Beetroot Leaf (leaves) Salad

This is a delicious and fresh way to use beetroot leaves. Ever since we started growing beetroots, I have been able to have harvests of fresh leaves throughout the growing season. I used to use these in stir fries and curries. And then I ate this delicious salad at my friend K. J.'s house and I was hooked. I think if you have fresh, tender leaves, this is the most delicious way of enjoying them.

The dressing here is  heated oil which is seasoned, but if you don't have the seasoning ingredients, then just heat up the oil and pour it over.  Just the salt, sugar and lemon juice can be used as dressing. The peanuts add a crunchiness as well as some creamy texture. I love it as a salad ingredient. You can add whole roasted peanuts too instead of powdering them.

Here is a video on the salad preparation

Ingredients

10-15 beetroot leaves

2 tsp oil

1/8 tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida/hing

2 tbsp roasted peanut powder (or use whole roasted peanuts)

lemon juice, to taste

1/4 tsp sugar, to taste

salt to taste

Method

Wash the leaves thoroughly and chop them into bite sized pieces. Grind the peanuts into a coarse powder. You can also leave them whole. In a small pan, heat the oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the hing and turn off the heat. Pour the oil over the leaves. Add the salt, sugar, lemon juice and peanut powder and toss well together. 

A delicious salad is ready to eat. 

Tips

Place wilted leaves in ice cold water for a 10 mins to perk them up to their original crispiness. If you want to add some spice, you can also add a finely cut chili into the oil after adding the hing. Let it cook for a minute before pouring the oil over the leaves. 

Steamed Drumsticks/Moringa Pods

We have several moringa trees and this year we are reaping great harvests from them. One of the things we do is share these with our friends and others on gardening groups. But given the health benefits of the morninga pods and leaves,  I am trying out different recipes to include these. This recipe is a most basic method of cooking the moringa pods. Once they are cooked you can add it in soups, and curries or stir fries. All you need to remember is that the outer covering of mature pods cannot be eaten. Only the inside fleshy part should be eaten.  This recipe also includes a video on how to cook moringa pods and how they should be eaten.

This is probably the easiest and shortest recipe on this blog!

Ingredients
moringa pods/drumstricks/shevga chya shenga
water

Method
Cut the pods into 2/3 inch pieces, lengthwise. The pods should be about 2-3 cms in diameter and if they are really big, they may be too mature and very fibrous. One of the tests is to see if you are able to cut them. If it is really very difficult, then don't use the pod.
Pods that are 2-3 cms in thickness will still feel slightly fibrous while cutting them, but it will be possible to cut them through without excessive pressure on the knife.

Place these in a steamer and steam them for 10-15 mins. The pods should be tender.

You can also use your Instant Pot and pressure cook them for 2 mins on high setting with the vent closed. Or use your traditional stove top pressure cooker and cook them till 1 whistle. Let the pressure release naturally.

The pods will be tender and easily split open. Now they are ready to be used in other curries or eaten as is. I love eating them with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper or dipping them in a dressing or dip.

Use your bottom teeth to scoop out the inside fleshy parts. You can chew on the outer fibrous pod, but make sure to spit it out as the fibers are sharp and can hurt you if swallowed

Tips
Use a variety of dips and dressing to eat these pods.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is a delicious and quick recipe, which is perfect for a busy weekday or weeknight meal. It requires a few ingredients and takes just about 20 minutes to make including the cooking time. The lemon and garlic are the main flavoring ingredients and they enhance the dish. A light meal which can be paired with a side salad or steamed vegetables, to make a complete meal. Our family (the meat eater wing) love this recipe and it has become a favorite.

This is one meal where I don't have to ask the kids to finish their food. It gets eaten really quickly. So without further ado, here is how you make it.

Also here is the link to the youtube video with detailed instructions. These will help those cooks who  who may be new to cooking chicken and have questions about handling chicken and determining when is it cooked completely (without making it rubbery), like I did several years ago.

Ingredients
For the chicken
1 pound of chicken (2 chicken breasts)
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil

For the sauce
1 heaped tsp all purpose flour
2 large garlic cloves (about 1 tsp grated garlic)
1.5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable) - can also use water if you don't have broth
1.5 tsp butter
2 tsp lemon juice/ half of a large lemon
lemon zest

Method
If frozen, thaw the chicken breasts. Then slice the chicken into two pieces, horizontally along the surface of the chicken. You will have 4 thinner slices of chicken after this. Pound the thicker part of the chicken if needed, so that the chicken breast is uniform in thickness and cooks uniformly.

