Fruited Brioche Buns !

For those who are not familiar with Brioche,this is a traditional bread eaten in France for breakfast,usually served warm.Conventionally baked in the shape of a small cottage loaf,Brioche has a rich texture just like bread .Now,this is a variation of kind,with a shift in shape and a nice filling to begin the day..

Ingredients
225 gms all purpose flour/white flour
2 large eggs,beaten
50 gm melted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
7 gm of easy blend,dried yeast
pinch of salt
beaten egg,to glaze

For the Filling

40 gm blanched almonds,chopped
50 gm mixed dried fruit (of your choice)
1 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp orange juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 degree,15 mts before baking.Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.Stir in the sugar and yeast.Make a well in the centre.Add the eggs,butter and 2 tablespoons of warm water and mix to a soft dough.Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 mts,until smooth and elastic.Put in an oiled bowl,cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for one hour or until it has doubled in size.

Mix the ingredients for the filling together,cover the bowl and leave to soak while the dough is rising.

Now on to the doubled dough..

Re-knead the dough for 2 mts,then divide it into 12 pieces.Take one piece at a time and flatten three-quarters into a 2.5 inch round.Spoon a little filling in the centre,then pinch the edges together to enclose.

Put seam-side down into a well-greased fluted bun tin.Shape the smaller piece of dough into a round and place on top of the larger one.Repeat this process with the remaining balls of dough.

Now cover the brioche with oiled cling film and leave for about 20 mts,or until well risen.(during this time you may preheat the oven)

Brush the brioches with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 mts,or until golden.Cool on a wire rack and serve.

*Sending these breakfast buns to Radhika's Let's Cook-Scrumptious Breakfasts Event.

Punjabi Garam Masala !

I remember reading cricketer Sreesanth cherishing the good times of Punjabi food at Yuvraj Singh's house.May be the dedicated foodie he is,he was confessing the fact that however authentic a  punjabi restaurant he has gone so far,the taste of chicken cooked at Yuvi's house is still far above any competition.You can't beat them.But why ? The real authentic food made with home made masala always  win.I guess that would have done magic with Yuvaraj's family cuisine.

Now why I am suddenly into all these you may be wondering.Being a very conventional cook,I always love to prepare authentic masalas for the recipes I try with.The exception so far is Thai or Chineese.I have this specially labelled jars of regional masalas and biriyani masala.Coming on to Punjabi recipes,they often calls for garam masala.So,why don't you make some and store at home for regular use ? Unlike Kerala Masala, this one is rich and vibrant with whole lot of wonderful spices.Just try and see how this can help you do wonders for fresh and authentic Punjabi food.

Ingredients
15 gms cinnamon
20 gms cloves
75 gms cardamom
100 gms cumin seeds/jeera
65 gms peppercorn
35 gms coriander seeds/dhania
35 gms fennel seeds
20 gms mace
20 gms shahjeera/caraway seeds
15 gms bay leaves/tejpatta
3 nutmeg
15 gms ginger powder/soonth

Method

Dry roast all the spices except ginger powder.Grind them to powder in a grinder.Now you can add the ginger powder to this and mix well.Store in an air-tight container.
Enjoy using for your Punjabi recipes !

*Source:Tarla Dalal

Puli Inji !! (Ginger in tangy tamarind sauce)

Puli Inji can be best described as a sweet and sour ginger preparation.Being a special member of delightful Kerala Sadya,Puli Inji might be the result of high end culinary sessions of our ancestors aiming to please the digestive department.We Keralites just love it for the special flavour it offers.This enchanting condiment can be kept for a while if prepared with care.

Ingredients
250 gm ginger,peeled and chopped into thin,round pieces
50 gm green chillies,cut into thin round pieces
1/4-1/2 cup tamarind pulp (squeeze lemon sized tamarind in water and strain)
pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilly powder
4-5 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp jaggery (or to balance the flavour)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaf
salt

Method

Heat oil in a medium skillet and fry the chopped ginger till it's roasted well.Drain it in a paper towel and crush it for a better flavour. Fry the chopped chillies.Keep it separately.In another pot heat the tamarind pulp along with turmeric and chilly powders.Mix it well and boil till it turns thick.Meanwhile heat oil in a small skillet and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.Pour this over the thick tamarind mixture.Add crushed ginger and chilly to this and mix well.Cook in law heat and add the jaggery slowly checking the flavour.This is to balance the sweet-sour proportion.Add salt and remove from fire.Serve with rice and curries.

*Sending this Puli Inji to Condiment Mela hosted by Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons !

Appalam Vathal Kuzhambu (Pappad / Indian wafers in tamarind gravy) !

There was a time I used to wonder how vegetarians manage planning their daily menu.With the available vegetables how one can come up with varied tastes,I was doubtful.But then I had several opportunities to associate with hardcore vegetarians and this was an eye opener.The unique flavours and combinations they experiment we can't even imagine.Here is such a wonderful simple gravy with the very common pappads/wafers we all have handy at home.As the name talks it all,this is a Tamil preparation I have adapted from 'Samayal' of Viji Varadarajan..Do check buddies,it's such a delightful quick-fix !

