Pita Bread # BreadBakers

Pita Bread is also known as Arabic bread or a Middle Eastern bread . This bread is a soft and leavened flatbread which is baked and it's  excellent sandwiches.
Ingredients
500 Grams All Purpose Flour
1 Sachet Instant Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
Salt to taste
1/4 Cup Oil
Luke Warm Water as required to knead the dough

To make the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Ingredients
2 Cups Boiled Chick peas / Garbanzo Beans - drained
2 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Large Red bell pepper - roasted and cleaned
2 Tablespoons Water - used the water that chickpeas was boiled
2 -3 Tablespoons Tahini Paste - Homemade
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon salt
¼ Teaspoon Paprika powder
2 Cloves Garlic
Freshly squeezed  juice of  a Lemon

1/2 teaspoon Chilly powder

Method
For the Pita Bread
Take a cup of luke warm water add instant yeast and sugar, mix it well and leave it for minutes to forth. Once it froths, the yeast is ready to use.

Take a mixing bowl ( I used a food processor to knead the dough) add all purpose flour , baking powder, oil, salt, mix it well, add the yeast mixture and mix it well adding more water as required to make a soft smooth dough. Oil a bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with the plastic cling leave it rise for an hour or until it doubles in volume.

Once it doubles in volume take out it the dough and fold the dough. Roll the dough, make even size balls around 8 or according to the size you desire.

In the meantime , line and oil a tray with aluminium foil or parchment paper . Preheat your oven at 200 degree.

Press each dough with your palm to make a thick circle. Place them in the oven tray. Leave them to rise again for 15 to 20 minutes . 

Bake them in a preheat oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When its done take it out from the oven, brush them with butter or oil and the pita bread is ready to serve.

See how Soft and pillowy is the Pita Bread!

Serve with hummus or Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

To make the  Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Wash and dry the red bell pepper the oil it well and roast i on the gas flame or bake it for 15 to 20 minutes until burnt . I roasted the bell pepper on the gas flame.

Then place the pepper in a foil and warp it tightly for 10 minutes or until you are ready with the rest of the ingredients.

Take the bell pepper out of the foil and clean all the burnt skin and wash it under running water. Then cut it and remove the seeds. Chop it and keep aside.

In a food processor or blender, mix the chick peas / garbanzo beans, olive oil, red bell pepper, Tahini Paste - Homemade, lime juice, water, salt, paprika, chilly powder, blend until smooth , add water only if necessary , taste and adjust the seasonings.

Drizzle a little olive oil and ENJOY! with Pita Bread. It taste divine.

Labels : Breads, Pita Bread, Middle Eastern, Sandwiches, Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Chickpeas, Olive Oil, Red Bell Pepper, Paprika, Bread Bakers

Sending this Bread Bakers  event  our is Host: Wendy,   the theme is  "International Breads".  
Check the bread that our baker's have baked.

Apfelpfannkuchen (Apple Pancake)from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Auvergne Crown from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Bauernbrot from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
Bialys from Spill the Spices
Boule from Bread Therapy
Chilli and Coriander Scones from Sizzling Tastebuds
Dutch Tiger Bread (Tijgerbolletjes)from Baking Sense
Epi di Pan from Sara's Tasty Buds
Franzbrotchen from Gayathri's Cook Spot
German Soft Pretzels (Laugenbrezel) from Hostess At Heart
German Soft Pretzels from Herbivore Cucina
Kardemummabullar from Ambrosia
Pita Bread from Sneha's Recipe
Pletzel from Cook's Hideout
Pretzel bites from My Cooking Journey
Savoury Kugelhopf from The Mad Scientist's Kitchen
Slovak Bread Rolls(Rozky) from Mayuri's Jikoni
Whole wheat Pita bread from Sonlicious
Yemeni Kubaneh from Food Lust People Love
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Phyllo Pastry Sheets - Homemade

Phyllo is the dough used in a variety of Greek and Middle Eastern sweet and savory dishes, appetizers and snacks to main dishes and desserts.  One of the most famous sweet treats made with this dough is Baklava.

Phyllo prounouncation is "Fillo", which is not available in India, hence,  have freshly made phyllo dough. Let's make these pastry sheets .

Ingredients

2.1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon White Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons  Olive oil
Water as required to make a soft dough
Flour for dusting

Method 

Place the flour, white vinegar, olive oil, and mix well  till it's distributed in the flour. Slowly pour in the water into the flour and knead to a soft dough.  Place this dough in an well oiled container and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour at least. 

The should be soft and stretchy like the above pic. 

After an hour take the dough out from the refrigerator and turn the dough out onto your work surface  and divide it into 5  to 10 equal balls, according to the size of your baking pan.

Working with one piece at a time, roll  the dough, 

flouring the work surface well, roll it to a round and  paper-thin  disc. Cover it with a damp tea towel and continue rolling the remaining dough.  

Even if the sheets tear as you are rolling do not worry, as these are covered with many layers.

I make this pastry sheets fresh whenever required since its so easy and quick to make.
Check this  recipe with this sheets. 
Iraqi Parda Plau - Phyllo Pastry Wrapped Biryani

Labels : Homemade, Phyllo pastry, Middle Eastern, Continental Cuisine

Iraqi Parda Plau - Phyllo Pastry Wrapped Biryani

This month’s challenge with the MENA cooking club, the recipes chosen are from Iraq. One is Lis'an El Qa'thi and the other is Pardah Pellau. While surfacing the net , found it difficult to find the correct recipe for the given challenge by Mena, cause the each one had the same method by different names like Iraqi Parda Plau , Perde pilaf or some pronounce it as Parda Palaw. 

