Monday, October 29, 2012

Sinangag -Filipino Garlic Fried Rice

I love rice and can have it any/ all time of the day to be honest.But I found that its been a long time since I posted a rice recipe. I have been trying out several rice dishes but never got to post them though.So today I thought I will post a family favourite -Sinangag, which is Filipino version of the fried rice that is a staple of all South East Asian cuisines. And for a perfect version I didnot have to search more as I had already bookmarked dear DK's Sinangag. I served it with simple veggies in hot garlic sauce to make it more garlicky. You can go for your choice of  accompaniment though.

Ingredients:
Cooked /leftover medium/long grain rice :2 cups 
Garlic: 4+ whole peeled cloves
Garlic Minced :2-3 tbsp
Scallions/Spring onion: 2+ sliced thinly, white and green separate.
Salt & Pepper: as per taste

Butter/Oil: 1tbsp 

Preparation:
Heat butter/oil or the combo in a deep pan and add whole peeled garlic cloves in it. Roast them until brown and then remove them and keep aside. This is optional step which I had liked and followed from the original recipe source.

To the same pan and in the remaining oil, add remaining ingredients of scallion whites,minced garlic and saute until cooked and a nice aroma emanates. Then toss in the rice and give it a quick stir. Add fresh grated pepper and salt.

Top with scallion greens and whole roasted garlic cloves and serve warm with a side dish of your choice.



Simple, easy to make and perfect. As per wiki, you can add even veggies and meat, but usually preferred with just garlic,salt and pepper. Also its a breakfast dish in Philippines. Who would have thought of having a fried rice for breakfast other than rice lovers like me!?. Anyways go and make it. It can definitely be done under 30 minutes including cooking time for rice.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Spiced Whole Wheat Yogurt Cookies

Now that I have been rambling on about my cookie baking craze, I thought I could also share the simple cakey cookie that I had tried recently. I had seen and made several cakes with yogurt but had never tried a yogurt cookie. I was curious to see how it will turn out and tried adapting this recipe here. I had added little spice to these sugar cookies and they turned out cakey with a springy/puffy centre. Actually I made a test first batch which looked more raw/coarser in texture. Then later I chilled the sticky dough and with the second batch the cookies looked more refined and gourmet but still springy/cakey. Cakey cookies will be having the springy centre, I suppose!. I had tried one cakey cookies with banana as well in the past. Anyway these one are quick to put together and easy to bake. You can make and bake them in less than 30 minutes as I did with the first batch , but I would definitely advise chilling the dough for atleast 2 hours for getting more refined looking cookies.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour: 1 cup
Brown Sugar :6 tbsp
White granulated sugar: 6 tbsp
Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Powdered Clove :1/4 tsp
Powdered Ginger: 1/8 tsp
Powdered Cinnamon: 1/4 tsp

Vanilla: 1/2 tsp
Yogurt: 1/2 cup Or Vanilla Yogurt: 1/2 cup 

Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients together from flour to spices. Make a well and pour in the vanilla and yogurt. Mix well to get a sticky thick batter like dough. 

Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for atleast 1-2 hours or till 2 days.

Take out, it will still be sticky. Pinch pieces or tablespoonful of dough and place it in an ungreased but lined baking sheet . Slightly flatten it as well with your hands. Repeat the same till the dough is used up or baking sheet is filled. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 175C for about 10-12 minutes or more until you see the cookies turning brown at the edges and all puffed up. 




A simple treat which is easy to make and bake. Given above is the first batch and below is the more refined looking by slightly oily looking second batch.


But both were tasty and fine. And were immediately lapped up.
                                           

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

No-Knead Cheese& Garlic Flatbread

 I have talked a lot of how when I am in a baking low -when bakes go wrong that is, cookies help me out of it. They come out perfect and act as antidepressant. But do you know what actually works as another happy  medicine - breads !! Surprised, don't be, kneading is therapeutic and there has been instances when my anger has been washed away after 8-10 minutes of happy kneading. But recently I found out not just kneading or cookies make me happy. Its the basic idea of baking especially baking fuss-free breads. This was after I baked an easy no-knead flatbread with loads of cheese,garlic and herbs. I have adapted this recipe from our master flourist King Arthur Flour and as usual knew it would be excellent.



Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 3.5 cups
Instant Yeast: 1 tbsp
Salt: 1.25 tsp

Olive Oil :3 tbsp
Warm Water: 1.5 cups

Pizza seasoning/choice of herbs: 1 tsp + more for sprinkling

Filling:
Cheddar cheese: chopped into small cubes : 1/ 2 cup
Garlic cloves: 5 or more minced

Preparation:
Mix together all the ingredients except cheese and garlic using hand or machine. You have to just mix it well for about 1 minute or so to get a sticky thick batter. 

Fold in the cheese and garlic and ensure they are distributed evenly.

Pour the batter into an appropriate baking dish which is greased and optionally lined.Make sure you push the batter to the corners of the dish. Let it rise covered with a plastic wrap,until puffy and almost doubled for about 1- 2 hours.

 I made half of the recipe and it filled an entire 8'x8' square dish after rising and it took just 45 minutes to rise. 

At the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375F/190C and sprinkle herbs or pizza seasonings evenly on top of the risen dough.

Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Take out, after 5 minutes turn it out of the baking dish onto a wire rack to cool completely or till snack time.

Enjoy with a dip or sauce or as such cubed or quartered.


Easy to bake bread perfect with soup or as a snack or whatever way you prefer. And for me it was just perfect with tea and just right in time for World Bread Day 2012 which is celebrated worldwide today especially at Zorra's. Its an event I have not missed for the past 4 years and will be participating hopefully in coming years as well.



Monday, October 15, 2012

Pumpkin Chocochip Muffins

Pumpkins remind me of fall time in US. I know pumpkins are easily available here also,but cute sugarbaby pumpkins appear when in October onwards -when its fall and Thanksgiving time in US!. I was thinking that  seasonal vegetation changes in US do not reflect here but never mind, we can have the best of both worlds or it might be pumpkin harvesting time here also, but I love them in baked goodies.And this year the timing was perfect as pumpkin was the main ingredient in this months Baking Partners Challenge #3, a baking group by Swati Iyer. 

This time also there were 3 different different recipes given that starred pumpkins either as muffins or cupcakes and these 3 included even a vegan one but I chose the first one - Pumpkin Chocochip muffins from Joy of Baking ,originally adapted from Baking From My Heart by Michael J Rose and suggested by Reshmi of FunwidFud. They turned great and perfect snack. I am planning to tryout pumpkin in other bakes too and lets hope they turn out well too.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 3/4 cup
Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon: 1/ tsp
Ginger, Clove & Nutmeg: 1/8 tsp each 

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Butter:4 tbsp room temp
Sugar: 1/2 cup 

Egg or Ener G or Choice of Egg Replacer:  1 (1.5 packed tsp of EnerG + 2-3 tbsp of water beaten well )
Vanilla Extract: 1/2 tsp

Solid Packed Pumpkin Puree : 6 tbsp
Chocochips: 1/2 cup or more (I used a mix of white and milk)

Preparation:
Mix together the dry ingredients of flour,spices,soda and salt. Keep aside.

In a deep bowl,cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.Beat in Egg or Egg replacer Egg. The mix might look curdled but carry on. Beat in Vanilla as well.

Beat in the flour mix and pumpkin puree alternately at low speed and until just combined, beginning and ending with flour in 3 additions. Fold in half of the chocochips and save the rest for sprinkling on top. I mixed in white ones in the batter and sprinkled the brown ones on top.

Spoon the batter evenly into lined muffin cups,sprinkle the remaining chocochips on top and bake in a preheated oven at 350F or 175C forabout 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. I can guarantee a nice aroma spreading around the house as well. Cool completely on a wire rack. 


