Wednesday, March 30, 2016

LEOPARD PATCH BREAD / LEOPARD SPOTS BREAD


This month in our baking group ( We Knead to Bake ) Aparna has chosen a lovely bread which looks so attractive though it requires little effort in making but the result is so satisfying and worth it. It is Leopard patch / spot bread. The patch effect is created using cocoa powder. For the darker portion you can either use more cocoa powder or a drop of edible black colour. Unsweetened cocoa powder gives a slightly bitter taste but you can add more sugar as I have done in my recipe. You can also add a little vanilla flavour to the white portion of the dough if you like. Using the same technique you can also make giraffe striped bread skipping the dark version of the dough,  I am sure kids are going to be super excited to see this bread.

Recipe Inspiration from here -  http://www.cocoebaunilha.com/2015/12/pao-de-leite-leopardo.html

Ingredients:
All purpose flour .... 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups
Warm milk ..... 2/3 cup
Warm water .... 1/2 cup
Butter ............. 50 gms (soft at room temperature)
Sugar .............. 3 - 4 tbsps (as per your preference)
Salt ................ 1 tsp
Instant yeast ... 2 tsps
Little more flour for dusting
Little milk or egg white for brushing.

For the lighter coloured dough:
Dark unsweetened cocoa powder ... 2 tsps
Milk ................................ 1/2 tbsp

For the darker brown coloured dough:
Dark unsweetened cocoa powder ........ 2 tbsps
Black food colour ....................... 1 drop
Milk .......................................... 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Take a large mixing bowl and add the flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. Mix everything with a spoon.






Knead the flour adding the warm milk and water. Add as much required to make a sticky dough.






Remove the dough on a floured surface and knead it well until smooth.






Flatten it with your palm or a rolling pin. Spread the soft butter on it.





 Knead well until the butter is incorporated well into the doug knocking it for a couple of times.







Shape into a smooth round ball.







Divide it into two equal parts. 







Set aside one part and divide the other half into two equal parts again.







Take the first smaller portion and knead with cocoa powder and milk until the cocoa is mixed smoothly into the dough without any lumps.





Repeat the process with the second smaller portion adding a drop of black colour along with the cocoa powder and milk and knead well. If you have a machine for kneading the dough you can use it as it makes your task easier.



Shape all the three into smooth round balls.







Place all these in 3 different greased bowls and set them aside until risen to double.





Remove each dough and deflate it lightly. Roll and divide each coloured dough into six equal portions using a dough cutter or knife.





Roll them into ropes of about 8 and 1/2 inches long and set aside.







Now take the dark brown rope and flatten it with a rolling pin about 2 and 1/2 to 3 inches wide. Place the lighter coloured rope in this and seal the edges well and roll it uniformly.



Now flatten the white dough similarly. Place the previously rolled rope into this and seal the edges rolling it to a smooth texture. 
Repeat the process with all the colored dough (ropes).


Now take each rope and roll it again making a thin rope of 17 inches long ( double the size). Cut all the 6 thin ropes into half making 12 thin ropes of 8 and 1/2 inches long.





Grease a bread loaf of 8 and  1/2 " by 4 and 1/4 " and arrange the ropes unevenly in layers and allow them to rise for about one hour until double in size.





Brush the top with milk or egg white and bake at 180 C ( 350 F) for about 30 to 35 minutes until done.







Allow the bread to cool before slicing it. 








 Note - Store it in a bread box or plastic bag. It stays good for 4-5 days without refrigeration. You may refrigerate it and take it out an hour before consuming to get the soft texture because of the butter content. This recipe makes one loaf.

Linking to:

Thursday, March 24, 2016

CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY (Dry Version)


Commonly used as seasoning, curry leaf adds a special flavour to every dish. But there is more to the humble curry leaf than simply flavour. It has many health benefits too.. We can also consume them in the form of chutneys, pickles and spice powders.
Today I have made a dry chutney with curry leaves. This spicy, tangy and flavourful chutney powder can be made and stored to serve as an accompaniment with your meals. It goes well with idlis, dosas, puris, parathas.. You can even add a spoonful to the curries to enhance the flavour for a change. Left-over rice made with this also tastes awesome.

Ingredients:
Curry leaves .... 2 cups
Dry red chillies .. 8-10 (as per your preference)
Chana dal ..........  2 tbsps
Urad dal ........... 2 tbsps
Sesame seeds ... 1 tbsp
Tamarind ......... lemon size ball
Jaggery ........... 1 tsp
Salt .............. to taste
Asafoetida ... 1/4 tsp
Oil .............. 2 tbsps

Method:

1. Wash the curry leaves after removing them from the stems. Dry them on a kitchen towel to remove the moisture.





2. In a pan dry roast the dals until light brown. Remove in a plate.






3. Also dry roast the sesame seeds. Remove from the pan.







4. Heat the tamarind in the same pan to soften it. Remove.






5. Dry roast the red chillies taking care not to make them black. Remove them.






6. Now heat 2 tbsps oil and reduce the flame. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry them until crisp on low flame retaining the green colour.



7. Now dry grind all the ingredients together adding salt and jaggery to a little coarser texture.
Store it in a sterilized jar.


Pin for later

You may also like:













Peanut and Garlic Chutney

BROA / BROINHA DE MILHO DA PADARIA ( Version 2 ) / CORN MEAL COOKIES


My previous post was also Broa de Milho, ( Portuguese corn bread ) which was a bread to be served with soups or had for breakfast. Now here is another recipe Broa / Broinha de Milho da Padaria which is made with more or less the same ingredients but is sweet and flavoured with fennel seeds and cinnamon powder. This is shaped into smaller cookies and baked to perfection. The texture is crunchy on the outside but a little softer inside when you take a bite. The flavour is just amazing.
Padarias are Bakery-cum-coffee shops and the Broa de Milho are freshly baked everyday and served with coffee.... hence the name Broa de Milho da Padaria. ( smaller cookies are called Broinha )


Ingredients:
Corn meal / Makki ka ata .. 1 cup
All purpose flour / Maida ... 1 cup
Sugar .............................. 3/4 cup
Baking soda ............. 1/4 tsp
Dry yeast ...................... 1/2 tsp
Salt .............................. 1/2 tsp
Butter .......................... 2 tbsps
Cinnamon powder ...... 1/2 tsp (optional )
Fennel seeds ............... 2 - 3  tsps (lightly crushed)
Milk ......................... 1/4 cup
Eggs ........................ 1

Method:


Beat the sugar, butter and egg yolk together with a whisk or an electric beater. You can add a little of egg white and save some for brushing on top.






Now add all the ingredients except milk and continue mixing until they resemble the crumbs.






Next add the milk little by little kneading lightly to make a firm dough. Use only as much milk needed for this and do not overdo the kneading part.





Take a small portion of the dough and shape it round like a cookie. Place the cookies on a greased baking tray leaving enough distance between them as they will expand while baking.
Leave them covered for an hour or so. Though the cookies will not rise at this stage but they will be double in size when baked.



Give slashes on the surface and brush them with beaten egg white.
Bake them at 250 C for 20 minutes and use the top grill for 2 minutes to give a nice golden colour. If you don't have the grill just bake them for couple of minutes more until done.




This recipe makes about 12 / 13 Broa of medium size .... or you can make 15 smaller ones 

Pin for later



You may also like:

















Print Recipe