Archana's Feed

Breakfast Quiche

Archana — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:37:00 +0000

A quiche which has a crust of potatoes and not flour and delicious tender corn makes it perfect recipe when you are calling people over or a cozy sunday brunch. Serve it with some fresh juice of watermelon, orange and pom!

Serves: 6-8 servings
Baking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups, boiled and grated potatoes
1/4 cup of chopped spring onions
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 cup low fat milk
2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of tinned tender corn, drained
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C.

Gently press the grated potatoes between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns and onions with the melted butter, salt and pepper into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 30 -35 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Mean while, in a sauce pan, whisk the whole wheat flour, milk, salt and cayenne pepper. Begin to cook the white sauce, stirring continuously until thickened. Add the baking powder at this stage and whisk until well blended. Turn off heat and add the corn and stir.

When the hash brown crust is ready pour the corn mixture over it, sprinkle the cheese and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 180 C and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Oatmeal Muffins / Bread

Archana — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:10:00 +0000

A delicious muffin, which feels so light and yet so tasty and not as dry as a corn muffin. The combination of oatmeal and raisins along with yogurt makes it soft and with that touch of cinnamon, is delicious.

I made the same batter using muffin cups as well as a loaf pan and it turned out beautiful. Call it a bread or a muffin, this recipe is a must try!

Muffins

Bread

Makes: 8 large muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup black raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C.

In a bowl stir together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, raisins, and the walnuts and in another bowl whisk together the yogurt, the milk, the butter, and the egg.

Stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and stir the batter until it is just combined.

Divide the batter among paper-lined 1/2-cup muffin tins and bake the muffins in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until done - tested clean with a tester.

Thai Green Curry

Archana — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:18:00 +0000

A very authentic thai green curry paste made from the vibrant fresh hot chilli peppers and green coriander leaves, ground with lemon grass and a few other condiments and choicest vegetables makes it a simple irresistible Thai green curry.

I personally like the curry being actually green, hence I grind some fresh coriander leaves or even italian parsely, to give it a burst of emerald color.

The choice of vegetables for the curry is solely your choice and taste. You can make your choices from the following combinations
1. Broccoli, Carrots and Bamboo Shoots

2. Red Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Apple

3. Pineapple and Peas

4. Peppers, Snow Peas, Tofu

5.Yams, Mushrooms, Ginger

The list can be so imaginative, that I purely like to play with colors when I add my vegetables to the curry. So go ahead with yours.

Green Curry Paste Makes: about 1 cup
Ingredients for Green Curry Paste (makes about a cup)

5 fresh green chillies, 4 jalepeno chillies or fresh green thai bird chillies, stemmed and chopped

1 tablespoon whole roasted coriander seeds

1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds

5 black pepper corns

3 stalks of lemon grass

1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup freshly chopped spring onions

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped ginger

1 teaspoon of finely minced domestic lime peel

1 teaspoon salt

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients for the Thai Curry

1 3/4 cups of unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons of Green Curry Paste
1 cup of broccoli florets

1/4 cup Sliced Carrots

1/4 cup bamboo shoots rinsed, drained and sliced (tinned variety)

1 yellow onions coarsely chopped

1 cup water or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon oil

chopped corianders leaves or basil leaves or kaffir lime leaves

Method for making the Green Curry Paste

To prepare the lemon grass - trim away and discard any root section below the bulb base and cut away the top portion leaving a stalk of about 6 inches long, including the base. Remove any dried and wilted yellowed leaves and finely chop the stock.

Combine all the ingredients including the lemon grass into mini processor or a blender and grind them into a fairly smooth paste adding a little water if required. Transfer and store in an airtight jar. Store in freezer for about 3 months.

Method for the curry

Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the onions, broccoli, and carrots on high heat for a few minutes until steamed, yet crisp. Turn off heat and set aside.

Pour the coconut milk, water, curry paste, sugar, salt in a sauce pan and mix well. Turn on the heat and bring the curry to an active boil. Add the stir fried vegetables and allow it to simmer stirring occasionally until the curry thickens a bit about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro/basil/kaffir lime leaves and serve hot with white rice.

Dal Tadka

Archana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:56:00 +0000

Yellow Moong Split Lentils or Masoor Dal (pink Split Lentils) are seasoned with condiments and spices in Ghee. A very staple preparation of the lentil in the North India is high in protein and light to the stomach as well.

