Bread

Bread

Ingredients:

• Maida – 250gms
• Extra Maida – 5gms
• Dry Yeast – 10gms
• Sugar – 35gms
• Salt – 10gms
• Oil – 15gms
• Water – 135gms
  
  
  Preparations:
  Take water in a microwave safe bowl and place this bowl in oven. Heat the water on high power for 15 seconds. Now if you measure the temperature it will be between 40^oC and 50^oC. Take sugar in a hand mixer bowl and add this luke warm water and dissolve it by stirring. Now if you measure the temperature it would have come down. Wait till the temperature is between 38^oC and 40^oC. Now add the yeast and stir to mix. At this (38^oC and 40^oC) temperature the yeast multiplies fast. So do not be in a hurry—let the temperature be right for perfect raising bread. After adding yeast allow the yeast to ferment. So leave this bowl aside for 10 to 15 minutes or till the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
  Meanwhile take a deep bowl and add oil to it. Smear the oil all over the bowl and keep it aside. After preparing the dough we will keep it in this oiled bowl so that the dough will not get dried up. After 15 minutes, observe the yeast mixture. Now the yeast solution is foamy.
  Fix a hand mixer to its stand and arrange flour kneading blades to it. Stir the yeast solution and add salt and oil and mix. Fix this bowl to the hand mixer stand and run it on low speed. Slowly add the flour while the machine is running. When half of the flour is added, increase the speed of the mixer to medium. After adding the entire flour, increase the speed of the machine to high and knead it. Observe that the dough is soft and sticky. Sprinkle a little maida from the extra maida taken on a clean platform. Transfer the dough to the floured platform and start kneading with hand till it is smooth. If the dough is sticky dust your palms with maida and start kneading it. Fold the dough and turn around a quarter and again fold it and turn around a quarter—like this repeat till you get smooth dough. When the dough is smooth place this dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so that the dough is covered with oil from all sides. Cover the bowl loosely with a plastic cover. Allow it to rise until doubled or even more, about one hour. In the video you can see that it has almost become three times
  
  
  Method:
  Take an aluminium loaf pan and add oil to it. Smear the oil all over the pan and keep it aside. After one hour observe that the dough raises 3 times the original quantity. Punch it down and bring back the dough to its original size. Sprinkle some flour on a clean platform and knead the dough for few seconds. Make it into log shape and pinch the seams. Place this dough in the prepared loaf tin and spread it evenly. Cover the pan loosely with a plastic cover and keep it aside for raising. After nearly one hour observe that the dough is double in size. Now the dough is ready for baking. Preheat the oven in convection mode at 180^oC. Apply milk on the top surface of the dough with a brush or dip a paper napkin in milk and coat the dough with milk. One can even give an egg wash to this dough for a nice golden crust. Place this pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes at 180^oC in convection mode. Depending upon the color of the bread and the doneness, increase or decrease the time slightly. When done remove the pan from the oven and wait for few minutes. Loosen the sides with a knife and turn the bread on to a wire rack. Turn it around and tap to hear a hollow sound which indicates that the bread is baked properly. Apply ghee or butter on the bread so that it will not dry. Cool the bread completely on the wire rack before slicing it. When the bread is completely cooled off take a sharp knife and cut it into slices. Store them in a box till use.
  We can prepare many dishes like sandwich toasts, bread rolls, French toast with bread. Enjoy baking bread for the nice aroma which fills the home while baking.
  
  
  Points to Notice:
  See that the yeast is not out-dated. The entire trick of this recipe lies in yeast rising. There are many types of dry yeasts available such as active dry yeast, instant dry yeast, fast action yeast etc.. Here, at the place where I reside, only one type of yeast is available among the dried yeasts. It is available by the name dry yeast. I have used this dry yeast for this recipe.
  Yeast is temperature sensitive:
• At less than 10^oC (50^oF) the yeast is inactive.
• At 15^oC – 21^oC (60^oF – 70^oF) the yeast action is slow.
• At 32^oC – 38^oC (90^oF – 100^oF) the yeast is at its optimum temperature for fermentation.
• At greater than 40^oC (104^oF) the yeast action starts to slow.
• At 58^oC (138^oF) the yeast is killed.

So it is better to have a candy thermometer at home to find the right temperature to add the yeast. It’s advisable to invest in one thermometer. Gauging the temperature with bear hands is almost impossible. Since yeast is a living organism, it dies beyond 58⁰C which fresher’s to baking cannot make out.

Salt is used not only as a flavor but as a regulator of the growth of the yeast. Salt retards the action of the yeast. So use it only after the yeast is proofed completely.