In a plate, mix the all purpose flour, black pepper powder and salt so that the flour is evenly seasoned. Heat the oil in a skillet and once it is hot, dredge each piece of the chicken in the seasoned flour and place in the hot skillet. Discard the remaining all purpose flour mixture.

Cook the chicken on each side for 2-4 mins till the chicken is browned. To check if the chicken is cooked, use an instant meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the chicken breast. If the temperature is greater than 165F (74 C), the chicken is cooked. Remove it onto a plate and prepare the sauce.

Add 1 tsp of all purpose flour to the hot skillet, and half of the butter and roast it for a minute. Scrape any of the browned chicken bits. Next, add the garlic and cook it for a min. Then add the broth to mix, and mix well. Then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Let the sauce cook and thicken and then finish the sauce with the rest of the butter which will give it a nice sheen. Add the cooked chicken breasts back to the pan and let them heat through. Garnish with lemon slices and serve hot.

Tips
Thaw the chicken in the fridge. Do not keep it out on the counter to thaw. Best way is to thaw it overnight. You can skip the butter if you want this to be a lighter meal. I have used very little oil and butter and you can also choose to increase the quantities to make it a richer sauce.  Using a thermometer ensures that the chicken is well cooked and also prevents over cooking of the chicken breast. This is an easy way to ensure that the chicken breast does not become chewy or rubbery.
If you line the cutting surface with parchment paper, it makes cleanup quick and easy. Make sure to wash your hands and clean any surface which has been in contact with raw chicken to prevent cross contamination.

Sweet Red Bean Bread

This is a delicious bread filled with a sweet red bean filling. It is inspired by the Japanese anpan bread but is not a traditional recipe. This has been shaped as a star.  You can get really creative and shape it in any shape, like how we shaped it into a pretty bun earlier. This is a really great breakfast recipe but we often enjoy it as dessert as well. And it pairs really well with milk or coffee.

You can find a detailed tutorial on how to make the bread at the youtube link below.

Video, detailed Instructions for the sweet red bean bread

Ingredients
For the filling
3/4 cup uncooked red beans (we need only 1 cup of cooked beans)
4 cups of water
3/4-1 cup of sugar

For the dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup potato flour (optional)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water (minus 1 tbsp)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg - well beaten to be used for the egg wash

Method
Soak the red beans in 2 cups of water for at least an hour. Then discard the water and add the beans to the pressure cooker (or instant pot). Add 2 cups of water and then pressure cook the beans till completely cooked. I cooked it in the instant pot for 30 mins on the beans/chilli mode and then let the pressure release naturally.

3/4 cups of beans cook to make 2 cups of cooked beans. I blended one cup of cooked beans and added 3/4 cup of sugar and made a puree. Then cook the bean paste in a pan to thicken it. Let it cool down.

While the beans are cooking, make the dough. First add the milk, 1/2 the water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer, and set aside for 10 mins to activate the yeast. The mixture will get frothy.  Sift the flours together, so that there are no lumps. Then add the salt, vanilla essence and butter to the frothy liquid. Turn the mixer on and using the dough hook, add the flour. Then slowly add the rest of the water, a little at a time till till a soft dough is formed. Then knead for  about 7-10 mins. Scrape the bowl down as needed.

Shape the bread into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about an hour till it is doubled.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and shape into balls and let them rest for 10 mins. Divide the bean filling into 3 equal parts.

Now roll one dough piece into a circle with a 10 inch diameter. Place this on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, apply the egg wash. Dot the surface with the filling and use your finger tips to spread it. Then, repeat this process 2 more times. Once the final circle of dough is placed, then it is time to shape the dough

Place a small bowl/cookie cutter/measuring cup with about a diameter of 1.5-2 inches in the center of the dough. Then make 16 equal part of the dough. The bowl in the center will prevent the dough from getting cut through. At the end of this there will be small circle in the center where the bread is joined together and 16 strands. Take two strands, and twist them outwards twice (opposite in direction to each other) and then pinch the ends together to form a sharp point. You will have 8 star petals and the bread will look like a star or a flower.