New born babies as old as 6 months are given a diluted version of this dal as a starter food and smaller children eat the staple "Dal Chawal" as an important part of their growing diet. (Chawal - Rice).

Serve this dal with any vegetable preparation and some hot phulka's or savor it with some hot rice as well.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Yellow split moong dal or masoor dal
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 slit green chilli
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ghee
Salt to taste

Method

Cook the dal along with turmeric powder and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan by boiling it in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes or until cooked on low heat. Alternatively pressure cook the dal using the pressure cooker method. Take care to make sure the dal does not become too mushy.

Heat ghee in sauce pan, add the cumin seeds, green chillies, bay leaf and allow them to crackle.

Add the cooked dal and stir gently into the seasoning (tadka). Add 1 cup of water (gauge what is the level of thickness you like in your dal and appropriately add less or more water) and allow it to come to a boil

Now turn of heat, add the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve it hot with rice or phulka's, along with your choice of vegetables.

Peerkangai Pal Kozhyumbu

Archana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:49:00 +0000

Peerkangai (Ridge Gourd) Pal (milk) Kozhumbu (gravy). A delicious preparation of the Ridge Gourd simmered with very mild spices in a milk gravy. A water based vegetable is claimed by Indians to be very good for people with stomach ailments, during pregnancy etc.

This is very unique dish to my family that was made very often when I was young and now I make it for my children who enjoy it as well.

Savor it with hot phulka's and your tummy will surely have a satisfied and light feeling.

Ingredients

2 cups of peeled and diced ridge gourd
1 teaspoon corn flour dissolved in 3 tablespoons of cold water
1/2 cup milk
2 pieces of cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup small onions finely chopped (optional)
(Use only small ones, the big ones don't taste as good)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander leaves

Method

In a small bowl, mix the corn flour and milk until combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and cloves, allow it to crackle. Add the onions and saute until tender and light golden.

Add the ridge gourd, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt. Stir. Cook covered on medium heat. Stir occasionally. The ridge gourd while cooking gives out a lot of water. Don't let the water evaporate. Allow it to cook on low heat until soft and tender.

Add the milk mixture and simmer for 10 minutes until the milk comes to a boiling point. Turn off heat.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with hot phulka's.

Urla Kizhangu Roast

Archana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Other wise called Potato Roast is a delicious preparation of the potatoes in South Indian Brahmin Style. Even the Bengali's have a similar preparation with a subtle variation and call it
Aloo Bhaja.

Boiled potatoes are seasoned with mustard seeds and a few condiments, then slow roasted until the potatoes get coated with a crispy brown texture. The result is simply delicious.

Savor it with a variety of combinations:
1. Vengayam Sambar with hot Rice
2. Yellow Moong Tadka dal with hot phulka's
3. Hot Kadhi and Paranthas
4. Make your own combination

Ingredients

2 cups of peeled diced boiled potatoes
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
5-6 curry leaves
2 tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

Method

Add the turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder to the boiled potatoes and mix well.

Heat oil in a non stick frying pan. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asfoedida. Allow them to crackle.

Add the potatoes to the oil and stir well until all the condiments get well coated.

Reduce the flame to medium and cover the pan with a lid, stirring occasionally.

Roast the potatoes until they have a slightly crispy texture. More like the some crumbs of the potatoes turn crisp.

Using a non stick pan helps reduce the amount of oil you use.
Remember potatoes drink a lot of oil, so adding more oil will give a more roasted feel, but watch out for that excess.

Serve hot with your favorite Sambar or Dal Tadka or Kadhi.

Peanut Gomiti Pasta

Archana — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:35:00 +0000

Gomiti Rigati, lined elbow macaroni, are perfect with chunky sauces, especially sauces that also have oil or cream that can slip into the pasta. This recipe though does not call for a chunky sauce but surely a creamy peanut sauce that is sure to open your palates to an Asian flavored pasta.

Ingredients

2 cups of uncooked Gomiti pasta
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped garlic
1/2 cup of freshly chopped spring onions
1/4 cup of roasted coarsely crushed peanuts
2 tablespoons of chinese chilli sauce
1/4 cup of cream
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup Parmezan Reggiano Cheese
1/4 cup milk
Chilli Flakes to taste
Salt to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Cook the pasta until al dente adding salt to the water in which the pasta is being cooked.