Kneading the dough in a food processor or hand mixer eases the work. However if you don’t have one, knead it with your palms into a smooth dough with no streaks of dry flour or surplus liquid. Pull and stretch the dough, working on a flat surface so that you can push strongly. Fold the dough and turn around a quarter and again fold it and turn around a quarter—like this repeat till you get smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise completely without bothering specified time. Rising is the first part of the yeast’s growth. The fermentation produces carbon dioxide that aerates the dough and it should double in size. Prevent a dry skin forming on the dough by rolling it round the oiled bowl, cover with a plastic cover and put in a warm place to rise.

Knock back the dough by punching it. The rise will collapse, flattening the large spaces previously filled with the aerating gases that will escape. After the second rising there will not be any yeasty flavor and the bread will be ready for baking. This second rising will produce the dough, resulting in even texture and a sweet mature flavor. This process is called proofing or proving.

Brush the raised dough with milk or give egg-wash to get a nice golden crust after baking.

When you can see that the dough is rising well during the proof and developing a nicely domed top, put the oven on to pre-heat. Yeast dough requires a really 'bold' start to kill the yeast as quickly as possible. This prevents large holes forming in the bread.

Baking time may vary with different ovens or OTG’s. So keep a watch while baking once the bread starts changing color. In ovens where there is no turn table then manually you may have to turn the pan in between for even browning. When removed from the pan and tapped underneath the bread, it should give a hollow sound for the doneness. Always cool the bread on wire rack or the condensed steam will make the bread heavy.

Always use gloves as the inside of the oven will be too hot.

It feels great when the room is filled with the aroma of freshly baking bread. As we are not using any improvers we know how fresh our bread is.

In this recipe I have given measurements in weights rather than in Cups. This I have standardized because always it remains a question as to what a standard cup measure is. To clear that confusion I have used only weights as measurements so that the recipe will never fail. Weights will be same all along the world but cups may differ. So it is advisable to weigh the ingredients to get the perfect bread. Similarly for seeing temperature a candy thermometer is a must. The right temperature of the liquid is necessary for the yeast to multiply. Then the recipe will never fail.

Here when I prepared this bread the room temperature on that day is 30^oC. During summers the time to heat the water in a microwave may be reduced further to say 7 or 10 seconds. So always it is better to measure the temperature just before

adding the yeast and that is the easiest way for baking good bread. 

Don't forget to keep the yeast in a sealed condition till next use. If it comes in contact with air and moisture, its action reduces.

 
Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Aloo Bonda & Vankaya Bajjilu

Aloo Bonda & Vankaya Bajjilu

Ingredients:

For Batter:

• Gram Flour – 250gms
• Maida – 50gms
• Salt to Taste (1/4tsp+1/8tsp)
• Baking Soda – 1/4tsp
• Water – As Required (325gms)
• Oil - 2Tbsps (To Mix with Flours)
• Oil – For Frying Bondas

For Curry:

• Potatoes – 750gms
• Green Chilies 11
• Ginger – Small Piece
• Cumin Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Asafoetida – A Pinch
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Chopped Coriander Leaves – 1Tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Oil – 21Tbsps
  
  
  Preparations:
  Wash potatoes and place them in a bowl. Add water till all the potatoes are submerged in water. Place this bowl in pressure cooker and cook the potatoes. After first whistle lower the flame and cook the potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes. When the pressure cooker cools down remove the bowl and peel the potatoes. Grind green chilies and ginger to a coarse paste in a mixer grinder. Finely chop the curry leaves.
  
  
  Method:
  Curry:
  Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add mustard seeds and asafoetida and fry for few seconds. Then add cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves, ginger green chili paste, turmeric powder and salt. Mix & fry the seasoning well. Then add boiled & peeled potatoes and mix mashing with the ladle. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix again. The curry is ready to make bondas. Spread the curry in a plate to cool.
  
  
  Batter:
  Take gram flour, maida and salt into a mixing bowl and mix well with fingers. Add oil and rub with fingers to incorporate the oil into the flour. Add water slowly and mix to prepare batter of coating consistency. Make a smooth batter. Batter should be of coating consistency—when finger dipped in the batter & removed, batter should coat the finger evenly. Keep this batter aside for 30 minutes. 
  
  
  Making Aloo Bondas:
  Heat a pan and add sufficient oil to fry the bondas. Spread a paper napkin in a plate and keep it ready. After frying the bondas remove them on to this paper napkin to soak excess oil.  Just before frying add baking soda to the prepared batter and mix well. See that there are no lumps in the batter. 
  
