Bagels

Hello everyone.  So getting back to the post I have for you all today, is awesome.  Most of you would or might be familiar with bagels, but  I want to let you all know how I made these beauties.  Loved every bit of it, these bagels are super yum.  So here goes...

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough:

All purpose flour/maida	1 cup
Whole wheat flour/atta	1 cup
Wheat vital gluten	1 tbsp
Instant yeast	1 1/2 tsp
Warm water	3/4 cup
Salt	1 tsp or as per preference
Sugar	1 tsp

For the topping:

Sesame seeds	1/4 cup
Chilli flakes (optional)	1/8 cup
Salt	1 tbsp
Milk For brushing the bagels	2 tbsp

For water bath:

Water	1 litre
Honey	1 1/2 tbsp

METHOD:
1.       In a bowl take warm water and add in a tsp of sugar.  Stir well to dissolve.  Add in the yeast and stir well again n keep aside to froth.  About 5 minutes or so.
2.       In a bowl of a stand mixer whisk in the flour and salt well. (You could do the kneading by had if u wish or a stand mixer with the dough attachment).  Then slowly add in all of the yeast and water mixture and start kneading on a low speed till all the flour and yeast mixture get incorporated well.  Once that happens increase the speed to medium and knead well for about 8-10 minutes
3.       The dough make look or seem dry, but do not add more liquid.  Transfer the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead again to bring the dough together into a ball.  Grease a bowl with oil and place the dough into it turning it to coat it in oil on all sides.
4.       Loosely cover the dough with a cling wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour or so.  Dough should look large and puffy.  (will post step by step pictures the next time I bake them again)
5.       Once its ready (after about an hour or hour n a half), transfer on to a clean kitchen surface and knock the dough down lightly.  Shape them into to 6 small balls.  (I got six small balls, it depends on the size you make them).
6.       Once the dough is shaped into balls make a hole in the center by poking your index and middle finger into the shaped ball.  Or you could use a small cutter if you have one to make the hole in the center.  About 1.5-2 inches in diameter.  Cover the shaped bagels with a damp cloth and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper or on a silicon mat.  Heat the water and honey for the water bath.
7.       Once the water comes to a boil, switch the flame to a medium or medium high so as to let the water keep simmering.  Drop in the bagels 2-3 at a time depending on how big or wide your pan is.  As the bagels need space to float around in the pan freely.  While these our getting their water bath, preheat the oven @200⁰C.
8.       Cook the bagels for a minute on each side.  Drain them on a wire rack lined with parchment paper so that they don’t stick to the wire rack.  They will look a little crimpled.  That should be fine.
9.       Brush the bagels with milk and sprinkle them with sesame seeds, chilli flakes and salt.  Or you could mix these in a bowl and dip the milk brushed bagel into it, so that it gets coated evenly.
10.    Bake them in a preheated oven for 15-20 mins so that they get a nice golden brown colour.  Remove the bagels and allow them to cool before you dig into them.
11.   Slice them, warm them up in a micro or simply toast them, enjoy your bagels just the way you like it.

NOTES:

1.       Mine took 15 minutes to bake.  It entirely depends on your oven time.  So pl do keep a watch after 15 minutes.
2.       I got six bagels with this recipe. 
3.       You could add diced dried garlic, poppy seeds, finely chopped onions or dried onions finely chopped and deseeded tomatoes as toppings.  Choice is entirely yours. Though I would like to add that onions to tend to burn off easily so you could go a little low on that if adding.
4.       If doing the whole process by hand do knead the dough for a good 15 minutes.

 

Moong dal fritters/vadas

 

Today's recipe is yet another fried snack.  One could call it a rainy day snack with a hot cup of coffee or tea, as you would like it.  But, who needs a rainy reason to have these yummy pop in snack.  Once in a while treat yourself to these vadas, which are crunchy on the outside and soft inside and am sure you can't stop at one.  Serve them with ketchup or green chutney.  Made vadas  with split green gram lentils (moong dal as we call in India).  Just a few ingredients and we are done.  So here goes how I made these vadas.





