Paalak Roti and Mirchi Ka Salan

I make it a point to cook leafy veggies at least once in a week. Making roti with spinach puree is one way of using them apart from preparing gravies. This roti is very soft and flavorful with chilly and ginger in the puree. You can do away with one cup of fresh curds as side.

Wheat flour - 2 cup
Oil - 1 tspn
Curd - 2 tblspn
Salt

Water to knead

For palak/spinach puree

Washed and chopped palak - 2 cups
Green chilly - 3 nos
Chopped ginger - 1 tspn

Blanch the chopped palak in hot water for 5 minutes and drain. Alternatively MW the leaves for a minute.
Make a puree of chopped spinach, green chilly and ginger in a mixer. It need not be very smooth. Mix in the puree to the wheat flour. Add oil,salt and curds. Mix well. You will not require water to make the dough. Add water only if needed. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Prepare rotis the usual way.

Yummy flavorful rotis are ready. As I said, simpe yogurt dip is enough to go with the rotis. I served with Mirchi ka salan. I had prepared salaan the day before as side for fried rice. But was unable to click then. Next day i served the left over with chapathis. It did make an yummy combo. So they both are here together.

Mirchi Ka Salan

On googling for RCI-Hyderabadi Cuisine, I zeroed in on this dish. When I searched for the recipe of the same, I came across many versions. Needless to say, I adopted the easiest one (that too from a Hyderabadi kitchen!!) and referred Zaiqa's too and did some minor additions.. I haven't tasted salan before and I can't say if it had the authentic taste. We liked this spicy, tangy mirchi. So here is my version

Long green chilly - 12 nos
Fairly big Onion - 1
Ginger garlic paste -1 tblspn
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Cloves - 5 nos
Curry leaves
Tamarind - lemon size
Oil - 4 tblspn
Salt

For the Salan paste
Grated coconut - 4 tblspn
Peanuts - 3 tblspn
coriander seeds - 1 tblspn
sesame seeds - 1 tspn
cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
pepper corn - 5 nos
red chilly - 3 nos

Medium spice chillies are recommended for this gravy. I have used a local variety which is very much on the milder side.

Chop and grind the onion to a smooth paste.
Dry roast the ingredients for the salan paste and grind them together.
Slit the green chillies.
Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.

Heat 4 tblspn of oil in a pan and shallow fry the chillies in batches. Keep it aside.
In the same pan, splutter mustard seeds and cloves and curry leaves. Add the onion paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. Stir in the salan paste and saute for a minute. Add extracted tamarind juice along with water to get the required consistency. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or till the gravy starts thickening. Add salt and the fried green chillies to the gray and cook for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Palak roti is going to Sunshinemom's Food in Colours -Green and

Sangeeth's Eat Healthy-Calcium Rich event

Mirchi Ka Salan joins RCI -Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine at Zaiqa's

Hotdog Bun & English Chips

I came across a website with a very good bun recipe. The dough can be used for burger bun or hotdog bun. I'm quite happy with the result as the buns are very soft and tender. I followed exactly the recipe but without adding the bread improver. Anyway, the texture as good as the one selling in the supermarket. The bun store very well in the freezer as long as its covered tightly with cling wrap and another layer of aluminium foil. It can be thawed at room temperature until it's softened.

I made three sets of hotdog bun for lunch and some English Chips.

I would like to introduce this baked chips which is a recipe from Jamie Oliver. If you've came across English chips before, you might know there are quite thick and fatty chips. This version is slightly different as it's baked in the oven rather than deep fry. So, if you are thinking to reduce the fat and calories, this might be suitable for you and it taste great!

Recipe for 5 hotdog bun or burger buns:

Bread flour 160g / plain flour 28g / Sugar 15g / Milk powder 8g / Salt 2.82g / Water 109g / Eggs 15g / Yeast 2.5g / Butter 15g

Method:

1. Knead all the ingredients with a dough hook for 15 minutes. Proof for 90 minutes then portions it into five buns. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
2. Then shape it into longish shape for hotdog bun or round shape for burger bun. Proof for another 60 minutes or double in bulk.
3. Bake in a 180'C preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Recipe for Jamie's Baked Chips:

1. Put a large flat baking tray in the oven and turn the heat to 230'C. Cut the potatoes into chips about 1/2 inch thick. Parboil the chip for about 10 minutes in salted boiling water and drain in a colander.
2. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, smash the garlic bulb up and chuck in the cloves, then add the chips. Toss in the oil and season with ground black pepper and salt.
3. Trnasfer the contents of the pan to the preheated tray and cook for 20 t0 25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pear Cakes

I like this simple recipe as it takes no time to make and serve straight after a main course. I made everything in advance then store in the fridge and bake it while I was having my meal. It's nice to be served warm with a dollop of ice cream and some hot chocolate sauce. Yummy!!

Recipe from BBC Olive Magazine

Ingredients:

4 ripe baby pears, peeled

4 cubes dark chocolate

1/2 lemon juiced

125g unsalted butter, softened

150g light muscovado sugar (I reduced it to 80g)

2 beaten eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

125g self-raising flour

1 tbsp strong espresso, dissolved with 1 tbsp warm water

Chocolate sauce or ice cream

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180'C. Butter four 300ml ovenproof teacups or ramekins and line the bases with circles of baking parchment.
2. Cut a sliver off the pear bases and keep. Use a small knife to hollow out the cores. Place a chunk of chocolate inside each pear and replace the bases. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice to stop them browning while you make the cake mixture.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg then sift the cocoa, baking powder and flour over. Fold in the espresso. Divide the cake mix between the cups and push a pear into each so they sit upright in the mixture. There should be about a 2cm gap between the top of the cups and the top of the cake mix. Sprinkle the pears with the remaining sugar.
4. Cook in the centre of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until well risen and springy. Leave for 5 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edges to release them and leave on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Unmould (or serve in their cups if you like) and serve with chocolate sauce or ice cream.