Ragi Bread (made with yeast)

Ragi Bread

I think we are all increasingly become a wired society...just this moment I connected my camera to the comp ...to upload the pictures of the bread I had made...there u go ...wires...then job done..rolled it up and put it in...
In the morning - more wires ...to charge up my laptop...wires of mobiles(in plural) ...for each of us...why(?!?)...who knows...being so connected to the world is not necessarily a very good idea...methinks. Soon with evolution we might start growing wires out of our own bodies ( theory being that - that which is not used disappears and that which is frequently used becomes stronger )....science fiction ?!? you say...well u never know...it just might be the future.

Nyways just random & stray thoughts...were we better off when lives were simpler...and access to all a little bit more restricted...when we were not so privy to every itty bitty detail of others lives & happenings(Facebook & What's app)....where they all are at any given time...what they ate, what they saw, did, enjoyed...who they met...
I guess every bit of development & progress has it's cons...and we have to live with that whilst enjoying it's benefits.

What has that to do with this recipe...nothing actually...sorry guys...to let you down this path...just thought I would let out a bit of my angst.

So coming back to this bread...I am on a bread discovery, new flours discovery, and more healthful alternatives to the original options...hoping to achieve food nirvana some day... :-).

This bread contains a mix of 3 flours, used ragi ( nachani ) my new favourite, whole wheat, and some all purpose to lighten the dough a bit...
Dates is my new sweetener...have written more about it below...
Fruits or veggies my all time favourite...try to always incorporate them in my baking..

It all worked out beautifully and came together in the form of this bread...which can be had for breakfast or evening tea, or even a midway snack...it is not sweet at all...so for those with a sweet tooth...the sugar or dates can be increased...otherwise it could be had as is...with butter or fruit preserves of choice.

And here goes, the recipe for an amazing bread is as given below....


Ingredients:

3/4 cup Ragi flour
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp active yeast
1 Tblspn sugar
8-10 dates, seeded and chopped**
1 Tblspn olive oil ( or any other oil )
1 large or 2 medium carrot(s) grated (optional)*
1/2 tsp salt


Topping (optional ):
1 tsp milk 
1/2 Tblspn sesame seeds

Method:

1) Warm the milk, add sugar and yeast and keep aside for 10 minutes, add the chopped dates to this mixture.
2) Mix all the flours in the bowl, add salt, oil, and mix thoroughly.
3) Add the grated carrots, and the yeast mixture, knead to form a smooth dough - you could add some water or flour if required, the dough is a bit sticky.
4) Oil the dough surface, and the bowl, keep covered with a moist cloth for 1 hour in a warm place. The dough rises to double it's size.
5) Beat the dough down and knead it lightly, shape in form of a loaf...put it in a baking dish - cover with cloth and keep again for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hrs to rise again.
6) After the second rising - pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C, brush the dough with milk, and sprinkle sesame seeds over it, press lightly so that it sticks to the dough.
7)Bake 180 for 35-40 minutes till done. Check with a toothpick to see if done.

8) Cool over a wire rack - then slice and serve.
Enjoy !!!

Note:
*1) The carrots are optional - it is just to add some more flavour and to increase the nutritional quotient...you could add spinach or bottle gourd ( dudhi ) or zucchini...but in case of those you may need to remove some of the water esp. regards dudhi or zucchini...so as to not make the bread too moist.
Apple or banana also make a good addition...have used it in other recipes - turns out good.
You could also just go with plain ....

**2) The addition of dates is to increase the sweetness of the bread without increasing the sugar...
Dates provide a lot of health benefits - it is a rich source of iron, vitamins, minerals and also helps lower cholesterol...it is a natural form of sugar so I try to use it instead of sugar in most of my sweet dishes.

The previous time I had tried a whole wheat bread - it had become too dense - and since it was not too sweet either I did not have a lot of takers for it...so had to valiantly finish it off on my own...this time decided to try with smaller portions ...
So this was a half measure of an recipe with my modifications ....make one small loaf - the slices look big cause I cut it a bit diagonally...but you could go double it to get a regular sized big loaf...
Hope you try this ...I loved it...and do plan on making it again myself.
And regards my angst above...don't worry any communication from my readers is most welcome...please do let me know what you think..re. my recipes...or in general....life & the world... :-)

Healthy Dates & Carrot Quick Breakfast Bread

Dates & Carrot Breakfast Bread

So now I am on a health trip - trying to find ways to reduce the sugar, all-purpose flour from my recipes...did a bit of experimentation with yeast...and then found my way back to the quicker variety with baking powder & soda...

