Chakkarai Pongal

Dear Friends,
Wish you and your family a very Happy Pongal!

Chakkarai Pongal(Rice and mung dal cooked together and sweetened with jaggery) is every South Indian's favorite! I am sharing my family recipe with you all.

Serves 3
Ingredients:
Raw Rice-1/2 cup
Mung Dal-2 tbsp
Milk-1/2 cup
Jaggery-1 cup(crushed or grated)
Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
Edible Camphor(optional)-a pinch
Ghee-2-3 tbsp
Cashews-10
Raisins-1 tbsp

Method:
Pressure cook rice and mung dal together with milk and 1.5 cups of water for 5-6 whistles. Set aside.
Add 1 cup of water to jaggery. Heat till it dissolves completely. Strain the syrup.
Add this syrup to the cooked rice. Turn on the heat and keep stirring till the mixture thickens(about 5 minutes on low flame).
Add cardamom and edible camphor. Mix well.
Roast cashews and raisins in ghee and pour on top.

Happy Pongal/Shankaranthi

Wishing all my readers a happy Pongal/ Shankarathi.

Pork Floss Bun

I've seen many blogger make this roll up bun that looks really interesting and some of the bakery shops are selling it too! It's just happened that I've some left over pork floss, so why not give it a try from the recipe 65度汤肿面包.

The buns was topped with lots of sesame that taste really good. Not to forget the pork floss, it's absolutely a great combo with the mayo spreading on the buns. I find that rolling up the bun like a swiss roll makes it looks prettier and very appetizing!

Recipe for a roll makes 5 buns: 195g bread flour / 90g plain flour / 12g milk powder / 30g caster sugar / 6g salt / 6g yeast / 60g beaten eggs / 65g water / 75g water dough / 45g unsalted butter

** some mayo, sesame and chopped spring onion

Recipe for the water dough "water roux": Cook 125g water with 25g bread flour at medium low heat, keep stirring until it become thicken and no lumps left. If you've a candy thermometer, measure it until the temperature turn to 65C then turn of the heat. I didn't measure it with thermometer, so I cook it until like a baby porridge. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with a cling wrap to avoid skin forming. You will not use up all, measure 75g for the recipe.

How I make it:

1. Put all the dough ingredients together for kneading except butter until it become a dough. Add in butter and continue the kneading process until it become smooth and elastic and the dough no more sticky or sticking at the side of the mixing bowl. Let it proof for 40 minutes in a clean bowl cover with cling wrap.


2. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape and place on a baking tray. Use a fork to poke some holes on the dough and let it proof for 15 minutes.
   
3. Egg wash the dough and sprinkle some sesame and chopped spring onion. Continue to proof for 15 minutes.


4. Bake at 180C for 15 minutes. Don't over cook it, otherwise the dough will become tough not soft.


5. Spread some mayo on the bread and top with the pork floss evenly. Roll it up like a swiss roll tightly. Cut out 5 portions and spread some mayo at both side of each bread. Coated the side with lots of pork floss. Enjoy!