Kulcha Buns Stuffed with Chatpata Choley...

Kulcha Buns stuffed with Chatpata Choley.... 

I remember having Choley kulcha in Manali... Instead of making two different dishes.. I thought of stuffing the Choley in the kulcha.. It taste awesome with the buttery taste. Have it hot... 

For the Choley

Ingredients

1 cup Chickpeas soaked overnight and boiled 

2 Boiled Potatoes chopped into small pieces

1 Onion chopped

1 Tomato chopped 

1 tsp Garlic minced

1/2 tsp Ginger minced

2 Green chillies chopped 

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Chaat Masala

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Roasted Cumin powder 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Juice of 1 Lime 

1 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Take a wok, add oil, add cumin seeds. Let it crackle, add the garlic, ginger and chopped chillies. Sauté it for 1 minute. Add the onions, sauté it till translucent. Add the tomato, stir it, add the chopped potato and the chickpeas. Stir and add 1/4 cup of water.Cover and cook till the water has dried up. Add the salt, chaat masala,roasted cumin powder and lime juice. Mix it. Take it off the flame. Add the coriander leaves for garnishing. Keep it aside while we make the Kulcha buns. 

Kulcha Buns

Ingredients 

3 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup Luke warm water

1 tbsp Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Dry Yeast

Salt to taste

1/2 cup or more Water

2 tbsp Butter (room temperature)

Method 

Take the yeast and sugar and mix it into the lukewarm water. Let it rise. Add the salt into the flour and mix it. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour in the yeast water and little more water and knead it into a soft dough. Add little butter and knead the dough well for 10 minutes. Apply little butter on the dough, cover and keep till it rises double in size. Punch the dough and divide the dough into equal portions, size of a tennis ball. Cover and keep for another 15 minutes.

To make the stuff Buns... 

Grease a baking tin with oil. Take one portion of the dough, flatten it. Add the chatpata Choley in the centre. Close the edges of the bun. Place the bun on the baking tin.leave some distance for the next bun. Apply oil on the bun and flatten the bun. Keep it for 20 minutes. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven. Apply butter on top of the hot buns.

Nutty Chocolatey Mawa Donut Gujjiya.......

Nutty Chocolatey Mawa Donut Gujjiya.......

Holi hai Bhai Holi hai....

Khelo Rango ke Sath.... 

Gujjiya kha ke mast raho....

Aahi hai Subhakamnaye Hmara Apke Sangh..... 

Gujjiyas are classic dish made with all purpose flour dough and Mava filling, deep fried and dipped in Sugar syrup... 

This is a Gujjiya with a twist... 

For the Donut dough

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour + 1/4 cup extra for handling the dough and rolling the dough 

3 tbsp Melted Butter 

2 tbsp Powder Sugar 

Salt to taste 

1 1/4 tsp Dry Yeast 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water 

1 tbsp Sugar for the Yeast 

1/4 cup or more Lukewarm Milk for kneading a soft dough

Method 

Add yeast, sugar and  lukewarm water in a cup and keep it aside till it rises. Take flour in a mixing bowl,  add salt and powder sugar. Mix it.  Mix in yeast and milk little at a time as per the milk is required for kneading a soft dough. Add a tbsp of butter and keep kneading the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining butter on the dough and  keep it aside cover till the dough rises. 

P. S. If the dough gets sticky sprinkle some flour and knead it. 

Knead the dough well. Stretch the dough and fold on a flat platform.

For the Nutty Chocolate Mawa filling 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup of Mawa

1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips 

Handful of Almond and Pistachio flakes or chopped

Method 

Take a pan, add the mawa and cook it till the mawa starts to form a dough, take it off the flame. Add the Almond and Pistacho flakes and mix it. Add the Chocolate chips, mix it well and keep it aside.

For the Donut Gujjyas 

Ingredients 

Dough

Filling 

Oil for frying the Gujjyas

Method 

Take the dough and knead it again. Divide the dough in to two portions. Take one portion and roll the dough, cut circles out of the sheet with a round cutter. Add the filling and fold one side to the other side. Press it and fold the edges. Keep it for 20 minutes. Heat the oil. Fry the Gujjyas till brown. Take it out. Cool it. Sprinkle it with coloured sugar powder... 

For Garnishing 

Use coloured sugar powder..... 

