Home made Ladi-paav and Buns

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns,

One a penny, two a penny

Hot cross buns!

I learnt this rhyme after my first daughter was born. Being a Kannada medium student, never dared to learn English till I was in fifth std. And then I had to learn to teach my daughter. I took the help of video tapes. 

Why am I sharing this with you all is, I took years to learn a rhyme on buns, and now it's 45 years to learn to bake a bun and  paav.

It's not that I never tried before, but in vain. I was failed many times, wasting all the money to buy the ingredients. But never left my hope though got disappointed every time.

Jiske paas ummeed hai, woh lakh Baar haarkar bhi nahi haaratha!

And here I am today, with no fail recipe of ladi paav. Of course, I too have followed the recipe from other blogs, But I got the perfect recipe that I am happily sharing. 

The most important ingredient which plays either the role of hero or many a times a villain is the "YEAST".  After this experiment I have come to the conclusion that "Yeast is like husband or his mood!!! if you have good yeast, then your paav or bun or bread will come out the best or else!!Same with husbands too!!

Coming to the recipe,

I browsed many blogs and websites to learn to bake these paav and ended up happily with two sites. One is HOMEMADE LADI PAV AND BUNS FROM Ruchi's Kitchen. She is an excellent blogger. Her recipes are filled with all the information and her pictorial post will help any new comer to learn cooking. And one more is from ladi paav from Tarla Dalal. What I liked about Ruchi's recipe it's more clear and her special tips will help you and boost your confidence to go ahead with the recipe. 

Ingredients : 

All purpose flour(Maida) : 3 cups

(Planning to use Wheat flour next time!)

Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt : 1 1/2 tsp 
Oil - 2 tbsp (any oil except the oil from nuts)
Little Milk and Butter  for brushing

Yeast Preparation: Luke Warm milk or water  : 2 tbsp(water should be luke warm, neither hot or cold as hot water kills the yeast)

Sugar 1 tbsp 
Active Dry Yeast :1 tbsp 
Oil : 2 tbsp 

Soft Butter : 1/2 tbsp

Warm water - approximately 1 cup

To prepare yeast, follow the measurement and the method very strictly. 

Method:

1. Let's prepare the yeast mix first. Because if the yeast is not good or active and we don't get proper frothy solution, the outcome is disaster. Just throw the mix and restart the whole process.

Take all the ingredients under yeast preparation in a deep bowl. Mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes or till you see the froth or boils. It may take another 10 more minutes.

Next steps:

2. Mix the butter and Oil in another bowl.

3. Take All Purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a big bowl. Mix well.

4. Add the yeast mix into the flour. Mix well. 

5. Knead the flour with little warm water(depends on the quality of maida. Start with half cup)

6. knead into make soft dough for 4-5 minutes. 

"KNEADING IS VERY MUCH NEEDED" 

If your finger comes out clean when you insert in the dough, then it is ready for next step.

7.Now add the butter and oil mix to the dough and start kneading for 6-8 minutes. Knead it by stretching, folding and the way you wash the cloth.

This is very important step. 

8.Cover it with a damp muslin cloth and keep it aside for 2 hours(again depending on the season, During summer it takes less time) But wait till it is doubled. Check the dough by inserting your finger. The dough should not bounce back. 

9.Take the dough and again knead it for another 5 minutes. 

Divide into 12 equal balls. 

10.If you like it in the bun shape you can just take a bigger size and give round shape and bake. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the buns. 

place the balls in to baking pan at equal distance. 

Cover it with damp cloth again for 45 minutes.

Bake these Paav in a pre-heated over on 200 degree centigrade for 20 minutes. 

11.Remove from the oven. Allow the paav to cool. Brush the paavs with milk and butter. 

Cool completely,

Enjoy it with butter, make Bhaji Pav,  vada pav,  Dhaabeli, Missal.

If you follow my recipe and try this, please let me know. I would be the happiest to receive your comments.

Next from my kitchen is Vada for Vada paav. Stay tuned. 

Keep Smiling,

Mangalore Buns Recipe~ Karnataka Special | How to Make Mangalore Buns | Indian Cooking Challenge - March

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How is everyone?? Hope all is well. Feeling shy to start writing a post here. Its exactly one year that I posted a recipe in my blog. I know you all love me and welcome me back with your arms wide open and support me the way you did always. When I thought of returning back  first thing came in my mind was Srivalli"s Indian Cooking Challenge.

So here I am with you guys, with the simplest yet tastiest Mangalore Sweet Buns which is the challenge for the month of March 2015.