  
  Wet fingers and take a portion of the curry into the palm. Form a ball of the taken curry portion. Similarly make balls from the prepared curry. Drop a ball into the batter and coat it evenly. Then carefully drop the batter coated curry ball into the oil and fry on medium heat. Turn the bondas and fry till they are evenly fried. Fry till the bondas turn golden in color. Then take out the bondas from oil with a slotted ladle and place them on the paper napkin which will soak the excess oil. Similarly fry all the bondas.  Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup. 
  
  
  Vankaya Bajjilu (Brinjal Fritters):
  To the leftover batter add some red chili powder, salt, cumin seeds, chopped coriander and mix well.
  Take a brinjal (Chutney Variety) and wash it. Slice the brinjal into even thickness pieces. Add the brinjal slices to the batter and coat them well with the batter. Now carefully drop the batter coated brinjal pieces into the hot oil and fry on medium heat. Turn and fry till the bajias are golden in color. Drain the bajias on to a paper napkin to soak excess oil. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup. 
  
  
  Points To Note:
  Use salt and chilies according to taste.
  As soon as the pressure cooker cools down, remove the boiled potatoes from the cooker and drain all the water. If the boiled potatoes are kept for long time in the water they were cooked, they absorb some water and become mushy. So drain the water as soon as they are cooked.
  Cool the potato curry completely before making bondas.
  Make a smooth batter without any lumps. Just before frying bondas add baking soda and then mix thoroughly.
  
  
  To prepare curry balls first wet your palm with water—this will give a smooth textured ball. Observe and learn the technique of dropping the bondas in oil to avoid tear drop shaped batter droplets. Do not forget to drink two glasses of buttermilk after eating any fried things. Buttermilk eases the uneasiness caused after eating fried things. Eat limitedly and enjoy good health.
  
  Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Aloo Bhujia (Aloo Kharapoosa)

Aloo Bhujia (Aloo Kharapoosa)

 

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 250gms
• Gram Flour – 150gms
• Cinnamon – Small Piece
• Cloves – 8
• Black Pepper – 1ts
• Asafoetida – A Pinch
• Turmeric Powder – 1/8tsp
• Salt – To Taste (1 1/4tsp)
• Oil – For Deep Frying
  
  
  Preparations:
  Wash potatoes & keep them aside. Heat a pressure pan and add water (Around 200ml). Place a colander in the pressure pan and add washed potatoes to it. Cover the pressure pan and steam cook the potatoes. After first whistle, cook the potatoes on low flame for 10 minutes. When the pressure pan cools down, remove the cooked potatoes and allow them to cool for a while. Peel the boiled potatoes and grate them using a grater. Grating avoids lumps in the boiled potatoes. 
  
  
  To prepare aloo bhujia we need to use a spice powder. Make the spice powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Here we are using mortar and pestle to make the spice powder. Make fine powder of cinnamon, cloves and black pepper using mortar and pestle. Make sure the powder is fine. 
  
  
  Method:
  Take a plate and spread paper napkin in it. After frying the aloo bhujia place it on the paper napkin to soak excess oil. 
  
  
  Heat a pan and add sufficient oil to deep fry the aloo bhujia. While the oil is getting hot prepare the dough. 
  
  
  Take a mixing bowl and add gram flour, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida and freshly ground spice powder. Mix all well with fingers and add grated potatoes. Mix well to form dough. No need to add any amount of water as the moisture in boiled potatoes would be sufficient to make the dough. Scrape the sticky mixture in between using a plate or a spoon or ladle and make the dough. 
  
  
  Use any sev press or sev maker and make aloo bhujia. Wet palm with water and take a portion of the dough and form into cylindrical shape. Fill the dough into the cylindrical mould and close the lid. When the oil is hot enough start making aloo bhujia. Hold the mould in left hand and press the dough with right hand into the oil. While pressing the dough, turn left hand so that the sev takes a spiral shape. Fry the aloo bhujia on medium flame till one side is slightly crisp. Then turn with a ladle and fry on high flame till the other side turns crisp. Remove the fried aloo bhujia from oil using a slotted ladle and place it on the paper napkin to soak excess oil. Repeat the process of pressing the sev in hot oil and frying it till all the dough is used up. Cool the aloo bhujia to room temperature to become extra crisp. Take the spiral aloo bhujia into a bowl and crush slightly. Store this tasty aloo bhujia in air tight containers and serve them as a snack. 
  
