Maddur Vada

I am so glad to welcome September  .... For us this month brings in a flurry of excitements, beautiful inspirations, new beginnings, a much awaited time for the utterly beautiful moments and a peek behind the screen. With the strike of 15 on the calendar, I would join my family to travel to the most peaceful and spiritual place on earth ...  Mecca - a place which rejuvenates your soul cleansing it through and through, providing the most cherished moments of privacy between the Almighty and his servant. The wonderful sense of excitement and beauty, the notion of maintaining a healthy mind and body comes back to life with great vigor.

So I will be off from this space for a few days and will be back early October. And I promise to come back and fill you in with more happenings in my kitchen. Before I go, I will post in more recipes. My drafts is flooding again and the posts can't wait to be shared. Most of them tried during the holy month of Ramadhan for our Iftars.

Now this is another no-fuss recipe that I have. And is super simple to make! I think its safe to say we all have the ingredients for this in our pantries. The flour-most likely and Semolina-uh, yeah! I seem to have these ingredients on hand all the time. I chopped the herbs very fine and allowed the batter to absorb all the spices for a while. Flattened the patties and deep fried them. They brought life to my table immediately. We made them in Ramadhan and enjoyed them on one of the Iftar evenings.

The recipe for these evening snacks is as below:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1/2 cup Rice Flour
Salt to taste
1 Onion chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger chopped finely
1 Green Chilli finely chopped finely
1 sprig Curry leaves chopped finely
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped finely
2-3 tbsp WaterOil - 2 tblspn + for Deep frying 

HOW TO MAKE:

 1) Take flour, semolina, rice flour and salt in a bowl.  Add in 2 tbsp of oil and crumble them with your hands so that it resembles a crumble.

 2) Now add in onion, green chilli, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger and mix well.

3) Now pour in some water and make it into a stiff dough. Don't add more water because the onions will release little water and the dough will lose its stiffness.

 4) Let the dough rest for 10 mins. Divide the dough into equal balls. Flatten the balls with your hands into flat rounds and set aside.

5) Deep fry these flat rounds in oil and serve them with a chutney or a dip. 

 

Chicks in a blanket

This is arguably the most loved appetizer at our home now. Even for a non-sausage lover like me, this is an amazingly satisfying dish because it tickles every taste bud on your tongue, the sweet, sour, salty, spicy. We have eaten it many a times from the bakeries here. I never imagined that they could be so easy to make at home.

I found a few perfect recipes from the internet with little substitutions to make. Undoubtedly, Yeast plays the most important role here. It is wholly responsible for the soft and fluffy texture of the bun wrapped around the sausage. I bought sausages from the store. You can also buy ready-made crescents and wrap them round the sausages. But I preferred the home made versions. And it was a great option.

Serve them with a sour cream dip and you will not be able to stop yourself from clearing the plate.  It is a match made in heaven. For a family favorite appetizer like this that can transform your table into an extraordinary spread, you must not delay in trying it out.

Recipe follows

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dough:

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Instant yeast

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oil/ melted butter

For the Filling:

4 Sausages (chicken or beef or mutton or veg)
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 small clove garlic, minced
 

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.

2)  In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt , yeast and mix well to form a soft dough. Add in the Oil and knead for 5 min. Let it sit for 30 min or until it doubles in size.

3) While the dough is resting, you can make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, melt butter together with Italian seasoning and garlic. Keep aside.

4) Punch the air out of the dough and knead for 5 min. If the dough is very sticky, you can use very little flour and mix well. Make a smooth dough.

5)  Make small balls from it and roll out each ball into thick circles. With a knife or a pizza cutter, you can cut the circle into 4 equal quarters.

 

6) Separate each quarter from one another. Now they resemble triangles with one circular edge.

 

7) Brush the tops of the quarters with some garlic butter. Place half a sausage at the wide end and roll up.
 

8) Arrange in a foil lined tray. Let it rest for 30 more min or until they double in size. Repeat the same for all the rolls. Brush all of them with more garlic butter.

 

9) After they double in size, bake them in an oven till light golden brown.

 

10) Serve them warm with sour cream or Ketchup.

 

Note : If you find your baked buns or rolls hard or crispy on the outside, you have to cover them with a wet clean towel soon after they are out of the oven. After 10 minutes, you will find them softened.