Though I tried it in restaurants and my mom used to make it often, I never thought of trying it at home, The simple reason is its Maida and sugar and Fried....

But when I saw it in challenge, it was an opportunity for me to try it and taste it.

Valli has followed the recipe from  This.. its from www.chefandherkitchen.com.

Please visit Valli

Mangalore Buns Recipe~ Karnataka Special | How to Make Mangalore Buns | Indian Cooking Challenge - March and Pratibha"s website for the detailed recipe.

I have not changed any thing, so just posting the photos. 

We all enjoyed it with hot cup of coffee. I hope you all will also enjoy it. 

And its a great food to take with you while travelling.

Thanks for visiting me again and pleeeze your comments are highly appreciated..

I am waiting..

Keep Smiling,

EGG LESS SUPER MOIST CINNAMON AND COFFEE CAKE(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

bAKE, bAKE, bAKE AND bAKE....

BAKE THE CAKE,

CAKE BAKE

Are you all thinking something is wrong with me!! This is what has happened to me now a days.. Yeh BAKING ka BHOOTH  sar pe chad gaya hai, sarr pe kya pure dimaag me chaagaya hai, its controlling my mind and brain.

I had tried this cake almost a year back and those were my initial days of baking, It was not a flop but not good also. It was not baked properly. And I left the hope of baking it again. But, the other day when I was going through the recipe book, I got this one and this time I was very sure that it will come out good. Yes! and it came out like a ...??? no words.. I never thought I can bake an Egg Less cake with this much soft, moist and perfect. I am sorry, I am going on and on..... 

Coming to the recipe,

I adapted this from Sanchita of http://litebite.in/

Check out her space.. if you are a baking bhooth and eating bhooth She got N numbers of baking recipes. Here is the link for today's recipe Cinnamon Tea Cake

This time, I have substituted few ingredients to suit the taste of my kids. My younger one likes chocolate in everything. So thought of adding some cocoa powder and to make it  healthier for kids, I added some nuts to it.

Coming to the recipe,

I have altered her recipe as per my taste.

Ingredients :

Dry Ingredients:

All Purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Whole wheat flour(I have used Aashirvaad brand) -  3/4 cup

Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup 

Powdered sugar - 1 cup or less

Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp(I have used Nescafe, Rs.2 sachet)

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Liquid Ingredients:

Vegetable oil - 6 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Yogurt or curds - 1/2 cup

Strong coffee decoction - 1/2 cup

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 180°C.
• Spread the aluminium foil in a rectangular tin for baking the cake and keep it aside.
• Take all the dry ingredients and sift at least 3 times in a wide vessel. This is very important step.
• In another vessel take powdered sugar and oil and beat it till it is soft, for about 8 to 10 minutes. I used a normal egg beater. ( not electric one)
• Add the curd, coffee decoction, vinegar and vanilla essence in the sugar and oil mixture and mix thoroughly. 
• Slowly add the liquid mix in the dry mix and beat lightly till it blends well and get the normal cake mix. Don't over do it. 
• Pour this ready mix into baking tin and bake it for 15 min at 180°C and 10 min at 150°C or till done. The power of your oven plays an important role here. My OTG is more powerful. I always bake at lower temperature than given in the recipe. 
• Check with a clean knife or thin rod to check whether its baked properly.
• Take it out from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Your Cinnamon and Coffee Cake is ready to serve. 

Sanchita says you can keep it for a week, but mine gets over in a day or two. 

• 
  

CHINESE SAMOSAS FOR PPCS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Its Party time again ladies. I can not wait to see your entries. I am here with a starter this month. The best way to avoid making more quantity of main course!! Starters!! If starters are tasty, then the main course remains behind, Just joking :-)))))

Starters are the main attraction of any party in any season. We Indians are more attached with fried food for starters. Baked or steamed or raw food starters are still not popular in India. I prefer even any salad bar as a starter but I don't want my guests to scold me for giving a raw food. So I am here with a fried starter which is famous in India... Samosas. Who does not like Samosas?? I!! I really don't like those regular big and hard covered samosas. This one food is always last in my menu. But I love the Mini Samosas . And here today I am with Chinese Samosas. Wondering what is this Chinese? I have stuffed the samosas with Chinese style stir fried vegetables. 

Actually to confess, I started making spring rolls, but could not get proper rolls. I was upset, this was second time it went wrong while preparing for the party. Last time also I had prepared Veg Sheekh kabab but went wrong with the clicks. 