P. S. Take 2 tbsp of Sugar in a grinding jar and add few drop of colour. Mix it with the spoon.  Grind the sugar. The colour will get mixed with the sugar. If darker shade is required then add more drops of colour and grind again. This coloured powder sugar canbe used to decorate cakes and other desserts...

Whole Wheat Sweet Chocolatey, Minty and Spicy Soda Bread.....

Whole Wheat Sweet Chocolatey, Minty and Spicy Soda Bread.....

Soda bread is a variety of quick bread traditionally made in which sodium bicarbonate is used as a leavening agent instead of the yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour,soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Other ingredients can be added such as butter, egg, raisins, or nuts.

   In Europe, soda breads began to appear in the mid-19th century when bicarbonate of soda first became available for use as a raising agent. Breads, griddle cakes and scones with soda bicarbonate and cream of tartar or tartaric acid became popular in Austria, Polish cuisine, Britain and Ireland. Traditional soda bread, eaten in Serbian cuisine, also uses soda bicarbonate. 

Whole wheat soda bread  is known as wheaten bread in parts of Ireland and Polish flat soda bread is known as Proziaki.

Net Resouce.... 

I wanted to cook up something quick for my hungry caterpillar who was going to come back from the school picnic... The door bell would ring any moment.. While I was thinking, the recipe of soda bread ran in my mind. It had to be of her liking... So gave a twist to it and here is my version of soda bread... 

Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Milk powder

1/4 cup of Chocolate Chips

Few Mint leaves broken

8 Sweet Pepper Chillies whole or 1 fresh Red Chilli sliced

1 tsp Baking powder

2 Pinches of Salt

1/2 cup Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Melted Butter

3/4 cup Butter Milk

1/4 cup Club Soda

P. S. You can use 1 tsp soda bicarbonate instead club soda and increase the butter milk quantity by 1/4 cup. 

Method

Take a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, milk powder and caster sugar. Mix it. Add salt and baking powder. Mix it. Make a well in between. Add butter milk, mix it. Add club soda. Mix it. Add the chocolate chips, chillies and mint. Mix it. The dough will be a bit sticky. Brush an iron pan or any baking tray with butter. Add the bread dough, spread it. Bake it for 40 minutes or till done at 180 degrees celcius in a preheated oven. Cool a bit and the remove the bread from the pan. Cool it completely before cutting it.

Roti Jala served with Pickled Chicken

Roti Jala served with Pickled Chicken 

Roti Jala is a traditional flat, net, lacy bread from Malaysia and is served with any curry. I have made Malaysian Pickled Chicken to go with Roti Jala. 

Roti Jala

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups  All Purpose Flour

1 tetra pack Coconut Milk or more 

1 Egg Beaten

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Melted Ghee for Brushing (Optional) 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and turmeric powder, mix it. Add the egg and coconut milk little at a time and whisk in to a thin batter. Heat a frying pan. Keep the flame on low heat and brush the pan lightly with ghee. Drizzle the batter from a squeeze bottle on the pan to create a net pattern. Cook until it is  light golden on the base. Turn and lightly cook the other side, take it out on a plate and repeat with remaining batter. When cool, fold roti in to half from both the sides and then roll from the other end. Serve with pickled chicken. 

Pickled Chicken 

For the Ground Spices 

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Coriander seeds

10 Cloves

2 Cardomom 

1 small stick Cinnamom 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder

Method 

Dry roast all the above ingredients except Turmeric and Nutmeg. Cool the ingredients, add the turmeric powder and nutmeg and grind it into a fine powder. 

For Marinating the Chicken 

Ingredients 

10 medium size Chicken pieces

Spice powder

Salt to taste

Method

Mix all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and marinate it for 1 hour. 

For the Wet Spices 

Ingredients 

2 Onions cut into thick slices

1 tsp Ginger chopped

1 tsp Garlic 

1 Lemon Grass Stalk chopped 

5 Red Dry Chillies soaked in water

Method 

 In a blender blend chillies, onions, ginger, garlic and lemongrass into a paste. Add very little water if required to make the paste. 

For the Pickled Chicken 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken pieces 

Wet Paste 

3 tbsp Vinegar 

1/2 tbsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

½ cup Chicken stock

2 tbsp Ghee 

Few  Mint and Coriander leaves for garnishing 

Method 

 Heat ghee in a wok on medium heat, add the wet paste. Stir fry the paste for 3 minutes or till the oil has separated from the paste. Add the marinated chicken and fry for 10 minutes. Add the stock, stir and cover the wok. Simmer until the chicken has cooked. Add vinegar, salt and sugar. Stir and simmer for another 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves. Serve with Roti Jala.

