Friday, October 28, 2016

MAWA GUJIYAS / G PULLA REDDY SWEETS STYLE GUJIYAS


Gujiya is a sweet usually made during Holi festival. Traditionally sweets are made in India on any auspicious occasion, be it a festival or a celebration or a family re-union.. sweet is a must. Gujiyas are made with a variety of fillings like dessicated coconut, dry fruits, mawa etc etc....
My favourite sweet is mawa gujiya from Pulla Reddy Sweets in Andhra Pradesh which is a speciality Nothing can beat the taste of this gujiya. I am so happy that my gujiyas were quite similar in taste.


Ingredients:
Mawa .... 1 cup or as required
APF / maida ...... 2-3 cups
Milk ................ 1/4 cup or as needed to knead the dough.
Cardamom powder .... 1/4 tsp
Desi ghee ........... 2 tbsps for moin (mixing in the dough)
Salt .................... 1 pinch
Icing sugar ........ 2 tsps
Sugar .............. 1 cup for making the syrup
Desi ghee or oil ... for frying the gujiyas.
Rose petals .. fresh or dry (optional)
Silver Varq ... for garnishing
I have used ready mawa. If you want to make it at home see the recipe - HERE

Method:

1.Take the flour in a large bowl and mix a pinch of salt, 2 tsps icing sugar, 2 tbsps desi ghee.






2. Knead it with milk to make a soft dough. Cover and set aside at least for an hour.






3. Take small portion of dough and roll it into a round shape.








4. Spoon a little mawa as required and fold it into a semi circle.







5. Press the sides well to seal. Using your finger tips start pinching and folding the edge to make a design.







6. Heat ghee or oil and fry the gujiyas on medium flame to a light golden colour and they should be nice and crunchy.







7. While you fry the gujiyas make a thick sugar syrup with one cup sugar and half cup water. Flavour the syrup with cardamom powder.You can also add rose petals if you have them.






8. When the sugar syrup is boiled to one string consistency, tip in the fried gujiyas. Let them soak for few minutes until well coated.






9. Remove them on a serving platter and garnish with silver varq and rose petals.








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Thursday, October 27, 2016

VANKAYA PAPPU / TOOR DAL WITH BRINJAL ANDHRA STYLE / LENTILS WITH EGGPLANT


Dal is such a versatile dish that can be made with endless variations. This is a recipe from Andhra. Pappu means thick dal. This can be made plain or with the addition of any greens or vegetables to it. Today's recipe is with brinjals.



Ingredients:
 Toor dal .......... 1 cup
Brinjals / eggplant.. 1/4 cup (cut into pieces)
Tomato .................... 1
Green chilli .............. 1
 Methi leaves ... handful (optional)
Coriander leaves .... handful
 Turmeric powder .... 1/4 th tsp.
 Tamarind juice ....... 2-3 tbsps.
 Ginger - garlic paste ... 1 tbsp.
Salt .............................. to taste
Oil

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds .... 1/2 tsp
 Dry red chillies .... 2-3
Curry leaves ....... few
Asafoetida ........... a pinch.

Method:
 1. Wash and soak toor dal for 2-3 hours.
2. Boil dal with 2 cups water, salt, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste.
3. When it is half done add the tomatoes, green chillies, methi and coriander leaves and brinjal pieces.
4. When the brinjals are done stir in the tamarind juice finally and check the thickness of dal. Add water if needed and just mash lightly with the ladle.
5. Heat a little oil and add the tempering ingredients.
6. When they crackle stir them into the prepared dal.
Serve with plain boiled rice and any poriyal. Pour a spoonful of desi ghee on the rice.

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

ALOO BUKHARA MURGH / CHICKEN COOKED WITH INDIAN PLUMS


Mutton or chicken cooked with aloo bukharas (Indian plums) is a Royal dish which originates from Nizam province. It is quite popular in Awadhi Cuisine too. Usually dry and fresh plums both are used in this preparation but I have used only fresh plums which have given the curry a lovely golden colour and a mild sweet and tangy flavour. I skipped adding the dried plums as they make the gravy more sweeter.


