Basic White Bread with the touch of Whole Wheat Flour

I don't need the bread, but it's nice to do something creative

- John Goodman

I have a very good excuse for making another bread in a row, Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen is hosting a CSN giveaway for which she has a condition that bake/cook anything from her blog , so what can be a better reason for trying new recipes & also I really like her baking recipes, specially breads. Make sure you check out her blog for more wonderful recipes. My first trial from her collection of bread recipes was Challah Bread which came out really good & now is the turn of Basic White Bread, again with good results. I've mainly followed the original recipe but have made little changes in term of ingredients. So please check the original recipe for full details as I'm only going to write down the changes I've made.

• Original recipe uses 3-3 & 1/4 cup Bread flour or All purpose flour(APF), I substituted 1 cup of APF with whole wheat pastry flour & rest I used was APF.
• I used only 1 tablespoon of sugar & not 2.
• Salt  1 & 1/2 tsp.
• I also covered my bread after first 10 minutes of baking as I've noticed in my previous bakes like Challah & Biscotti that my oven brown the breads & cookies little too early so to prevent that covering it loosely with the foil is way to go.
• I used stand mixer to knead the dough at speed 2 for around 7-8 minutes.

Here's another look at the dough/bread at various stages.

Shaping a Loaf : Just in case if some one is new to bread making I thought these 3 steps about how to shape a loaf, will be helpful(source : KitchenAid stand mixer recipe book)  :

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle, approximately 9x14 inches.
2. Starting at a short end, roll the dough tightly. Pinch to seal the seam.
3. Pinch the ends & turn them under. Place the dough, seam side down, in a loaf pan. Follow the directions in the recipe for rising & baking.

Also sending this bread to Champa's  weekly bake-off.

Challah - A Jewish bread

I don't even butter my bread. I consider that cooking.

- Katherine Cebrian

I Love to make bread but the only problem is when it's freshly made at home there is no portion control, it happened earlier also & happened again this time too. It vanishes or 1-2 slices are left. Few weeks back I tried my hands on Challah bread after seeing it on Champa's blog, she has a good collection of baking recipes. Not once but two days in a row I made this bread. First day I tried with all purpose flour & second trial was with whole wheat flour. I divided the recipe into half so that I get only one loaf ,also made little bit of changes, for original recipe click here. Now for the recipe :

What U need:

1. All purpose flour- 2 cups
2. Sugar - 2 Tblsp.
3. Vegetable oil - 2 Tblsp.
4. Salt - 1 tsp
5. Egg  - 1
6. Warm water - Mixed with egg to make 3/4 cup
7. Active Dry yeast - 1/2 Tblsp.

What to do :

1. Add enough water to beaten egg so that it make 3/4 cup of liquid in total. Pour it into stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle yeast & sugar on it. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes or till yeast become frothy.
2. Add salt & oil, attach the dough hook & turn the mixer on at speed 2 & slowly start adding flour, half a cup at a time. Knead it at speed 2 till it turns into smooth dough, took around 6 minutes or so (This process can be done by hand also as suggested in original recipe you need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes or so).
3. Rub oil in a big bowl & let the dough rest in it, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. In an hour or so dough should be doubled in size but it can take more time also depending upon the temp. in the room/kitchen where the dough is kept. Mine took 1 & half hour this time.
4. On a lightly floured surface divide the dough into 3 equal parts & roll each part into around 10" long log. Place all the 3 logs side by side.
5. Wet tips of your one hand fingers with some milk & pinch one end of all the 3 logs together to join them. Dry your hands & make a braid with those 3 logs & again join them at the end, the way we did in the beginning.
6. Move the braided dough to parchment lined baking sheet. Brush it with milk. Cover loosely with aluminum foil & let it rise for another hour or so.
7. Toward the end of rising period turn the oven on at 375 degree F for pre-heating. Again brush it with milk before putting it in the oven.
8. Bake at 375 degree F for first 10 minute. Reduce the temp. to 350 degree F & continue baking for another 20-25 min. or till nicely browned and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
9. Cool on wire rack.

Note : In my first trial bread got too much browned.

So when I baked it second time the very next day I covered it loosely with foil after first 10 minutes of baking & result was good. Also I kept the oven at 375 instead of 400. It was a whole wheat version......some time taking so many pics can be confusing....forgot to take picture of final result. 

For Whole wheat version I added around 1 & 1/2 Tblsp. of thick home made curd(yogurt) while kneading the dough as whole wheat flour usually needs little extra liquids or u can simply decrease the quantity of flour by 2-3 Tblsp. I'm sending this bread to Champa of  Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen for her weekly Bake-off.

Pumpkin with Spinach

After looking at today's post title those who don't like lauki(bottlegourd), kaddu(pumpkin) kind of vegetables, the vegetables which belong to squash family must be thinking of skipping reading this post. Two days in a row I'm posting veggies from the squash family but let me say one thing, pumpkin is something if you cook it with right spices it can be finger licking good. Like lauki pumpkin is also used for making dessert called kaddu ka halwa but as I said in my last post in my house these vegetables are strictly for savory dishes only. Today's recipe can be made without spinach, that's what I usually use to make but now with the command from His Highness regarding eating spinach everyday, I'm incorporating spinach in many dishes which I never thought will taste good with the addition of any other thing in it, but reality is we all liked it and they taste equally good or sometime even better.

Now before we move to the recipe, let me warn U that there is a long list of whole spices which go into this and which result into really flavorful dish, not ordinary kaddu but flavorful one. To assure it's taste I would like to share this :

Scene from the grocery store, we(me + he) both are doing grocery together:

Me : does this pumpkin look good ?

He : why ? U want to buy pumpkin.....I'm not gonna eat this.

