some flour while kneading it gets too sticky.
Ok, it may not look so silky or even smooth because I suck at shaping it out nicely and making it look pretty. But this is good enough, you will see. Make sure you rub in some olive oil (or butter) on the sides of the bowl to prevent the dough from sticking on too much.
Let this sit for an hour. You can cover it with some cling wrap. I didn't have any, so I cut up a thin plastic bag and used that instead.
5. After an hour, you will see that the dough has risen to almost double its size and that it looks quite uniform and pretty, unlike the previous picture. Always let nature (or yeast, in this case) do its own thing.
Note: its still not going to smell so good but like I said, ignore and keep going.
6. The next step is to knead down the dough a bit, on a floured surface.
If you are anything like me, you will be a bit tired by now, with all the measuring and the waiting and the photography. So call in your husband, or anyone else you can boss into helping you knead. You don't need to knead your palms off, just be slow and firm.
Make sure you interfere them while kneading and ask them to pose for a few pics. Its all in the game of bread-making.
PS: If you have a bread-making machine, then you fall into the category of people who I am jealous of, so don't rub it in by commenting and gloating about it, please.
7. After about 10 minutes of kneading, transfer the dough to a loaf tray that's dabbed with olive oil or butter on all sides. Don't go overboard with the dabbing though.
I used a pyrex glass loaf tray, and I blame it for this ugly picture. Cover this again with cling wrap / cut up plastic bag and let it sit for another hour.
8. It will rise again to almost double its size, like so.
If you touch the top of the dough, it will be s-o-f-t. Resist temptation to punch it down and play with it. Its time to bake your bread!
9. Pre-heat oven to 200 C / 390 F and bake for about 20 mins. The crust will turn a lovely golden brown.
This, my friends, will be the best smelling thing you have ever made! Trust me!
My crust got a little dry, but you can dab some butter when it just comes out of the oven. I didn't, because I was too busy taking pictures!
10. Cut it into slices and store in an air-tight container for upto 3 days. I got about 9 slices so it didn't last that long.
Simple White Bread RecipeWe had this with some home-made hummus when it was still warm, and let me tell you, the feeling that I created all this, was awesome!
What I Used:
2 cups all-purpose flour / maida
1/2 tbsp (1.5 tsp) yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp Salt
Olive oil or butter to grease
How I Made It:
1. Mix sugar, warm water and yeast together and leave aside for 10-12 mins until the mixture froths.
2. Mix in the flour and salt and knead gently. Place in a greased bowl covered with cling wrap for an hour, until the dough doubles in size.
3. Knead on a floured surface for 10 mins and transfer to a greased loaf tin. Cover with cling wrap and let it rise for another 1 hour. It will again double in size.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 C / 390 F for about 20 mins until the crust turns golden brown.
5. Slice and enjoy!
Try it and drop me a line, won't you?
6 March 2009
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Gobi Paratha: Step By Step Recipe |


Make lime-sized balls and divide each ball into two, like below. Now, for all those smart ones who ask "why can't we just make smaller balls instead of making a big one and dividing into two?" the answer is: we need the two halves to be of the same size because we are going to roll out the halves and then superimpose them with the filling in between.



Gobi Paratha RecipeFor the dough:3 cups atta/whole wheat flour1 cup and a bit more waterSaltMix in the salt and add water little by little to the atta to make a firm dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.For the filling:Minced cauliflower - 1 cupOnion - 1/4 cup, mincedGaram masala - 1 tspCumin / jeera - 1/2 tspRed chilli powder - 1/2 tspGinger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp (optional)Oil - 2 tspSalt - to tasteHeat oil, add the jeera and when it starts spluttering, add the minced onion and fry till golden brown. Next add the ginger garlic paste, garam masala and the chilli powder. Mix well with salt for a few seconds. Then add the cauliflower, sprinkle some water and cook covered on sim for about 10-12 mins. The cauliflower should be cooked well by now.





























