This Iraqi dish, which literally means - Phyllo Pastry Wrapped Biryani, wherein the biryani rice, is entirely enveloped in crispy flaky phyllo pastry. Though it sounds complicated and lenghty this is recipe is very easy to make, simple and requires hardly any time assemble it together . For this dish can use leftover biryani.

Ingredients
10 Sheets  Phyllo pastry - Homemade
1.1/2 Cup  Air fryer Chicken Biryani 
40 - 50 Grams Butter - melted

Method

I have made a healthy  biryani in the Air fryer hence the name, recipe of Phyllo Pastry and Air fryer Chicken Biryani will be posted soon. 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Shred the chicken from the briyani and keep aside.  The biryani should be cold ( from the refrigerator). Hence leftover biryani can be used. 

Brush well the bottom and sides of an oven-safe dish with butter.

Begin to layer the phyllo pastry over the bottom and the sides, leaving an over-hanging portion 

Remembering to brush with melted butter between each layer.  

I used five sheets at the bottom.  Then fill the phyllo lined dish to the brim with cooled biryani.   

Cover the top with two sheets of phyllo and brush each sheet with melted butter before laying the other one, brush the top with butter and  then fold over the over-hanging pastry, and brushing the top with melted butter. 

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until piping hot and of a golden crispy texture.

Carefully invert on the serving dish.

Cut into portions and  serve. 

This was an amazing dish, crispy and flaky out side with delicious rice and chicken filling. This is quite heavy and filling , enjoy. 

Labels: Baked, Chicken, Continental Cuisine, Rice, Iraqi, Mena Cooking Club, Middle Eastern, Phyllo pastry
Check the recipe of Phyllo Pastry Sheets - Homemade and Air Fryer Chicken Biryani

Lis'an El Qa'thi / Iraqi Stuffed Eggplant

This month’s challenge with the MENA cooking club, the recipes chosen are from Iraq. One of them is Lis'an El Qa'thi  when means stuffed eggplant with meat filling. Its is a yummy and delicious dish. Quick to make and really different way to present the humble Baingan ( what we Indian's call eggplant).  It's a classic party dish.  We really loved it.

Serve 2
Ingredients 

1 large Eggplants
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
250 Grams Chicken Mince
1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
1/2 Teaspoon Baharat Masala - Homemade
1/2 Teaspoon Chilly powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves - finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil as required
For Garnishing
1 Tomato - de seeded and cut in strips

1 Green Capsicum - cut in strips

Method

Cut the eggplants length ways and make  diamond cuts lightly (do not go too deep) as shown in the pic. 

Brush it oil and rub  a pinch of salt.

Pour a two tablespoons of oil into a frying pan to coat bottom generously. Heat over medium heat and fry eggplants, cut side down, for 8 to 10 minutes (ensuring they don’t blacken). Turn and fry the skin side another 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep aside to cool lightly.

In a another pan heat two tablespoons oil and fry onions until they are translucent. Add mince and cook, stirring till it turns pink to white. Add tomatoes paste, turmeric, chilly powder, Baharat masala and salt to taste. Stir and let the chicken mince cook till done and all the  moisture is evaporated. Add the coriander leaves and mix well. Keep aside to cool

Now preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Oil an ovenproof dish. 

Use the back of a spoon to press the eggplant flesh in order to create a cavity in the center of each half.

Fill the eggplant halves with an equal amount of the chicken mixture, piling it up so all the stuffing is used and patting it down gently. 

Garnish each eggplant with tomato and the capsicum strips. Arrange eggplant halves in the ovenproof dish. Sprinkle a little cold water over each eggplant half.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggplant is slightly blackened around the edges and the mince has browned. Serve at once.

Homemade Baharat Masala  recipe to  be posted soon.

Labels : Eggplant, Baked, Chicken, Iraqi, Continental Cuisine, Middle Eastern, Mena Cooking Club

Roasted Potatoes with Zaatar Spice - Homemade

Zaatar is a herb used in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. Zaatar is generally prepared using  dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combinations of other spices too.  

For the marathon this week the theme is Condiment from Countries, wherein we have to choose condiments, sauces, spreads or seasonings - its week 3 - day 16.

Condiment - Zaatar

Country - Middle Eastern Countries

Ingredients

8 - 10 Baby Potatoes
1 Tablespoons Zaatar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
For the Zaatar Spice

1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Marjoram
1 Tablespoon Sumac
1 Tablespoon Cumin - coarsely ground
Method

To make the Zaatar Spice

Mix all the ingredients and the spice it ready. Some even add sesame seeds, which I have  not add.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. 

Wash and scrub the skin of the potatoes well.  Chop the potatoes into halves and toss in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt and zaatar. Pour the potatoes along with the marinade onto a baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring the potatoes with a fork after 20 minutes. Enjoy ....  These are yummy and flavorful, can be served as starters too.

My Notes:

Make this spice and store it in the refrigerator for a year.

Labels :  Potato, Starters, Masalas ,Zaatar, Homemade, International Cuisine , Baked, Vegetarian, Middle Eastern

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