Chakalaka With Pap-Pap/A Vegan & Gluten Free Stew With Cornmeal#EattheWorld

Lesotho chakalaka and pap-pap is a very typical meal. The national dish of Lesotho is Pap-pap, made from cornmeal. Chakalaka is a vegetable stew made with baked beans, peppers, carrots and onions, it's delicious. The Chakalaka is vegan and gulten free. You can make the Pap Pap also vegan instead of butter use vegan butter, substitute the milk with water. 

I made this chakalaka mild, add more chilly powder for chopped chilly for a spicy version.

Serves 3
Ingredients
For the Chakalaka/Vegan Vegetable Stew
1 Orange/ Ooty Carrots - grated
1 Medium Onion- thinly sliced
1 Cup Colored Bell Peppers - Orange, Red & Green - diced
¼ Teaspoon, Turmeric
1¼ Teaspoon Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
1 Cup Baked Beans
1 Small Veg Stock Cube
2 Tablespoon Oil
For the Pap Pap
½ Cup Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon Heaped Butter
2½ Cups Boiling Water
½ Cup Milk
1 Cube Cheese 

Method

To Make The Chakalaka

Heat the oil and add the onions sauté till the onions turn translucent, add the dice colored bell peppers saute for a minute, add the grated carrots and saute till they wilt a little, now add the baked beans and all the dry spices - turmeric, red chilly and curry powder, the stock cube and ½ cup hot water , cover and cook for 7 - 10 minutes. 

Taste and then add salt if necessary. Switch off the flame. 

To Make The Pap Pap

In a large sauce pan add the water and butter, when it comes to a rolling boil add milk and the polenta, keep stirring till it form a lump free batter. Keep stirring for another two minutes. Then cover and cook for 7- 10 minutes, stirring after every 2 minutes, till all the water is absorbed. 

Add the cheese and a salt to taste give it a good mix. Pap Pap is ready.

Serve the Pap Pap with Chakalaka and Enjoy!!
Labels : Main course, Lesotho, African, Stew, Vegan, Gluten free, Coloured Bell Peppers, Carrots, Eat the World, Cornmeal, International Cuisine

Check out all the wonderful Lesotho dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

Pandemonium Noshery: Butha Buthe - Spinach and Tangerine Soup 

Palatable Pastime: Lesotho Likhobe 

Magical Ingredients: Lesothan Chakalaka With Papa 

Making Miracles: Lekhotloane 

Sneha’s Recipe: Chakalaka With Pap-Pap/A Vegan & Gluten Free Stew With Cornmeal 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Borotho - Bread from Lesotho 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Makoenva 

Cultureatz: Butha-Buthe, a Spinach and Tangerine Soup 

Kitchen Frau: Chakalaka with Pap (Vegetable-Bean Stew with Cornmeal Porridge)

Corn Bread#BreadBakers

Soft and spongy corn bread, my hubby who does not like corn also enjoyed this  corn bread. This corn bread contains cornmeal as well as corn kernels. It's a yeasted bread.

Ingredients 
75 Grams All Purpose Flour 

45 Grams Cornmeal  

60 Grams Caster Sugar 

1 Egg 

90 Ml Milk 
25 Grams Unsalted Butter - melted 

½ Teaspoon Instant Yeast 

120 Grams Fresh Corn Kernels
¼ Teaspoon Salt

Method

Grease and line a 6" square pan with parchment paper.

Sieve the all purpose flour. In a bowl add the all the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix it with a hand whisk.

In a another sauce pan melt the butter. Keep it to cool.

When the butter cools add the egg, milk and whisk till just blended, do not over whisk till it is foamy.

Mix in the dry ingredients and whisk till it is incorporated and no traces of flour is seen, now add in the corn kernels and mix it lightly. 

Cover the bowl and keep it aside till it doubles in volume (it took around an hour or so).

When it doubles in volume, give it a light mix and pour this into the prepared pan. 

Cover and leave it aside till it again doubles in volume for about 30 minutes or so. After 20 minutes preheat the oven at 170°C for 15 minutes. 

When the batter doubles in volume, bake it in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. 

