Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese & Leafy Greens)#EatTheWorld

Plachinda is a round flat bread that is commonly stuffed with cheese. This flatbread is a stuffed bread what we call here in India a paratha. In this flatbread no yeast is used instead it is leavened with baking soda or baking powder. I have seen so many recipes on the internet some make it round and some make like a turnover. I have watched YouTube video's and decide to adapt one with which I can get ingredients readily available here. Most of the recipes use sorrel leaves as one of the ingredients and kefir to make this stuffed flatbread. But I couldn't find it in market as this is not the season for this leafy green here instead went with spinach and used buttermilk instead of kefir to make the dough.

Also subbed the all purpose flour with little freshly milled whole wheat flour to make it healthy.
Makes 4
Ingredients
For The Dough
1 Cup Kefir / Buttermilk
½ Tablespoon Olive oil
½ Tablespoon Caster Sugar
½ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
250 Grams All Purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
100 Grams Whole Wheat Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Baking powder
For The Filling
200 Grams Feta cheese - crumbled
200 Grams Homemade Cottage Cheese / Paneer - crumbled
50 Grams Sorrel or Spinach leaves - finely chopped
4 Spring Onions / Scallions - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Dill Leaves - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Black pepper powder
¼ Cup Olive Oil - for frying
To Fry
¼ Cup Olive Oil
Method
For The Dough 

In a large kneading bowl add in ¾ cup buttermilk, oil, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix together well with a fork.

Sift the flour with the baking powder & baking soda, then sift again into the buttermilk mixture and mix in start to incorporating to make a soft and smooth. If it’s still slightly sticky, incorporating more flour into it & if it is stiff then add the remaining buttermilk a little at a time to make a nice soft smooth dough. Take this on to lightly floured work surface and start to knead the dough till it should stop sticking to your hands and forms a soft smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
In the meantime Let's Make The Filling

Mix the feta, cottage cheese spinach, spring onions and dill together, making sure that the feta is finely crumbled. Divide this into 4 parts.

Divide the dough into 4 part. Flour the work surface really well and roll out each piece of dough, one by one, into a 20 cm (8 inch) diameter circle.

Moisten the surface of one dough circle with your finger tips with a little bit of oil and place one part of the filling on the center of the circle.

Next, take edges of the circle and fold it into the middle ( like a moneybag) pinching them to the top well. 

Then flatten it in the center. The dough should resemble a flattened moneybag.
Now flour the top lightly and gently flatten it with the rolling pin flouring the work surface till it form a thick circle 6" - 8" circle. The filling will be breaking at the edges but no worries this flatbread does taste so good.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

Heat the a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium low flame until hot and gently lower in each flatbread, one at a time. Fry for 2–2½ minutes on each side.

Enjoy these with ketchup!

Labels: Feta Cheese, Eat the World, Paratha, Scallions, Pan Fried, International Cuisine, Dill, Cottage Cheese, Moldova, Spinach, Stuffed Flatbreads, Breads

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

• For Eat The World we are sharing recipes of Moldova

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Moldovan Roasted Eggplant Salad 
• Sneha's Recipe: Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese & Leafy Greens) 
•  Culinary Cam: Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls) 
•  Amy's Cooking Adventures: Zeama (Moldovan Chicken Soup)

Keto Paneer Steaks In Cafreal Masala#Foodieextravaganza

Many of the traditional Goan spices and masalas can be easily used to make delicious vegetarian meal, just use your imagination and create a new recipe to the taste of your palate. You can use the same masala and make it a perfect base to marinade vegetables like mushrooms, brinjal/eggplant etc.

For this recipe I used paneer to replace steak, since I felt like serving something different. This vegetarian steaks can be served as a burger with any keto toasted bread for a complete comfort meal. Adding a fresh salad or cooked vegetables will make a filling and complete meal.