Cover it lightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for 45 mins to an hour till it is risen and puffy. Then, apply the final layer of egg wash.

Preheat the oven to 400F and then bake the bread for 15-20 mins. The bread is ready when the internal temperature reaches 200F, which takes about 20 mins. You can also tap the bread to check for the hollow sound.

Cool the bread for 10 mins on a cooling rack and then it is ready to eat. You can also bake it the previous night for breakfast. Heat it in  the oven at 350 F till it is warmed through, about 10 mins and then serve warm. It tastes great with milk.

Tips
The potato flour helps retain moisture and keeps the bread moist after baking. You can skip this ingredient. Use room temperature water and milk so that you do not accidentally kill the yeast. Resting the  dough relaxes it makes it easy to roll out. If you try to spread the filling with a spatula, you may stretch or tear the dough and it is easier to gently spread it using the finger tips. When shaping the dough, pinch the edges well, so that they don't unravel when the dough proves the second time. Instead of a star, you can shape it into any other shape and then let the dough undero a second rise. 

Sourdough Focaccia Bread

It has been a while since I have updated the blog, however the experimentation is going strong and I have been able to create delicious, repeatable recipes. I have been wanting to work with sourdough for a while and I had even gotten some starter from a friend a few years ago, but didn't really end up using it. I love baking breads and instant yeast ones have always been my go to.  So, with the COVID-19 situation, and lack of yeast and flour in the stores and tonnes of sourdough posts online, I thought I would give it a serious try again. I kept procrastinating though to start my starter and when a friend offered to share her sourdough starter, I took her up on the offer.

So the way I view it, sourdough is very much like a biga and when it is fed it is more active and the resultant dough rises faster than when using an unfed starter. Also, the rise time is very variable depending on the amount of starter used, whether it is fed or not etc. But given that you don't have to activate the yeast, as long as you are patient to wait for the first and second rises till the dough doubles, you will be successful with sourdough. 

This focaccia recipe is based on my previously documented recipe.  That is a yeast based recipe and I converted that to a sourdough based recipe. Just I doubled the quantity to make a large loaf in my rectangular 11X14 cake tin. So you can make 2 smaller loaves or halve it to make a smaller bread. To store it, let it cool down completely and then wrap in cling wrap and then foil. This can then be frozen or stored in the fridge for a longer time.

Ingredients
For the bread dough

1 and 2/3 cups of sourdough starter

2 cups water

4 tbsp oil 

5 cup all purpose flour

3 tsp salt

For baking the bread
4 tbsp oil to bake the bread
1 tbsp oil for marination
vegetables, sliced or shaped for placing on dough (sliced onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, thin slices of beet root, thin slices of eggplant, chives, scallions, beet root leaves, spinach etc)
rosemary or other herbs

Method

Mix together the starter, water and oil and stir. Then add the flour and stir it in. This can be done with a wooden/steel spoon. It will become a very sticky and soft dough. Keep aside for 20 mins. Then sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix it well, into the dough.  Then let the dough rise for 30 mins.

The dough will rise. Coat a scraper or spatula with some oil and then use it to fold the dough in towards the center, while turning the bowl. Fold the dough and then turn the bowl 90 degrees, this is the first turn. Do this 7 more times for a total of 8 turns till all the dough is folded towards the center. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap  and then let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. Again repeat the process of folding the dough and then let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. Again fold the dough and let it rise for 30 minutes. (At the end you would have a total of 3 foldings and 3 rises)

Now prepare a 11X13 rectangular pan by pouring 2 tbsp oil and swirling it around the pan to coat it.  At this point in time, you can split the dough into two small equal parts and use two baking tins to bake two individual breads. Place the dough into the tin and then using your fingertips stretch it to cover the pan. If it cannot be stretched and springs back, then let it rest for 10-15 mins and stretch again to fill the pan.

At this point you can bake it but if you want the sourdough taste and added depth of flavor, refrigerate this pan overnight or for 8-12 hours for the sourdough taste to develop.

Next day or when baking the bread, remove the pan from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 mins. At this point the bread dough will be bubbly and will have risen to at least double the volume.