Ingredients:
Chicken .... 1/2 kg
Aloo bukhara .... 2  (sliced )
Aloo bukhara puree .. 4  tbsps
Curd / yogurt .. 1/4 cup
Ginger paste ... 1 tbsp
Garlic paste ... 1 tbsp
Green chilli paste .. 1 tsp
Onion paste ....... 1 cup
Coriander powder ... 1 tbsp
Cumin powder ........ 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt ............ to taste
Ghee or oil .... 1/4 cup

Whole spices:
Black cardamom ... 1
Green cardamoms .. 2-3
Bay leaf ........ 1
Cinnamon ..... 1" piece
Cloves ..... 2-3
Star anise - 1
Black pepper corns ... few

Method:

1. Wash the chicken pieces. Marinate them with half the quantity of curd, ginger garlic paste, aloo bukhara paste and spices. Set aside for few hours.





2. In a pan heat the ghee or oil and tip in the whole spices.







3. When they give out a nice aroma, add the remaining ginger garlic paste and onion paste.






4. Saute until it turns into golden colour. Add the remaining spices salt  and pureed plum. Saute it a bit.






5. Now add the marinated chicken pieces.








6. Stir fry for few minutes stirring intermittently Cover the pan and simmer the chicken after adding half cup water until the oil separates.





 7. When it is almost done, add the aloo bukhara slices and simmer for few minutes. Adjust the consistency of the gravy as per your liking.







Garnish and serve with rotis, naans or plain rice.

Recipe Credits - Spoon Fork and Food

Check out the video



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Monday, October 24, 2016

CRUMPETS / AN ENGLISH TEA-TIME FAVOURITE


Crumpets are griddle/ skillet cooked leavened and spongy round breads which are an English tea-time favourite. These are very different from English muffins. "Classic crumpets have a smooth round bottom, and a top riddled with small holes. They are served fresh from the griddle or toasted, and can be topped in jam or clotted cream, although butter is the traditional crumpet topping.
 Crumpets are never split, unlike English muffins, and they have a slightly bland flavor and spongy texture which absorbs butter remarkably well. The concept of toasting crumpets over a fire is often associated with companionable rainy days in British fiction.
 For people who are still confused about the differences between crumpets and English muffins, remember that crumpets have a holey top, they are not split, and they are far less "bready" than English muffins tend to be. It is believed that the English muffin may have been invented by someone who was trying to replicate the crumpet, which explains the commonalities between the two. The recipes for English muffins and crumpets are also very different, with crumpets being made from batter and English muffins being made from a dough."

 (Information Source: Wisegeek)
 Recipe adapted from -  Not Quite Nigella and A Life (Time) of Cooking.


Ingredients:
 Milk ......  1 and 1/2 cups
Sugar .....1 and 1/2 tbsps
Active dry yeast.... 1 and 1/2 tsps
All purpose flour .....1 and 3/4 cups
Softened butter .....1 and 1/2 tbsps
 Salt ....1/2 tsp
Baking powder .....3/4 tsp
Water (if necessary) 1/4 cup
Butter or oil to make the crumpets 1 tsp


Method:

Warm 1/4th cup of milk and dissolve the yeast and sugar. Set aside until it bubbles.






Now add the flour, butter, salt and the remaining milk.







Whisk to make a smooth batter of pancake consistency.







Cover and let it rise again for about 45 minutes.







Check the thickness of the batter and add a little milk if needed. It should be of pouring consistency. Add the baking powder and mix well.






Grease the edges of a ring mould (cutter). Spoon a tsp of oil on the griddle and place the mould on it. Spoon the batter into it until 3/4th high as it will rise while cooking.






Cover the skillet and allow to cook on medium flame. It takes about 5 minutes.When done the crumpets should have holes on them and look dry while the bottom is golden brown.





Now carefully remove them from the rings using a sharp knife and cook the other side lightly for about a minute or so. Repeat this process to make all the crumpets.






Serve with butter at tea time.







You may serve them with any other topping also if you like. I have served them with berry compote and cream.








This recipe makes about 12 crumpets of 3' size

Recipe by Aparna Balasubramanian - We Knead To Bake # 43

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