Garlic Bread - mouthwatering & extremely delicious ! It is very easy to make garlic bread from scratch at home - the soft texture is unbelievable ! From Scratch: Maida - 2 cups Fresh yeast - 2 level tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Butter - 1 tbsp Garlic flakes - 6 – mash Melt sugar & salt in luke warm water. Mix fresh yeast & maida & make a dough with the above to an elastic texture ( slightly lose than chapathi dough) Knead well & allow to double. Now knead with butter & mashed garlic. Make one big oval ball on a greased tray. Cover with wet cloth till double Heat oven to 250 deg C & bake till done. Glaze with ghee & cut into slices. To serve, cut slices, lightly apply butter & toast on a tava till light golden on both sides. From a loaf of bread: Salt bread, unsliced - 1 loaf Butter ( softened) - 2-3 tbsp Garlic cloves - 6, crushed or minced Lime juice - ½ tsp ( optional) Pepper powder - ½ tsp ( optional) Cut the loaf into thick lengthwise slices, upto 2/3. Do not separate the slices. Cream butter, lime juice, pepper powder & mashed garlic. Spread well between slices & spread remaining mixture, if any on the top & sides. Wrap in a foil & bake in a hot oven for 10 mts. Open the foil & allow the bread to brown – takes 5 – 10 mts.
Moussaka - Traditional Greek eggplant casserole, Indianised ! Big brinjal - ¾ kg, preferably one big & one small Beachmeal sauce - 2 cups ( given below) Onion - 1 Tomato, medium - 3 Cooked corn kernels - 1 cup ( or substitute cauliflower) Green chillies - 2,3 Mint leaves - few, chopped Salt, Chilli powder, pepper powder & jeera powder - ½ tsp each Oil - 4-5 tbsp Salt Grated cooking cheese - 100 gms Bechmeal sauce: Milk - 2 cups Butter - 2 tbsp Maida - 4 tbsp Carrot - 1, small Onion - 1 Bayleaf - 1 Peppercorn - ¼ tsp For the sauce, slice carrot & onion & add to milk with bayleaf & peppercorn. Bring to boil, switch off the fire & keep covered for ½ an hour. Strain & make a sauce with bailda, butter & this milk. Add salt, pepper & keep aside. Use the strained residue for other purposes. Slice the bigger brinjal ( about ½ kg) to ¼ “ thick slices, sprinkle salt & leave aside for sometime. Then gently press between both palms to squeeze out the water & sprinkle with red chill powder, pepper powder & jeera powder. Shallow fry in oil & drain. Boil the small brinjal ( about ¼ kg), remove skin & mash. Blanch the tomatoes & chop. Slice the onions & chop green chillies & mint leaves. Heat the oil in which brinjals were shallow fried. Fry onions to brown, add green chillies & mint & fry for 1 mte. Add tomatoes & cook till thick. Add brinjal pulp & simmer. Remove add cooked corn kernels ( or cauliflowerettes), salt, pepper powder & 3-4 tbsp of the prepared sauce. Add ¼ of the grated cheese. To the remaining sauce, add 4 tbsp cream or malai. Grease a baking tray. Arrange half of the brinjal slices, cover with corn mixture & over that spread rest of the brinjal pieces. Pour the sauce over & spread the remaiing grated cheese. Dot with butter & bake till top is golden brown.
Hello Chitra, This Moussaka, sounds interesting and yummy....will this be a main dish, and what else should i make to go with this ...some salad or something....can you suggest how to serve all these baked casseroles etc...have never tried anything like this before.... Thanks,
Nice that you are visiting me, frequently, Sudha ! Dear Sudha, Baked dishes are customarily served with bread ( also bread rolls ) & any green salad. But for home use, just the dish will fill you up - no need to make salad etc ! Try making a baked dish ( call it casserole, as well), you will end up making it regularly. Moussaka is really " amaaaaazing" - that is the term my grand daughters use for superb dishes ! I have a few casseroles in mind, to be posted. So, friends, please try them & let me know if I can post further. Love & regards, Chitha.