 

Cheesy-Stuffed Garlic Butter Rolls

Last weekend I utilized some time for practicing the art of bread making. I realized that the best breads come with some good practice and passion. And it totally depends on the dough and the way it is kneaded, good quality yeast and the rising time for the dough. The rest of it is terribly easy-cheesy.

Now I am posting a tried and tested recipe for a perfect appetizer which can be every bread lover's dream. It is light, it is kiddish, it is flavorful and a popular finger food now. Oh yes, It is cheesy also because it combines butter, cheese and some garlic seasoned alongside with a dash of Italian spices.

The Cheesy-Stuffed Garlic Butter Rolls are ooey-gooey and delicious, they will upgrade your tea time table to higher levels with their presence. You can enjoy them with a sour dip and you will realize that they are tastier than the bakery stuff.

Now on to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dough:

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Instant yeast

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oil/ melted butter

For the Filling:

4 string cheeses, cut in half
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 small clove garlic, minced

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.

2)  In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt , yeast and mix well to form a soft dough. Add in the Oil and knead for 5 min. Let it sit for 30 min or until it doubles in size.

3) While the dough is resting, you can make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, melt butter together with Italian seasoning and garlic. Keep aside.

4) Punch the air out of the dough and knead for 5 min. If the dough is very sticky, you can use very little flour and mix well. Make a smooth dough.

5)  Make small balls from it and roll out each ball into thick circles. With a knife or a pizza cutter, you can cut the circle into 4 equal quarters.

 

6) Separate each quarter from one another. Now they resemble triangles with one circular edge.

 

7) Brush the tops of the quarters with some garlic butter. Place half a string cheese at the wide end and roll up.

 

 

8) Arrange in a foil lined tray. Let it rest for 30 more min or until they double in size. Repeat the same for all the rolls. Brush all of them with more garlic butter.

 

9) After they double in size, bake them in an oven till light golden brown.

 

 

10) Serve them warm with sour cream or Ketchup.

 

Note : If you find your baked buns or rolls hard or crispy on the outside, you have to cover them with a wet clean towel soon after they are out of the oven. After 10 minutes, you will find them softened.

 

 

 

Tandoori wings with cucumber yoghurt

During our Eid holidays, we decided to travel 270kms from Muscat to the famous and the highest Mountain range of Oman called the Jebel Shams.

Jebel Shams is to Oman, what the Grand Canyon is to the US.  It is a part of the Al Hajar Mountain range in Oman which is a popular sightseeing place. When I say mountains here, they are plain rocky ones with almost no vegetation on them. In other words, they are dry and you get to see a few water falls here and there. Also, you often see the mountain goats and camels grazing extensively. The sceneries are tremendous and offer you spectacular views of the dense rocky mountain ranges spread majestically. The weather is pleasant all through the year and is heavenly during the winters.

So we had planned to travel for the day to this beautiful place as we were trying to flee hot weather from our Muscat city. And we were not very happy after reaching there as it was quite warm even on the hill. We decided to finish our lunch and then travel to the nearby cities and explore them. We had no maps, no plans. Only a drive using the directions. And then we were lucky as we drove to see the clouds gathering up quickly over the mountain range. We continued to climb on a hill that enveloped the city of Al Hamra. When we reached it, a captivating sight welcomed us. Rain !!! It rained heavily with strong thunders and lightining. Now rain is something we haven't seen since the last 6 months here and getting to see it on a holiday is something beholding.

It rained for an hour and we knew that our day was made. Our travel was worth the effort and the long distance. The place was called as Misafat Al Abriyeen.  It was a water spring and we enjoyed it. Then we travelled back down the hill and entered the beautiful city called Bahla to explore it. It was 9 p.m. when we started back to Muscat.

Interiors in Oman is where you get to see the real Omani culture. It is 5 years now since I came to Muscat and I have been living here watching the locals and adopting their styles, enjoying their cuisine and culture. But when I travel to the Interiors of Oman, I get to see the actual Omani culture, their hospitality, their living styles etc etc.

We all know that Omanis are lovely, friendly and hospitable people. I have many examples which demonstrate their generosity and their loyalty. We have witnessed it on many occasions and I feel very lucky to have been given this chance to live in this amazing country. I have many good Omani friends at my workplace with whom I do spend a lot of time. We chat about everything on this earth, we share pictures of our families, we talk about our past lives and our culture, we go out together, share food, exchange recipes etc.

And this is how and why I keep trying out mostly Arabian influence dishes these days and I do it by giving it some Indian twist and we love them.