Though right now I am still continuing with the carrots & dates & banana or apple pulps combinations, this particular bread recipe had agave ( for sweetness)  which I replaced with honey...the previous recipe was a whole wheat bread which was very dense - so decided to go a bit lighter this time with a combination of flours...and since this had oats(loads of goodness)...felt I could add in a bit of AP flour...the sweetness is due to the dates and honey - both of which just barely flavours the bread - and that is good for a breakfast bread..which is where I was going with this one...
However if you would like it more like a dessert you make add more honey or dates or even sugar to the mix.

The spices in this bread brings out the flavours of dates, the slight aroma of banana...and brings to mind the Christmas plum cake...making it absolutely yummy !!!

Methi puri...a great snack

Methi Puris

My sister in law T makes amazing khari puris, have tried making it myself ...but have not been too successful...it was not that bad..but you know ...I was not too happy with the result....did not try after a couple of times...

Nyways had dropped the thought of making my own until I saw this on TV - some cooking show had methi puris on - and boy it was so simple the way they did it (at least that's how it appeared)...so I got charged up...and put it on my list of stuff to try out...not the exact same thing as a khari puri...but close enuff...and I love methi...so nothing holding me back...except maybe  'time'...?!?

Finally managed to get the time, get the ingredients...so here's the way I went about making this...by the way I checked the net..and there are so many different proportions of the flours and even the flours themselves...they have mix of all purpose, whole wheat, rava(semolina), besan ( chick pea flour)...with any or all of them and as I said the ratio also differing...
I went with the one I felt sounded right...and it actually turned out pretty good...used a tip from the TV show...roasted the jeera before adding it..

Eggless Low-fat Chocolate Brownie....or cake...or something in middle

Now this is a sort of repeat of one of my earlier posts, but had to put it down - could have done a update - but decided that it needed it's own space :-)

How it all started...

End of last year I had discovered a low-fat brownie recipe which I liked a lot - and as I mentioned in that post - it was not a proper brownie recipe -which is supposed to have a high proportion of fat to flour ...whereas that one was more cake like - and the term low-fat brownie is sort of an oxymoron...but as I said since it was such an amazing recipe - and I added a chocolate drink powder on top to give it an icing look - and turn it into a yummy desert...I had been thrilled with the end product and with myself... :-)

Anyways so yesterday we were invited to a sort of snack fest by one of our cousins - and I was to bring brownies with me to the do...now many in my hubby's family are non egg eaters...hence the search last night for an egg less brownie...
Turned up quite a few - but none as quick and easy as the earlier mentioned "low-fat brownie recipe"....so decided to innovate and turn that into a egg less recipe...

And again am so thrilled with the recipe and the end product and myself too... that I had to put it down in a post of it's own - to celebrate the success...

Onion Bread

Onion Bread

Well, this was not the first bread that I had baked - and some of them have turned out pretty good - and some not that great ....some with yeast and some quick bread (of which banana bread is my all time fav.).

But somehow I was quite impressed with this bread that I had experimented with this morning...am not quite sure how I got around to doing this today - had not really planned it so...but sometimes I find myself just working on a new recipe without realising it...it just happens...and those are sometimes the best dishes.

This is one of them...I had earlier backed some buns with coriander, garlic & cheese stuffed in them - it was pretty good...and T and discussed that onion would be a good stuffing too...while reading up some recipes, I got this one which is not exactly a stuffing but the onions are fried ( browned ) and then mixed with the dough - so you get the flecks of it all thru - not just in the centre...
As usual I made some changes - added some garlic too (one of our favourite ingredients) - and also brushed the top with some milk and put some sesame seeds onto it...gave it a more professional look and feel.

Methi Dhebra / Methi Paratha / Methi Thepla

T's cousins were visiting...they had a late night flight (almost early morning ) - and I was wondering what I should make ...in case they are hungry and would like a bite...

Thought something light would be good...and hence decided on methi dhebra....traditionally dhebra is made of jowar or bajra flour....generally I stick to thepla or paratha which is made of wheat flour...