This time I thought I will make use of the same ingredients and make something special then got this idea of converting Spring rolls into Samosas 

:-) 

All is well that ends well... Here is my story of Spring rolls to Samosas. 

Ingredients:

For the Cover:

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Corn flour - 1/8 cup

Salt to taste 

Warm water - required to make soft dough.

For the filling:

Cabbage - 1 small or 2 cups, finely chopped into very thin strips(very imp)

Carrot - 1 big, again finely chopped into thing strips

Beans - 12-15, finely cut in to cubes

Sprouted moong - 1/2 cup

Corn - 1/4 cup,(fresh or canned one)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Green Chilly or small bell pepper - 1 finely chopped

Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped

Ginger - 1/4", finely chopped

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp(if not giving for kids, add some more)

Oil to fry.

Method:

Take all the ingredients for cover except warm water. Slowly add the water to make a very soft dough. (I used my darling Food Processor.) Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth for half an hour at least.

Till then,

Take oil in a pan, when its very hot, 

Add ginger and garlic, fry for few seconds, add beans and sprouts, cook for a minute. Add the carrot, corn and cabbage. Mix well and fry for 2 minutes on high flame. Turn in slow flame.

Add  all the other ingredients slowly one by one, mixing it well after each ingredient.Cook it for few more minutes till the vegetables are cooked but till little crispy.

Keep it aside.

I had kept both in the fridge for two hours(waiting for my kids and hubby to come home)

Take the dough, make small lemon size balls. Roll into small size puri 

(please follow this LINK to give the samosa shape) 

Fill the ready stuff with a small spoon.

Cover it nicely. Repeat with other stuff.

Keep the ready samosas in the fridge for 10 minutes before frying (optional)

Heat oil in a frying kadai.

Fry the samosas in batches. Serve hot with Ketchup. 

Green chutney won't go well with this as the stuffing is having Chinese flavor.

Its lovely and very different. Till you get a first bite in your mouth, your mind will be expecting the potato taste and you are fooled!! 

my spring rolls :-(

This is my entry to 

Jagruti's  event:

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng...

Keep Smiling, 

EGGLESS TUTTI FRUTTI SHORTBREAD(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Its two years now, BAKING has become a passion for me. Before,it was a nightmare for me. My kids loved cakes, pastries, brownies, cookies, all the possible baked sweets! Only and Only because of them I pushed my self to baking. If you remember, my first baking was My first bake - Chocolate Cookies which was a success then I did not turned back from baking. I faced may failures, I have thrown the whole unbaked cake into dustbin, I burnt the cookies, I forgot to add sugar while mixing... I took an oath not to bake again... But my Baking Saga continued. Now every one in my family, my friend circle their kids love my brownies, biscuits and cookies. Every one tells me that I should start a home bakery :-) Thanks every one for supporting me and encouraging me.

There are few things which are MUST in  the kitchen. We women are attached emotionally with our utensils(some times, feel bad to throw the burnt vessel or even a broken glass) and we are more careful with many gadgets like FOOD PROCESSOR, BLENDER, MICROWAVE, MIXER, OTG.. For me I can not stay without FOOD PROCESSOR AND OTG. Those were the years where it was difficult to search for such KITCHEN APPLIANCES in the market. We did not had any option other  than getting the best available (which ever) in the local market.

Now the time is changed. Its an ELECTRONIC ERA, This is an age of ONLINE SHOPPING.  We get many things sitting at home with just few keys pressed on the computer. I have a good experience with ONLINE SHOPPING. I enjoy it as its easy to search, compare and get it. I have ordered books from FLIPKART, I have ordered shoes from JABONG. But I was not knowing about the website CupoNation till few days back.

This website is connected with most of the ONLINE STORES with the DISCOUNT COUPONS on every product. The categories include Fashion, Books,Movies and Music, Electronic Items, Home and Living Appliances, Restaurant coupons, Travel coupons. They are connected with JABONG, FLIPKART, MAKE MY TRIP, SNAP DEAL, MYNTRA AND SO ON.. THE LIST IS ENDLESS. YOU GET THE DISCOUNT COUPONS FOR EVERYTHING.  Isn't it great? Visit them to get the full details and take the maximum advantage. Its really good,Try this link http://www.cuponation.in/homeshop18-coupons and you will get many kitchen appliances with the description, rate and the discount code. I am planning to buy Magik Gola/Slush Maker soon, as my kids love gola :-) "

They are on Face Book also. Follow them to know their regular promotions.