Chicken Meat and Veggies Stuffed Buns...

Chicken Meat and Veggies Stuffed Buns...

Chicken Meat  Stuffing 

Ingredients 

150 grams Chicken minced

1 Egg

1 Onion chopped finely 

1 tsp Garlic chopped finely 

1 tsp Green chillies chopped finely

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

1/4 cup Spring Onions chopped finely

3 tbsp each Yellow and Red Capsicum chopped finely 

2 tbsp Carrot chopped finely 

1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese grated

Salt to taste 

1 / 4 tsp Pepper powder 

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Method 

Take a mixing bowl and mix all the above ingredients. Knead it very well for 5 minutes till all the fats incorporates well. Keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Buns 

Ingredients 

400 grams  All purpose flour 

1 1/2 tbsp Dry Yeast

2 tbsp Sugar 

1/4 Cup Lukewarm Milk 

1 Cup  Lukewarm Water

2 tbsp Melted Butter

Salt to taste

Egg wash 

Chicken stuffing

2 tbsp Mozzarella grated 

Italian seasoning for sprinkling 

Method

Take a mixing bowl. Add flour and salt. Mix it. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Add sugar, yeast and 1/4 cup lukewarm milk + 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir it with out disturbing the surrounding flour. Cover and let it rise. After it rises. Start mixing the flour... Add water little at a time to make a soft dough. Add 1/2 tbsp melted butter, Knead the dough for 5 minutes adding 1/2 tbsp melted butter in between. Rub some butter on top, cover and keep for rising double in size. Rub some butter on the palms. Sprinkle some flour on the platform, take the dough, punch it and knead it again for sometime. Divide the dough into equal proportions. Grease the baking tray.  Rub some butter on the palms. Take one portion of the dough. Roll the dough giving it a round shape. Flatten the dough and take a portion of the stuffing in the centre of the dough, close the edges and give it a round shape. Repeat the process with other buns. Place each buns on the baking tray at some distance. Cover with soft Malmal cloth till it rises double in size. Brush it with egg wash. Bake it in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning from top. Bake for another 5 minutes more at 160 degrees celcius till brown on top. Cool the buns a bit and remove it from the tray. 

Egg and Vegetable Sandwich with Spicy Garlicky Cheese Sauce

Egg and Vegetable Sandwich with Spicy Garlicky Cheese Sauce

For the Spicy Garlicky Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
1 tbsp  Butter
3 tbsp Cream Cheese
4 tbsp Curd
6 Garlic cloves
2 Red Chillies
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Lime Juice

Method
Add all the above ingredients in the blender and blend it.

For the Sandwich
Ingredients
1 White Bread Loaf sliced
2 Boiled Potatoes sliced
2 Tomato sliced
1 Cucumber sliced
2 Onions sliced
Few Cabbage leaves cut into thin slice
4 Boiled Eggs sliced
Spicy Garlicky Cheese Sauce
Salt to taste
Pepper powder for sprinkle
Butter to apply on bread

Method
To make one sandwich, take 3 slices of bread. Apply butter on the bread slices. Place some slices of cucumber, onion and tomato on a slice of bread, sprinkle some salt and pepper powder on the vegetables, drizzle a tbsp of sauce. Cover the vegetables with a bread slice. Place few sliced egg , potato and cabbage leaves, sprinkle some salt and pepper powder,  drizzle a tbsp of sauce. Cover it with a bread slice and the sandwich is ready to be served.. To make it more creamy cheese spread can be added..

Pesto and Olive Whole Wheat Bread Wreath

Pesto and Olive Whole Wheat Bread Wreath
This bread is made with home made Pesto sauce,sliced red pickled chillies and olives...it is then garnish with thyme.

