Pani Puri

Hello all the Bloggobuddies!! 
Re-posting this along with the recipe of Pani (the Puneri style) for Pani Puri. Pani for Pani Puri differs from city to city and all of them taste different and yummy.  But this one is specifically for "Punekars". This is specially for my friends here in Gothenburg. so friendssss here goes the recipe:-


For Tamarind Pani:- 
I would no specify the quantities here as it may defer according to the requirement. (But roughly the proportion for tamarind and jaggery is 1: little less than exactly 2)
Tamarind Pulp (Home-made/ readymade)
Dark Jaggery ( adding litle more than actually required jaggery for this; will make Pani more tastier and will give differnet flavour and colour)
Salt to taste
Chat masala 1 tsp.
Ajwain slightly crushed 1 tsp.
Mix in the tamarind and Jaggery very well and add water as per requirement. Mix in the salt, chat masala, ajwain. Chill it before using. Chilled water works best for Pani Puri.


For Tikhat Pani:-
Mint leaves, Green chillies, coriander, chat masala, jeera powder,fennel seeds, 1 inch piece ginger, 4-5 black pepper, 4-5 laung, 1 tsp. Ajwain, salt.
Grind everything together finely and then mix in water as per the required quantity. Chill it before using. Chilled water works best for Pani Puri.

I have received lot of requests from my friends to post the recipe for Puris for Pani Puri. In India it is widely available in every corner and nook of  every city. But Indians who are leaving outside India...it is really difficult for them to have panipuri as and when they want to. Of-course US and London are the exceptions that I know of, there may be many more places, but I did not have that privilege in Germany and now in Sweden. So for me, if I have to have Pani-Puri it requires a little bit of planning and patience. It takes a lot of time to make puris....haha...and if you make some 100 puris at a time then it takes patience...don't u agree.....so here goes the simple recipe:-

Refined Flour 1/4 cup

Fine Semolina 3/4 cup

Water 1/2 cup ( you actually require a little less water than 1/2 cup)

That is all you need and of course oil for frying. 

1. Now mix together Semolina and Refined Flour and add water little by little. Make sure that your dough does not become sticky. Cover and rest the dough for at least 10 mins. 

2. Divide the dough in 60 small parts and roll them out into a puri.

You can roll all the puris at once; just make sure you keep them covered on a wet kitchen cloth. (This will prevent the puris from drying and help them puffing evenly).

3. Fry the puris starting from the first batch that you rolled out in a really hot oil. Let them get proper colour and remove and drain on kitchen towel. Puris for Panipuri are ready.

Note:- If your dough becomes sticky, then use little oil while rolling out. But the puris will become soft eventually. Wait.......don't get upset. Pre-heat the oven on 200 o C and put all softened puris into the oven for 8-10 mins. and remove them. Once they get completely cooled down the puris will become crispy.

Danish Pastries

I love danish pastries. During my stay in Copenhagen; I had loadssssss of them.Well...I dont eat stuffed pastries often..but I do eat the freshly baked croissants...I just love them. During college practicals; we use to make these from scratch but now life has become much more easier as it is easier to get the frozen puff pastries. I did exactly the same this time and made few shapes. Hang on...I will share the basic Puff pastry recipe from scratch very soon. Right now lets get back to different shapes of danish pastries.

It requires 3 Ingredients: - Frozen Puff Pastry sheets, Jam ( i used Home-made Blueberry Jam), and Cream cheese ( I flavored it with little sugar and Lemon zest)

                               

There is nothing much to say about how we go about making these. The pictures that I will post; will speak for themselves. Just 2-3 things to be kept in mind are:- 

1. Take out the pastry sheets and thaw( leave them outside at room temperature separated on dusted surface to avoid sticking) them till they come to the room temperature.

2. Before you start making shapes, Pre-heat the oven at 200 o c for 10 mins.

3. Once the pastries are ready bake them for 15-20 mins. / till they turn golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them completely on cool rack.

so here are the pictures:-

1. Braided Danish

2. Windmill

3. Pinwheels 

4. Vol-au-vent

Strawberry CheeseCake

This is what I made some time back for my Anniversary. It's a no-bake cheesecake, very easy to prepare and extremely yummy and delicious. This needs little bit of preparation and planning. You will need time on hand to prepare this as it takes about 6-7 hours to set the cake. Read further for the recipe.

250 gm strawberries 

200 gm Digestive Biscuits ( Mcvities biscuits work fine)

3 tbsp melted butter 

1 tin Milkmaid ( sweetened condensed milk)
1 cup hung curd
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp granular gelatin / 4-5 gelatine sheets soaked in water
4 tbsp water

Chocolate vermicelli for garnishing (optional)

2 tbsp. Strawberry Crush for Garnishing (optional)
6-8 fresh strawberries - for garnishing

1. Grind the biscuits and mix in the melted butter with it. 

2. Line the base of the cake tin evenly and smoothly with the biscuit mixture. Put in the freezer to set for 15-20 mins / in the refrigerator for 1 hr.

