Friday, August 28, 2015

Palada Pradhaman – Onam Special



  Happy onam to all the readers and followers ,




  I thought of posting onam recipe on this auspicious day. So , I choose to post a sweet dish. 
    Everyone know that onam sadhya consists of many varities of pradhaman / payasam.  Of all the pradhamans -  paladapradaman is  unique and a common dish in sadhya.
   I made this paladapradhaman with homemade ada. I  followed the recipe which I saw in a Malayalam channel long before I started blogging.
    I had never tasted it before , but was eager to make this pradhaman. It is not possible till yesterday, yesterday , I made fresh ada and made this paladapradhaman.

   I will share the preparation of ada soon , though there are many recipes to prepare ada in the blogosphere , I want to post my preparation of ada as it will be in my memory……..






   The pradhaman was so delicious and flavorful. Little angel  Akshara liked it  too…….

Requirements :
Homemade Ada - ½ cup
Full fat milk - 2 cups
Water - 1¼ cup
Condensed milk - ½ tin / 200 gms / 4 tbs
Sugar - 2 tbsp optional
Cashew -  5 -6 nos
Crushed cardamom - 1
Ghee - ½ tbsp.

Method :
  In a pressure cooker , add together milk , water and    condensed milk , mix well.
  To this add the homemade ada and mix well.
  When the contents boil , close the lid and cook for two whistles .  Take  off from flame and let the pressure drops.
Check whether ada is cooked , add the sugar if needs extra sweetness.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the  split cashews till golden brown, add this to the payasam along with crushed cardamom.
Serve hot, warm or chilled.



Chef’s suggestion :

If you want to substitute condensed milk with sugar, add ¾ cup of sugar. Sugar must be added after the ada are cooked well.

It can be stored in the fridge for 3 days. We finished off on the same day.


Monday, August 24, 2015

Mexican Cemita Buns # We Knead To Bake - 30




       Mexican Cemita Buns are used to make a sandwich which is very popular in the Puebla region of the country. There they make the Cemitas Poblana, which is a sandwich is filled with sliced avocado, meat, panela cheese or sometimes quesillo cheese, onions, a herb called pápalo and red sauce. 
       The cemita is a torta originally from Puebla , Mexico. The name can refer to the bread roll it is served on as well.

    The cemita, also known as cemita poblana, derives from the city (and region) of Puebla . The word refers to the sandwich as well as to the roll it is typically served on, a bread roll covered with sesame seeds. The bread is made with egg, and resembles brioche.  Additionally, the ingredients usually are restricted to sliced avocado ,  meat, white cheese, onions, the herb pápalo  and red sauce (salsa  roja). In modern times it has appeared on the streets of New York, Los Angeles, and other cities with Mexican food vendors.


I made it as eggless by replacing two eggs with half a cup of milk.





    These buns may look like regular sesame topped burger buns but they’re nothing like it. The Cemita, which is the name given to the bread and the sandwich made with it, is made with a brioche-like enriched dough that has a crunchy outside but is soft inside.
Kenji Lopez-Alt describes the Cemita as “sweet and savory flavor with a dense-yet-light crumb that can stand up to stacks and stacks of toppings without disintegrating or losing its tenderness”.


                                   



      The recipe given below is my adaptation of the original. These buns are usually made with lard or butter but Kenji Lopez-Alt uses heavy cream in his recipe since he feels it produces a softer and richer crumb. I replaced the heavy cream with half 25% fat cream (Amul) and half milk.I also cut the sugar by half and left out the sprinkling of coarse sea salt. I also ended up using about 1/2 a cup more of flour than suggested because what we need to make Cemita buns is a sticky dough and not a wet dough!  One tbsp butter can be used  instead of cream .