Heat oil in pan; add the garlic, onions and saute until it turns slight golden and the onions are tender. Add all the other ingredients and including the pasta and except the cheese and milk. Stir well on low heat.

Place the pasta to an oven proof serving dish, like a casserole. Stir in the milk to the prepared pasta. Sprinkle cheese on top to cover the pasta. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until the cheese melts.

Allow it to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with your choice of white wine.

Spring Onion Soup

Archana — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:25:00 +0000

Green onions have the taste of spring that is fresh, invigorating. And it’s good to know that they also have lots of immune-enhancing compounds to boost our good health.

This is a simple soup easy to make soup that is delicious. You could also add a handful of sliced mushrooms to give it some character, while the green onions add plenty of springtime zing.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped scallions/spring onions
5 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaves

Method

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter and add the onions, along with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for a few minutes, until the onions are softened, then add broth/water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree the onion mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, then put the soup back in the pot, add the milk and heat gently.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with you choice of bread or bread sticks.

Broccoli Quiche

Archana — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:43:00 +0000

A French Recipe of Broccoli Quiche which is made without eggs, so for all those vegetarians here is a delicious recipe of the quiche made from Bechamel.

In French cuisine, a quiche is a baked dish that is based on a custard made from eggs and milk or cream in a pastry crust. Quiche can be eaten warm but is more commonly eaten cold, making it a suitable component of the food served in a typical summer picnic.

Ingredients

1 recipe of All purpose Crust dough
1 recipe of Bechamel sauce
1 teaspoon crushed and mashed garlic
2 cups of (1-inch-wide) broccoli florets (with 1 inch of stem attached)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

Prepare a 9-inch (2-inch-deep) round pie/tart pan with removable bottom.

Preheat oven to 180 C with rack in middle.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Fold overhang inward and press against side of pie plate to reinforce edge. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Line pie shell with foil and bake until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, 20 - 25 minutes.

While the pie crust is baking, steam the broccoli. Drain any excess water while steaming and allow the broccoli to cool, taking care that the broccoli does not get over cooked, but still has a crispy texture.

Whisk together bechamel sauce, garlic, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.

Pour filling into pie shell and add broccoli, then sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake quiche until custard is just set, 45 to 50 minutes. The center will be shaky but it will continue to set as it cools. Cool at least 20 minutes.

Serve quiche warm or at room temperature.

Handy Tip: Quiche can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat, uncovered, in a 325°F oven, about 25 minutes.

Chocolate Brownies

Archana — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:03:00 +0000

This one is for those chocolate lovers, inspired from one of my favorite cook books. The brownies are so delicious and chocolaty that you cant go wrong. The use of high quality dark chocolate enhances the flavor of this delicious brownie. Make sure your walnuts are fresh as well, else they could impart a bitter taste.

Makes: 16 slices approximately

Baking Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

200 grams chopped dark chocolate
250 grams butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 C.

Place the chocolate and butter in a sauce pan over low heat and stir until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Allow it to cool slightly.

Place the sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour, walnuts, vanilla essence, baking powder and the chocolate mixture in a bowl and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square tin lined with parchment paper or butter paper.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until set. When you shake the tin, it should not wobble, it should be firm.

When you use a tester, some amount of the brownie will be stuck, but it should not feel raw.

Remove from the oven once done and allow it to cool. Cut as desired and serve hot or cold.

Puri (Puffed and Fried Indian Bread)

Archana — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:36:00 +0000

Puri is a traditional Indian bread savored in most regions of India. Typically had for breakfast with spiced mashed potatoes together called as "Aloo Puri". This is a soft deep fried bread that is made from whole wheat flour. Adding some flavor like nigella seeds, fennel seeds or ajwain seeds enhances the flavor of this bread.

During the Mango Season in India, Puri goes deliciously well with "Aam Ras" - pureed ripe mangoes. This "Ras-Puri" combination is very Gujarati specialty.

Makes: 20 puri's
Cooking Time: approximately 2 minute per puri
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2-3 tablespoons oil
Oil for deep frying

Method

Sift the flour and salt together and knead all the ingredients together adding just enough water to make a tight dough. Make sure to take very little water at a time to avoid the dough becoming soggy.

