Focaccia Bread @Home

Focaccia Bread

Coronavirus is costing us our lives, mental health and our travel time but this is an opportunity to make the most out of these 21 days. While social distancing and lockdown had me bored out of my mind, my hobbies and friends came out as my saviours. Since my childhood, I had thought of joining baking classes, given the situation a class seemed less probable, that's when my friend Preeti Tandon Sridhar helped me out. She mentored me and helped me in baking different kinds of bread. She prefers healthy Baking so mostly she uses wheat flour for cakes and cookies. You can check her blog Cakes &Curries for amazing recipes. After 15 days of practice and failed attempts of baking I managed to make a bread that now confident to share with you.

Quarantined within 4 walls and not satisfying our usual living style of enjoying pizza, garlic bread and Focaccia bread tends to make us frustrated. So use this recipe, sit with a Focaccia bread and find solace amidst the mess this world is in.

Preparation Time : 5 to 6 hours

Cooking Time : 20 -25 min

Ingredients :

• Maida (all purpose flour ) 1 1/2 cup
• Milk 3/4 cup
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Salt 1tsp
• Oil 2 Tbsp (I used olive oil)
• Active dry yeast 1 tsp
• Butter 1 tbs
• Pizza seasoning 2 tsp
• Chilly Flakes 1tsp
• Onion sliced 12 -15 slices
• Red bell pepper sliced 10 -12 slices
• Olives 2 -3 sliced
• Jalapeños chopped 1 tsp

Video :

Procedure :

• Take 1/2 of the milk lukewarm it, mix sugar and dry active yeast. keep it in a warm place for 20 mins. you will find yeast frothing 
• Now in a bowl add fortune yeast along with salt, 1 tbs of oil, 1tsp pizza seasoning, chilly flakes, 1 cup of maida and remaining milk. Mix all ingredients and keep aside for 30 mins.

• After 30 mins on a clean surface dust the remaining flour, 1 tbs of oil and the flour mixture we made. Now knead all together for 15 to 20 minutes or till you get a smooth and elastic dough. 

• Once the dough is ready take a baking dish. I used the round one. Oil the dish nicely and place the dough on it spread the dough and apply oil on the dough. Cover the dish with wet clothe or clean film and keep it aside for 2 hours 

• Now you will find the dough has doubled in size. Use your fingers and press it firmly. Place sliced onions, bell peppers, olives, jalepenos and pizza seasoning. Again cover it with clean film and leave it for 30 mins. 

• Now pre-heat the oven for 5 mins and bake your focaccia for 25-30 mins at 120 degree temperature. Once you see nice brown colour of bread, power off oven and leave it in oven for 5 mins. Take it out and brush with butter and serve it.

Moong Dal Kachori

Moong Daal Kachori  

The recipe which I am sharing today is very near to my heart as this is few of those recipes which I learned during my school days. There is a short and sweet story behind this recipe. I learned making these kachories during my school days. My father got transferred to another city and  he was managing it alone there. He had a good neighborhood there. In Indian culture the best thing is when ever we prepare something good we use to share that with our neighbors.

His neighbors also used to share things with my father and this one is one of those items. In fact they told him about its benefits. It has a shelf life of 3-4 days and if someone is going out and may find uncomfortable in eating out, he can always carry these kachories. and as my papa was living alone and travelling frequently he liked the idea and taste

So when father came back he brought some for us as well. We all liked its taste and I was as usual determined to create the same taste. With few trials I could achieve the taste. One thing I specifically liked about this is that it uses Moong Daal. Normally we use Urad daal which is comparatively heavier for digestion. Using moong daal gives it reduced calories and you won't feel guilt in enjoying it.

This is is one of our favorite food when ever we are on vacation.

Preparation Time :  40 Min

Cooking Time :  20 Min

Resting Time : 1 hour

Ingredients 

 For Filling :

• 1 cup moong dal soaked for 1 hour
• 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Coarsely grind 1 tbsp Indian spices (3-4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, cinnamon, 5-6 cloves, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin seed, 2 bay leaves, pinch of asafoetida)
• Tea spoon dry mango powder 
• Ginger 1 inch piece chopped
• 2 chopped green leaves
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Salt according to taste
• Red chilli powder according to taste
• Water 1/2 cup or as needed

For Dough :

• All purpose flour (Maida)1 1/2 cup
• Soda bi carbonate (baking soda)1/4 tsp
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Salt according to taste
• Water as required
• Oil for frying

Procedure :    

• Wash moong dal, soak it in enough water for 1 hour and keep it aside
• In a bowl sieve the flour, salt and soda bi carbonate together. Add 2 tbsp of ghee and rub between your palms to get bread crumb texture.

• Knead it into a soft dough with water. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside.

• In a pan, dry roast all the Indian spices and coarsely grind them and keep aside.
• In a pan add spices powder along with gram flour and roast it for 5 to 6 minutes on slow flame till you get a nice aroma. Transfer this in a dish

• In a pan add 1 tablespoon of oil, heat it, add pinch of hing, fennel seed, chopped ginger. Soute this, add chopped green chilies now add moong dal and cook for 4 to 5 minutes add 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pan with lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or till the dal gets properly cooked but make sure that we should not over cook the dal 

• Once the dal is cooked add spices and gram flour mixture and cook both the things together
• Now add salt, chilly powder, dry mango powder and chopped coriander, mix all together and transfer this to a bowl and let the mixture get cooled

• Make small ball from dough. flatter the ball, place a tablespoon of filling in the centre and bring the edges together to form a ball as shown in picture

• Flatten it slowly as shown in picture

• Heat oil in kadhai. Fry kachoris on a slow flame till these are cooked properly and are light brown in color

• Repeat the steps with rest of the dough

• Enjoy 

Tip  :

• In case if you feel bringing spices is problem you can use readymade garam masala. But fresh masala has nice aroma
• Try to cook kachori on slow or medium flame
• You can keep spices according to your taste 

Pudina Parantha (Mint Bread)

 Pudina Parantha (Mint Bread)

 Today we feel guilty if we have paranthas in dinner. Not long ago when we were kids and were served this ghee-soaked stuff, we used to feel deeply satisfied. However it is not a bad idea to pamper yourself and your family occasionally with such delicacies.

Preparation Time : 20 Min

Resting Time : 2 Hours

Cooking Time : 15 Min

Ingredients :

• 2 Cup Maida (all purpose flour)
• 2 Tablespoon Sooji (semolina)
• 1 Teaspoon sugar
• Salt according to taste
• 1 Teaspoon yeast
• Few fresh Mint leaves or dry whichever is available
• 2 Tablespoon Pure ghee
• Water as required

Procedure :

• In a bowl take flour, salt, sugar and semolina mix all well
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of water add this to flour mixture
• Add water as required and knead mixture into a stiff dough. Keep this dough aside for 2 hours

• Now roll the dough to a medium chapati and apply ghee to it and sprinkle some flour on it and hold the chapati as shown in picture

• Now apply again ghee on it as shown in picture and roll the dough again in a ball sprinkle some dry mint leaves on it. Now roll it into paratha

• Now cook paratha on a hot tawa on medium flame and apply ghee on both side. Cook paratha till it is golden brown from both side

• Serve it with dal or curry of your choice

Tips :

• If you are using fresh mint leaves then roast it on hot tawa, cool and crush it into a powder
• Without Mint also, it tastes good 
• To pamper your family before serving pour 1 teaspoon of ghee on hot paratha sprinkle some dry pudding on it and crush it between your palms. My grandmother used to serve paratha this way with lots of love ...