Pesto sauce
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup peeled almonds and walnut mix
3 garlic cloves minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
Put the basil leaves and  nuts into the grinder and grind. Add the garlic and Parmesan cheese and grind few more times. While the grinder is running, slowly add the olive oil in the grinder. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the grinder. Add some salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Pesto and Olive Whole Wheat Bread Wreath
Ingredients
31/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Pesto sauce
2 tsp Dry Yeast
1/2 cup Lukewarm water
2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Pickled Red Chilli  sliced
Few Green and Black Olives sliced
Few Thyme Leaves

Method
Add yeast and sugar in the Lukewarm Water and stir.  Keep it aside to rise. In a bowl add flour and salt. Mix it. Add the yeast water and 1 cup or more water little at a time to get a soft dough. Add 1 tbsp oil and knead it for 10 minutes. Cover and keep it aside to rise double in size. Once the dough is risen, knock it back then roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a big  rectangle shape.    Spread the pesto evenly all over the dough. Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly but gently, like a swiss roll, into a log. Grease the  baking sheet,  transfer the roll of dough to the baking sheet and, using a sharp knife,  cut the roll in half lengthwise. Turn the two halves so that the cut side is facing up then lay one over the other so that they make an X shape, twist them together by laying one side over the other, keeping the cut side up, until all of the dough is twisted and you are left with a braid. Loop the braid round into a wreath shape and pinch the ends together. Leave to rise for about 20 minutes. Add olives and pickled chilli on the dough.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Once baked transfer to a wire rack to cool. Garnish with thyme..

Sourdough Bread Cone stuffed with Pizza Veggie Sauce

Sourdough Bread Cone stuffed with Pizza Veggie Sauce 

For the  Dough

3 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour 

1 cup Sourdough Starter 

1 cup LukeWarm Milk 

1 tbsp Dry Yeast 

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Olive oil 

1 tbsp Butter + 1 tbsp Milk + 1/2 tsp Honey for Brushing 

1 tbsp Black Sesame seeds 

1 tbsp Poppy seeds 

Method 

In a large bowl, add flour. Make a well in the centre. Pour the sour dough, dry yeast and 1/2 cup milk in the centre. Wait for the yeast to react. Mix the dough and sprinkle salt. Start to knead, slowly add the remaining milk while kneading. Add oil and knead for 10 minutes. Let it rest for 1 hour covered till it rises double in size. Punch the dough down and on a floured surface divide into 8 equal portions. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll one portion of the dough into an about 30 inch rope. Roll the dough rope around the aluminum cones. Repeat the process with the remaining portions.  Place it on a greased tray and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Brush the cones with butter, milk and honey mix and sprinkle sesame and poppy seeds on top.Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

P.S. To make the cones, take 2 sheets of paper and make a cone and cover with aluminum foil completely so that the paper should not be visible at all. 

Any type of stuffing can be added into the cone... 

For the Stuffing 

Ingredients 

3 Tomatoes chopped

2 Onions chopped 

3 tbsp Garlic minced 

1 tbsp Picked Red Chilli sliced

Or Green chillies chopped 

1 Carrot chopped finely

1 Capsicum chopped finely

6 French Beans chopped finely

1 cup Cauliflower chopped 

2 tbsp sliced Black Olives 

2 tbsp Basil Leaves chopped 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

1 tbsp Pizza mix (Dry Oregano + Chilli Flakes + Dry Basil) 

1 tbsp Olive Oil 

2 cups of Cheddar and Mozzarella grated 

Method 

Take a pan, add oil. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onions, saute till translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar and pepper powder. Cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots, capsicum, French beans, cauliflower, chillies and basil leaves. Stir and cook till the water contained in the vegetables dry up. Take it off the flame. Add the olives, pizza mix and 1 cup mix cheese. Mix it. Let it cool a bit. 

For Assembling 

Add the stuffing in the cone. Top it up with cheese. Repeat the process. Bake it at 200 degrees celcius for 10 minutes or till the cheese has melted.

Veg Thin Curst Whole Wheat Pizza

Veg Thin Curst Whole Wheat Pizza
With Corn, Capsicum, Onion, Tomato, Black Olives, Pickled Red Chillies and Cottage Cheese

Pizza Dough
Ingredients
500 grams Whole Wheat Flour
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Dry Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Lukewarm Water
2 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Mix Flour and Salt. Take Lukewarm water. Add sugar and yeast. Let it rise. Add the yeast water and extra water little at a time to make a dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil and stretch the dough while kneading. Apply oil on the dough and let it rise double in size. Punch the dough and make 2 equal portion of the dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

For A Quick Garliky Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
6 Ripe Tomatoes cut in to big cubes and seeds removed
1 Garlic pod minced
1 Onion minced
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp Dry Orageno
1 cup Tomato purée
1 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Take tomato purée, tomatoes, salt and sugar. Coarsely grind the tomatoes into purée. Take a pan. Add the oil, Add the garlic minced and the onion minced, saute it for 3 minutes, add the tomato puree,let it simmer on low flame till the sauce reduces a bit and becomes thick and all the ingredients has incorporated well. Add the dry Orageno. Mix it. Switch of the flame and keep it aside.