Wipe your hands clean and oil them. Now knead the dough with the oiled hands until smooth and satiny adding additional flour if required, for about 10 minutes; till you get a satiny finish and texture to the dough. Do care not to add too much oil while kneading.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

Punch down the dough, knead for a minute and divide into 20 equal portions.

With a rolling pin, quickly roll out each ball into a 5-7 inch round.Heat oil in a frying pan/ deep fryer. Adding enough oil such that the rolled bread can get immersed in the oil to get fried. When the oil is hot and ready about 190C, gently slip 1 bread into the oil. Fry the bread, turning once until puffed, cooked and lightly browned. Using a slotted spatula/spoon drain the bread and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately with a vegetable gravy of your choice or tha plain old classic "Puri - Aloo" or "Pur - Chola" or "Ras Puri".

Thakkali Vengayam Sambar

Archana — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:03:00 +0000

The sweet flavor of the small onions and the sour taste of the tomatoes cooked in a tamarind and lentil gravy with the addition of home made sambar powder is sure to tease those palates when eaten with idli, dosa's, hot rice etc.

Sambar is a very traditional dish served in almost every South Indian household. The lentil based gravy has many different variations in each region. The sambar gets its spice and tanginess from the tamarind extract and sambar powder. The spice powder called “Sambar Powder” that is added is also atypical to every household. Each family, each region has their own subtle variation of this powder that it makes a huge difference to the way sambar tastes.

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup small onions peeled
1 cup largely diced tomatoes
½ cup tuvar dal
1 cup of freshly squeezed tamarind extract
1 tablespoon sambar powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
1 dry red chilli (optional)
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method

Cook the Tuvar Dal until soft. If the cooked dal is thick and mushy, add 1 cup of water and whisk.

Pressure cook the onions and tomatoes in the tamarind gravy along with sambar powder and salt.

If you are not using the pressure cook method - Heat oil in a sauce pan, saute the smalls onions until tender and the sweet aroma is released. Add the tomatoes, the sambar powder and tamarind extract and 1/4 cup of water and simmer until the tomatoes are tender. Set aside.

Mix the whisked and mashed cooked lentils to the tamarind gravy.

Heat oil in a pan; add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilli. Allow it to crackle. Add the lentil mixture to the seasoning and allow it to come to boil and simmer for a few minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or with phulka’s or with dosa’s.

Bengali Style Aloo Dum

Archana — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Loochi, aloo-dum, begun bhaja & mishiti is a traditional Bengali Breakfast and is generally had on Sundays and on special occasions like festivals and birthdays. In my stay in Calcutta my Bengali Cook used to make wonderful bengali delicacies and this used to be one of my favorites which I treasured. Recipe is simply delicious and can be enjoyed with rice, chapattis/parathas, loochis/pooris.

Makes :4 -5 servings

Ingredients

12 -14 small round potatoes or normal potatoes diced into big chunks (Boiled and Peeled)
1/4 cup onion paste
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/4 cup of tomato puree
1/4 cup yogurt (For sourness, can add lemon juice optionally)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon red chilli pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 green cardamoms, lightly crushed
1” piece cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 Bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida
2 Green chillies, whole
Salt to taste
2 + 1 tablespoons of Oil

Ingredients For garnishing

Coriander leaves, fresh and chopped
2 Green chilies, whole with the stem
Lime wedges

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, add the potatoes, a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt. Saute the potatoes till they are light golden. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and keep aside.

In the same frying pan, add the other tablespoon of oil, add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and saute for a few minutes until the paste turns golden and the raw smell goes away on low heat. Add the bay leaves, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves and asafoetida and sauté for a few minutes

Add the tomato puree and sauté till nicely blended with the onion-garlic-ginger paste.

Add the remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt, sugar and curd. Saute the entire mixture well, cover and let it simmer on low heat until the masala-mix is thickened (takes about 10 min).

Now add the potatoes and the 2 green chilies and mix everything well with the masala adding just a little water. Cover and let it simmer on low/medium heat for another 15 minutes until the masala has coated the potatoes well and is thick.

When done, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, green chilies and lime wedges.

Note:
Also if you use larger potatoes you need to increase the spices, the tomato puree, etc. So make changes accordingly based on the quality of the potatoes you use and the size. The gravy is really thick and well coated with the potatoes.

Whole Wheat Pizza topped with roasted vegetables

Archana — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Learning the science of yeast is essential to make any dough to rise. This recipe has been tried and tested many times and finally arrived into a simple yet food proof method of making pizza dough. Experiment with your choice of toppings and sauces.