Mexican Cemita Buns
Adapted from  Serious Eats

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cream (25% fat)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs ( replaced with extra ½ cup milk )
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
A little more milk for brushing
1/3 to 1/2 cup sesame seeds
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling (optional)







Method:
       You can knead the dough by hand or machine though machine is easier because of the sticky nature of the dough.
      Combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, the cream, milk, eggs ( if using ), yeast, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.
      Process until a ball of dough that rides around the blade is formed, about 45 seconds. Dough will be very sticky. If the dough seems more batter like then add a little more flour until the desired consistency is achieved.
     Please resist the temptation to add too much flour because the dough must be sticky and a little difficult to handle.
       Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl ( the recipe suggests not oiling the bowl, but I did), cover and let it rise at room temperature for about 3 to 4 hours until it is about 1 1/2 times its original size.
     Flour your working surface and lightly flour the dough, then put it on your work surface. Lightly press down the dough and shape it into a thick “rope” like shape. Cut this into 6 equal portions with a scraper or knife.
   Shape the balls into smooth rounds by stretching the tops to form a smooth “skin” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB908K3Kd6k ) and place them on a parchment lined baking tray, leaving a little space between them for expanding as they proof. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour until they have risen a bit.
Brush the buns with milk and sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of sesame seeds. Very ightly press them down into the dough. Bake at 230C (450F) for about 15 minutes until they’re done and the tops are a deep golden brown.

                   



  Cool them completely on a wire rack before using. These buns can be stored in a plastic of paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Warm them slightly before using. This recipe make 6 buns. I got one extra.





Sending to Bready Steady Go happening  @  Jen’s Food and Utterly Scrummy Food For Families .

Friday, August 21, 2015

Marinated Mushroom Briyani

The theme given for this month’s Recipe Redux was Family’s favorite  recipe to get back to dinner table. It may be favorite recipe from our childhood or may be it’s family’s current favorite.















     Our family is fond of one pot meals , be it a simple dhal rice to lavish biryani. We used to cook any biryani be it a vegetarian or Non vegetarian for family get together.
 I decided on sharing our family’s favorite Marinated mushroom biryani . 


    Yes , in  this biryani  we use yogurt and spices are used to marinate  mushroom which gives it a unique taste and flavor.

 

Requirements :
 Rice / Basmati Rice – 2 cup
Mushroom – 250 g
Onion – 2 large
Oil – 2 tbs
Green chilli – 2
Tomato - 2
Bay leaf – 1
Cardamom – 2
Fennel  Seeds – ¼ tsp
Ghee – 1 tbs
Salt to taste
For marinade :
Yogurt -  1 cup
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Garam masala – 1 tbs
Curry powder – 1 tbs
Mint leaves – a handful
Coriander leaves – a handful

 

Preparation :
Wash and  soak rice for fifteen minutes.
Wash and chop mushroom.
Peel and make  thin slice  of onion.
Chop tomato and slit green chilli.

Marinade : In a bowl ,  add the curd , curry powder , garam masala , mint and coriander leaves  and ginger garlic paste , mix well. To this mixture add the chopped mushroom and let it rest for half an hour.


Method :
 Heat oil in a pressure cooker , add in the bay leaf , cardamom and fennel seeds.
 After a minute , add in the sliced onion and slit green chillies , sauté till the onions turn transparent.
Add the chopped tomato and sauté till it turns mushy.
Now , add the marinated mushroom along with the masala and mix well.
 Stir and cook till oil comes on top.
Add the soaked rice and stir for five minutes.
Add about four cup of water.
Add the salt to taste.
Adjust the spice level  at this stage , if needed  add chili powder.
Cover and cook for two whistles.
Take off flame and let the pressure goes off.
Open the lid and add the ghee and mix well.



Marinated mushroom biryani is ready to serve.
Serve along with onion raita.

 

Chef’s suggestion :

Chicken or lamb meat can be used instead of mushroom to make respective biryani.
Basmati rice is usually used , but I have used normal rice.
If using basmati rice , use one and half cup of water for a cup of rice.