Challah (Bread)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/4cup sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1cup very warm water
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1large egg
some oil for greasing
1 egg (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds


Method

In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add warm water and oil and beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed for about 3 minutes - keep scraping bowl frequently.Add egg and beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour to make a dough.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead  for about 10 minutes to get a smooth and springy dough.  Grease a large bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl and grease it on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Once it has doubled in size, remove it from bowl and punch to remove all the air. Knead well and make 3, 4 or 6 strands to braid the bread.

I took the help of the following video to braid a 6 strand challah.
"how to braid a 6 strand challah"

Place the braided dough on a greased cookie sheet and let it sit for 1 hour till it doubles. Give it an egg wash with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (you can even use poppy seeds). Bake it in a 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 35 minutes untill bread is a deep golden brown color.

This challah can be eaten with butter and jam or even just like that.

Ham & Caramelized Onions Panini

Ingredients

6 slices of sourdough bread (any other bread works too)
6 slices ham - cute into small pieces
1 big onion - thinly slices
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (regular sugar works too)
1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded (optional)

Method

In a frying pan add the oil - when it gets hot, add the sliced onions along with the salt and brown sugar and let it get a nice caramelized golden brown. Remove the caramelized onions into a mixing bowl. To the same pan add the chopped slices of ham along with the worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and sriracha and mix well untill you get a nice caramelization on the ham. Add this to the same mixing bowl with the onions. Mix well till onions and ham are incorporated.
Place a bread slice on the panini maker/press and add the ham and onion mixture to it. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and place another slice on top of it. Close the panini maker or press with the panini press till the bread gets a nice crust and grill marks on top.
Serve with colseslaw and fries or chips.

Sweet Peppers stuffed with Crab Meat

Ingredients

8 to 10 sweet peppers - I had red, yellow and orange
1 cup cooked crab meat
1 medium onion - finely chopped
9 to 10 garlic cloves - grated
1 cup - chopped spinach
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
salt to taste

Method

Clean the peppers and cut it lengthwise in the middle into 2 portions. Remove the seeds and the veins and get the hollow to fill the stuffing in.
In a karahi add the oil. When it gets hot, add the onions and garlic and let it saute till the onions turn translucent. Then add the spinach and let it cook. when the spinach is all wilted, add the dhania jeera powder and the garam masala and the crab meat and mix everything well. Add salt to taste and mix well. Let this mixture cool down. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the egg and bread crumbs and mix well.
Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray oil on it. Lay the peppers in a line. Fill the pepper cavity with the crab mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the crab mixture and spray some oil over it again. Bake this in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Seekh Kebabs

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken/chicken mince
9 to 10 cloves garlic - grated
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt (add more if you feel it needs more salt)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon butter (melted)
Steel skewers or wooden skewers (these need to be soaked in water overnight - to avoid them from burning)

Method

Dry roast the coriander seeds, the cumin and the fennel seeds and make a coarse powder with it in a spice grinder. Take the ground chicken in a mixing bowl - add the onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, tandoori masala,  the spice mix made with coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin and mix well. to this add the bread crumbs and the egg and mix everything well with your finger (wear gloves if you do not want to touch the chicken). Make seekh kebab shaped sausages around the skewers. Place it on a baking sheet and brush the outside with the oil and butter mixture. Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

Deviled Eggs (Wasabi flavored)

Deviled eggs have been an all-time favorite with hubby and me. We have savored the best deviled eggs at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester, NY. I have never made deviled eggs at home - though always wanted to try em. Yesterday was the ideal day - baked a focaccia and was too bored to make anything great for dinner - so ended up whipping some deviled eggs - and it was some yumm and easy dinner :)
Traditionally - once the deviled eggs are stuffed - it is covered and is refrigerated for 24 hours to get that mayonnaise and other things to mix well. Here, we just made the mixture and added it to the egg whites and relished the dish.

Ingredients


8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon grated wasabi (you can add more if you want it spicy - wasabi is very spicy)
1 celery stalk - chopped fine
2 spring onions - chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon sweet relish (optional)
pinch of salt
pinch of crushed black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
chopped parsley for garnishing



Method


Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, celery, wasabi, spring onion, relish, horseradish, tomato ketchup and salt & pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and garnish with shopped parsley
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving - you can serve it right away too.