3. If you are using granular gelatine/ gelatine sheets; it is necessary to soak them for 10 mins. before using.
4. Puree the strawberries in a mixie.

5. Beat the hung curd and condensed milk together in a different bowl.

6. Whip the cream in another bowl and blend well into the previous mixture of curd and condensed milk, also mix in the strawberry puree to make a smooth mixture. 

7. Melt the gelatine over double boiler/ in the microwave. When hot gelatine is added into the mixture, there will be some lumps that will form, to avoid this when gelatine is melted; add 2 tbsp. water to make it thin. 

8. Then pour the gelatin slowly into the strawberry mixture. Keep stirring continuously to avoid any lumps. It is very important that all the ingredients are at room temperature; not hot/cold.
9. Take out the frozen biscuit base from the refrigerator and pour the strawberry mixture onto the set biscuit base. Put in the refrigerator to set overnight/ at least for 6-7 hours .

10. Once set Decorate the cake with Chocolate Vermicelli, thinly sliced strawberries, and strawberry crush. Serve chilled. 

 

Dum Aloo

Dum Aloo belongs to North Indian or more specifically Kashmiri cuisine. The potatoes, usually smaller ones, are first deep fried, then cooked slowly on low flame in a curd based gravy with Indian spices. The recipe that I am posting here has a little change in the original recipe. Read further.......

Baby potatoes 8-10 

Oil to shallow fry  + 1 tbsp. 

Onion , roughly chopped 1 small  

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Ginger-Garlic paste 2 tsp. 

Red chilli powder 1 tsp. 

Coriander powder 1 tbsp.

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.

Cashew nuts handful of them 

Tomato puree 1/2 cup  

Yogurt, whisked 1/4 cup  

Salt to taste 

Honey To taste

Dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) 1 tsp.

Fresh cream  3-4 tbsp

1. Peel, wash potatoes. Par-boil them till they are half or 3/4 done. Remove them from water and pat dry them.

2. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai to shallow fry the potatoes and  fry the potatoes till lightly browned. Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside. 

3. Boil onion and cashew nuts with very little water for two to three minutes. Grind into a fine paste. 

4. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan. Add boiled onion - cashew paste. Cook till fat starts to separate. 

5. Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir for some time. Add the tomato puree and stir fry again for 2-3 mins.

6. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and yogurt. Mix well. 

7. Add deep-fried potatoes. Add approximately two of water and salt. Let it simmer for some time. Finish with kasoori methi, fresh cream and honey. Serve hot.

Fikabröd/Vetebröd

This bread is a ubiquitous Scandinavian holiday treat, but can be made year round to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.  In Finland, this bread is known as Pulla or sometimes Nisu depending on the region and often formed into pitko, a braid shaped loaf.  In Sweden, this bread may be referred to simply as Vetebröd or specifically as Kardemummabullar (bullar for buns) or Kardemummabröd (bröd for bread loaf).  In Norway, this bread is called Julekake (direct translation yule cake) and is almost always made with raisins.

This bread is a typical Fika Item; Fika means "to drink coffee," usually accompanied by something sweet. Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffeebreak, with one's colleagues, friends, date, or family. The word has quite ambiguous connotations and can mean anything from taking a break from work or other activities, to going on a date. This practice of taking a break, typically with a cinnamon roll or some biscuits or cookies, or sometimes a smörgås or a fruit on the side, is central to Swedish life, and is regularly enjoyed even by the government.

Although the word may in itself imply "taking a break from work," this is often emphasized using the word fikapaus ("fika pause") or fikarast ("fika break"), with kaffepaus and kafferast, respectively, as near synonyms. Fika may also mean having coffee at a café or konditori (a "patisserie-based coffeehouse").

Traditionally, fika requires sweet, baked goods, especially cinnamon rolls. It is also combined in words such as fikabröd ("fika bread") which is a collective name for all kinds of biscuits, cookies, buns, etc that are traditionally eaten with coffee. Non-sweetened breads are normally not included in this term (even though these may sometimes be consumed with coffee). It is also used as a noun, referring to fikabröd and coffee combined.

This is something I had it for the first time here in Gothenburg and absolutely loved it. Don't get disappointed by the length of the post as it is very easy to make and requires only 7 ingredients. So let me share the recipe with you all guys:-

So here goes...

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups milk

1/8 cup sugar, plus one spoonful for glaze

1/8 cup butter

1 egg

2 teaspoons cardamom, preferably seeds but may substitute powder if desperate

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Makes about 2 medium size loaves.

1. Let’s start with crushing the cardamom seeds.  You can substitute powdered cardamom, but using crushed seeds will give a more authentic appearance and taste to the bread. 

2. Now to start the bread.  Timing is a bit important, as yeast only survives for a few hours and you want it to be as happy as possible so your bread comes out fluffy.  So don’t plan to start this recipe and then stop halfway through and try to pick it up the next day.  You need a somewhat undisturbed four hour window to complete the process.

3. Yeast is happiest when it is warm, but not too warm!  Heat 3/4 cups of milk to a little over lukewarm.  

4. Add at least 1/8 cup of sugar.  More is okay if you have a sweet tooth.  Sugar is yeast’s favorite food. Now add the 2 teaspoons of previously cracked cardamom seeds.