Pasta Bake - Typically continental, amazingly delicious ! Any pasta can be used for this. Pasta - 1 cup Chopped Pineapple - 1 cup Corn kernels - 1 cup White Sauce: Butter - 2 tbsp Maida - 2 tbsp Milk - 2 cups Salt, pepper Mozarella cheese , grated - 2 tbsp Butter - to dot Boil pasta in plenty of water to which 1 tsp oil & 1 tsp salt are added. When it becomes just soft, drain completely & rinse with cold water. Spread in a plate & smear little oil, all over to prevent stickiness. Boil pineapple cubes with ½ cup of water & 2 tbsp sugar ( optional) in a pressure pan for 1 whistle. Cool & open. Boil the corn kernels soft. White sauce: Heat butter & add maida. When it sizzles well, add hot milk, whisking well to prevent lump formation. When it becomes a thick sauce, add salt & pepper powder. Remove, add pasta, pineapple & corn. Spread in a dish & sprinkle cheese all over. Dot with butter & bake in an oven till top is brown.
Need your help.. Dear Chitra, After reading this wonderful recipe (pasta bake), I do have a query. Do you bake these in OTG or Micro?? I heard that the containers that you use for baking in OTG can't be used in Micro & vice versa - is it true?? If true then how do you decide on them?? For baking you seem to use borosil glass containers - is it both oven & micro friendly?? Now tht I'm gonna enter into the micro world, would like to know more details. Pls help. Would like to try more of these bake dishes. the pic makes me drool.. got 2 pkts of american sweet corn - I'll try this recipe. You are becoming an expert in photography too. I Can just feel the texture of the bake that you've presented. the golden yellow colour with slightly brown crusts scattered all over - just perfect.
Meena, don't make things enter my head, please ! This dish was baked in the OTG. In my personal experience, only OTG baking gives the beautiful brown spots to the end product. My daughter has a convection MW & always says, the top browning ( all said & done) does not come as good as in a conventional oven or OTG. Borosil or pyrex or the now available Luminaire can be used in both MW & OTG. Ceramic ware is also suitable for both. In MW , baking can be successfully done, but this look is obtained only in OTG or conventional oven. Meena, do not praise my photographic abilities & waste your words. Some dishes, I am slowly realising are " more photogenic" than others ! My capacity is limited & minimum ! Thankyou for your sweet words. Love & regards, Chithra.
Stuffed & Plaited bread - a Meal in a Dish ! For SBS photos, please go to Stuffed & Plaited Bread Stuffed & Plaited Buns Bread: Maida - 2 cups Salt - 1 level tsp Sugar - 2 tsp Refined oil ( or ghee) - 2 tbsp Milk & water - ¼ cup each Fresh yeast - 1 tbsp Dissolve fresh yeast & sugar in warm mixture of milk & water, mix well, sprinkle a little flour & leave. When it starts bubbling add all other ingredients & make a very soft elastic dough & leave to double. Filling: Paneer - 200 gms, grated Oil - 2 tbsp Tomatoes - 2, deskinned & finely chopped Green chillies - 4,5 finely chopped Onion - 1, finely chopped Jeera - 1 tsp Corinader leaves, finely chopped - 2 tbsp Make a filling with the above. Heat oil temper jeera. Add onion 7 green chillies. Fry & then add chopped tomatoes till dry. Add crumbled paneer , salt, garam masala & coriander leaves. Remove & cool. If you like, some boiled peas may be added. Now, follow the photos. Roll the bread dough to a rectangle 1 cm thick. Divide it into 3 imaginary parts along the wider side. Spread the filling on the centre one third. Cut 1” wide strips on either side of the filling. Overlap the strips on the paneer filling from alternate sides as you would plait your hair. Place on a greased tray, sprinkle warm water & allow to rise a little after keeping in a covered cup board. Brush the top with milk & bake at 450 deg for 12 mts or so till top turns golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup. Any dry filling can be used. The finished photo is posted below.
Stuffed & Plaited Bread - 1 st stage The filling is spread in the middle & slanting cuts are made on both sides.