Banana Bread/Cake with Coconut and Rum

Bananas are something that generally end up getting brown at our home. I still wonder why I get bananas from the store. But, then Lil Miss A will ask for a banana once in a while. If you remember from my earlier posts...... I get barely 4 to 5 bananas when I go to the store and that too once in 2 weeks. And every 2 weeks we end up having banana bread in some way.

This time I tried to make it a fun banana bread for Mr. A and myself. The kid does not like the cake/bread version unless its made with chocolate.
I made use of the coconut rum that was sitting in our small bar. I had got this rum when I had made the Puerto Rican Coconut Rum Cake for last years New Years Eve Party. I will update the recipe here soon.
I think this is our favorite banana bread so far - ofcorse it has rum...... but, you can completely not use it and still make this and enjoy a simple coconut banana bread.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut rum (totally optional)
3 bananas
1 and 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

Method

In a big mixing bowl add the oil and sugar and mix it well. Now add the eggs and beat it well for about 5 minutes. To this add the coconut rum and the mashed bananas and mix well. To this add the All Purpose Flour, baking soda, salt and coconut shreds and just fold everything together. You do not want to mix this batter too much or the cake will turn flat.
I baked this cake in a bundt pan (just because I love how the bundt pan shapes the cake). You can bake it in a 9X5 loaf pan too. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit for about 50 minutes to an hour. A toothpick inserted should come out clean and your cake is ready. Let it cool before cutting it.

Notes

• The rum will actually cook through and you will not taste it except for the coconut flavor. If you want it to be a boozy cake - use a toothpick and make holes in the cake about 1 inch apart and then add 2 tablespoons on rum all through the cake. This will make it taste and smell of rum too
• If you do not wish to add rum - then add 1/4 cup of milk and 1 tsp of coconut extract or vanilla extract. The cake should still taste great.                          

Adai - my way!

Adai is a healthy meal in itself. Protein packed and with the use of vegetables, it becomes like a welcome home food. Easy to make and filling on the tummy. These savory pancakes from South India are a fun way of eating your lentils along with all the possible veggies.

Ingredients

1/2cup brown rice
1/4 cup white rice
1/4 cup tuvar dal/split pegion peas
1/4 cup moong dal/split moong beans
1/4 cup chana dal/split bengal gram
1/4 cup urad dal/split blag gram
1/4 cup masoor dal/split red lentils
1/4 cup whole moong
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups chopped spinach
1 onion - finely chopped
salt to taste
oil/butter for making adai

Method

Soak all the dals, brown rice, white rice and whole moong in enough water for atleast 8 hours. After 8 hours grind all of it to a very fine paste adding just enough water. The dough should be of thick dosa batter or pancake batter consistency. Add salt to taste and the grated carrot, chopped spinach and shopped onion and mix everything well. This batter does not need fermentation and hence can be used immediately to get adai.
Heat a tava or griddle and grease it with some oil or butter. Use a ladle and pour the adai batter on the greased tava/griddle and gently spread it with the base of the ladle to form a pancake. Adai is not like a crispy dosa, it is a little thicker like a pancake. spread some oil or melted butter on the top of the adai. Use a spatula and gently turn the adai once the lower side is golden brown. Get the same color on both sides. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
We served our Adai with the coconut coriander chutney with yogurt

The other vegetables you can add are chopped pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped kale, chopped dill leaves, chopped fenugreek leaves, chopped cabbage
you can even add grated beets to this batter - only it will become pink

Baked Doughnuts - We Knead to Bake # 6

We had baked these doughnuts in June 2013 in the 'We Knead to Bake' group with is the brainchild of Aparna who pens at My Diverse Kitchen

I loved doughnuts a lot.... well, loved is a wrong term as I still love them. However, once I knew they were these deep fried goodies, my love became rationed. I used to savor them on a very rare occasion. When Aparna said that we were going to bake doughnuts as bread #6, I was very very happy.

Well, my doughnuts turned out a bit flat, because I rolled the dough very thin and got a very big doughnut hole in the middle too, blame it on the katora/vati that I used to get the doughnut shape. But, overall - it was fun to bake these yummy things and even a good feeling to have a guiltfree baked doughnut. However, if you personally ask me - I would always go in for the deep friend doughnut, even if it means an occasional treat for me.