  
  Points To Note:
  Normally to cook the potatoes we submerge the potatoes in water and cook. Whereas to steam cook the potatoes, place the potatoes in a colander and place this colander in pressure cooker and cook. Steam passes through the hoes of the colander and cooks the potatoes. This way the potatoes absorb less water and hence hold the shape. We steam cook to have firm yet fully cooked potatoes. If we place the potatoes without adding water in a bowl and pressure cook then the potatoes would not get fully and evenly cooked. So use a colander, to cook the potatoes under steam. 
  
  
  As boiled potatoes provide enough moisture it is not necessary to add any amount of water while mixing the dough. As the potatoes are steam cooked they are just moist to mix the dough. Had the potatoes been cooked using lot amount of water they would have absorbed some amount of water and the measurements would not have be as per given here. So follow the recipe as shown and mentioned here to get good results. 
  
  
  Grate the potatoes before adding to the dry ingredients—this avoids any lumps of boiled potatoes. When we press the sev in hot oil the mixture should be smooth to pass through the holes---so it is advisable to grate the potatoes for smooth texture. 
  
  
  Make sure the spices are fully dried before making powder. At times in rainy season due to moisture the spices appear dampened---in such cases dry roast the spices in a pan for few seconds before making powder. The powder should be ground to a fine texture so that when it is added to the flour mixture and pressed using a sev maker it should pass through the holes without clogging it. 
  
  
  Take care while holding the sev press above oil. Wipe palms and make sure palms are not oily or wet to avoid dangers while pressing sev in oil.
  First fry on medium heat till one side is slightly crisp. Then turn the sev and fry on high heat as by this time the heat would not be sufficient to fry the aloo bhujia well. Maintain the heat by increasing and decreasing the flame to get the right heat while frying. If heat is high the sev gets dark color fast yet it would not be fried well inside. If heat is low the sev absorbs oil as it contains potatoes. So it is very important to have the right heat
  
  
  while frying aloo bhujia. When the bubbles start reducing it indicates that the aloo bhujia is crisp. Remove the fried aloo bhujia at this stage as the heat inside it would cook for a while and makes it further crisper. Do not fry till the sev turns brown in color as it gets cooked further after removing from oil and turns into dark brown. Cool to room temperature before storing.  
  
  
  Serve this tasty aloo bhujia as a snack or as an accompaniment with chat.

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Adai

Adai

Ingredients

Rice - ½ cup
urad dhaal - ¼ cup
chana dhaal - ¼ cup
thoor dhaal - ¼ cup
yellow moong dhaal - ¼ cup
red chillis

salt

Soak everything in water over night. Grind with little water.

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Ulundu vada

Ulundu vada

Ingredients:

urad dhaal
hari mirch
salt
 

Soak dhaal in water over night. Grind dhaal in little water.
Then make vada shape and deep fry in oil.

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Spicy Sev

Spicy Sev

Ingredients
2 cups gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds
1 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
water to make dough
oil to deep fry

Method
1.Mix the chilli, oil, salt and seeds into the flour.
2.Add enough water to make a dough which is quite gooey.
3.It should not be pliable but sticky.
4.Grease the inside of a Sev-press, fill with the dough.
5.Press into hot oil, and fry lightly on both sides.
6.Drain well and cool before storing.
Variation:
You may adjust the chillies as per taste.

You may omit chillies to make bland sev.
You may add finely crushed dried herbs (eg. mint) for add flavour.

Note: A sevpress is similar to a vermicelli press, but it should be small enough to handle over hot oil.
Making time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 250 grams approx.

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Hot Kachori

Hot Kachori

Ingredients
For cover:
1 1/2 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
cold water to knead dough
 
For filling:
1 cup yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. oil
oil to deep fry
1 tbsp. plain flour for patching

Method
For cover:
Mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough.
Keep aside for 30 minutes.

For filling:
Put plenty of water to boil. Add dal.
Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain.
Cool a little. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
Add all seeds whole and crushed allow to splutter.
Add asafoetida, mix. Add all other ingredients.
Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully.
But enough to make the mixture hold well.
Remove from fire, cool.
Divide into 15 portions.
Shape into balls with greased palms.
Keep aside.

To proceed:
Make a paste with water, of flour for patching.
Keep aside.
Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough.
Knead into round. Roll into 4" diam. round.
Place one ball of filling at centre.
Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch.
Break off excess dough carefully.
Do not allow cover to tear.
Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round.
Repeat for 4-5 kachories.
Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only.
If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste.
Return to oil and finish frying.
Turn and repeat for other side.
Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori.
Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.
Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and cooling times)
Makes: 10-12 pieces
Shelf life: 2-3 days

Note: Take care to fry on low. Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

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