Toss the vegetables that you want to decorate with in some oil and keep aside. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Dimple the bread by poking it lightly with your finger tips, being careful to not deflate the bread too much. Then drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp oil over the bread. Some of it will pool in the dimples created on the dough.

Then sprinkle herbs (I use rosemary a lot while making focaccia), arrange the vegetables that you want to flavor it with or you can take it a step further and decorate the bread with the vegetables. (This is optional.)

Bake it for about 40 mins till it is a golden brown. The bread is ready when it registers 200 F on a cooking thermometer. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan and then remove it and let it cool on a rack.

Another indication of whether the bread is ready is when you tap on it, you can hear a thud to indicate its hollow and baked. Since this is a big bread and in the pan, it will be difficult to use this method but you can use it if baking two smaller breads.

Serve it warm with soup or cheese. Or you can make delicious sandwhiches with it.  Or just enjoy it plain.

Tips

To store bread, wrap it in cling wrap and then in foil. Frozen bread can last for 4-6 months. Ensure that it is well wrapped so it does not pick up smells from the fridge or freezer. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven when pre-heating it. To reheat, heat it in the oven.If the vegetables start to burn, you can tent the pan with a foil after 20-25 mins. Also, you can add vegetables that may burn during the last 15 mins of baking time.

Khasta Kachori

I was never fond of kachoris while growing up and hadn't tried making them at home. However, after a request from a family member, I decided to make it at home. These kachoris turned out delicious. I saw a few videos on youtube and understood that the key to a pastry/khasta texture and bite is to fry the kachori on really low heat. 

Also, I have realized the kachoris taste delicious with stuffing like aloo sabji or choley instead of just chutney. So next time you make or buy kachoris, try it out with some stuffing.

Ingredients:

The cover

4 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp salt

8 tsp ghee

water to knead a soft dough

The filling

4 heaped tsp coriander seeds

3 heaped tsp fennel seeds

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp oil

¼ tsp Asafoetida / Hing

1 inch ginger, grated

2-3 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp kasoori methi, crushed between palms

1 tsp red chili powder

2 tsp - garam masala

1/2 cup besan/chickpea flour

1 cup - Moong dal (soaked and coarse ground)

1 tsp black salt

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp - amchoor /raw mango powder

oil for deep frying

Method 

For the cover

Add the salt and ghee to the all purpose flour and rub the ghee in. The ghee should be very well mixed with the flour. The test to check if the quantity of ghee is enough is to clench some flour in your fist and when you open your fist, it should retain its shape and not fall apart. Then add water to the flour and make a soft dough. Knead till soft and pliable and then keep aside to rest. Cover it with a towl or platic wrap. Taste the dough, and make sure it has a slight salty taste and not bland. Else after frying, the cover will taste very bland.

For the filling

Soak the mung dal till soft (2 hours) Mix together the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds and coarsely grind it. Heat oil in pan and add the hing and then add the ground seed mixture. Stir fry till fragrant and then add the ginger and green chillies, then add the garam masala, kasuri methi, red chilli power, black salt and black pepper. Then add the besan and mix well and cook till the besan starts to smell fragrant. Then add the the mung dal and cook till a dry mixture is formed. If you feel it is too dry, you can add some more oil. However, since this is going to be deep fried, I didn't add anymore. Add salt, sugar, and amchoor powder. Mix well and taste, adjust seasoning if needed. The dough should be slightly salty, since it will get less salty after frying.

Assembly and frying

Take a fistfull of dough and roll it out into a thick 2.5"-3" puri. It should be not be thin. Then add a 2-3 tsp of filling in the center. Gather the edges and bring it together and bring the dough together and pinch it well to seal well. If there is any extra dough, remove it. Flatten into a disc using your palm and roll it lightly to form a thick disc, about 3" diameter. Make sure that the cover is not too thin while you do that.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. The oil should be luke warm and not too hot. Keep the heat on low/low flame. Then add the kachoris. It should take a couple of minutes for the kachori to start to puff up and start coming to the surface of the oil. Do not be tempted to increase the heat. Once they are puffed up, you can increase the heat slightly, and then fry them till golden brown on both sides.

Serve warm with chutney or potato curry or chole.

Tips

Soak the mung dal in hot water. The mung dal will be ready to be ground in 30-40 mins. This recipe will make about 20 good sized kachoris. Each batch of kachoris takes about 15-20 mins to fry.