Pie Crust

For an Indian household... pie's are very rare to come by. My version might not be the best ... since I'm yet to taste the best and get inspired...

As mentioned in my previous posts... all the recipes that I try are a mix of recipes that I have come across online through blogs and Vblogs along with my own judgement and experience of things and some my own inventions.

I experiment a lot in the kitchen and one of my favorites is making pies... Hence I'm writing a separate post for just the crust. Be imaginative and make your own filling... Of course I shall also post my versions of different fillings that I have tried and tested.

For a Pie Crust all you need is:

2 cups- All purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
4 tsp- Butter (cold)
Ice cold water for kneading

Procedure:

Pies usually have a buttery and flaky crust which gives a very crisp and crumbly effect.

1. Take a mixing bowl, mix in flour and salt.
2. Add butter cubes straight out of the refrigerator, and with your hands lightly mix the  butter gently breaking it. Once the butter is combined the mixture will look like wet sand.
3. Now add cold water in small quantities and knead the mix into a soft dough.
4. Once done, wrap the dough with a plastic sheet/ cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator.
5. Make sure to thaw the dough before use, take the dough out from the fridge and let it rest for at least 30 mins so it softens and is ready to be rolled and lined on a pastry tin. 

In a small pie tin- it normally takes 20 mins to cook @ 190-200 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy, Foodie out!!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Who doesn't like to sit and bite into sinful chocolate fluffiness!

Here's the recipe for my chocolate chip cupcakes...

What you need is:
1 cup all purpose flour
3tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Pepsi
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Yeilds around 16 cup cakes:

• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder through a sieve and mix well.
• In a mixing bowl mix oil, sugar, milk and pepsi.
• Bit by bit add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir well. Make sure no lumps are formed. 
• Key to a fluffy cake is to always beat it for a long time so it feels nice and fluffy in texture.
• Line the cupcake tins with cupcake liners- fill each about 3/4th in total.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
• Bake it for 20 mins in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy!
Foodie Out!

Tomato Basil Flatbread

Heres a good one... I totally loved it for a change...

Easy...Less time taking...tasty

For the dough- All you need is:

3 cups- wheat flour

2 tsp- instant dry yeast

1 tsp- sugar

Salt to Taste

Water to knead

4-5 tsp olive oil

Topping:

2-3 medium sized tomatoes- thinly sliced

Salt to sprinkle 

Black pepper to sprinkle

Dried Basil to sprinkle

• Take half cup of luke warm water (105-115 degrees Celsius), put 1 tsp of sugar and sprinkle 2 tsp of yeast. Let the yeast rise for 10 mins.
• In a mixing bowl take flour, add salt, 2 tsp of olive oil.. mix well
• Add the yeast and more water as required to knead into a soft dough.
• Put 3 tsp of oil and smooth out the dough, cover the dish with a kitchen towel and let it rest for an hour.
• The dough will rise almost double, punch out the extra air.
• Section the dough into small balls and roll out into a circle.
• Heat pan, put half tsp oil, on low flame- place the disc, on top put 3-4 thinly sliced tomatoes, sprinkle some salt, black pepper and dried basil.
• Add another tsp oil on top, flip and sear it on high flame for 2 mins...
• All done, flip on to a plate, you can cut with a pizza cutter or have it like that.

I liked this bread as it doesn't take that long, its nice and soft, fluffy and tangy.

Way healthier than store bought bread and good for a change... you can bite on to it just like that and don't need any accompaniments.

Foodie Out!!

Lasagna

Hey everyone, this is my version of Lasagna.... turned out to be totally awesome... a hearty meal indeed.

I am yet to try different fillings and variations for this recipe,  there's a three tier filling- 

• Tangy tomato paste
• Cheesy filling
• Stir fried vegetables

I am going to divide the recipe as per layers-

TANGY TOMATO PASTE

4-5 tomatoes

1 green chilli

1 inch ginger

2tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp oil/butter

• Grind the tomatoes, chilli and ginger into a paste
• Heat a skillet and add butter and sugar, as soon as the sugar starts to caramelize a bit add the tomato paste to it.
• Stir well and add salt, black pepper, oregano, chilli powder and flakes.
• Mix well on high flame and cover the skillet. 
• Keep stirring occasionally until the excess water has evaporated and turn off the heat, keep this aside.

CHEESY FILLING

1 and 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (paneer)

1/2 cup processed cheddar cheese

2 tsp fresh cream

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

• Take a mixing bowl, put all the ingredients and mix well, keep it aside for later.
• Don't mash the ricotta cheese too much...let there be lumps in the mix.

STIR FRIED VEGETABLES

4 medium sized carrots

3 green bell peppers

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

• Heat olive oil in a deep bottomed pan, add carrots, green pepper, salt and pepper. 
• Stir and cook the vegetables on high flame, once nicely seared keep it aside.

LAYERING THE LASAGNA

• Boil water with salt and oil, add the lasagna sheets and cook until done.
• Take a glass baking dish, dash a little olive oil and grease the dish.
• Put one layer of boiled sheets at the bottom and smear the tomato paste generously.
• Put another layer of lasagna sheets and layer this with the cheese filling evenly.
• Put another layer and place the vegetables on top.
• Put the final layer on top, you can either sprinkle cheese on top, or fresh cream. Since I felt there was already too much cheese for my liking, I smeared fresh cream on top and final sheet.
• Cook for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees Celsius.