This recipe was adapted from Lara Ferroni’s Doughnuts

Ingredients

For the doughnuts
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 F)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour) divided, plus more for kneading
100gm butter, cut into 1 inch cubes

For the topping
75 to 100gm butter, melted
1 cup superfine sugar + 2 tablespoons cinnamon (more or less, depending on your taste), mixed together
OR
glazes of your choice (I used a readymade chocolate glaze)
OR
jam to fill your doughnuts

Method

Using a processor to knead helps but you can do this by hand.
Put the sugar, milk, yeast, salt and vanilla in the processor bowl and pulse to mix well. Add 2 1/2 cup cake flour OR all-purpose flour and process, adding a little more of the flour as necessary till the dough is thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.Now add the butter pieces one at a time and process till there no large chunks of butter are left in the bottom of the bowl. Now add a little more flour until your have a soft, pliable and elastic dough that is moist but not overly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased large mixing bowl., turning it to coat well. Cover and let it rise till double in volume. This should take about an hour.
Punch down the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/2" (I rolled it thinner like a chapatti and hence those flat doughnuts). Cut out doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or whatever you have on hand to cut out 3” diameter with 1” diameter holes. If you’re making doughnuts to fill with jam, then do not cut out the holes. Place the doughnuts and the holes on parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheets, leaving at least 1” space between them.
Re-roll the scraps and cut out more doughnuts.
Let them rise for about 20 minutes or till almost double in size and then bake them at 200C (400F) for about 5 to 10 minutes till they’re done and golden brown. Do not over bake them.
Take them out of the oven and immediately brush them with the melted butter and then dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture. If filling the doughnuts with jam, let them cool. Put the jam into a piping bag with a writing nozzle/ tip and press into the doughnut from the side and gently press out the jam into the doughnut till it starts oozing out. Jam doughnuts do not need too much jam to fill them. If glazing your doughnuts, let them cool completely and then dip one side of the doughnut in the glaze of your choice and let it set.

This makes about 15 doughnuts.

Makke ki Masala Poori (Masala Poori made with Maize Flour)

Makke ka aata (Maize flour) also called masa here is awesome to make makke ki roti along with some nice sarson ka saag or even baingan bharta. I can have hot hot makke ki roti with a dollop of ghee and gur (jaggery) - its just heaven.
Yesterday, we made makke ki masala pooris for snacks along with some adrakwali chai (Ginger tea). It was amazing on this cold and wintery day. 

Ingredients

2 cups makke ka atta (maize flour)
1/4 cup wheat flour
salt to taste
water to knead
1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons kasuri methi (crushed)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 cup oil for frying

Method

dry roast the ajwain, cumin and fennel seeds untill a nice aroma fills the kitchen. Cool and grind to a fine/coarse powder in a spice grinder. Mix in the chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, kasuri methi and salt into the ground spices and mix well. Add this to the mixture of maize and wheat flour and mix well. check for salt, add more if needed. Add enough water to make a pliable dough - the dough should not be soft. It will look like chappati dough, but will not feel as glutenous.  make small round balls o this dough to make pooris.
Heat the oil in a karahi - the heat is kept as a medium high I used a tortilla press (you can even use the poori press you get in India). I used a ziploc bag - I gut it so as to seperate the two sides. Place one plastic sheet on the bottom round of the tortilla press. Now place a dough ball on it and place the other plastic sheet on top. Now cover the tortilla press and press the lever to make a round  flat poori shape.  Carefully remove it with your fingers (very lightly). Put it in the oil and fry till it puffs up - now carefully turn it over and let the other side get a golden brown. Remove on a plate lined with a paper towel (tissue paper).
Savor with pickle, ginger chai - I am sure this will taste good with saag and the bharta too.

Bialys - We Knead to Bake # 5

Bread No. 5 in the We Knead to Bake project was Bialys. I had tasted this bread at a friends place. She had bought them at a store bakery. We had it lightly toasted with some butter and it was accompanied by ginger tea. So when Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen said we were going to be baking Bialys......... I was very happy.

We Knead to Bake with bread no. 5 for the month of May in the year 2013 - yes, I am late in posting the recipe here. I had cooked quite a few things last year and baked a few things too. And also was a regular with the we knead to bake group. However, never got to posing the recipes here on the blog. Blame my health and the feeling of just lazing and doing nothing that had taken over my whole life last year.

Well - I am much better now and will be posting all the recipes to the food and to the baked goodies in the coming days.

The Bialys maybe thought of as a cousin to a Bagel but is quite different from it. For one thing, a Bialy is baked whereas a Bagel is boiled and then baked. A Bialy is round with a depressed middle, not a hole, and typically filled with cooked onions and sometimes poppy seeds. So it is not shiny on the outside with largish puffy bubbles on the inside. A good Bialy should have a springy soft crumb and a chewy and floury crust. A lot of people slather Bialys with butter or cream cheese but they are also nice as they are. Bialys are best when eaten within 5 to 6 hours of making them.

The name Bialy comes from Bialystocker Kuchen which translates as “bread from Bialystok” which is in Poland. Apparently, Bialys are rarely seen or made in Bialystock these days. In the days when there used to be Bialys in Bialystock, it seems the rich Jews ate Bialys with their meals, while the Bialys were the whole meal for the poorer Jews. In the early 1900s, many Eastern Eurpoeans, including the Polish, immigrated to the US and settled down in New York. Naturally, they also brought their Bialy making skills with them and that is how the New York Bialy became famous.

