Home made Pizza!

I got this lovely recipe from my friend Nishtha.Its easy,do-able and soooo yummy!

Ingredients for the crust:

1 tbsp dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp sugar
3 cups flour (maida)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Take 1/2 cup warm water and add sugar and yeast.Mix and let it sit for 10 minutes.
In a deep bowl add flour,salt,the risen yeast mix and remaining warm water.Knead the dough till elastic,then add olive oil and need more on a flat surface.Sprinkle flour on the surface and keep kneading till soft and kind of leaves the surface.Do not add too much flour or knead more to make it hard.Now shift this to a glass bowl which has been greased with oil.Place the round dough inside and cover with a wet cloth an keep it a warm place .Allow it to proof for 2.5-3 hours till it doubles in size.Now divide the dough in 2-3 balls.Now get your toppings and sauce ready.You can use home made sauce  too i used veeba pizza sauce.Place a foil on the baking tray and grease with little oil,now spread the dough in the desired shape on the tray.Apply sauce,grated mozarella cheese,sliced and sauteed mushrooms,sliced onions ,sliced capsicums and sprinkle oregano.Now bake at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes till you see the base has browned and cheese melted and voilaaaa ur pizza is ready.....

Banana Cake

Banana Bread:

Ingredients:
Eggs 2
Whole wheat flour 125 gm(1 cup)
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Oil 1/2 cup
Sugar 150 gm (3/4 cup) ( I used desi shakkar)
Ripe bananas one or two mashed
Vanilla Essence 1 tsp
Walnuts chopped 1/2 cup (optional)
Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp

Method:
-Preheat oven to 170*
-Mix all the ingredients and pour into a greased baking pan.
-Bake for 40 min, check with a skewer if it comes clean then your bread is done.

Cup (in reference here) -240 ml

Prawn Biryani

A feedback to Atul sikand's dish.
Prawn Pulao- Followed the recipe to the T only difference was the prawns I used were without heads and small in size...next time shall use other one and o skipped the cream
Thank you.

Ingredients:

400 Grams Prawns - Weight without heads.
250 - 300 Grams Rice .
2 Onions - Sliced.
1 Tomato Chopped.
1/2 Cup Yogurt.
2-3 Broken Green Chillies.
2 Sprigs Curry Leaves.
Mint Leaves.
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala.
Ghee.
Cream - Optional to add at the end.
PASTE:
1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste.
1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste.
6-8 Dried Red Chillies.
1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds.
1/2 1/2 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds.
1" Cinnamon.
3-4 Green Cardamom.
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut.
1. Apply some lemon juice haldi and salt on prawns , set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes , drain.
3. Heat ghee , fry onions till golden brown, add chopped tomatoes , green chillies , saute a minute or two , now add in whisked yogurt and salt , when you see oil on the surface tip in garam masala , mix.
4. Add rice , saute 2-3 minutes in the masala , then add prawns and cook another 1-2 minutes then pour enough hot water to cover 1" above the rice , also add mint leaves , green chillies if you like along with 2 tablespoons cream.
5. Cook sealed on low heat for about 20 minutes , rice will be done. Leave it under dum till ready to eat.

Thai Chicken Curry

Thai Chicken red curry !

Method:

Heat oil in a pan,saute boneless chicken and keep aside.(if vegetarian omit the chicken)Now saute mushrooms and add par boiled baby corn and brocolli.To this i added in the Red Thai curry paste followed by the Thai coconut milk and little water..Simply added salt and jaggery to this.A dash of seasoning sauce.Give it a nice boil and add in the basil leaves.Tasted yumm...

Black Chicken

Black Chicken!

A feedback to Ruchi airen's recipe of black chicken.This recipe has been on my mind since the time she posted it as it had a fusion of Chinese n indian ingredients....Thanks so much Ruchi....my kids loved it too

Recipe followed to the T,only change was I preferred putting only 1tsp on garam masala .

Method:
Marinate 6 medium sized chicken drumsticks (poked from all sides with a sharp fork) in salt, 1 tsp red chili pwdr, 2 tsp good quality Garam Masala ( preferably the homemade kind) 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 1-2 tbsp each of dark soy sauce and vinegar...for about 20-25 minutes. Heat 1 tsp oil and bhuno chicken on medium high to seal the juices. When most of the liquid dries up and the chicken turns slightly crispy...Sprinkle a little water, cover and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and stir fry on high for another 3-4 minutes, till masala leaves oil! Serve garnished with onion rings!

Bread

White Bread Loaf

Yipeee....i finally baked a bread....feeling so happy ....handling yeast is so tricky and o was skeptical to try....but A big shout out to rakesh ji for the inspiration and amazing recipe of sumod Tom.

Recipe below in masters words......

Makes one large 9” X 5” loaf or two small loaves

Once you learn to make your own basic bread loaves at home, you will never turn back to the bakery ones. It tastes awesome, and you can make it with healthier ingredients, and shape it as you desire.

Ingredients:
Water or Milk – 303g to 340g lukewarm (1 1/3 to 1 ½ cups)
(I used 50:50 water and milk)
Honey or Sugar – 32g (2 tbs)
Instant yeast – 2 1/4 teaspoons
Salt – 1 3/4 teaspoons
Butter or Olive Oil – 28g soft (2 tbs)
Bread flour or All-purpose Flour or Maida – 482g (4 cups)
Milk Powder – 35g (1/3 cup)

Method:
Take ¼ cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp sugar and the instant yeast, mix well and set aside to rise.

Mix the flour, milk powder and salt in a bowl.
In another large bowl mix all the wet ingredients, (except butter).

Add the risen yeast mix to this. Start adding the flour mix, a cup at a time, mixing well with a silicon or plastic scraper (if you do not have a scraper, mix with hand), till you get very wet dough, which starts pulling off from the side of the bowl.

Add butter little at a time to the mix and keep kneading.
Transfer this to a lightly floured work table, knead gently for 10 minutes (lift, spread and throw or stretch and pull), adding little flour at a time (if required only), till you get a very loose, but not sticky dough. (The dough may seem very sticky, but after the above kneading, it will automatically form smooth dough, do not add excess flour, and do not knead hard)

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Grease the dough also.

Cover it, with a wet cloth and let it rise at room temperature (preferably warm place) until it’s doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough, to shape the bread loaf, take the dough and just spread into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin. Roll up tightly into a log. Place the bread dough in lightly greased loaf pan with the seam area at bottom.

Cover with a wet cloth, and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes (preferably warm place), till it has doubled.
15 Minutes before the bake, pre heat the oven at 200 C.
Just before baking, brush the loaf with little milk or melted butter or egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C, for 40 to 45 minutes for the bread loaf. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool.

When completely cooled, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature. Slice the loaf only after cooling.

I bet these tastes much better than the store bought ones, the aroma that fills the house when you bake these, will make you bake it again and again, in fact no more bakery breads.
Happy bread making…..

Note 1: Water required may vary, Use the lesser amount in summer or humid climates; the greater amount in winter or drier climates.
Note 2: Baking time could vary from different ovens.
Note 3: The dough may seem very sticky, but after kneading, it will automatically form smooth dough, do not add excess flour, and do not knead hard)
Note 4: You can brush with egg wash for getting a golden colour for the crown.
Note 5: If the crown of the loaf is getting too much browned, cover with a baking sheet after 25 to 30 minutes.