If the dhebra is made wholly of bajra - then it does not have to be rolled out - it is patted into a small circle and put on the tava to cook..

The ones I made were a mix of wheat flour, and bajra and methi leaves...so it could be rolled out into a thin circle of about 6-7 inches and then fried on the tava with oil.
It turned out real good...and this stays good for a couple of days - you could store it in the refrigerator and warm it before serving.

Microwave Sukhadi / Gud Papdi

Microwave Sukhadi

Now this recipe is one which I had to put down in my Blog, I already have a regular Sukhadi recipe - so was not sure I should put this one too - but the ease with which this came together and the perfection of the end result - soft & yummy - absolutely delish...had to get the pen & paper out...sorry ...camera & computer...

The main ingredients are the same as original Sukhadi recipe and which can be obtained thru the link above...the method is given below,

Method :

1) Take a microwave bowl and mix in the 1 cup of wheat flour, with the 1/2 cup of ghee thoroughly.
2) Microwave on high for 4 minutes - stopping after 2 and stirring it.
3) Microwave again for 4-5 minutes - stopping now after every minute and stirring it.
4) The aroma of wheat roasting will start coming at this stage - the mixture is still very moist but the color has started to change.
5) At this stage add the 1/2 cup crushed nuts ( almond & walnuts ) along with powdered cardamom. This time I also put in some crushed saffron. Mix.
6) Microwave for 1 minute - take out and stir - now the ghee will be all absorbed and the mixture looks more together. Add the 1/2 cup grated jaggery and mix it - the heat will melt the jaggery.
7) Microwave for 30 seconds and then mix again so that all the jaggery is blended in.

Setting on a Thali

At this stage the Sukhadi is all done - spread it in a greased plate or tray and let it cool down - cut - then cover and keep in the fridge for about 1 hour - this makes it easier to remove the pieces. 

Enjoy !!!

P.S. If you like to have Sukhadi which is not so soft - you could microwave it for a minute or two after after the jaggery.

I have made Besan Ladoo in the microwave this Diwali after many unsuccessful attempts earlier ( have yet to get that down in the blog ) and now this too worked out great - so decided to make a start on posting all these recipes....it was such an easy sweet to make and one which my hubby loves ...so am happy today...
Today is Christmas - not a very apt sweet for the occasion - but anyways ...wishing all a very merry X'mas and Happy New Year !!!

Low fat Chocolate Brownie / Cake / Something in middle...

Ok, So I am doing this after a very long time - by this I mean putting down my recipe....not sure why ....
I am generally rather thrilled when I plan to try out anything new and even more thrilled when the end result ( after all my changes ) comes out successful....

I start off with quite a bit of research on the net....take on a few of the best options (with regards to the recipes & it's ingredients) ....check out the pros & cons...and then generally try out one of them with a few of my own variations....
And if it turns out to be a winner - boy am I thrilled (as mentioned above)...and that's when I love to blab about it to anyone who will give me a ear...( or think of blogging...in case the first is missing). 

And that is the cause of my confusion - why the delay ??? in posting - but anyways now that I am here - let me get on with the recipe, this time it is the brownie that I was into...
Actually this is not my first...I have used the box mix many a time with beautiful results...this was way before I started  on my adventures with baking from scratch...with cakes, muffins etc...

I have also baked a sort of instant brownie - which was supposed to be a single serve...which was not bad ....but this was supposed to be full fledged recipe.

As I said I researched and found quite a few - more true to the concept of brownie than this one...but it all had a huge amount of butter, or oil, and sugar..and then I came upon this one...
The recipe said that it was low fat - that was the main attraction for me...as for the sugar - I had my own twist on that...
The only thing is that in most brownie recipes as opposed to cake the flour and butter proportions 1/2 cup is to 1 cup - whereas this really did not fit that category, hence does not fall into the true brownie category - but does it matter...
It is quite fudgy, chocolaty, yummy, delicious - call it what u want  - brownie, cake or anything in between....but do try it...bake it...enjoy it.....cause it is fantastic......and my secret to reduce the sugar ????...to make it more amazing....Dates !!!!
And a twist to an amazing icing on the brownie - Bournvita !!!! that is a chocolaty drink which we have at our place at all times...

So when my alterations to an already amazing recipe yielded even more amazing results - I had to put it down...
Could I have used the word "amazing" any more...well ....let me see.... :-)....