Isn't it a big introduction before my recipe starts? Yes, but without having OTG how can you bake the short breads I sharing with you all? So visit the site or share with others about it to buy all magical things.

Coming to the recipe,

Its not my own recipe, I have followed it from Priya of Enveetu Kitchen and she followed from  Sharmi's Passions, The chain continues like this if someone follows my recipe here. There is little bit change in my method, only because of my carelessness. But the result was good. 
I got around 20 cookies

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Butter,unsalted - 1/3 cup, at room temperature

Sugar - 1/2 cup 

Milk - 2 tbsp

The easiest baking with tastiest results.

Method : 

In Actual recipe, you need to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. But because of my carelessness I skipped this step and directly added all the ingredients except milk. Then I realized my mistake but it was late to take the butter and sugar out from the flour. So without any option I mixed everything for more time and added the milk at the end(after 5 minutes) and turned it into soft dough. I divided the dough in to two small balls, rolled it into 1/4" thick circle. Covered it with plastic wrap(I used) or parchment paper).You can roll into log also(Priya has done this) Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven at 170C.

Grease a Baking tray and line it with parchment or just grease the tray(I did it)

Remove and cut into cookie shape(if you have cookie cutter) or any other shape with a sharp knife.

If you have the dough log, slice them into thick circle.

Transfer these in to tray.

Bake them 10-12 minutes, depending on YOUR OTG or oven capacity. Keep an eye after 8 minutes. 

Once the edges are brown, they are done. They will be soft when hot and turn crispy once cold. 

Allow then to cool :-)

Enjoy these sweet short bread with a hot cup of tea or a glassful of milk or just like that. Perfect for kid's in the evening.

Sending this to  Amrita's 

Event Announcement-Bake Fest# 21 

she is a host of this month's Bake Fest

Keep Smiling, 

ALU BHATHURE (FOOD REMAKE FOR PPCS)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This is food world, We all girls(??) are working in the kitchen from a very young age. And the blog world is getting bigger everyday with a newbie trying her/his food and posting it in the blog. Here where we cross each other with the same recipe. Though the name is same, preparation is same, sometimes, the ingredients and the method or presentation is different. This is what happened with us, Jagruti and me! She had brought Ajwain Paratha - Flakey Indian Pan Fried Flat Bread with Carom Seeds for the Potluck Party which even I like and make it often. And the recipe is already there in my blog.Ajwain flavored flat bread !!!

I checked with Jagruti to guide me for this, and she suggested me to try some other recipe from her blog. I thought of searching something similar to paratha, so I browsed her space in "Paratha and Roti" label. Ohh! there are so many! and again many of the recipes are in my blog also. I selected two recipes to try. One was "Raw banana and oats paratha" and "Bhathure" But I could make Bhathure as I was not getting time to go and get raw bananas. But it was good that I made her bhathures and they were simply amazing. My family loved it as an evening snack and already there is an order from my elder one to make it often :-)

Its easy to make, I loved the taste of stuffing, though its a normal potato masala, its different. I loved it :-)

Coming to the recipe,

I followed exact recipe from her blog but reduced the quantity to half. I got medium sized 10 Bhathure.

For the cover:

All purpose flour  - 1 cup

Semolina or fine sooji - 1/8 cup

Instant dry yeast - 1/2 tsp

warm milk -1/4 cup

For Potato masala:

Medium Potatoes  - 4 boiled, peeled and mashed 

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green chilli - 1/2 tsp. paste

Ginger - 1/2 tsp, crushed(I used more)

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Hing - a pinch of

Sugar - 1 tsp

Lime juice - as per taste, I used 1 tsp

I skipped Red chilly powder

Fresh chopped coriander - 2 tbsp

Oil to fry Bhathure - 1 to 1 1/2cup

Method:

Take all the ingredients under "for cover" Mix well to make soft dough. 

Cover it in a muslin cloth(it really helps) and keep it for 3 to 4 hours.

It allows the dough to ferment and you will get soft bhathures. 

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add mustard seeds when they splutter add hing, green chilly and ginger together. Saute for a minute. 

Add haldi and salt. Mix well. 

Add lime juice and sugar, mix well again and add the mashed potatoes. 

Mix well, adjust the seasoning.

Keep it aside to cool.

Divide the dough in to small balls. 

Keep oil in a kadai to heat. 

Divide the stuffing masala also into small balls 

Take one dough ball, roll into small circle. Keep one stuffing ball on it. Cover it with all the sides and close it to make a small ball again.

Slowly roll into small oval shape puri.