Me : (in my mind) we'll see....anyways I pick one

Scene from the day when pumpkin is the main dish on the dinner table :

Me : khana tyar hai(dinner is ready)

He : helps me set the table, (and here he goes ) U made that kaddu(

Me : yeap, for everybody (he thinks I'm gonna cook something specially for me only, sometimes when he goes for groceries he even buys pumpkin for me, saying that U like it so U make it for yourself...ha..haa)

Scene while having dinner :

He : subzi bari swad bani hai(Veggie is very tasty today...)

Me : yeah....

He : Is there any more???

Me : don't finish all, leave some for me.... I'm serious....

Result : Veggie bowl is finger lick clean....end of the story, no leftovers for tomorrow. If anyone interested about what happens in my house when I make kaddu(pumpkin) in any other form please click here.

What U need :

• 
  around 2 cup of cleaned regular pumpkin, diced into small cubes
• around 2 cups of cleaned, washed, chopped spinach
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
• 3-4 green hot peppers chopped
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tsp. chopped ginger
• 2 whole dry red chillis
• 2 black cardamons (moti ilaichi)
• 3-4 green cardamons (chotti ilaichi)
• 1 tsp. whole black peppers
• around 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
• 1 tsp. fennel (moti saunf) seeds
• 1/2 tsp. onion seeds (kalonji)
• 1 tsp. black mustard (rai) seeds
• salt
• 1 tsp. degi mirch powder( if not available use paprika)
• 1 tsp. coriander (dhania) powder
• 1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 3 Tblsp. of cooking oil (looks a lot but U need at least this much, if O.k with your diet plan can use even little bit more)

What U Do : 

1. Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottom pan on med. heat, add all the whole spices when aroma starts to come add garlic. After a minute or so add Onions.
2. Once the onions are translucent add ginger & pumpkin cubes. Saute them for 7-8 minutes. Pumpkin will be kind of all glazed & shiny.
3. Add tomatoes, green peppers & all dry spices.
4. Now if U r not using spinach let it cook till the point when pumpkin is cooked but still holding it's shape. DON'T OVERCOOK IT otherwise pumpkin will get all mushy. Whenever it's getting too dry add couple of spoons of water at a time.

      5. If you are planning to use spinach than add spinach and follow the instructions as per #4.

      6. Serve it warm with freshly made roti.

Note : Pumpkin is a vegetable which is sweet in taste, so we like it quite spicy, this kind of preparation gives it sweet & hot taste. Bite into the pumpkin and you feel the sweetness of it and the moment gravy mixture touches your taste buds you get that kick from the hot side of it, wanting you to eat more and more of it. 

Please adjust the level of heat according to your by adjusting the use of dry whole red peppers, green hot peppers & garam masala. As for other spices I'll really suggest to use them to get that aromatic hot & sweet flavor.

As this dish contains fenugreek seeds in it I'm sending it to one of my favorite blogger SE of  Denufood who's  hosting her first blog event "Cooking with Seeds : fenugreek" brainchild of Priya.

Indian flat bread Roti using Finger Millet(Ragi) flour

How I made these......I had some ragi(finger millet) flour in the pantry needed to be used so I was looking for some recipes other then dosa & idlis. While surfing the net last month I found the recipe for ragi bhakri here and very same day I made these flat breads/roti. You can call it roti, thepla, bhakri or prantha basic difference is how you roll it & cook. I must say these were really tasty, I was little doubtful that my daughter will like it or not, so I twisted the recipe little bit by adding some known flavors to it. Her first reaction was why you used brown flour again(she refer to Ragi flour as brown flour as sometime I use it in idlis or dosas)........I quickly answered her it's not brown flour it's made using your favourite brown dal(whole masoor).....immediate reaction Oh! can you do that....yes Honey! why not(situation under control.....sometime it's good not to tell all the truth to the kids). She took first bite & asked....... do you have more of these? Yes! Mission accomplished. She loves it for morning breakfast or as after school snack and it hardly took me 20-22 minutes in whole : which included kneading of the dough & 10 minute resting period of the dough also.

What U need :

• 1 cup of finger millet (ragi) flour (available at Indian grocery stores)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour(atta)
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour(besan)
• salt as per taste
• black pepper as per taste
• 1 tsp. carom seeds(ajwain)
• half onion finely chopped
• handful of fresh cilantro finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies chopped(optional)
• 1 Tblsp. of evoo
• water to make the dough

What to do :

1. Mix everything(except water) together using hands.
2. Using just enough water knead it into soft dough. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into equal size balls(little bigger than ping pong balls).
4. I have used whole wheat flour in this dough which makes it really easy to handle, so you can easily roll it using rolling pin like you would do making regular Indian roti or otherwise just pat the dough ball between your palms till you get around 5-6'' flat disc.
5. Cook it on a hot iron griddle on medium heat. I takes around 1 minute on each side depending on the thickness and size of roti. Drizzle some oil on both sides, once cooked it'll be crispy and dark brown in color.
6. If serving to kids top it with some ghee/butter as flours like corn, bajri, ragi make the bread/roti little dry kind, so it's always good to add some sort of fat like ghee/butter. I also served green chutney along with it.

This post was due from one month or so, the day Madhuram announced JFI-Ragi event, I wanted to post it but didn't had very good picture(my pic. is all glossy with the ghee as I specially made these for kids), now finally I'm posting it with the original pics only, didn't get the chance to click when I made these again. So here it goes to :

1)  JFI-Ragi event brainchild of Indira hosted by Madhuram of Eggless Cooking.
2) Sudeshna and RV's Food for 7 stages of life - Healthy Fast Food event
3) Srivalli's event Kid's Delight : Wholesome breakfast.