For the Pizza Filling
Ingredients
Pizza dough
2 Onion finely sliced
3 Tomatoes finely sliced
1/2 of each Green, Yellow and Red Capsicum finely sliced
1/2 cup Boiled Corns
1/2 cup grated Cottage cheese
Pizza Sauce
2 tbsp Black Olives chopped
2 tbsp Picked Red chilli chopped
2 Cup or more grated Mozzarella and Cheddar. Equal portion of Mozzarella, Cheddar to be taken.

Method
Grease the baking tray. Take one portion of the dough and with the help of the fingers, start spreading the dough on the baking tray. Cover the baking tray with the dough, the dough should be 1/4 inch or less in thickness. With a help of a fork prick few time on the dough. Add and spread the pizza sauce on the dough. Then add the grated  cheese. Then add the vegetables, cottage cheese, olives and pickled chilli one by one. Add the cheese again and bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes till the cheese has melted and the pizza bread has cooked in an preheated oven. Serve hot with chilli flakes and dry oregano (Optional)

Piragi (Latvian Buns)

Piragi (Latvian Buns)
A pīrāgs -  plural - pīrāgi is an oblong or crescent-shaped baked Latvian bread roll or pastry, often containing a filling of finely chopped bacon cubes and onion. Pīrāgi range from 5 centimetres in length to 13 centimetres, depending on if they are intended as a snack or a more substantial meal. Smaller pīrāgi are often prized for their daintiness and are considered the work of a skilled cook. As with many national dishes, Latvian families often have their own unique recipe for the dish, resulting in many variations of pīrāgi. Due to the amount of work involved to make pīrāgi, they are usually made only for special occasions.
Other common pīrāgs fillings include fatty bacon, fatback (speķis), mixtures of ground or finely chopped meats (ground beef, ham and chicken with or without bacon), fish, cabbage and pressed cottage cheese. Pīrāgi come in two main varieties: plain bread pīrāgi and brothor soup pīrāgi (zupas or buljona pīrāgi). Bread pīrāgi come with a larger variety of fillings and are made using a yeast dough. Broth pīrāgi are made from a flaky pastry butter dough, often a sour cream dough, and are usually filled with boiled beef or sometimes cooked fish. These are intended to be eaten with a cup or bowl of good broth.
Information source Net

My version of Pīrāgi
Suffing
1 cup Cottage chesse finely minced
1 cup Red Cabbage finely minced
2 Onions, finely minced
1 tsp Garlic finely minced
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oil

Method
In a heavy non stick pan, add the oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, red cabbage and cottage cheese until the onions are translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Keep the stuffing aside to cool completely.

Pīrāgi
Ingredients
3 and 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tbsp dry Yeast
1/4 cup Warm Water
2 tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
Salt to taste
Stuffing
2 tbsp Milk + 2 tbsp butter

Method
Place yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl, put aside for the yeast to activate atleast 10 minutes. In a small saucepan add butter, milk, salt. Warm over a low heat until butter has melted. When milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm stir in the yeast. Place two cups of the flour in a large bowl, pour liquid over and stir to combine. Once combined add the remaining flour. Mix until all ingredients have come together, then leave to rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. Once rested turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and soft, about 5 – 10 minutes. Place dough back in to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave dough to raise, around 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Once dough is ready, divide the dough into  lime size portions. Take a portion and roll the dough in to a ball and stretch it to a circle. Place a tablespoon of stuffing, and bring the edges of the dough together. Seal the bun in a oval shape and pull the 2 points outwards. Place formed buns on a baking tray that has been greased. The seal edge has to be facing down.  Mix the milk and melted butter to make wash. Brush it on the buns.  Place buns in a preheated oven of 180 degrees celcius  and bake for approximately 25 minutes,brushing the milk and butter in between 2 times, bake until golden brown.