Repeat with other dough and the stuffing.

Fry the bhathures one by one in hot oil.

Serve hot with anything, curds, green chutney, sauce or eat it just like that.. :-)

Down is the link from Jagruti's blog:

Aloo Bhathure - Indian deep fried bread stuffed with potatoes

linking it to Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng... 

What's in your mind for the next Potluck Party girls??? I am waiting :-)

Keep Smiling,

IYENGAR BAKERY KHARA BISCUITs for ICC May

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Every month,  is getting more interesting, I am enjoying it and wait for the announcement every month. Sometimes, I will finish the challenge soon and its really difficult to wait for 15th of that month.

I prepared these biscuits which Srivalli has choosen from Champa's Savory Shortbread cookies / Iyengar bakery Khara Biscuit for Indian Cooking Challenge.

The very next day I prepared these and was waiting for the 15th. Here I am with my version. 

I remember mom making biscuits like these. But she had that old round, big oven like a round tiffin box. She always tried biscuits, buns, breads and cake in that. I never tried with her :-(, but here I am getting very challenging and fare chances of learning many new foods. When you are in challenge, you will do it.
That holds good with me..


Ingredients :(I used half the qty from the original recipe, it gave me more than 30 biscuits)
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Butter - 1/2 of 1/3 cup(I had fresh home made butter :-))  )
Green chilly - 1
Yogurt or curds - 2 TBSP
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander, Curry leaves and Fresh mint - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Method:
Line the baking tray with baking sheets.
Preheat the oven at 160C

In a bowl, mix nicely the APF and salt. 

In another vessel, beat the butter and sugar till creamy. Add the yogurt and continue the beating.Add the dry ingredients. Keep on mixing without much pressure on your hands.

Add the green chilly, and green leaves chopped. Mix well. the dough will be dry. Don't add more curds or water to make it wet.

THE DOUGH SHOULD BE CRUMBLY.

Take half the portion and make into a ball. Roll into 1/4" thick chapati.

Use the Cookie cutter if you have to give the desired shapes or you can use some steel bowl with sharp edges, or bottle cap or even the normal knife to cut these to give any shape.

Transfer these on baking sheet slowly.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Keep checking of getting burnt. My biscuits took 15 minutes to bake. 

They will be soft when hot. But will turn into crispy once cool.

Store in a air tight jar.

This is the last portion left out after cutting with the cookie cutter ;-)

My daughters enjoyed the biscuits with their friends. Planning to bake it again.

Keep Smiling,

TOSHA (Sweet Flour Rolls) for COOK and CLICK-3,

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Here is my THIRD recipe for the event   "Cook and Click" . This is for SEPTEMBER 1ST to SEPTEMBER 10TH. (I was supposed to post it yesterday itself, but from last night till today morning there was no power. 10pm to 10am!)

Al the festivals are in queue, the sweets are more the merrier. Here is one sweet, which is a Sindhi sweet. This is very easy, quick and can be stored for many days. Its perfect for kids snack box also.

I am taking this recipe from SINDHI COOKING by Anita Raheja, whose recipes I am following since my marriage.

I am giving as the recipe is written in the book.

You can reduce the quantity as per your need.

Serves - 30 Toshas

Cooking Time - 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Toshas

All purpose flour or maida - 250 gm

Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1/2 cup(or little less)

Salt  - 1/2 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

For the Syrup

Sugar - 2 1/2 cups

Water - 3 cups

Method

Sieve the plain flour. Add salt and soda. Now alternatively add a spoonful of oil and curd in to the mixture and knead into a stiff dough. Make long thin rolls like kababs. Heat some oil, taking care not to overhear the oil. Slip in the rolls and fry them on a slow flame till golden in color.

For the Syrup:

Dissolve the sugar in water and boil the syrup till it thickens in consistency(it should be such that when the sugar syrup settles on the Toshas you immediately get a white sugary coating) Put a few Toshas at a time into the vessel and stir them in the syrup. Remove, cool and store in airtight containers.

Send the following details before SEPTEMBER 10TH to nivedita.mt@gmail.com with subject "COOK AND CLICK" :

your name, 

blog name, 

url of the link  and 

the photo attached.

Non bloggers can send the details to my mail.
NO need to retype the recipe. Just link back this one in your post. 
Please share your experience about this dish.

If you already got this recipe in your archive, share the experience.

Any suggestions, new ideas are welcome. 
(If you have any special recipe which you want cook with others here, you can send it to me. I will add it in the event with your details, whenever possible)

Keep Smiling,