 

INGREDIENTS:

Split green gram lentil (moong dal)	1 cup
Green chillies (chopped finely)	2
Ginger (chopped finely)	An inch
Asafoetida	1/2 tsp
Salt	1 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped finely)	2 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves (chopped finely)	10-12
Oil	For frying
Semolina/sooji (optional)	1 tbsp

METHOD:

1.       Wash the lentils well.  Soak the green gram lentils for 3 hours with enough water, (about 2 1/2 cups).

2.       After 3 hours, drain the water from the lentils and blend the lentils in a grinder along with finely chopped chillies, cumin seeds and ginger to a coarse paste, with just about 2 tbsp of water.

3.       Transfer the ground lentils into a bowl.  Add salt, asafoetida, curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix well.

4.       Heat oil in a kadai/wok on high flame.  Lower the flame to medium once the oil is hot.  Use a spoon or with the fingers drop the vadas in hot oil. 

5.       Fry on medium flame until golden brown.  Drain well and remove them on absorbent paper.

6.       Serve them hot with ketchup or chutney as you like.  Or you could serve it with a dip too.

7.       Just use some hung curd, add a bit of chilli powder, chop up a flake of garlic really fine.  Add salt and you are good to go.

NOTES:

1.       I have mentioned semolina, you could add the semolina if you like a more crunchy taste.  I made it with and without the semolina.

2.       You could add finely chopped onions to the batter.  They would surely enhance the taste.

3.       Fry them on medium flame only.  Else higher the flame they will be raw inside and lower the flame they will soak up too much oil.

4.       Green chutney is as mentioned in the previous recipe.

*step by step pics will be updated soon.

 

 

Vada Pav (BOMBAY BURGER)

Back with a mouth-watering snack.  THE BOMBAY BURGER, yes it is a snack packed with calories and all the things diet conscious should avoid.  Once in a while, leaving all the diets aside you can dig into this wonderful fried snack.    But here's a twist.  To keep the fried bit away, we have made them in the appe kadai, (remember the appe recipe I had put up).  Yes it is made in the appe kadai to enjoy the vada's a little guilt free.   Let's just get into the making without any delay.

 

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes	5-6 nos
Salt	1 tsp (for potato mixture)
Lime/lemon juice	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	A handful
Gram flour	1 cup
Salt	1 tsp (for gram flour)
Hot oil	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp (for gram flour)
Asaoetida	1/2 tsp (for gram flour)
Oil	To fry

To temper:

Oil	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
Asafoetida	1/4 tsp
Garlic	5-6 pods (chopped fine)
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Green chillies	2-3 nos (spicy variety)

To serve:

Pav's/ bread	As required
Garlic chutney	As required
Coriander chutney	As required

METHOD:

1.       Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker until soft and mushy.  Once cool, peel off skin and mash them well.

2.       Put oil in a kadai(wok) and keep it on low flame.  Once it's hot add in the mustard seeds.  Let them splutter.  Add the asafoetida, turmeric, green chillies (chopped fine) and curry leaves.  Add in the chopped garlic and cook it for a minute taking care not to let it burn. 

3.       Put this tempered mixture onto the mashed potatoes.  Add salt and mix well.  All the potatoes should get covered with the tempered mixture.  Add in the lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well again.  Adjust salt according to your taste.

4.       In another bowl add in the gram flour, salt, turmeric powder and a little asafoetida.  Add sufficient water to make a thick batter. (the batter should be like a thick ribbon consistency).

5.       Make small balls of the mashed potato mixture.  Drop these balls in the gram flour batter and coat them well.

6.       Heat oil in a frying pan and once it is hot enough, fry these vada's on a medium flame till they are golden brown.  Alternately, heat a appe kadai and brush each hollow cavity with oil.  Place these potato balls dipped in the batter into each cavity and cover and cook them on each side for 3-4 minutes and remove them once they golden brown.

7.       Take the pav and slit them open.  Smear the pav's with garlic chutney and place the vada in the pav and serve hot.  ENJOY.