Halloween Pumpkin Bread

Halloween Pumpkin Bread 

Ingredients 

5 cups All Pupose Flour 

1 cup Pumpkin Purée 

1/2 tsp Salt 

Pinch of Nutmeg Powder

Pinch of Cinnamon powder 

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk

1/4 cup Sugar powder or more as per the sweetness required 

1 tbsp of Dry Yeast 

3 tbsp Melted Butter

Few Black Raisins 

Method 

In a mixing bowl, combine milk, 2 tbsp of powder sugar and yeast. Let it rise.then stir in Pumpkin purée and 2 tbsp of butter. In another bowl mix in the remaining dry powder ingredients, flour and salt. Now slowly combine the liquid and the dry ingredients in small batches and mix it well before adding in the next batch. If required add in more milk to get a soft  dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. To check, take a portion of the dough, stretch, the dough will stretch like elastic. Then the kneading is done. In a large bowl, place the dough and coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch the dough. Now shape the bread dough into any Halloween character like ghost, mummy or spider, finger nail, graveyard, vampire. Use the raisins to make eyes. Spray water to avoid drying. Let it rise for 40 minutes.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius, or until golden brown.

    

Kumro Aloor Chechki ar Trikona Porotha Pumpkin and Potatao Stir fry with Triangle Paratha

Kumro Aloor Chechki ar Trikona Porotha
Pumpkin and Potatao Stir fry with Triangle Paratha 

Chechki in Bengali is stir frying of vegetables which is had with Luchi
(Puri), Paratha or Rice. There are many types of vegetables used to make  chechkis... Like Kumro Aloo, Patol (Pointed Gourd) Aloo, Pholkopi Aloo or Aloo which are had mostly with Luchis and Paratha for breakfast or dinner. Muloor (Radish) Chechki, Badakopir (Cabbage) Chechki or Kacha Peper (Raw Papaya) Chechki is made differently and usually is served for lunch with rice.

Kumro Aloor Chechki
Ingredients
2 cups of Pumpkin with skin cut lengthwise into thin strips
3 medium size Potatoes peeled and cut lengthwise into thin strips as Pumpkin
3 Green Chillies Slit
1/2 tsp Nigella Seeds
1/4 tsp  Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Mustard oil

Method
Heat mustard oil in a wok. Add the chillies and the Nigella seeds, let it crackle. Add the potatoes, stir fry it for 2 minutes on a medium high flame. Add the pumpkins, salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry it for 3 minutes. Sprinkle little water once or twice in between the cooking, cover and cook stirring it occasionally till vegetables are tender. Serve with hot Paratha or Luchi

Trikona Paratha
Parathas are made from All Purpose flour and fried in ghee or oil.
Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
Salt to taste
4 tbsp of Melted Ghee

Method
In a mixing bowl, add All purpose flour, wheat flour and salt. Mix it. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee. Mix it, add water as per required to knead a semi soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover and keep for 30 minutes. Divide the dough in to lemon size equal portions. Take a portion roll the dough. Brush little ghee. Fold it into half. Again brush little ghee, fold it into a triangle. Sprinkle little flour and roll the dough out into a big triangle. Take  skillet, let it heat. Add the rolled triangle. Cook it from both the sides for a minute each. Brush ghee on both the sides, and cook till brown.

Awadhi Mutton Biriyani, Galouti Kabab and Shirmal

Awadhi cuisine
Awadhi cuisine is from the city of Lucknow.The Awadh region has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Central Asia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad. The city is also known for its Nawabi foods. The bawarchis (chefs) and rakabdars (gourmet cooks) of Awadh invented the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today.Their spreads consisted of elaborate dishes such as kebabs, kormas, biryanis, kaliyas, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis, and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices, which include cardamom and saffron.
Information source Net

Awadhi Mutton Biriyani or the Dum Biriyani is slow cooked mutton cooked with rice on charcoal.
I have made this in a more easy and a quick way by pressure cooking the mutton and then giving it a dum.

Awadhi Mutton Biriyani

For Biriyani Masala
Ingredients
1 Cinnamon Stick
8-10 Cloves
2-3 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Fennel seeds
2 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Pepper corns
1 Star Anise
1 Mace
1 Black Cardamom
2 Green Cardamom
2 Dry Rec Chilli
2 Bay Leaves

Method
Grind all the above ingredients into a powder.

For the Wet Masala
Ingredients
6 Garlic cloves
1 piece of Ginger
2 to 4 Green Chilli
1 tbsp Mint leaves
1 tbsp Coriander leaves

Method
Grind all the wet ingredients into a paste.