Stir to dissolve the sugar.  

5. Add 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast to your slightly warm, sugary milk.  Your yeast is going to be very happy! Stir gently to dissolve the yeast. Beat the egg, add to the mixture leaving some for the brushing later on and stir gently.

6. Add the flour, starting with about 1 1/2 cups, mix in with a spoon, you will have to start using your hands to knead in the remaining 1 cup.  Kneading takes a bit of energy.  Just keep pressing the dough down as hard as you can, then folding in half and pressing down as hard as you can over and over again until the dough is more elastic than crumbly.

7. Once your dough is well kneaded, melt 1/8 cup of butter and pour over the dough.

This is a good time to turn on your oven to 200 degrees.  You want to preheat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn it off.  This is where your bread is going to rise for the next two hours.

8. Knead some more to integrate all the melted butter. You should end up with a nice ball of elastic-y dough that looks like it will barely make one loaf of bread.  

9. Hopefully by now, your oven is preheated to 200 degrees.  Turn the oven off.  Very important.  You don’t want to upset the yeast.  You just want to keep it from getting the chills.  The oven should be little more than lukewarm.  Leave the glass dish in your unheated oven for about two hours.  Or you can take it out a little earlier if easier for you, let’s say 1 1/2 hours, but then you should try to make up that 1/2 hour on the other side of the next step before baking.  After two hours, your ball of dough should be giant!  Now you can see it will make two loaves. 

10. Punch down into the ball of dough and knead a few more times.  It will deflate slightly when you punch it down in the middle.  Not to worry, it will rise again! now finally the dough is ready.

11. Now to braid the loaves, roll them out in a big oval shape and cut the edges as shown in the picture below. I prefer to roll them on a baking sheet  or a aluminum foil so that it becomes easy to lift and put it on the oven.

12. If you want to add any filling in this bread, its a good time to add it . Fill in the stuffing in the middle and start closing the the pleats one by one. At the end this is what you get.

13. Braid both loaves.  Let sit for about 20 minutes to continue rising.  Or add up to half an hour to that if you interrupted the rise earlier in the process.  Don’t let it sit for longer though because it will start to deflate as the yeast dies (remember they only live for a few hours) and then the bread will end up small and tough.

14. To glaze your cardamom bread, use the earlier beaten egg and brush on right before baking.  Sprinkle with a spoonful of sugar, or any topping you prefer, such as sliced almonds.  Glazing is an essential step for all cardamom breads in every region, whether you call it Pulla, Nisu, Vetebröd, Kardemummabullar, Julekake or something else.  

15. Bake loaves or buns for 20-30 minutes at 200 0 c. Bread browns easily, so keep an eye on it.  When you are able to stick a tooth pick in the bread and have it come out clean, the bread is done.

Appam with Vegetable Stew ( No yeast Recipe)

The joy that is no more a Joy!

Cooking………………It used to be  really a joy…….But nowadays it bugs the hell out of me because it has become an everyday chore……..Don't feel like cooking at allllllllll………….

It’s been almost 4 months….and what’s really changed in the last 4 months?

Have I started updating my blog regularly?

Have I  read other blogs and commented on them for their good work?

Have I  read my own posts for that matter?

have I participated in any blog events?

Have I done something nice for someone without expecting anything in return?

Have I felt positive about certain things?

Do I feel nice when I visit Nordstan?

Have I finally settled down in Gothenburg?.............................

Noooooooooooooo………not much has changed……. its still the same; the way it has been for last 4 months…..I still hate Gothenburg….. the weather still sucks out here…….I want to go back……wait a minute…not to India…..to Germany….

Anyway I know nothing is going to change…so let me get back to the post…..

Appam known by many names-Palappam,Vellayapam...Appam is a fluffy rice pancake made originally with toddy which gives it the unique sweet and sour taste. It is a quite popular breakfast item in Kerala. It is often served with kadala (kala chana) curry, vegetable stew or any other meat stew. The proportions vary from household to household. Most recipes use yeast for the fermentation of the Appam batter. But this is a no yeast recipe.

Raw rice – 1 cup

Cooked rice – 1 cup

Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup

Salt to taste

Baking powder – 1 tsp

1. Soak the raw rice for 4-6 hours.

2. Grind to a smooth batter adding the cooked rice ( completely cooled down) and grated coconut and enough water.

3. Mix well and keep it covered for 8-10 hours for fermentation.[I keep it overnight in the oven]

4. Next morning add the baking powder and salt, add more water if the batter is too thick-it has to be of pouring consistency.

5. Heat a non stick appa chatti[appam pan] or any non stick kadai or any normal pan.

6. Pour a ladle full of batter into the pan when it is hot and swirl the pan in a clockwise motion spreading the batter to the sides of the pan.

7. Swirling the pan gives the appam the customary pretty lace edges and a spongy, thick center.

8. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. You don't need to flip over the appam and roast it from the other side, it should be cooked only from one side.

Remove the appam to a plate and serve hot with Vegetable stew.