When baked keep it on a wire rack to cool for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Lift the corn bread by the parchment paper and 

place it on the wire rack till it comes to room temperature. 

Slice it when warm and enjoy it with your tea.

 This make a perfect bread for breakfast for Hi Tea party.

Enjoy!!

Labels:  Breads, Corn kernels, Cornmeal, Egg, Yeast, Baked, Breakfast, Hi Tea, Healthy

"Let's get corny' is our tag line for this month's bread baker's and our host is Stacy of Food Lust People Love.

Do check here some of the corny breads our other baker's have done this month. 

Bacon Country Bread with Corn from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Corn Bread from Sneha's Recipe
Grits Sandwich Bread from Pastry Chef Online
Honey Skillet Cornbread from Making Miracles
Hot Water Cornbread from Palatable Pastime
Iowa "Corn" Pancakes from A Messy Kitchen
Polenta Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread from Spiceroots
Polenta-Crusted, Kernel-Dotted Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Sourdough Cornmeal Dinner Rolls from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Southwestern Chicken Skillet with Cornbread Topping from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Studded Golden Cornbread from What Smells So Good?
Sweet Peach Cornbread from Food Lust People Love
Yeast Corn Breakfast Bread from AmbrosiaBlurb and badge: #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Chipa Argolla#BakingBloggers

Chipa Argolla  is recipe of Paraguay.  This is a breakfast or a snack small cheese bread which has, two versions one  is called chipa the other is chipa argolla.  Chipa argolla is the popular ring shaped version.

  I,  believe that in Paraguay, the town of Coronel Bogado, which is the capital of chipas,  even hosts an annual festival of chipas. The word chipa comes from the Guarani language and it  means cake or bread.

These are a mainly prepared, given to family and friends   during the Holy Week of Lent. 

For Baking Bloggers Sue of Palatable Pastime is our host and every month we get to vote on theme. For September the theme is biscuit and scone recipes which are American based.

I, have seen so many recipes on net, but,  this  is a perfect, tried and tested recipe.  

Ingredients
205 Grams Sabudana Atta / Tapioca Flour
115 Grams Fine Corn Meal
60 Grams Butter - unsalted   
2  Eggs
65 Grams Mozzarella Cheese - grated
65 Grams Parmesan Cheese - grated
½ Teaspoon Heaped Anise seeds / Saunf  

¼ Teaspoon Salt  

¼  Cup Milk

¼ Teaspoon Baking powder

Method

In the bowl, add the butter and the eggs. Mix for a couple minutes with electric hand blender. Incorporate the grated cheeses and anise seeds. Add the salt and milk, mix well . Then, add the tapioca flour and corn meal,  continue mixing until well combined.   Keep this  covered with a cling film to  chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

After you take the dough out from the refrigerator, add the baking powder and knead to a soft dough. 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Line two baking trays, with parchment paper and lightly dust it with cornmeal.  Keep aside.

Pinch the dough into small balls.  Roll each ball into a rope of about 5 or 6 inches long and ½ inch thick. Bring ends together to form a small circle and press to seal. Place them an inch apart on baking sheets .

I made the first tray into big circles and kept them about 2 -3 inches apart.  Found that on baking they did not expand much.  

The next tray, made small circles,  see pic above.

Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly golden  and can  see tiny red spots on the Chipa Argolla . Remove and cool them on to cooling rack. 

These are crisp from outside and soft and chewy from inside.

Lablels : Breads, Baking Bloggers, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Tapioca Flour, Cornmeal, Gluten free, Egg, Latin American, Paraguayan, Baked
Have a look at other Biscuits and Scones Recipes 

• Blueberry Drop Scones by Simply Inspired Meals
• Breakfast Biscuits by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Carrot Cake Scones by Caroline’s Cooking
• Cheesy Garlic Jalapeno Drop Biscuits by Jonesin' For Taste
• Chipa Argolla by Sneha’s Recipe
• Chipas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Gruyère Prosciutto Scones by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Blueberry Biscuits by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Orange Pecan Biscuits by Palatable Pastime
• Sour Cream & Chive Jumbo Biscuits by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Spiced Pumpkin Scones by The Redhead Baker
• Very Cinnamon Scones by Hardly A Goddess

Air Fryer Nachos

These  crisp air fryer nachos with a tablespoon of oil,  are such a healthy treat.  Made these for a get together of my daughter friends.  Served them with Salsa Sauce they vanished in minutes. Today's diet and health conscious children these were just what they wanted.  