Serves 2 Per serving carbohydrates 1.8 g
Ingredients
200 Grams Firm Cottage Cheese / Paneer
1 Teaspoon Chickpea Flour or Arrowroot Powder
Grind To Fine Paste
4 green Chillies
1 Bunch Coriander leaves
2" Piece Ginger
6 Cloves Garlic
½ Teaspoon Poppy Seeds
6 Whole Black Peppercorns
1 Small Piece Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Heaped Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
5 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1 Tablespoon Tamarind juice or Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Coconut or Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste

Method

Slice the paneer half then into four slice. Keep aside.
Grind all the ingredients given under paste without adding any water. When ground finely add in flour or arrowroot powder. Pulse the mixer once or twice so that all ingredients are well mixed.
Remove this paste on to bowl and apply it to the paneer steaks and cover it with a lid and marinate it at least for 2 hours or overnight.

Heat a grill pan that has been lightly greased or sprayed with a coconut oil on high flame. Once hot arrange the slices and grill till brown marks are seen. Flip and again cook on the other side till brown marks appear. 

Do not over cook or else it will harden. These are soft and succulent. Serve these with salad at the side and enjoy a healthy keto meal with just carbohydrates 1.8 g
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog.  I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers.

Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Keto, Low Carb, Goan, Indian, Starters, Appetizer, Paneer, Cottage Cheese 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Garlic Ginger Chicken Nuggets
• Sneha’s Recipe: Garlic-Keto Paneer Steaks In Cafreal Masala
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Garlic and Chive Flower Buns
• Palatable Pastime: Roasted Garlic Sautéed Squash
• Food Lust People Love: Escargots à la Bourguignonne
• Magical Ingredients: Garlicky Pink Peppercorn Paneer 

Bauernfrühstück (German Farmer’s Breakfast)#SundayFunday

Bauernfrühstück is a German country breakfast. A Farmer's breakfast which simple & filling dish made from fried potatoes, eggs, onions and bacon or ham, pan fried as an omelette. . The Berlin version of the same is called “Hoppel Poppel”. This can be had for lunch or dinner!

I made a vegetarian version to for my hubby, with an addition of cottage cheese and minus the ham rest ingredients and method the same.

Serves One
Ingredients
2 Medium Potatoes - skinned & sliced in roundels
2 - 3 Tablespoons Duck Fat /Bacon Fat or Olive Oil
1 Large Onion - sliced
2 Scallions/Spring Onions - roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons Each Red & Green & Yellow Bell Peppers - diced
2 Big Slices Ham  - chopped
4 Tablespoons Chopped Celery Ribs
1 Teaspoon Dried Chives
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
2 Eggs- whisked
Salt to taste

Method

Slice the potatoes in roundels and boil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water till just cooked. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté till they are golden brown. Then add the potato roundels and sauté till they too start to brown, 

now add in the ham and sauté for a minute 

then add the bell peppers, celery, chives and spring onions and sauté for 2 minutes or till they soften a little. 

Now spread it evenly and then add the whisked eggs, evenly distribute it. 

As soon as eggs begin to firm up, switch off the flame.

Serve and Enjoy!! We had this with garlic bread.
Labels: Breakfast, Egg, Bacon, Ham, Cottage Cheese, Boiled Potato, Main course, Germany, Sunday Funday, Serves One

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our host for this week's event for the month of October 2021, is Stacy of Food Lust People Love: and the theme is Oktoberfest (German recipes)".
Here are some of the German Recipes made by us.
Bauernfrühstück (German Farmer’s Breakfast) from Sneha's Recipe
Bavarian Cheese Spread from Food Lust People Love
Beer Braised Steak from Palatable Pastime
Beer Brats on Pretzel Rolls from Amy's Cooking Adventures
Obatzda (Cheese Spread) from Making Miracles
Oktoberfest Breakfast Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sourdough Soft Pretzels from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Paneer Tomato Rice With Leftover Rice For One

This is a simple stir fry rice with leftover rice, to make it nutritious added lots of paneer (since this also is leftover), tomato and spices to to give an extra kick and taste to it. A quick fix meal when you tired and have leftover rice and veggies lying in the refrigerator. Just use whatever you have in the quantity doesn't matter.