All done... hope you like my version!

Foodie Out!!

Baguettes

I was itching to try making bread at home... didn't turn out that bad at all.... At the end of the day m kinda proud! :D

It is a long process and needs some patience- recipe is fairly simple.
I'll say m not perfect at the moment and this was just my first attempt... hopefully I will master it soon!
All my learning has been through the web- thank you to the people who took out time to make a video- my Google's favorite keywords are always- "how to make ______ @ home"

So after a lot of nervousness and killing my yeast twice :'( I finally got my way round to making bread!

Here's what you need:

1 cup- luke warm water
1 tsp- yeast
1 tsp- sugar
1 tsp- salt
1 tbsp- oil
approx 3 cups of wheat flour (amount of flour depends on the temperature of surroundings- one needs to keep adding till the right consistency is reached)

For Egg Wash replacer:

1 tsp- sugar
1 tsp- milk
1 tsp- oil
Beat well to form a sticky liquid

•  In a deep bottomed mixing bowl put 1 cup luke warm water and mix sugar. Sprinkle 1 tsp of yeast- DO NOT MIX, cover the container with a dish towel. *** Make sure the water is neither too hot- it will kill the yeast or too cold- it will deactivate it. Yeast rises best at 70-80 degrees Celsius.
• Set it aside for 5-7 mins. You will notice bubbles in the mixture, to this add half cup flour and whisk well.
• Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil and another half cup flour and mix well.
• Keep adding half cups of flour until the dough is not sticky and resembles a roti dough. Work the dough until the surface is even.
• Take a greased bowl and put the dough making sure the excess oil is evenly spread on dough. Cover the container with a dish towel and let it rest for 40 minutes.
• After this the dough should have risen, punch the dough a couple of times and cover it again with a dish towel and let it rest for 40 minutes.
• Once done, work the batter for a few seconds to take out the excess air, section it to three pieces.
• Roll and elongate each piece, make sure the top is stretched smooth and excess is scrunched at the bottom.
• Line the baking tray with butter paper and place each baguette. Give some space for it to rise.
• With a knife, trace stripes on top.
• Using a greasing brush or fingers lavishly bathe the baguettes with egg wash replacer- this will help give a beautiful golden colour as sugar caramelizes.
• Pre-heat oven at 190 degrees Celsius, bake the bread for 40 minutes on the middle shelf.
• Let the bread cool and rest, put in a plastic wrap in the fridge for later use.

So I hope my version turns out well for other too.

I will post more once I get around and master the recipe!

...till the... Foodie Out!

For those who hate to spend time in the Kitchen 102- Pasta Tomatina with Fresh Basil

In a hurry to leave for office.... tired of making the same poha, upma and parathas for breakfast??
Here's a simple recipe to the rescue and hardly takes any time.

All you need is:

1 cup- macaroni
water for boiling
1 tsp salt for cooking macaroni
***********************
2 tbsp- cooking oil
4-5 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp- black pepper
2 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1cm star anise- finely ground
1 tbsp- fresh cream
2 cubes of cheese
5-6 leaves- fresh basil

• In a low bottom cooking pot boil water, add salt and cook the macaroni until done.  Drain excess water and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a low bottomed pan, add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a minute. Add salt to taste, 1 tsp of sugar, red chilli powder, black pepper and finely ground spices.
• Cook until the consistency is thick, add the boiled macaroni, fresh cream and grated cheese.
• All done, add fresh basil in the end and mix well.

Ready to go... can serve hot or can have it later when cold!

Fresh and Simple!

Foodie Out!

D.I.Y. .... Murukku (Chakli) @ home

Its monsoon and probably you are craving for a "pakora" everytime there's a splash.... My waistline's true enemy.... so lets stick to some basic deep fried stuff, which you don't gobble a plate at time ... Murukku is the best evening snack ...

As suggested by some of my friends, goes well with piping hot cha or tangy mango chutney.... I like to have it straight from the jar on the go! :P

Fairly simple and m sure many mommies still make them at home.

Here's what you need:

2 cups- Rice Flour

1/2 cup- Urad Flour

1/2 cup- Besan

1/2 cup- softened Butter

1 tsp- cumin seeds

1 tsp- red chilli powder

1 fist full- sesame seeds

salt to taste

water to knead

oil for frying

• First, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl- rice flour, urad, besan, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, sesame seeds and salt.
• Add the melted butter and mix well till it looks like sand and then add normal water to knead into a soft dough, make sure the dough isn't too runny or else you can't get the right shape.
• Heat oil for frying in a low bottomed pan.

• Take a good amount of dough and put it in the chakli press/maker like the one in picture above and use the star shaped disk for murukku design.
• Map out spirals on a greased plate first, once done, with the help of a spatula pick the spirals and deep fry.
• Dry out on a kitchen napkin, cool and store in a dry jar.

Enjoy the crunchy chaklis/murukku at home! :)

Foodie Out!!