Focaccia (topped with cheddar cheese and zucchini & onions marinated in balsamic vinegar and garlic)

I love baking bread - its a stress buster actually. Baking has been a passion always - it is something thats therapeutic and I think I love it more than cooking. We love focaccia at home - Love experimenting with the various toppings that I can lay my hands on. I have always followed the Betty Crocker Cookbook to bake a focaccia and it has never failed me.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves (crumbled)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
5 tablespoons olive / vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic - finely grated
pinch of salt

Method

Take a bowl and make a marinade with the balsamic vinegar, grated garlic and pinch of salt and mix well. To this add the zucchini and onion slices - cover with a cling foil and let it marinade till the bread dough gets ready.
In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour, the rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoons oil and the hot water. Mix well for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 5 to 8 minutes untill it becomes smooth and springy. Grease a big bowl with oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it with cling foil and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes till the dough has doubled in size. when it has risen, gently push the dough to deflate it.  Grease a big pizza pan or 2 cookie sheets with some oil - if you are using 2 cookie sheets to bake then divide the dough into 2 equal portions and if you are using a big pizza pan then use the dough as it is.
Flatten the dough into the cooking pan of choice and let it form a round shape (just like pizza) - about 1/4 inch thick. Cover with a cling foil and let it rest for about 30 minutes till the dough has doubles in size.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently make 1/2 inch deep depressions in the dough about 2 inches apart with fingers. Carefully brush the 2 tablespoons on oil on to it. Arrange the zucchini and onion slices and evenly spread the cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes untill the crust becomes golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Mooli Bhaji (with besan)

This is a classic peeth perun bhaji as they call it in Maharastrian cuisine. It simply means vegetables cooked and then smeared with besan/chickpea flour and steamed again.

We make this with capsicum, cauliflower, spring onions and even drumsticks.

Love to eat these bhajis with chappatis with yogurt and slices of cucumber and carrots.

Ingredients

4 medium sized radish / mooli with lots of leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
1 whole dried red chilli
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
4 tablespoons besan/chickpea flour
1 teaspoon jaggery
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

Wash the radish very well. Cube the radish into small bite size cubes and keep aside. Trim the leaves and chop them fine.
In a karahi add 1 tablespoon of oil. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the cumin and the chilli and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Now add the cubes radish and the leaves and cover and let it steam on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, jaggery and salt and mix well. If there is any water, let it all evaporate. Now add the besan and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well till all the radish cubes and the leaves are coated with besan. Cover and steam it on medium low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes to get the besan cooked.
serve with chappatis, yogurt and cucumber/carrot slices.

Fried Modak

Ingredients

1 cup fresh grated coconut
1 cup grated jaggery
1 tablespoon moong dal (yellow)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup ghee
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 tablespoons semolina (rave)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup water (more if required to knead the flour)
Oil for deep frying

Method

In a karahi add the ghee. When it gets hot add the moong dal and let it fry for 2 minutes till it turns golden. Then add the sesame seeds and fry for a few seconds. To this add the coconut and jaggery and mix well. When the jaggery has melted and mixed with the coconut, add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and mix well and keep it aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, wheat flour and semolina with salt and knead a dough by adding the 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon oil - add more water if required - the dough should be tight.
make small balls of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin into a round puri. Add the coconut mixture to the center of the puri. Bring the edges together and seal it like a modak. Deep fry in oil at medium heat untill golden brown. Drain it on a paper towel. Modaks are ready to eat.
This proportion makes about 18 to 20 modaks.

Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana/sago
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (coarsely ground)
1 medium potato thinly cubed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 green chilli - slit int he middle (you can add more if you like)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (add more according to taste)
2 tablespoons ghee/oil

Method

Wash the sabudana in lukewarm water about 3 to 4 times. Then add just enough water to soak the sabudana untill its covered  and let it stand for 6 to 8 hours.
When sabudana is soaked - run a fork through it and get all the pears loosened up. To this add sugar, salt and the groundnut powder and chopped cilantro and mix well - taste it to see if it salt is okay.
In a karahi add the ghee/oil. When it gets hot add the cumin and let it sizzle. To this add the slit green chilli and let it get charred a bit. Now add the potato and mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat till potatoes are nice and tender. Once potatoes are done - add the sabudana mixture to it and mix well. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or till the sabudana turns translucent. Remove from heat and savor with cold curds/yogurt.

Banana Bread (with pecans & raisins)

Ingredients


1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina (rava)
1/2 cup Quaker oats
1 packed cup brown sugar
3 Ripe bananas
1 egg OR 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup butter/vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans/walnuts
1/4 cup golden raisins

Method

Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl. To this add the melted butter/vegetable oil and the sugar and mix all well. Then add the egg/milk and mix well with the banana and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla essence, cardamom powder and nutmeg along with the baking powder and baking soda and mix. Now add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina and oats (one at a time) and mix everything well. : lastly add the chopped pecans and golden raisins.
Pour this mixture into a greased baking pan - you can use a loaf pan, a square pan, a round pan (I used a bundt pan) - bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 50 minutes to an hour. Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the center - if it comes out clean - the cake/bread is baked.