Single Serving
Ingredients
1 Cup Packed Boiled Rice
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Finley Shredded Cabbage
2 Small Green Bell pepper
2 Mushrooms sliced
2 Small Tomatoes  - blended
1 Tablespoon Chopped Tomato
100 Grams Paneer cubed

½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder

1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Small Cube Veg seasoning
1 Teaspoon Lemon juice

Method 

Heat sesame oil in kadai/pan,  add cumin seeds, when they crackle, add in the ginger garlic paste, sauté for a minute . Now add in the asafoetida , curry leaves , onions and cabbage too sauté till onions are translucent. Add in the blended tomatoes , turmeric, coriander, red chilly powder  and black pepper powder and sauté till oil surfaces and in the veg cube seasoning and mix well. 

Cover  with a lid and cook form a mushy gravy. Now add in the bell pepper/capsicum, chopped tomato, mushroom and lemon juice,  sauté well. Cover and let this cook for a minute on medium low flame. Add boiled rice and paneer, mix well till the gravy coats the rice. Again cover with a lid and let the rice get heated up for about 2 minutes. Open give it a good mix.

Serve and enjoy hot!! This is delicious meal, meatless meal!!
Labels: Leftover series, Rice, Paneer, Cottage Cheese, Main course, Vegetarian,Stir Fry, Single Serving

Grilled Grapes & Paneer Sticks#SundayFunday

This grilled skewers is a lip-smacking appetizer/starter, a wonderful party pleaser. I have also sauté veggies too along with them. It's healthy and delicious.

Ingredients
1 Cup Grams Grapes
200 Grams Paneer / Cottage Cheese - cut into cubes
1 Carrot- cut into sticks
1 Small Green Capsicum/Bell Pepper -diced
1 Medium Potato - boiled and cut into wedges
2 Medium Tomato - de seeded and cut into wedges
For The Marination
½ Teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Sweet Chilli Preserve/Jam
½ Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Bezar Spice -Homemade
1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Heaped Olive Oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients for marination well, add all the paneer, grapes, coat them in the marinade and keep it aside. 

Then add the tomato, potato, carrot, coat them in the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Thread the paneer and grapes on wooden skewers.

Heat a grill pan add the veggies - tomato, potato wedges, carrot along with the marinade and sauté till they are grilled /charred, remove them on to a plate. In the same pan grill the paneer and grape skewers.

When done serve them and enjoy!! 

Crisp paneer with sweet  grapes and veggies taste fantastic.

Labels : Paneer, Cottage Cheese, Grilled, Appetizer, Party pleasers, Healthy, Starters, Grapes, Carrot, Tomato, Potato

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. I thank our host for this week's event Rebekah Rose Hills of Making Miracles 

Sunday Funday: Happy Valentine's Day! Today let's celebrate romance.!

• Beet-Kissed Savory Goat Cheese Truffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Dipped Strawberries by Amy's Cooking Adventures
Chocolate Chip Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies by  Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 

• Strawberry Almond Crumble by Food Lust People Love
• Watermelon Mousse by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Wild Rice Stuffed Pork Tenderloin by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Homemade Grilled Veggie Cottage Cheese#SundayFunday

Homemade Cottage Cheese with veggies and flavorful spices makes a great and low fat starter. Making the cottage cheese from starch is a great pleasure, the cheese is soft and succulent. See the detailed recipe of making it home here.

Ingredients
For the Cottage Cheese
1½ Liter Cow Milk
200 Ml Fresh Cream
Other Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Each Red , Yellow & Green Bell Peppers
1 Tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly Flakes
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Teaspoon Parsley
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
¼ Teaspoon Salt

Method

Prepare the cottage cheese as per this recipe. When milk curdles, add all the other ingredients and mix it lightly. Strain this into a cheese/muslin cloth. Dip this cloth it in a bowl of cold water, rinse the cheese with fresh water till it cools and hang it at a height  for the excess liquid to drain. Let it drain for half an hour.

