American Rye Bread 美式稞麦面包

This is an American Rye Bread. I am not sure why it named "American" but according to the recipe book, this is kind of American bread. I have been trying a wholemeal bread week ago but it was really a disaster. That is a very good wholemeal bread recipe which contains half of the whole wheat flour. Well, I shall not give up and will definitely try it again.

This Rye bread did not contains many of the rye flour and it is quite easy to made by using the straight dough method. I put all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and leave it to knead with the dough hook for 30 minutes. It is still a little bit of stickiness but I just let it proof for 40 minutes. I did not roll the dough very nicely and was very careless did not grease well inside the loaf tin that is why the side of this bread look quite ugly. What a good lesson! I let it proof at the room temperature for another 1 hour before bake in the oven.

One thing that I like this bread is, the dough has no yeasty flavor because the smell of the rye is quite strong although it only contains little amount of rye flour. Furthermore, it is easy to made. This bread is very tender and soft, I have to cut it very carefully so that the crumbs stay beautifully before serving on a plate. I like to spread with my homemade peanut butter and blackcurrant jam as I found the flavor is just so match.

Original recipe from an old book that my mum gave to me:

Bread flour 270g

Rye flour 30g

Yeast 5g

Sugar 20g

Salt 6g Egg 30g

Water 180g

Unsalted butter 15g

Methods:

1. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except butter. Kneading until well combine and all the mixture come together.

2. Add butter continue kneading (I let the mixer knead for 30 minutes).

3. Bring the dough for proofing about 30 minutes (I proof it for 40 minutes).

4. Round the dough and cover with slightly wet towel and rest for 10 minutes.

5. Roll out into long shape then roll it up tighty as a swiss-roll style.

6. Place the dough in well greased bread tin and let the dough proof for the second time for about

30 minutes (I proof it for 45 minutes) cover with slightly damp towel.

7. Bake it in the preheated oven at 200'C for about 30 - 40 minutes.

Ela adai - Rice wrappers with banana,jaggery & coconut stuffing

Ela adai is a delicacy that can bring many nostalgic memories. This is another sweet, which in my home, is usually prepared in the summer months when jackfruit is available in plenty. The filling for the elai adai is prepared using ripe jackfruit bulbs.

In Kerala, elai adai is served in many small tea shops/hotels through out the year. When jackfruit is out of season, aval (beaten rice)/banana takes the place of the main ingredient. This is the first time I am trying with banana filling.

To prepare the filling

I used the Nenthrapazham variety which is a speciality of Kerala. I haven't tried with any other variety of banana.

Ripe bananas - 2 Powdered

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Cardamon - 1 tspn

Ghee - 1 tblspn

Slice the banana into bite sized cubes. Heat a kadai. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Transfer the banana cubes. Cook till they turn soft.

Add jaggery powder and keep mixing. When the mixture starts to thicken, stir in the coconut. Cook till the mixture comes together and no trace of liquid found.

Finally add cardamom powder and remove from fire.

You can prepare the filling before hand and refrigerate.

For the outer covering

Roasted rice flour - 1 1/2 cup

Hot water - 1 cup

salt to taste

Add salt to rice flour and mix well. Make a well in the center and slowly add hot water. Mix with a spatula. Add enough water to get a soft dough.

Wash and wipe dry the banana leaf. Run it over the flame and you can notice the color change. This makes the leaf more manageable.

Grease a leaf with oil. Take a lemon size of the rice dough. Pat into a circle of 3 inch diameter. Take a spoonful of the filling and place it on one half of the circle.

Fold the leaf such a way that the other half covers the filled one. Repeat with rest of the dough.
I used my MW Idli maker for steaming them. I could steam 3 at a time.

Steam for 7 minutes. Adjust the timing according to your MW and size of the adais you make.

Yummy elai adai is ready.

I am going to make this often since the process is simple and easy when compared to the so called traditional ones, though I will rate them the highest.

I am sending this across to Srivalli for her MEC-Steamed Dishes event.

Instant Wheat Appam and an Award

Neyyappam or Appam is always the traditional one using rice, for me. Never I have bothered to try anyother versions. When I was discussing various quick snacks, with one of my Christian friend J, she told me about this appam. When her kids ask for any sweet dishes, she makes this easily. J said she adds maida (AP flour) also. I made with wheat flour alone to make it a healthier version.

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 2 cups

Jaggery powdered - 1 1/2 cup (Adjust to suit your palate)

Cardamom powder - 1 tspn

Ghee or Oil for frying

Melt jaggery with 1 cup of water. Strain for any impurities. Add the melted jaggery to wheat flour without forming any lumps. Add water to the batter if required, to get a pouring consistency. The batter should be like dosa batter.

Take the appam pan. If you are using non-stick pan, add teaspoon full of ghee into each pit. Spoon in the batter to 3/4th of each pit. After 2 minutes, slowly turn the appams with the help of a skewer and cook for another one minute. Repeat for the rest of the batter.

Spongy appams are ready in less than 15 minutes.

Sowmya of Creativesaga has passed on the Nice Matters Award.

About the award

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

Thanks a ton Sowmya for passing the award to me. I know I have delayed in picking up the award and passing it on. Better late than never and I am passing the award to

Gaurav

Prema Sundar

Sagari

Seena

Please accept and enjoy your awards. You all deserve it.