FOR THE WET GARLIC CHUTNEY:

Garlic	10 pods
Red chillies	6-7 spicy variety
Salt	1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1.       Heat water and add in the red chillies and soak them for 15 minutes.  The chillies will turn soft. 
2.       Peel the garlic pods.  In a mixer grind the chillies along with salt and garlic pods with very little water to a fine paste.
3.       Keep aside and use as required to smear it on the pav along with the vada's

FOR THE CORIANDER CHUTNEY:

Coriander leaves	1 cup (packed)
Green chillies	2 nos
Garlic	1 pod
Salt	1/2 tsp
Lime/lemon juice	1 tsp

METHOD:

1.       Wash the coriander leaves well.

2.       Grind together coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic and salt with little water. Grind this to get a  smooth chutney.

3.       Add in the lime/lemon juice and mix well.  Keep aside to be served along with the vada's.

NOTES:

1.       You could use only the frying method for these vada's.  I have given an alternative to the otherwise fried snack.

2.       Pl adjust the salt according to your preferences.

3.       Here, I have used dry garlic chutney.

4.       I have given the recipe of wet garlic chutney to be served with the vada's.  Just like the way, it is served at some places.

5.       Using spicy variety of green or red chillies gives a zing to the wonderful vada's and chutney respectively.

6.       I will post the recipe of dry garlic chutney soon.

 

 

 

 

Undiyos

This is another one of our Chitrapur Saraswat breakfast recipe.  A wonderful and healthy recipe.  Steamed dumplings as you can call them.  Quite an elaborate process otherwise, this is what I would call a quick and easy way out.  Especially, when you are in a hurry and also it's always nice to try out the same recipe in various ways.  The more traditional way is to wash the rice, then dry it out and powder the rice very coarsely.  Resembling semolina/rawa/sooji.  So here goes my version of doing it.
INGREDIENTS:

Rice rawa/semolina	1 cup
Water	2 cups
Mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
Asafoetida	1/4 tsp
Curry leaves	8-10 leaves
Red chillies	4 nos (broken into half)
Oil	1 1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1.       In  a kadai add oil, once hot add the mustard seeds, let them splutter.  Add the asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies.

2.       Add the rice semolina and sauté it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.  Add water and cook till all the water is absorbed, stirring all the time.

3.       Once all the water is absorbed switch off the flame.  Let it cool for a few minutes. 

4.       When it is warm make small round balls of the mixture and press the ball with your thumb.  (so as to form a thumb impression).

5.       Once all of them are done, steam these dumplings in a cooker or steamer for 8-10 minutes.

Serve hot with the chutney of your choice.   

 

Spinach n Corn Sandwich

A nice and healthy sandwich is my post today.  Had been meaning to put this up for a long time.  But like I said, I have drafted quite a few and was wondering which one do I give the first preference. You could have it for breakfast or just a snack at tea-time.  Also a great snack for kids for their lunch box or when they return from school.  So without taking my chatter any further, let me share with you all this lovely sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

Brown Bread	10 slices
Mayonnaise	1/2 cup
Spinach (blanched and chopped)	1 bunch (about 1/2 cup)
Sweet corn (boiled)	1/2 cup
Salt	1/2 tsp
Pepper	1/2 tsp
Green coriander chutney	To spread (5 tsps)
Butter	To grill the bread slices

METHOD:

1.       In a bowl mix together the mayonnaise, blanched and chopped spinach, boiled corn, salt and pepper.

2.   Take the bread slices and apply green coriander chutney and spread the mayo, corn and spinach mixture.  Cover it with the other slice.

3.       Apply butter on the outside of the sandwich.  Heat a griddle on high flame.  Once heated, lower the flame to medium.

4.       Place the sandwich on the griddle and grill it to golden brown. 

5.       Serve hot and enjoy with ketchup.

NOTES:

1.      In case you do want to use white bread, please feel free to do so.

2.      Adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.

3.      If making more, please increase the quantity of the ingredients accordingly.

4.     If you are making this for your kids lunch box, you could do so, without grilling the sandwich.  In such a case apply butter on the bread first then put chutney (if your kids do not like spicy food, you could skip the chutney) and then the mayo filling.

5.      To make it more exotic you could add grated cheese

6.     With the same filling you can also make a kathi roll using wheat flour chappati (thin Indian bread)