Ingredients
1.1/4 Cup Makki Ka Atta / Cornmeal flour
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoons Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Chilly Flakes
Warm Water as required to make a dough

Method

In a bowl add makki ka atta, all purpose flour, salt, chilly flakes, oregano and oil, make a dough with warm water, knead it to a smooth dough. Let the dough rest covered for 15 minutes. 

Divide the dough  and roll into a thin circle. 

Trim the sides and cut into a square.  Cut into strips

Then flour them well and place them over each other. 

Cut into triangles, prick it with a fork. 

Preheat the airfryer at 200 degrees and then arrange the triangles in the basket for 8-10 minutes.

My Notes:

When I baked the first lot in the air fryer they changed shape, i.e they started folding at the edges. 

I, then heated a tava/ girdle and place the triangles on it and baked it for a minute on each side on low flame.  Then cut it into triangles and place them in the air fryer basket, these retained their shape see pic,

Labels : Air Fryer, Healthy snacks, Nachos, Mexican, Salsa Sauce, Cornmeal, Snacks, Party pleasers 

Cornmeal Curnchy Fruity Cake

A long delayed post, is at last being published.  Actually I had forgotten about this cake till this month Bake a thon event announced.

This cake is really crunchy, the cornmeal brings a crunchiness on each bite. The dried fruits and lemony tangy taste adds as a surprise.  During Christmas season last year  I found these fruits in the mall and could not resist buying them.  But now the question was what do I do with them.  So, I, Google and found this recipe.  Cornmeal ..... from where do I get, searched for it in various stores in Mumbai, did not find it anywhere.  So, again back to Google, on YouTube, found that you can make corn meal at home and that's how this cake was baked in my kitchen,  Its very easy to make cornmeal at home.  Look for videos on YouTube and will find many showing you the method. 

The one that I made was a little too big grainy so I, suggest that you make it like thick rawa/semolina. 

This is a great cake for tea time.  When fresh you get the lemony flavor and taste.  This cake, was especially made for our Easter party with my trekking friends.  

My friends enjoyed this cake, but, hubby dear did  not like this cornmeal cake, cause, the cornmeal  - coming on every bite under his teeth.  But, was very happy my friends gave Thumps Up for this cake.  So here is the recipe.  Do try this and you will definitely enjoy it. 

See these lovely, colorful fruits, who can resist them!

Ingredients

1/3 Cup butter softened 

1/2 cup  powdered sugar

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1/3 cup heaped self raising flour

1 Teaspoon Baking powder

2/3 cup cornmeal

1.1/3 cups Mixed dried fruits

1/4 cup Almonds

Grated rind of a lemon

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

4 tablespoons Milk

Method

Grease a cake pan with a little butter and line the base with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Add in the beaten eggs, one spoon at a time, continue whisking . Add the cornmeal into the mixture until well blended and let it get soaked for about 15 minutes ( This is essential since the cornmeal is made at home and is slightly more grainy then the one available in stores).  Then add the flour, baking powder and fold it gently.  Add the mixed fruit, nuts, grated lemon rind, lemon juice and milk. Spoon the mixture into the pan and level the surface.

Preheat oven to 180C. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool before cutting it. But let me tell you, I, had no patience till the cake is completely cooled just sliced it had it warm. I simply loved this cake. You can see the fruits in this cake.

Just delicious hmm.........  Enjoy!!!!!!!

Note :I used a silicon mould for this cake so I did not line it.  This cake you cannot unmold since its fruity and crunchy, hence I suggest, that a silicon mould or removable bottom baking cake pan be used.

Labels : Cakes, Bake a thon, Cornmeal

Bake-a-thon 2014

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