Makes: 2 - 15 inch pizza's or about 25 mini pizza's appromimately

Ingredients

6 cups of whole wheat flour and some extra flour for dusting
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil and extra as needed
3 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water for yeast, plus 2 cups lukewarm water for dough
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Basic Topping Suggestions

About 3 cups of chopped oven roasted vegetables (zuccini, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions)
Freshly ground black pepper
About 3 cups freshly grated cheese (preferably a combination of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan)
1 1/2 to 2 cups roasted tomato sauce with freshly chopped basil leaves.

Method

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Allow it to sit for 5 - 10 minutes until creamy and starting to bubble . Read more in Yeast in Truth About Yeast, Baking Soda and Baking Powder.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cups lukewarm water, 1 generous tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, the 2 teaspoons sugar, and pepper. When yeast mixture is creamy and starting to bubble, add to mixing bowl and briskly stir in just enough flour, a little at a time, to create a mass. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead dough in a brisk push fold and turn motion, until perfectly smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add only as much additional flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking to your hands and work surface. Use a pastry scraper while kneading to scrape dough off surface cleanly as you continue to knead in a sufficient amount of flour.

Preheat oven to 200 C.

Place dough into a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover bowl with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and then with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draftfree spot until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down dough with several swift swats with the back of your hand until it is deflated slightly.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead just to release air pockets. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. or about 25 - 2 inch diameter balls for making mini pizza's.

Typically the dough that is stretched out with the hand and fingers have a better texture than the dough that is rolled out with a rolling pin. Use your expertise and stretch the dough out evenly. You can also give a desired edge to the dough or just leave it plain and flat.

Place the dough on a prepared pizza stone or a baking tray. Brush the interior of the circle (excluding the 1inch rim) with some olive oil and prick the oiled section of the dough deeply all over with a fork. Sprinkle oiled dough with freshly ground black pepper.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from oven using a baker's peel and place it on a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, as crust is baking, remove the reserved half of dough from refrigerator and prepare the second crust completely through the preceding step. As soon as you remove the first crust from the oven, prick the second crust again, place in oven and bake as directed above.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza with whole wheat crust.

Firstly layer the crust with the sauce, the scatter some roasted vegetables and finally the cheese. Bake in the hot oven until crust is deeply golden, toppings are piping hot and cheese is bubbling, about 12 - 15 minutes.

Time Management Tips

The sauce can be made well in advance and frozen in small heavyduty freezer containers.

The crusts can be partially prebaked early in the day or a day before and left at room temperature.

The toppings can be gathered a couple of hours before assembling pizzas.

After prebaking and cooling the crust, you can either freeze the empty crust or a fully assembled pizza. Wrap both well in aluminum foil. Let an empty crust thaw (wrapped) before topping it and baking. Bake a fully assembled frozen pizza directly from the freezer (unwrapped) on a perforated pizza pan in a preheated 200 C oven until crisp and hot throughout.

Dhoodi Carrot Juice - A Detox Drink

Archana — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Dhoodi, popularly called bottle gourd is a very common Indian vegetable eaten in all regions of India. What better way to help detox and feel refreshed with a class of gourd carrot ginger and lemon, the first thing in the morning. Try it and would are sure to love it.

Gourds are

Low in Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Zinc, Thiamin, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. Note that Wax Gourd is high in Sodium.

The nutritional value of gourd makes it suitable for:

Maintaining optimum health
Weight loss

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup bottle gourd peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 inch piece ginger
3-4 mint leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sugar and salt to taste

Note: You can also add 1/2 cup of chopped beetroot, it tastes fantastic and adds to the iron content as well.

Method
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, adding 1 cup of water to make a fine puree. Transfer to a decanter, add 2 more cups of water, add more or less to suit your desired consistency. Adjust the salt and sugar levels to your taste and stir.

Serve cold. Best had early morning to help detox.

Alternatively, you can use a juicer to extract the juice from the carrots and gourd, but the pulp value is lost and you will have to use a lot more of the gourd and carrot to get the desired quantity.

Golpapdi

Archana — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:48:00 +0000

A crispy sweet dish made from whole wheat flour and jaggery is prepared during auspicious occasions in Gujarati household. If ever you run out of things to make on a day you have unexpected guests, this would be an ideal sweet dish that is quick to prepare and tasty along with an Indian meal.