For Cooking the Biriyani
Ingredients
1 kg Mutton washed and cut into pieces Pieces
750 Grams of Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
2 Onion Sliced
1/4 cup Curd
1/4 cup Milk
Few strands of Saffron
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp of the Biriyani Masala
Wet Masala
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cloves
2 Green Cardomom
1 small Cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Ghee
Few drops of Kewda or Rose essence
Few Mint and Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take a cooker, add 1 1/2 tbsp Ghee. Fry the onions until brown in colour. Remove 1 tbsp brown Onion aside for garnishing. Add the bay leaves, Cardamon, cloves and cinnamon n the cooker. Add the mutton, sauté it for 10 minutes. Add the curd, wet masala, salt, turmeric powder, biriyani masala and salt, sauté it for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, close the lid of the pressure cooker, give 4 whistle or cook till the mutton is 80% done. Let the pressure release. Transfer the mutton and the gravy in the deep pot. The gravy in the pot should be double the quantity of the rice, (if the rice is 2 cups then the water should be 4 cups). Let the gravy simmer, spread the rice in the pot, on the gravy. Cover and cook, till the rice is almost 75 % done. Heat the milk, add the saffron, Kewda essence and remaining ghee. Mix it. Pour the milk on the rice. Sprinkle with coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Cover and seal the lid. Keep a thick skillet underneath the pot, cook the biriyani on dum, till steam comes out of the pot. Keep checking in between as the biriyani should not burn from underneath. Serve with raita or salad.

P.S. Usually the biriyani it slow cooked in pots on charcoal and wood fire. If using pressure cooker and it fasters the process of cooking, for the taste to enhance in the biriyani, cook the Biriyani few hours before serving.

Galouti kebab served with Shirmal...

The Galouti kebab is a famous Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow. The original dish is made from minced goat, gaur or buffalo meat and green papaya, traditionally used to tenderize the meat. After mixing with herbs and more than 100 spices, the very finely ground meat is shaped into patties and fried in pure ghee until it is browned. Galawati kebab was created for an aging Nawab of Lucknow. Wajid Ali Shah who lost his teeth, but could not leave his passion for eating meat. Galawati means "melt in your mouth" and was perfect for the toothless Nawab who continued savouring this until his last days.

I have tried to make Galouti Kababs in a guilt free and in a easy way which I have served with Shirmal... And made from whole wheat flour and yogurt instead of yeast and kept for proofing for 2 hours and then baked it.

For the Dry Masala powder
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Black Cardamon seeds
2 Green Cardamon
4 Cloves
1 piece Cinnamon
6 Black Pepper seeds
2 Red Dry Chillies
1 Mace
1 Star Anis
1/4 Nutmeg

Method
Grind all the above ingredients into a fine powder.

For the Kabab
Ingredients
250 grams Boneless Mutton
2 Green Chillies
6 Garlic cloves
1 piece of Ginger
2 tbsp of Roasted / Brown Fried Onions
2 tbsp of Roasted Garam flour
1 1/2 tbsp of Dry Masala Powder
Salt to taste
Ghee for Brushing

Method
In a blender, blend all the above ingredients into a fine paste. Take the paste out of the blender into a plate and mash it very well with the palms for 5 minutes or till dough starts to form. Keep it in the fridge for an hour or more, take a nonstick pan, brush ghee on it. Make small lime size balls(kababs) out of the paste. Press it between the palm to give it a oval shape. And fry it in the non stick pan, brushing ghee in between. Cook till brown on both the sides. Serve with ssliced onions, mint chutney and Shirmal.
P.s. Mutton keema is used, to make the Kabab, but even boneless mutton can be directly blended in the blender to make keema.

Shirmal is a saffron flavoured traditional mildly sweet flat bread made out of Maida, yeast and baked in a tandoor or oven. It is a dish made in Lucknow and many other countries and served with Kababs or Mutton Gravy. It has been influenced from the Mughal Cusine and is a delicacy of Awadhi cusine.

For the Shirmal
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat Flour
Salt to taste
1 tsp Soda bicarbonate
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Yogurt
3 tbsp Milk
Few Strand of Saffron
1/2  tbsp Melted Ghee
Melted Butter for Brushing

Method
Warm up the milk, add saffron and sugar, dissolve the sugar. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt and soda bicarbonate. Mix it, beat the yogurt, mix milk in the yogurt, keeping 1 tsp milk aside for brushing.  Add the liquid to the flour. Knead it to make a dough. Add ghee and knead it for 10 minutes. Keep it covered for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.Divide the dough into 4 equal sized portions. Roll out each portion into a circle of about ½ inch thickness and about 6 inch diameter. Prick the rolled dough with fork.When you are ready to bake brush them with saffron milk.Bake at 200 degrees Celcius for 15 to 20 minutes or until it become golden yellow color. Once the bread is baked and out oven, brush with melted butter.