What are you waiting for? Munch on. If I am there, you are not going to get any.
Spiced pumpkin muffins that are perfect snack and a forebringer of fall, of pumpkin or festivities or holidays.Add white and milk chocochips and you are in heaven.So Thanks Reshmi and Swati for a wonderful recipe.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Tangy & Spicy Potatoes - Aloo Masala Chaat

I am usually attracted to any place that has a board labelled chaat. I would not care for the ambience or even the cleanliness of the place (upto an extent that is) if I can get hold of a bowl of chaat!. My friends in my residential complex can vouch for the fact as I drag them along for chaat the moment the neighbourhood chaat shop opens. This despite the fact that I make them at home!For me a chaat is like several fresh and sometimes cooked ingredients thrown together and flavoured with chaat masalas without going into too much cooking. So I was really surprised when I came across the Aloo Masala Chaat in Deekshas Kitchen for this months Blog Hop Wednesday: 21 by Radhika. I loved the tangy spicy and perfect potato and it will definitely be a regular now. 

Ingredients:
Potatoes: atleast 2 medium: boiled,peeled and cubed

Chaat Masala: 1 tsp+ as per taste
Cumin-coriander power: 1/2 tsp + as per taste
Chilly Powder:1/4 tsp + as per taste

Oil:1/2 -1 tsp
Tomato: 1 medium  grated to a puree
Ginger: a small piece minced/grated
Green Chile: 1 medium :chopped
Ajwain/Carrom Seeds: a pinch
Anardana/ Dry Pomegrante Seed Powdered: 1/2 tsp+ as per taste

Preparation:

Boil,peel and cube the potatoes in a bowl. Add in the chaat masala -store bought/homemade, cumin-coriander powder and chilly powder and mix well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan/kadai. Add in the grated tomato and cook till the raw smell goes and the oil separates. The grated tomato will be automatically deskinned and deseeded - you can even substitute this with store bought tomato puree.

Once the puree is cooked, add in grated ginger, cook another minute and add in the anardana powder and ajwain and cook for another minute till the raw smell goes and flavours mix. 

Add in salt and the marinated potato pieces. Mix well. Cook few more minutes till the flavours mingle and the potatoes get coated in the thick red puree mix.

Serve hot garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and sev chaatwaallah ishtyle!


A red, tangy and spicy and comforting dish. YUM-O.Perfect for teatime but I love chaats anytime of the day. :P


Monday, October 8, 2012

Yatimcheh

There was a time when I hated baingans. I was not in love with the purple big eggplants/brinjal/baingans as I could not roast properly. I know its sounding ridiculous, but its true.I knew how to chop up and cook,but roasting over gas was something I started enjoying after marriage. I love the warmth provided by smoking and enjoy bhaingan and the bharta . Now I am trying out different eggplant dishes in other cuisines and find that there is surely some sort of connection between each cuisines. There are several ingredients common to each cuisine and each region/cuisine used it along with the region specific spices to evolve a dish. Look at the case of Yatimcheh which I found in the blog FigandQuince. Yatim is Urdu for orphans. How and why the dish got the name I have no idea. But its a simple  side of sauteed eggplant with a vinaigrette.And it was similar to Italian caponata. See I talked about connection, right?!. But enough talk. lets see the tasty dish.

Ingredients:
Chinese eggplants : 5-6(long,thinnish,purple skin eggplant)

Onion: 1 medium finely chopped + 1 small for the dressing
Garlic: 1 small clove
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Ginger: 1 tsp (optional)

Olive Oil: 1 tbsp

Red wine Vinegar: 1/2 cup +/-
Dried Mint: as per taste

Salt&Pepper: as per taste

Preparation:
Skin the eggplants, prick it with fork and then sprinkle with salt and let it sit for an hour or so to remove the bitterness.Then rinse it, dry in paper towels and then cube them.

Heat oil in a deep pan and saute onion for a few minutes till transparent, then added minced/grated garlic,ginger, turmeric powder and salt and continue sauteing for a few more minutes.

Add in the cubed eggplant, mix well and let it cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes or more covered until the cubes are cooked and tender.Add and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a mix of 2-3 tbsp of vinegar,minced/chopped onion and dried mint.


A simple ,refreshing and tangy side salad for your breads/rotis. Please adjust the quantity of vinegar as per your taste.Its a dry side salad unless you use a lot of vinegar which some might not like. Red wine vinegar and eggplant are a sure shot combination and this dish proves that fact as well.

The dish is also called Yatimcheh-e-Bademjan and is authentically/traditionally meatless.

Thanks for visiting my Blog

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