What lends Bialys their signature chewiness is the use of flour that is high in gluten. It is suggested to use bread flour if you can find it. Otherwise use all-purpose flour and add 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten (for the 3 cups).  If you cannot find bread flour nor vital wheat gluten, go ahead and make it with plain flour. You’ll still have very nice Bialys that are slightly softer.

One way to make them slightly chewier: just refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rise. The next day, take the dough out and keep it at room temperature for about half an hour. Then shape the rolls and proceed with the recipe. These Bialys are on the softer side so do not over bake them or they will dry out and become tough.

Bialys usually have a thin layer of caramelised onions and poppy seeds. I caramelized my onions with a hint or rosemary and some balsamic vinegar and they tasted yum.

This recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

For the dough

1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour (use bread flour if you can find it or all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten)
1 tsp salt
Milk for brushing the dough

For the Onion Filling

1 tbsp oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Method

Make the dough first. If you are using bread flour or vital wheat gluten, then your dough will be tougher to knead so if you have a machine you can use, go ahead and use it. If you’re doing this by hand, just adapt the instructions to that.
Put the yeast, sugar, salt and flour in the food processor bowl. Pulse a couple of times to mix and then add the warm water in a steady stream. Knead until the dough comes together as a mass and then let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This will help the dough absorb water. Knead again, adding a little more water or flour (not too much) if you need it, until your dough is smooth and elastic but not sticky.
Shape it into a ball and put it in a well-oiled bowl, turning the dough till it is well coated. Cover and let it rise till about double. This should take about 2 hours. If you’re not making the Bialys right away, you can refrigerate the dough overnight at this point. When ready to make them, keep the dough at room temperature for about half an hour and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
In the meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a pan add the onions, and sauté over low to medium heat. Sprinkle a little salt and continue sautéing until they become soft and turn golden brown in color. Add the rosemary and the balsamic vinegar and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Keep the caramelized onions aside to cool.
Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour and place the dough on it. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape each one into a roll by flattening it and then pinching the ends together to form a smooth ball. (See this video for shaping the rolls) Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover them with a towel. Let them rise for about one hour (about  1 1/2 to 2 hours for refrigerated dough)  till pressing with a finger on the top leaves a dent.
Work on one piece at a time, while you keep the others covered so they don’t dry out. When the rolls are ready, pick them up one at a time and using your fingers, form the depression in the middle. Hold the roll like a steering wheel with your thumbs in the middle and your fingers around the edges. Pinch the dough between your thumb and fingers, rotating as you go and gradually making the depression wider without actually poking a hole through.
Remember not to press on the edges, or they will flatten out. Once shaped, you should have a depression about 3” in diameter with 1” of puffy dough around the edge, so your Bialy should be about 4” to 5” in diameter. Prick the centre of the Bialy with a fork so the centre doesn’t rise when baking.
Place the shaped dough on a parchment lined (or greased) baking tray leaving about 2 inches space between them. Place the caramelised onion filling in the depressions of each Bialy. Brush the outer dough circle with milk.
Bake the Bialys at 230C (450F) for about 15 minutes till they’re golden brown in colour. Cool them on a rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. This recipe makes 8 largish Bialys.

This is a video on how to shape the Bialys - How to shape Bialy

This is a video on suggestions to eat a Bialy - How to eat a Bialy

Oats & Carrots Thalipeeth

I have friend who is a foodie and she had made these thalipeeths yesterday - They looked so lovely and the ingredients were so healthy - well, I had to try them. 

Thanks Neelam Kane for this wonderful recipe - my husband who does not like heavy breakfasts was amazed by this and he ate 2 of them today. 

I did not use old fashioned oats as Neelam had used - well, thats because I did not have them and hence used the Quaker quick Oats.

To make it a bit more exciting - I added some kholamba masala to the mixture. You could use sambar masala too.

Ingredients

1 cup instant oats (coarsely powdered)
1/2 cup rava/semolina
1 carrot - grated
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 medium onion - finely chopped
2 teaspoons kholamba masala (recipe for the masala - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/kholamba-konkani-sambar-masala.html)
salt to taste
1/2 cup yogurt
oil to grease thalipeeth

Method

Add the powdered oats, rava, carrots, onions, cilantro, kholamba masala and yogurt and mix well. If you feel that the batter is too thick, then you may add some water. The dough should be more watery than chapati dough but not as runny as dosa/pancake batter.
Heat a non stick pan. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Take a tennis ball sized dough in your hand and place it in the centre of the pan. Spread the dough into a circle using your fingers. Dip your fingers in water to help with spreading. The disc should be even and not too thick. Be careful while doing this and do not burn your fingers :)
Add a little oil along the sides of the thalipeeth and fry on medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle some oil on the top and then flip it over and cook the other side for about 4 minutes.  The thalipeeth should get a couple of brown patches. Serve with butter or chutney.