Dal Bati Churma

Dal Bati Churma
It is a famous dish / delicacy of Rajasthan. This dish is cooked in all occasion. It consists of baatis that is round breads baked over firewood or oven and dipped in ghee. The dal is slow cooked in a pot and seasoning is added,  Churma made from unsalted dough,  into round balls and fried in ghee. These  fried baatis are crushed and sugar or jaggery is mixed into it.

I have baked the Batis in oven and Dal in pressure cooker with less use of ghee. Even the Churma is baked in oven.

For the Panchmel Dal
Ingredients
2 tbsp Split Bengal Grams (Chana Dal)
2 tbsp Yellow Split Dal (Tuvar Dal)
2 tbsp  Split Green Gram (Moong Dal)
2 tbsp Split black Dal (Urid Dal)
2 tbsp Pink lentils (Massor Dal)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
2 Cloves
1 small Cinnamon stick
1 Red dry Chilli
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Green Chilli slit
1/4 tsp Ginger grated
1/2 tbsp Ghee

Method
Clean and wash the dals, soak it for 30 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook it. Give 3 to 4 whistles. Once the pressure releases, open the cooker. Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, 1/4 tbsp ghee, ginger and green chilli in the dal. Mix it. Add the water if required. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.  Heat rest of the ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, red chilli, let the cumin seed crackle. Add asafoetida and red chilli powder. Add 1 tbsp of water in the seasoning to avoid burning of chilli powder, cook for few seconds. Add the seasoning in the dal. Simmer for 2 minute more. Serve with the Batis.

For the Bati
Ingredients
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1 tbsp Bengal Gram Flour
1/4 tsp Carom seeds
1/2 cup Milk
Pinch of Baking Powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tbsp  + 1/2 tbsp Melted Ghee

Method
In a mixing bowl, Mix all the dry ingredients and mix it. Add 1/2 tbsp of ghee, rub the flour with the help of the Palm. Add milk, and water if required little at a time. Knead it into a firm dough. Knead well for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape each portion into an even sized round balls. Flatten the rounds lightly using your thumb to make an indentation in the centre of the ball. Arrange the baatis on a baking tray. Brush ghee on the Batis. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 40 minutes turning it over occasionally. Brush ghee on the Batis break each baati into pieces and pour hot panchmel dal over the baatis.

For the Churma
Ingredients
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Fine Samolina
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp Powder sugar or more as required for sweetness
2 pinch Cardamon powder
1 tsp Almond Flakes
1/4 or more Milk
1/4 tbsp + 1 tsp Melted Ghee

Method
In a mixing bowl, mix whole wheat flour, Simolina and salt. Add 1/4 tbsp ghee, mix it. Add milk little at a time and make a firm dough. Knead it for 5 minutes. Make equal portion of the dough, brush the churmas with ghee, bake it at 180 degrees Celcius for 40 minutes turning it occasionally till brown on both the sides.  Cool the churmas, blend the churmas in a blender, add powder sugar, Cardomom powder and the remaining ghee and mix it. Add the almond flakes for garnishing.
P.S. I have baked the Churmas along with the Batis...
Please use melted ghee according to the measurement to reduce the quantity of ghee used while brushing.

English Muffins

English Muffins
Ingredients
4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk
1/2 cup Milk + 2 tbsp Curd
1 tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Dry Yeast
2 tbsp Samolina
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take 1/2 cup LukeWarm Milk in a cup. Add sugar and yeast,  mix it. Let stand for 10 minutes till the yeast rises.  In a large bowl, milk + curd and yeast mixture and 1/2 the flour, mix it well. Add rest of the flour and salt, mix  and  knead it. If required add more water or milk little at a time to get a soft dough. Add 1 tbsp oil and knead it well  for 5 minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise. Punch the dough. Roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with a big round biscuit cutter. Take a baking tray. Grease it, Sprinkle samolina on the baking tray and place the cut doughs into the tray.  Sprinkle Samolina on top of the cut dough. Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour. Heat greased griddle. Cook the muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side on medium heat  or until brown on both the sides. Arrange the muffins in a baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 150 degrees celcius in a preheated oven. Allow to it to cool. To use,cut the muffins in to half and toast it. Serve with butter, or cheese spread  or jam.