Now remove the knot of the cloth and place the cheese along with the cloth on a wide plate, strainer or kitchen counter. Gently press it to form a rectangle shape. Place a heavy weight or a saucepan of of water on the cheese cloth and let it sit for an hour or till all the water is drained and forms firm cheese.

Cut them into pieces. 

Heat a grill pan with just a few drops of oil and then grill them on both sides of just a minute or two on each side. Do not grill for a long time as then cottage cheese becomes hard. 

Serve  them  as starters or as finger food or tapas along with drinks. Served these to my diet conscious friends as starters. 

Labels: Paneer, Cottage Cheese, Grilled, Coloured Bell Peppers, Starters, Finger food, Tapas, Low Cal, Diet Meal, Sunday Funday, Homemade,  Vegetarian, Gluten Free

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. I thank our host for this week's event Camilla M. Mann of https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/

Sunday Funday: Holiday Cheese Boards!

• Breakfast Charcuterie Board by Palatable Pastime
• Cheese Boards: A Feast for the Eyes and the Tastebuds by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Holiday Cheese Board Ideas by Making Miracles
• Homemade Grilled Veggie Cottage Cheese by Sneha's Recipe
• Honey Thyme Feta by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spicy Marinated Cheese by Food Lust People Love

Cottage Cheese & Veggies Borek#BakingBloggers

Cottage Cheese & Veggies Borek is simple and flaky.  Can assemble this dish in advance and bake it two to three hours before your guest arrive.  

Serve it as an appetizer or even as a side dish on a party table.

Ingredients  

250 Grams Cottage Cheese - Homemade 
5 Small Cauliflower Florets 
1 Big Carrot
1 Big Potato
½ Cup Coriander Leaves
¼ Teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Paprika powder
2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
Phyllo Pastry Sheets - Homemade - as required
Method 

In a pan heat oil, saute the onions , till translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two then add all the veggies, saute for a minute, add all the spices and salt to taste, saute and cover till veggies are done yet firm. Add the cottage cheese and coriander leaves mix well, Switch off the flame. Take it out into a bowl and let it cool completely.

To Assemble the Borek

In a well buttered Pyrex dish, layer a sheet of Phyllo pastry, brush it lavishly with melted butter, I layered 6 sheets and brushed each with melted butter. After the 6th sheet , spread the  filling evenly and press it lightly. 

Now add the remaining phyllo pastry 6 sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter and then keep the next sheet.

 See the layers

After all the sheets are placed, brush the top lavishly with butter. 

Give cuts with knife , as per your desired size pieces right till the bottom taking care not the separate the sheets.  Now brush it with egg or milk wash.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 170 C, for 35 to 40 minutes or until it gets a nicely golden. 

Cottage Cheese & Veggies Borek  is ready to serve. These are flaky and scrumptious. A perfect party treat.

My Notes

While layering the sheets tend to tear or break, but do not worry since they will be covered with other sheets. You can use even the cut sheet or torn sheets for layering.
Labels : Cottage Cheese, Borek, Middle Eastern, Baking Bloggers, Phyllo Pastry, Homemade, Baked, Turkey

 

Baking Bloggers February 2020

Middle Eastern Baking
Apricot Pistachio Cake from Food Lust People Love
Basbousa Cake from Pandemonium Noshery
Cottage Cheese and Veggies Borek from Sneha's Recipe
Laffa Bread from Making Miracles
Lebanese Sesame Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Mana'eesh (Palestinian Flatbread) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Maqluba (Upside Down Rice) from Palatable Pastime
Parda Pulao - Iraqi Parda Plau from The Schizo Chef
Roast Chicken Shwarma from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Umm Ali from Caroline's Cooking