Makes: 8 - 10 pieces

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ghee (Clarified Butter)
1/4 cup jaggery, crushed into small pieces
1/4 fine sliced almonds
1 teaspoon of freshly ground cardamon powder
1 tablespoon dessicated coconut

Method

Melt the ghee in a frying pan and add the wheat flour and cardamom powder, stirring constantly till it turns golden brown and releases the roasted aroma.

Turn off the heat and quickly add the jaggery and coconut and stir well, so the jaggery melt quickly in the heat.

As soon as the jaggery melts, and the mixture is still warm, pour the mixture into a greased baking sheet and spread it evenly with a 3/4th inch thickness.

Sprinkle the sliced almonds and cut into diamond/square shapes while it is still warm. Set aside and allow it to sit untouched. After about an hour, once cooled, you will find that you have these crisp golpapdi's.

Store in airtight containers.

Caution: The addition of jaggery to the wheat flour mixture is a tricky procedure. The whole mixture can get brittle and gooey. So use caution, and turn off heat just before adding jaggery.

Ginger Brandy Cookies

Archana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:54:00 +0000

This is a wonderful, snappy holiday cookie - like an old fashioned sugar cookie all jazzed up.

Makes: about 50

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon of ground ginger powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons of brandy

Topping
3 tablespoons of confectioner's sugar

Method

Cream the butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

Gradually beat in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Form the dough into a ball and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper

Spread the TOPPING sugar on a plate. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in sugar and place on the baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until just firm and a bit crisp around the edges.

Remove the cookies to a rack and let cool completely. Store in air tight containers.

Giant Chocolate Cookies

Archana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:34:00 +0000

What can be a better pleasure with cookies made from real chocolate. Yea, these cookies are absolutely delicious, made from bitter sweet chocolate and some toffee bits and not to miss out the walnuts.

Makes: about 12

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper

In a double boiler over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from the boiler and allow it to cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, combine the flour,baking soda, and salt.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture.

Gradually beat in the flour to the butter mixture until well blended.

Stir in the toffee bits and nuts. Scrape the sides of the bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for one hour or until chilled and firm.

Drop the mixture by 1/4 cupfuls onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. The cookies expand while baking, so take care to give space.

Place the baking sheet to the oven and bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until the top starts to crack and dry. The cookies will be soft to touch. Do not over bake, they will firm up as they cool.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, they cook a little more while sitting on the heat. Gently transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in air tight containers.

Ginger Lemon Cookies

Archana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Cookies are made with addition of ground ginger and lemon rind gives that winter touch to the cookie. If you are a ginger fan, then this cookie is just for you.

Makes: 25 -30

Ingredients

1 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons extra
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup castor sugar + 4 tablespoons extra
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Extra flour for shaping

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper

In a large bowl, combine the flour,baking soda, ginger and salt.

Cream the butter, 1/2 cup castor sugar and vanilla until light. Add in the eggs and lemon rind.

Gradually beat in the flour to the butter mixture until well blended.

Scrape the sides of the bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for one hour or until chilled.

With flour hands, using heaping teaspoons of the cookie dough, form balls. Roll them until smooth. Arrange them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Continue the same with the remaining dough.

Put the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. Dip the bottom of a water glass first in cold water, then in the sugar and press the balls to flatten them to a 1/3rd inch thickness.

Place the baking sheet to the oven and bake the cookies for about 18 minutes or until they are firm and edges are golden.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, they cook a little more while sitting on the heat. Gently transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in air tight containers and serve them with your cuppa!

Oatmeal Cranberry Chip Cookies

Archana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Cookies are made from oatmeal and dried cranberries with that dash of white chocolate make them truly delicious. They are quick and easy to make and healthy as well with the low sugar content.

Makes: 36

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup dried sweet cranberries (add raisins optionally)
1 cup of white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper

In a large bowl, combine the flour,oats, baking soda and salt.

Cream the butter, castor sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light. Add the eggs one by one.

Gradually beat in the flour to the butter mixture until well blended.

Stir in the cranberries, chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop the mixture in spoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. The cookies expand while baking, so take care to give space.

Place the baking sheet to the oven and bake the cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they are firm.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, they cook a little more while sitting on the heat. Gently transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in air tight containers and serve them with your cuppa!