I could not contain my excitement when I found another appetizer recipe for chicken wings. It was surreal. I had  found my way back to India but via the Arabian peninsula.

The below pictures will give you a fair idea of where and how I spent the Eid holidays.

Here is the tantalizing recipe for the tandoori Chicken wings:

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup tandoori curry paste
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1.5 kg chicken wings

Cucumber yoghurt

1 cucumber, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup plain yoghurt

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  To make the cucumber yoghurt: Combine cucumber, mint and yoghurt in a bowl. Season with pepper. Cover. Refrigerate until needed.

2) Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine curry paste, yoghurt and coriander in a large bowl. Add wings. Toss to coat. Transfer to prepared tray.

3) Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and cooked through. You can also grill them if you like. 

4) Serve tandoori wings with cucumber yoghurt, rice, mint and lime wedges.

 

Orange- Almond pound cake

The month of August is here now and we have the most special birthdays looking down on us. My toddler who turns two on the 26th and hubby on the 18th. So a lot of planning is needed now to make these days joyous for them. And food is sure to play a big time role in this.

My oven has a lot to do now. And my shortlisted cake recipes will get a chance for sure. To be honest, its been more than a month since I baked a cake. So I thought of doing a practice session for myself so that I make no mistakes on the celebration days.

I  had a few oranges at home and converting them into a tea cake was the coolest idea for the day. A loaf cake was something interesting to imagine because it made use of my newly purchased loaf tin. A few almonds to enhance the flavor. The results were fantastic and something worth raving. A light, fluffy, moist and a moreish cake sat on my kitchen counter in an hour's time. The insides had an orange colored tinge and almond flakes greeted your taste buds in every bite. Not to forget the citrusy flavor of the orange zest that was generously used in the cake. The cake had a light golden crust that gave the cake a very spongy texture. The top layer of the cake was draped with almond flakes giving it an irresistibly incredible look. Oh, and I forgot to mention how easy the whole task was. You can never go wrong anywhere after weighing the ingredients rightly.

I found this recipe somewhere on the internet during blog hopping. I was instantly charmed by the whole idea of combining oranges and almonds. Its been in my to-do list since ages. And I am so glad that I tried it. Because now I can confidently go about the celebrations. After all, merry making becomes more merrier when everything is commendable.

This is a pound cake. So the ratio of flour, sugar, butter and eggs stands at 1:1:1:1.  Pound cakes are usually made in loaf tins.

The recipe goes like this.

INGREDIENTS:

190g unsalted butter, plus a tablespoon extra for greasing the pan

190g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tbsp finely grated orange zest

190g  sugar

3 large eggs

60g ground almonds or almond powder

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp plain yoghurt

1 full tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp orange essence (optional)

A handful of flaked almonds

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1) Preheat the electric /convection oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  2) Butter a loaf pan and keep it ready. 3) Cream together the butter, orange zest, sugar until soft and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat well until creamy. Use an electric whisk preferably for this process. 4)  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt.  5) Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Just fold them in. No need to beat them. Fold them until well mixed. 6) Add the yogurt and the vanilla essence and mix well. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top of the batter. 7) Pour the batter in the buttered loaf pan. 8)  Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the sponge is firm on top and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
 

Sweet Chilli Sauce

I know that sometimes we cooks, chefs and bloggers get predictable.  But, every year there are certain foods or ingredients that really get our juices flowing, our kitchens humming, our hearts buzzing.

Typically, they are items that are only at their peak for a few years and we balance many cuisines using them. For me, one such example is the Tomato Ketchup or the tomato sauce. We used it with every thing and it is known as the Westerners pickle. Sweet Chili sauce is a Thai sauce which has become so popular now that it is loved by all nationalities and its is one of the best accompaniment for most foods. It has outclassed the tomato ketchup in every way.

So indulge in a to-die-for sweet chili sauce made with just 7 ingredients. A spine-tingling treat to satisfy that Thai-food craving. Use it as a dip with your starters. I can promise that it tastes heavenly.

INGREDIENTS:
                        

1 cup water                    
1 cup rice vinegar                                                                                 

1 cup sugar                                                     

2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 tsp minced garlic     
2 tsp hot chilli pepper minced
2 tsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp cornstarch

 HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Pour water and vinegar into a saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in sugar, ginger, garlic, chile pepper, and ketchup; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch.

2) Remove saucepan from stove to cool. Then transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.