Ingredients
4-5 pappadam/appalam/Indian wafers,teared into two or three pieces
3 tbsp thick tamarind pulp
1.5 tsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida/kayam/hing powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 sprig curry leaves
1 cup water
sesame oil,salt as needed

Method

Heat oil in a medium skillet and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek.Add the pappad pieces to this and sauté till they puff up.Now add one cup water,tamarind pulp,sambar powder,asafoetida powder,salt and curry leaves.Bring this to a boil.Close with a lid and reduce the heat.Simmer for 7-8 minutes or till the gravy thickens.Serve hot with rice.

Wheat Halwa - Indian Cooking Challenge !

This month's Indian Cooking Challenge is a typical south Indian sweet.Wheat Halwa ! I am sure something I have tried only because it's for an event.Just my luck that I am not much interested in sweets.Yet can remember the melting flavours of Calicut Halwa from childhood..It's a pleasure remembering,always is.

Coming to the recipe of this tempting wheat halwa,from among the few suggestions made by Srivalli,I have successfully tried out Wheat Halwa from Sanctified Spaces .It came out so well for me.Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat grains
1 tsp cardamom powder
handful of cashews
4-5 tbsp ghee (original recipe calls for more which will be tasty more,but I have this habit of cutting fat as much as I can,yet tasty)
pinch of food colouring
For the sugar syrup
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
few drops of milk

Method

Soak the wheat grains overnight and wash well.Grind this adding 1 cup water at a time.Do this thrice and extract the milk by straining.This process is the most difficult part of the whole halwa making.

Now prepare the sugar syrup by adding 3/4 cup water to the sugar.Heat and keep on stirring the syrup.Add few drops of milk so that it will bring out the scum from the syrup.Cook till the syrup turns one string consistency.

At this stage,add the wheat milk to the syrup and keep stirring.This process has to be done carefully till the halwa start forming to a ball and leaves from sides.

In between the process,add ghee little by little and stir.Add colour,cardamom powder and cashew nuts  letting the stirring process on.

Finally when it start leaving from sides and forms a ball,switch off the stove.Shift this to a greased plate.

Let it remain so till cool.Cut and enjoy !!

Muringayila-Parippu Thoran ! (drumstick leaves and pigeon peas / toor dal with coconut)

Here is a simple healthy preparation with drumstick leaves.I seriously am passionate about the drumstick plant or tree ? The sight of jovial drumsticks hanging from the plant with the super elegant flowers of it in the background,you can't keep your eyes away from that.It's obviously a medicinal plant too.There are plenty ways of cooking the drumstick leaves .This one is a nice flavour you may fall for !

Ingredients

2.5 cup drumstick leaves,cleaned
1/4 cup toor dal/pigeon peas,cooked
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaf
oil,salt

To crush

1/4 cup grated coconut
1 clove of garlic
pinch of turmeric
1 green chilly (your choice)

Method

Heat oil in a pan/cheenachatty and splutter mustard seeds.Add the crushed ingredients and saute well till the raw smell leaves.Add the drumstick leaves and mix well.Add salt and cooked toor dal to this.Toor dal should only be cooked,not to by mushy.Mix everything well and let it cook in the steam for a while.Serve hot with Kanji (rice gruel) or use as a side dish with rice !

Queen Victoria !! - Guava Mocktail

Well,I know I am a bit 'snailish' these days when it comes to posting.The truth is, I am living in that sage era for a while now,the only difference being the absence of a hut to live.Hey, living with just fruits to eat is what I am  mentioning.A self imposed rejuvenation for the body,soul and even for the blog ! Isn't that a change friends ?

Now,I have few in my draft,which I am digging up to present here.This is a mocktail I am sure you will love with the season.Try and check till we see next time....

Ingredients

1/4 cup guava crush,preferably cold
1/2 cup ice water
few ice cubes
3 tbsp curd
1 tbsp sugar/sugarfree/honey (your choice)

Method

Blend everything together in a grinder.Prepare two glasses with ice cubes.Pour the mocktail and enjoy !

Mutton Cooker Roast !!

I had some mutton in the freezer and had no time to prepare an elaborate meal.Suddenly I thought of this awesome recipe I tried before.It's very simple and easy to prepare with minimum ingredients one always have at home.Another recipe from Lakshmi Nair.With most of the cooking done in a pressure cooker,this is totally a quick fix and yes,sinfully delicious  ! Do check all mutton lovers,you have nothing to loose I assure..

Ingredients
1 kg mutton,cut into medium pieces
4 onions,sliced thin
1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste
handful of shallots,crushed
4 tsp kashmiri chilly powder
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup water
2 sprig curry leaves
salt,oil as required

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and roast the sliced onion and crushed shallots till brown.Add ginger garlic paste to this and roast till the raw smell disappears.Now reduce the heat and add turmeric,chilly and garam masala powders. Sauté till the raw smell goes and then add the mutton pieces. Sauté well for five minutes and the masala gets wrapped over mutton pieces.Add salt and 1/4 cup water to this and pressure cook for fifteen minutes.After the first whistle reduce the heat to the minimum and cook.Fifteen minutes will do.Now open the lid and if there is still water in the mutton,dry it in law heat.Now the oil will be cleared on top.Shift the mutton to a non-stick kadai /cheenachatti and roast it in law heat till dark brown.Add the curry leaves.Serve hot with Appam/Roti/Chapathi/Pathiri/Rice.